10 Celebrity Trainers Share Their Workout Routines
Celebrity trainers share their workouts, fitness tips, and exercise philosophies. Steal their secrets to tone up, lose weight and feel great.
Overview
You might think that because celebrity fitness trainers are always at the gym that they spend hours and hours working out. But it turns out that's not always the case. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that, much like you, celebrity trainers aim to make their workouts as effective as possible in as little time as possible. But, unlike you, developing workout plans is part of their job, and they've spent years studying what works (and what doesn't). So now you can steal their secrets for next-level results.
1. Ashley Borden
"I do not train with my clients — I watch them like a hawk," says Ashley Borden, personal trainer to celebs like Christina Aguilera and Reese Witherspoon. And when it's time to log a workout of her own, she turns to Olympic lifting, the exercises on her #abfitapp and martial arts. "Jiujitsu boosts my confidence and makes me stronger," she says. "And I love Olympic lifting because it reminds me of dance — every movement needs to fall in line." She ends up training four or five times a week, mixing 60 minutes of lifting and 90 minutes of jiujitsu.
She wants you to deadlift. Borden loves the deadlift for its real-world applications. "Knowing how to lift heavy stuff will save your spine," she says. And it activates your posterior chain (aka your entire backside) like crazy.
Read more: The 35 Most Memorable Hollywood Bodies
2. Harley Pasternak
If you saw Harley Pasternak on Khloe Kardashian's "Revenge Body," you probably remember his surprisingly simple fitness philosophy: Pasternak is more interested in everyday movement than the sweat-dripping, sometimes punishing workouts people log at the gym. "I try and hit 14,000 steps on my Fitbit every single day," he says. (Pasternak is also a Fitbit ambassador.) He also lifts four days a week for approximately 30 to 40 minutes using dumbbells, barbells, cables and body weight.
He wants you to set nonfitness goals. As Pasternak sees it, no matter how committed you are to your workout plan, you're going to spend more time outside of the gym than inside it, so you should make the most of it. "Every day I focus on hitting a step goal, a sleep goal and a food goal," he says.
3. Simone De La Rue
Simone De La Rue admits she exercises "way too much" because she's always working with clients (among them are celebs like Chrissy Teigen, Reese Witherspoon and Julianne Hough), but her ideal routine involves five or six one-hour workouts a week, incorporating, strength, cardio, yoga and, of course, dance (her method, Body By Simone, features high-intensity, dance-inspired moves). "The beauty of dance is that it's always different," she says.
She wants you to use a resistance band. De La Rue uses resistance bands to tone muscles with minimal equipment. Her favorite move? "I love band curlers because they sculpt lean arms and shoulders," she says. Stand on a resistance band holding each end with palms facing you. Curl your hands toward your shoulders, keeping your elbows close to your body. Slowly lower back to start, resisting the pull of the band. Do at least 20 reps.
4. Dan Roberts
London-based trainer Dan Roberts, who works with models and actresses like Wallis Day, Suki Waterhouse and Jana Perez, exercises every day for about 75 minutes, doing a combination of running, cycling and boxing. "Endurance training is my meditation when I need to get away from the world," he says. "And as a trained martial artist (muay thai), I'm always thinking about the mind-body connection." This philosophy inspired his 90-day training plan, NUK SOO, which means "warrior" in Thai and incorporates intense martial arts moves with exercises designed to increase your awareness of the world around you.
He wants you to try MMA sparring. "Nothing focuses the mind or gets your heart rate up like sparring," Roberts says. And fighting is less intimidating than you think.
5. Jason Wimberly
Between training clients like Selma Blair, teaching classes at his Hollywood studio The Wall and leading workouts for W FUEL Weekends around the world, Jason Wimberly is busy. "In a normal week, I can teach anywhere from eight to 12 classes, and on those weeks I also try to lift heavy two or three times a week to maintain muscle mass," Wimberly says. "But I don't think you need to train more than an hour a day, and I don't encourage you to do as many classes as I do." Remember: This is his job.
He wants you to think about fitness as a long-term lifestyle. "So many clients struggle with chronic pain and limitations from years of moving their bodies incorrectly and powering through," he says. "Fitness should be about longevity and maintaining a healthy, mobile body as long as you can."
