Look at Madonna’s thighs and immediately you are struck by conflicting emotions. You want those impossibly lean, toned thighs and perfectly sized, dimple-free bottom, but you know that to get limbs anywhere near as lithe you will have to step up your efforts in the gym to an almost Paula Radcliffe level.

So how does she do it?

According to her personal trainer, Tracy Anderson, Madonna spends two and a half hours in the gym, six days a week. She also runs before breakfast and does daily dance training and yoga. There are elements of her workouts that we can all adopt, but even they may seem draconian. “People need to dedicate at least 20 minutes a day, six days a week to intense cardio — dance, running, cycling — and make time to create a strong muscular structure,” Anderson says. Weights are essential for all-over tone, lunging and squatting for the thighs, but they should not be heavy: “No woman should lift more than 3lb”. But she recommends a colossal 60 repetitions of each exercise and says that Madonna does at least 100.

What you can do — Piking

Lie on your back, arms at sides, shoulders and lower back pressed to the floor. Lift straightened legs up to the ceiling (to a 90-degree angle), toes pointed. Slowly and gently lower them to the ground and, without stopping, raise them again. Repeat 60 to 100 times.

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