Next up in E!'s Wellness Wednesday series: Kate Upton, who, in a way, has been preparing for exercise in the age of social distancing for years.
Between dating and marrying a perpetually on the road athlete (that'd be Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander), caring for 17-month-old daughter Genevieve and, you know, building her career as an in-demand, internationally recognized model, trips to the gym could be hard to come by.
"There was a lot of trial and error over the past 10 years of my career," the four-time Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover girl admitted to Health last year. "I had to figure out how to stay fit with all my travel and while going through so many life changes—like dating someone and getting married. I had to find a way to get everything in—work, travel, personal relationships, and workouts."
Thankfully she found a good partner in Ben Bruno. "He wrote workouts for me that I could use when I was on the road," she shared of the Los Angeles-based trainer. "They were 30-minute workouts that you can do anywhere."
She appreciated the strength-training sessions even more in the months after Genevieve's 2018 birth. "When I had my daughter, they really came in handy," she said. "I breastfed, so I couldn't really go anywhere. It was impossible to get to the gym, but I could do the workouts at home—it was great."
And the convenience inspired her to team with Bruno for Strong4Me Fitness, a 12-week program that promises "to slim, tone and strengthen the female body 30 minutes at a time."
The concept, Bruno tells E! News, is to treat sculpting moves (either using dumbbells or just body weight) as the "entree" of your exercise routine and cardio as the side dish: "Strength training creates that tone," he explains. "A lot of women think they want to lose weight but they actually want to lose body fat and be toned. Strength training is the most efficient way to do that." Plus he keeps his circuits burpee-free.
Sold, right? Get your first sampling with this straightforward routine that alternates between upper- and lower-body moves while consistently burning cals.
Warm-up ("to loosen up your body and increase your body temperature," says Bruno):
10 stationary Spidermans
10 toe touch squats
Circuit (10 reps of each):
alternating reverse lunges (dumbbells optional; 10 reps with each leg)
push up shoulder taps (from a push-up position, alternate tapping your hand to the opposite shoulder)
single-leg glute bridges (10 reps with each leg)
straight-leg sit up
lateral lunge (10 reps with each leg)
Take a brief rest, then repeat four times.
While the routine is relatively short, it should be anything but sweet. "You get the cardio through the strength training," notes Bruno, who also puts Chelsea Handler and Jaimie Alexander through their paces. "When you are doing these rounds quickly, you are definitely going to get your heart rate up and making the workout efficient."
Once you've finished (and washed your hands, obvs), fuel up with a healthy mix of lean protein (read: grilled chicken, salmon), a heaping of veggies and starches such as rice or sweet potatoes. And if you're hungry for more, consider trying Blake Lively's toning challenge or the Pilates moves Selena Gomez swears by.