There is something attractive about a woman who trains like a beast. Shalita Grant is one of those women. While genetics will always play a large role in the returns a person achieves, I would venture a bet that if you train like Shalita, you too will be a sexy beast … assuming you don’t derail your program or injure yourself. This petite NCIS: New Orleans star works out every single day, including while on set.
In this article, I will detail a few of the specific exercises that Grant loves to employ. I will also provide both a word of warning and some mental and physical relief for those who don’t want to train like Grant.
So, how did Ms. Grant become such a fit freak? She started out as a trainer.
Shalita Grant Fitness Trainer
That’s right. Shalita began her career as a personal trainer with Equinox Luxury Fitness Club. When asked by Muscle and Fitness’s Shawn Donnelly about her performance as a trainer, Grant admits, “I didn’t know what I was doing. But after I put myself on the workout regimen that I gave my clients, I was a much better trainer.”
So, what is Shalita’s current workout routine like? Intense.
Shalita’s Mini Beast-Mode Workouts … On the Go
So much for the common excuse that we “don’t have enough time” to get in a workout. Grant sneaks activity in wherever she can.
Shalita tells PEOPLE magazine that she works out intermittently throughout the day, even when on set for 16 hours a day. From doing sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups to “get the blood pumping” to performing yoga in her trailer, Shalita is constantly activating muscle and keeping her metabolism ramped up.
However, it is Grant’s focused workouts that really contribute to her fantastic physique.
“I do heavy weight deadlift squats, shoulder presses, push-ups, and I can pull up my own body weight,” she tells PEOPLE, “And I do an ab workout just about every night. It’s 200 reps of five different exercises four times right before bed: a plank with hip twists, side bridge dips, a walking mountain climber, bicycles and leg lifts.”
We will break down these five noteworthy ab moves for you here as they are excellent for the core.
Plank with a Hip Twist
First, you will get into a plank position, with forearms and biceps at 90-degree angle, situated directly below your shoulders. From there your body should be lifted and held in a straight line from your ankles to the top of your head.
No craning your head to look in the mirror, no pushing your butt high in the air. From this position, you will drop one hip toward the floor, pull back into a plank position, and drop the other hip. Grant repeats this exercise 200 times before moving on to the next exercise.
Side Bridge Dips
You should start with a side plank, using your elbow and forearm as support or one hand as in the photo below.
Your feet should be stabilized with one on top of the other. Then, you will tighten your core and lift your hips from the floor, pulling your body into a straight line.
Walking Mountain Climber
Walking Mountain Climbers will also begin in a plank position (front plank) supporting yourself with your hands. As if about to perform a full push-up, place your hands about shoulder width apart. You will brace your core and bring alternating knees forward beneath your body and toward your chest (while maintaining neutral hips, shoulders, and neck). You can find a very detailed and informative description here.
Bicycles
Bicycles are an old standby exercise. You will lie on your back, fingers locked behind your head. Then, lift your shoulders off the ground and alternate raising each leg toward your head. As one knee comes toward you, the other leg should be extended straight with toes pointed. You will twist your upper body so that the elbow of the right arm will nearly touch the knee of the left leg as it is raised.
Leg Lifts
Finally, and another old standby is the leg lift. To perform the leg lift, you should lie on your back. Keep your feet close together. Slowly bring your knees up to form a 90-degree angle and raise your hips from the ground. Then, straighten your legs so that the soles of your feet are facing the ceiling. Now, slowly lower your straightened legs back to about an inch from the ground.
Shalita the Beast
With 200 reps each, this is quite a floor workout. And, don’t forget … Shalita repeats this vertical training load four times!! And this routine is only what she does at the end of the day.
A Word of Warning and A Little Relief
While it is awesome that Shalita works this hard and trains throughout the day (every day) the question remains … should you? Shalita is burning many calories, and she is activating all of her muscles. Being a former trainer, we assume she understands periodization and recovery and is implementing that as well.
The fact is that excessive exercise leads to injury, burn out, and a derailed program. Furthermore, as beast as she may be, we have to wonder what her form is looking like during her fourth set of 200 “planks with a hip twist.” More is not always better nor is it required to achieve a fantastic lean, strong, healthy physique like Shalita Grant’s. For an excellent program, research personal trainers in your area. They are not all created equal, so interview a few of them before shelling out any cash.
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