Finding time for a good workout is tough. Between a hectic work schedule and looking for time to maybe do something luxurious like, oh, you know, eat dinner or maybe catch up on Netflix, making room in your day for a quick workout can be tricky. The worst part? There are just way too many forms of exercise to choose from. Seriously, what’s a busy person like yourself supposed to do when the time is short and the options are plentiful?
This sounds like a great opportunity to consult the preferred workout routines of some of your favorite celebrities to see how they keep fit, don’t you think? From Kate Hudson to Dwayne Johnson to Jennifer Lopez — all stars with enviable physiques who document their fitness regimens regularly on social media just to show off their progress from their preferred workout — the following celebrities have opened up about which workouts they love to use to stay in shape.
That means that you, the busy one, can finally take the worry out of choosing a workout; these celebs have chosen for you.
Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson is all about yoga when it comes to staying trim and keeping calm and focused. While talking with Self magazine in February 2016, that actor opened up about her preferred method of exercise, Kundalini yoga, a kind of yoga focused on the brain.
"It's about understanding your own individual likes, not fads," she commented. "Anything you do helps. You could sit there and not think of your mantra for your whole practice, but you're still benefitting."
Alicia Vikander
When SheKnows got the chance to speak with Tomb Raider star Alicia Vikander's personal trainer, Magnus Lygdbäck, we didn't miss the chance to ask him how he got the star in shape for her first high-profile action gig.
According to Lygdbäck, "We wanted to build a character that was not too muscly but feminine [and] strong." This meant getting Vikander to a place where she had "the fluidity, the movement, being able to climb, fight, jump, move like a cat."
Additionally, Lygdbäck notes that "[Vikander] had a lot of other kinds of training: climbing training, MMA training," and in the gym, "we did a lot of front squats, leg press, deadlifts, a lot of plyometrics, pull-up, push-ups, regular bicep curls, tricep press exercises."
Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck didn't just wake up one day suddenly in shape and ready to play Batman in films like Batman v. Superman or Justice League. No, he had to really work hard in order to make that magic happen.
According to Men's Journal, Affleck worked with Walter Norton Jr. of the Institute of Performance and Fitness. In order to get him up to around 230 pounds for the role, Norton worked Affleck with a range of bodybuilding techniques, including the elliptical and working with dumbbells.
Dwayne Johnson
There's no star with a workout regimen quite as intense as Dwayne Johnson's. The action superstar is a big fan of getting in the gym at all hours, and he's known for never missing a crucial area of the body and working it out to the fullest.
As part of his Jumanji prep, Men's Journal noted that Johnson focused on traditional bodybuilding exercises that targeted his back, chest and legs. And while Johnson favors the traditional side of working out, he has been known to participate in special workout challenges and document them, as he did when he and John Krasinski did the Murph Challenge (which according to Mashable is a 1-mile run followed by 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats and a second 1-mile run — while wearing a 20-pound vest, if that's your thing) in May 2018.
Victoria’s Secret Models Hannah Ferguson, Blanca Padilla & Devon Windsor
P.Volve is the secret to getting in shape when you're a Victoria's Secret model. In an exclusive for SheKnows, we got the 411 that P.Volve founder Stephen Pasterino likes to incorporate sweat-inducing moves — like a straight-forward reach, a Bosu step-up (which requires you to step onto a Bosu ball to help you get an extra burn during your lunges) and various key ankle-strengthening moves — into specialized workouts he does with models Hannah Ferguson, Blanca Padilla and Devon Windsor.
Michael B. Jordan
Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan has basically spent most of his high-profile career up until this point being a frequently shirtless, in-shape dude. That means he has perfected the art of a workout that will get him as ripped as possible for when he shows off his physique.
Jordan's Black Panther personal trainer, Corey Calliet, opened up to Men's Health in February 2018 to discuss how the actor got so in shape, commenting that during their two to three workouts per day, they would do "a lot of old-school bench presses, lat pulldowns, deadlifts — nothing fancy, just really contracting the muscle."
Mindy Kaling
Kaling opened up to The Chalkboard in January 2014 about her favorite kind of workout: Pop Physique.
"If I could do one workout for the rest of my life, it would be a 2 to 3-mile run followed by a Pop Physique class," the actor revealed. "Running clears my mind and releases anxiety. Pop makes me feel flexible and strong. It is super hard and uses many ballet moves."
Jennifer Aniston
According to Business Insider, Jennifer Aniston is a huge fan of Mandy Ingber's Yogalosophy, which pairs yoga with light cardio for a workout with an extra burn. You can check out Ingber's YouTube channel for more info and some tutorials to get you started.
Jenna Dewan
Jenna Dewan is a trained dancer, so you know she is already inclined to stay on top of her fitness game whenever possible. While speaking to Women's Health in April 2018, Dewan discussed her favorite ways to workout — and name-dropped an accessible option to the rest of us aspiring to get in shape the same way she does.
"I love working with Jennifer Johnson," Dewan revealed. "We spend the first 15 minutes of a class doing nonstop dance cardio to three or four hip-hop tracks. I follow Jennifer's choreography, or dance in a squat position the whole time."
Gal Gadot
While badass action star Gal Gadot has gone on record to admit that she is typically a fan of working out with a TRX and paddleboarding, as she told Harper's Bazaar in July 2015, she went through a fairly intense workout routine to get in shape for her most physically demanding role to date — Wonder Woman. According to Elle, Gadot worked with trainer Hayley Bradley to get in shape, doing intense activities in six-hour-a-day workout sessions, including horseback riding, fight choreography and strength training in a gym.
Jessica Chastain
Chastain is a big fitness fanatic, choosing the comparatively low-key forms of exercise to keep her in shape. She once opened up to Harper's Bazaar, telling the magazine that she is a massive fan of Bryan Kest Power Yoga, which can be done with an online program.
"I used to work out at his studio in Santa Monica, but now I do it when I’m traveling," Chastain explained, also revealing her other favorite form of exercise: dance. "I love the Lindy Hop. It’s such good exercise. You just need to find a guy who’s into it."
Jennifer Lopez & Alex Rodriguez
Lopez has kept in shape over the years. Sure, the busy schedule helps ensure she's always on the move, but her film, TV and music careers frequently call for her to be doing stunts, dancing or standing on her feet a lot.
But when she does want to get legitimate exercise in, she always makes sure to do it first thing in the morning. And, as current partner Alex Rodriguez told People magazine back in 2017, Lopez likes to work out with him as much as possible. Together, the couple does intense workouts involving things like lifting weights, biking, strength training and doing Pilates together.
Kim Kardashian West
Kim Kardashian West is devoted to staying in shape, so she has undoubtedly tried more than her fair share of different kinds of workouts over the years. But according to Business Insider, one of Kardashian West's favorites in recent years is Barry's Bootcamp, a program that has been around since 1998 and is all about high-intensity activities done in 25- to 30-minute intervals, like strength training with free weights and medicine balls.
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