CORNEL Chin is the trainer movie stars go to when they need to get in shape fast for a role but his latest book makes his body-transforming secrets available without the Hollywood price tag.

A personal trainer since 1992, the 40-year-old Chin’s gym-eschewing cross training sessions for stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Colin Firth and The Da Vinci Code actress Audrey Tautou can be easily adapted for those wanting to get fit but not shell out on costly gym membership.

The result is Celebrity Body On A Budget, a workout plan which allows the reader to gauge their own fitness level with built-in evaluation tasks and then tailors a mostly body-weight programme of exercises to get you fit effectively and safely.

There’s even advice on nutrition and plenty of recipes for tasty, healthy snacks to keep you trim and full of energy.

There is no excuse, the Beckenham-based trainer even turns household chores into a workout and has exercises you can perform at your desk at work.

Chin said: “I have tried to turn a negative into a positive. With the economic recession looming, I thought people can’t cut back on things like food, clothes and their kids, but they can cut their gym membership.

He added: “Some can’t afford to go to a gym and some feel intimidated in that environment.

“All of my clients, no matter how famous, train in homes, gardens or in parks. I never train clients in a gym.”

He says he is not anti-gyms, he has managed three gyms in the past, but an effective workout can be achieved with no equipment at all.

He says: “Your body is a gym. The book works as an exercise companion.

“There are so many variations you can perform. The book works as an exercise companion to make the most out of your body.”

Chin, who has also encouraged singer Rick Astley to never give up working out and trained actress Naomie Harris to work on her throwing arm to hurl petrol bombs at zombies for the horror film 28 Days Later, believes following the book will bring quick results.

He said: “If the person is disciplined and follows a good eating plan they will notice big changes within six weeks.”

Chin only had three weeks to turn a rather podgy Leonardo DiCaprio into a lean surfer type for the film The Beach in 2000.

He did it, but he would not recommend the extreme method to everyone.

He says: “He trained like an Olympic athlete. He worked very hard. It would be too intensive for most.

“There was not a lot of recovery time. He trained two hours morning and evening, every day.

“I worked on his nutrition and made sure he got plenty of sleep to aid his recovery. He wasn’t allowed out partying.”

The Titanic star had been the subject of much press speculation about his weight before Chin got to him, with the blame put on wild nights out. Chin says there was plenty of DiCaprio when he first met him but the weight gain was not due to his lifestyle.

Chin said: “He had knee surgery after Titanic so he was unable to do any sport for a while. He loves his sport.

“This is what made him pile on the weight.

“Once his time with me was over he had lost 16 pounds.”

If you are after some DiCaprio-esque weight shedding for the beach, whether it is in Bangkok or Bognor Regis, Chin’s book could be the push you need.

Celebrity Body on a Budget by Cornel Chin is available through Price World Publishing.