Get the Jillian Michaels Formula For a Balanced Workout

Published on April 18, 2016 at 5:20 PM

To me, Jillian Michaels is a goddess. She's the undisputed queen of killer workouts, she's a motivational powerhouse, she has a hilarious instagram, and beyond that, she's super down to earth, with a realistic approach to both fitness and life. I got the chance to talk to her last week to try to get a little insight into how she does it all — from parenting to eating right.

Chief of the things I wanted to know: how does a fitness icon exercise? Pay close attention, because this is the formula behind the ripped abs and impossibly strong body of Jillian Michaels.

Her schedule

The balanced body starts with a balanced schedule. Jillian trains every muscle group once a week: arms, legs, core, etc. She finds time four to five days a week to squeeze in a 30-minute workout. One day a week, she does yoga.

Her strategy

How does she do it? Between running a global fitness empire, working on her show Just Jillian, and being a mom, Jillian has had to come up with a strategy for her fitness schedule. Take a look at her three tactics for getting her workouts in every week.

Parenting Trade-Offs. When Jillian's mom can watch her kids, she takes a yoga class with her partner, Heidi. On other days, Heidi and Jillian trade off. "I'll say, 'You go for a run on Tuesday; I'm gonna go for my bike ride Wednesday.'"
At-Home Workouts. She and Heidi do digital workouts without leaving the house. She said, "Whether it's DVDs or a site like FitFusion or POPSUGAR, I'll do those workouts at home while my kids are running around and playing."
Fitness With Kids. Jillian does activities with her kids and emphasized the importance of introducing an active lifestyle early, with an emphasis on fun. "We'll do horseback riding, snorkeling, or skiing — and while it might not be [an ideal workout], I'm still able to be active with my kids." Amen to that!

Her favorite workouts

When she does have the time, Jillian says she gives the 30 minutes her best effort. "When I go, I go hard." We wouldn't expect anything less. What does she do? Well, a little bit of everything. Jillian's schedule is super balanced, and she tries to incorporate something she calls "movement possibilities." She loves bodyweight training, freerunning, MMA training, calisthenics, and yoga. "That's the stuff I like to do," she told us.

If you're ready to see her in action (or you just want an all-out post-workout TV binge), you can stream every episode for free on demand this week on Xfinity. All Jillian, all day.