Read more: Jason Wimberly's Six-Pack Abs Workout With Zero Sit-Ups
6. Kira Stokes
By the looks of Kira Stokes' Instagram you might think she's moving all the time. And she basically is — not just because she's busy training clients like Candace Cameron Bure and Shay Mitchell, but also because her philosophy puts movement first. "Your body is made to move, and your workouts should help you move through life stronger and more efficiently," Stokes says. That's why she does traditional weight-bearing movements like squats, deadlifts, rows and presses and mixes in body-weight exercises and cardio in between sets to maximize her time.
She wants you to rethink your rest. You know how you check your phone between every set? Stokes says you should stop that. "Rest the muscles you just worked, not your entire body," she says. Pick up a jump rope for some cardio or work a different body part between sets.
Read more: 4 Innovative Circuit Workouts From Trainer Kira Stokes
7. Don Brooks
Don Brooks starts his day with a workout before meeting up with clients like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West (NBD) and leading workouts as an ambassador for the sports drink BodyArmor. "Realistically, I end up working out two or three times a day," Brooks says. "I'll do many of the same moves as my clients, like squats, lunges, planks and push-ups using a BOSU ball."
He wants you to embrace the BOSU ball. Brooks loves the BOSU ball for its versatility. Try 20 reps of these exercises: 1. Jump-switch lunge: Start in a lunge position with one foot on the ball. Switch legs as you jump. 2. Push-up: Start in a plank position with your hands on the flat side on the BOSU ball (ball should be upside down). Lower your chest to the platform, and then push back up.
8. Holly Perkins
Strength-training reigns supreme for Holly Perkins, who has trained Karlie Kloss, Adrian Grenier and Petra Ecclestone. "You need to lift so you can do everything better — yoga, dance, running, everything." Perkins lifts for 90 minutes four times a week, then works in two 90-minute yoga sessions and two steady-state cardio workouts at 35 minutes each. "I do cardio to keep me healthy and feeling well, not to burn fat," she says. (Check out her six-week workout program on HollyPerkins.com.)
She wants you to do functional exercises at a moderate intensity. "Every human body needs to be able to squat and deadlift well," she says. But she's less interested in the crazy jump-squats you do in boot camp classes: "Most people aren't at a high enough fitness level and go too hard too fast."
Read more: A 10-Minute Leg-Sculpting Workout From Holly Perkins
9. Anna Kaiser
Anna Kaiser, founder of AKT In Motion, whose clients include celebs like Karlie Kloss and Shakira, exercises about five times a week, usually taking classes at her studio in New York. This works well for Kaiser, considering she designed her program to be as comprehensive as possible. "I believe you should get everything you need in one place," she says. That's why workouts at AKT In Motion are designed to improve your cardio, strength and flexibility, with classes that feature strength training, deep stretching and dance cardio.
She wants you to switch up your routine. Kaiser changes the content of her classes every three weeks. "Switching up your routine keeps both your body and mind challenged," Kaiser says, adding that three weeks is the sweet spot. "It's enough time to feel comfortable pushing harder, but not so much time that you get stuck in a rut."
10. Magnus Lygdback
You'd think a guy who turns celebs into superheroes (see: Gal Gadot in "Wonder Woman" and Alicia Vikander in "Tomb Raider") would have a take-no-prisoners approach to fitness, but he believes exercise should be fun. "The ideal workout regimen combines something you that you like and something that you need," he says. For Lygdback, that means a combination of lifting and jiujitsu five times a week. "Men should lift heavier as they age to boost testosterone, and I love that jiujitsu works both my body and my brain."
He wants you to stay fit while you travel. Lygdback travels a lot for work, but he doesn't see it as a disruption to his routine. "I might hit the gym more if I'm in London or do jiujitsu if I'm in Los Angeles, but it's always an opportunity to mix things up."
What Do YOU Think?
Have you ever wondered what celebrity personal trainers' workout routines look like? Were you surprised by their regimens? Which types of these workouts do you incorporate into your workout schedule? What tips resonated with you the most? Share your thoughts and reactions in the comments below!