As a Les Mills x Reebok ambassador [1], Nina Dobrev [2] has serious fitness credentials; if you haven't tried the GRIT Cardio workout [3] or dance cardio workouts [4] she filmed with the brand, you're missing out on two seriously effective sweat sessions. So when we heard that she hit the gym with Zac Efron [5] — he of the iconically chiseled six-pack [6] — we knew things were bound to be intense. Zac filmed the whole thing for his new YouTube channel [7], which: 1) thank you; 2) Zac Efron has a YouTube channel now?!; and 3) yes, and I hit subscribe so incredibly fast.
First of all, their friendship is adorable. Nina cartwheeled into the video, they hugged, they chatted about her South African safari while doing planks, they pushed each other on a sled. Nina went into a cryo chamber [8] for three minutes and Zac distracted her from the freezing cold with a bunch of random questions. And I mean the seriously juicy stuff, like: "If you were a vegetable, what vegetable would you be?" (Answer: A carrot.)
Second of all, the workout (filmed at Vitru [10] in LA) looks brutal. Nina asked for a focus on abs and butt [11], and they threw in some upper body and oblique moves [12], too.
"A big part of working out is the community of it and going to workouts with friends, and having that accountability," Nina said in the video. It's a testament to the power of a good workout buddy [13] that they're both still laughing through the whole workout, because, damn, it looks insane.
Watch the full video below to see demos of each move, enjoy their cute friendship, and come to terms with the fact that Zac is still blond. Then, click through the slides to get the details of their go-to moves to incorporate into your next workout.
Elbow Plank
- Start on the floor, resting on your forearms and knees.
- Step your feet out one at a time, coming back into plank position.
- Contract your abs to prevent your booty from sticking up or sinking. Your spine should be parallel to the floor, with your abs pulling toward the ceiling.
Body Saw
- Start face down on the floor, resting on your forearms and knees.
- Push off the floor, raising up off your knees onto your toes and resting mainly on your elbows.
- Contract your abdominals to keep yourself up and prevent your booty from sticking up.
- Keep your back flat — don't let it droop or you'll be defeating the purpose. Picture your body as a long straight board, or plank.
- With a flat back, use your elbows to pull your body forward, then come back to your starting position. Be sure to keep your neck and spine in a neutral position. This completes one rep.
You can also put your feet on sliders to get more of a push, as shown in Zac and Nina's workout.
Hollow Hold
- Begin on your back with your legs straight and your arms extended overhead.
- Actively press your lower back into the floor and draw your belly button into your spine.
- Inhale to slowly lift your shoulders, arms, and legs off the floor. Keep your hands and heels as low to the ground as possible, while still pressing your lower back into the floor. Maintain tight abs and glutes. It's OK to bend your knees if straight legs are too challenging.
- Hold like this for five to 30 seconds to complete one rep.
Lateral Band Walks
- Loop a resistance band around both your legs just above your ankles.
- Begin standing with feet directly underneath your hips, and squat about halfway down.
- Take a step sideways to the right as far as you can. To fully activate the muscle, be sure to step onto your heel, rather than your toes.
- Actively resist the pull of the exercise band as you bring your left leg slowly toward your right, returning to the starting position.
- Step to the right 20-30 times, then reverse directions stepping to the left 20-30 times.
You can also place the band on the tops of your feet, as shown in Zac and Nina's workout.
Kettlebell Halos
- Hold a kettlebell with both hands and bring it up to your chest. Keep holding onto the kettlebell with both hands as you raise it up over the left side of your head (your left ear).
- Slowly move the kettlebell so it is behind your head, then move the kettlebell so it is over your right ear. Keep your head straight and core engaged while you do these movements.
- Bring the kettlebell back to your chest, then reverse the movement (bring it up to behind the right ear, then behind your head, then behind your left ear).
- Bring the kettlebell back to your chest.
- Repeat that entire motion in reverse, going the opposite direction, starting to move the kettlebell toward your right ear, behind your head, then up toward the left ear.
- This completes one rep.
High Push
- Grip the high bars on the sled and fully extend your arms.
- Step forward with either your right or left foot and begin to push the sled forward.
- Keep your core engaged and maintain a neutral spine throughout the entire movement.
- Beginners should push for 25 meters. Those that are more advanced should push for 30 to 50 meters.
Take 30 seconds to one minute of rest, and then move on to the row.