WHEN Aussie star Rebel Wilson announced on Instagram that she’d be hosting the EE BAFTAs tonight, she quipped: “I know I’m not going to be funny because I am no longer fat.”
You may not be able to recognize her at first, compared with how she appeared early in her career.
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Rebel, 42, is a self-deprecating comedian. “Fat Amy”In the Pitch Perfect movies, she announced that she was embarking upon a “year of health”Set a weight goal of 11st 8lb.
She’s been on a transformational journey ever since, shedding around 51/2st and becoming stronger than ever, with a little help from personal trainer and new chief of athletics at F45 Training, Gunnar Peterson.
At his Beverly Hills gym, the 59-year-old trains Kim Kardashian and J.Lo.
How did Rebel achieve this feat? We asked Gunnar for the inside track…
Gunnar, what’s it like getting in the gym with Rebel?
She is a joy to be around. She’s driven, she’s fun to be around, as you can imagine, and she works hard. She’s Rebel Wilson, we understand that, but she’s like every other person in that the demands on her time are sometimes overwhelming. She has a very busy work schedule. After I finish my work, I look at Rebel and go. “Good lord, this woman!” She’s producing, she’s writing, it’s a lot. She’s non-stop. Yesterday, she was here. Kudos to her for finding time to fit fitness in.
It can be difficult to find the time to exercise, no matter how famous you are. What’s your advice on making it part of your routine?
Prioritise and put it in ink, not in pencil, so it’s not something that can be moved on the schedule. Don’t have it as your TBD, have it as the anchor and let other things fit around it. When you’re making another appointment, if it encroaches on your exercise, say: “That’s not going to work for me at eight, can we do it at nine?”
When Rebel’s in the gym, how does she approach training?
It’s an athlete mindset – she’s getting it done. And every day doesn’t have to be about personal records, it just has to be something. I love that, because that’s a very realistic and sustainable approach to fitness.
What is a typical training session like with her?
There’s no such thing as typical. My workouts are very similar to F45, a global fitness community that specializes in group high-intensity workouts. You’re not just working on one piece of equipment like a treadmill or a bike or a rower – you’re working in different planes of motions (moving different sections of your body up, down, side to side and backwards/forwards) – the movements are functional, they will serve you in real life.
It’s a gentle scientific mixture of HIIT cardio, resistance and movement patterns – and you’re going to see improvement across your life. So you’ll be on the treadmill, squatting, pushing a sled, doing dumb-bell rows. Do two to three sets with eight to 12 reps each for five different exercises.
Are you focusing on specific areas like the belly, or all of your body?
It’s full body. There’s not a ton of work done in isolation, just because it’s not good bang for your buck, time-wise. You might be mistaken. “I have time to do weights, but I can’t fit in cardio,” or: “I have time to do cardio, but I couldn’t do any mobility or flexibility.” In here, you’re getting all that.
Rebel is now two years old, but where do people who are just starting their weight-loss journey start?
Don’t try to change too much at once. If you try to overhaul the whole thing, you’ll upset things and it’s less likely to stick. You encourage other good, healthy, maintainable changes, but you don’t say: “OK, you’re going to train six days a week, you’re going to eat this very strict diet, you’re not going to have any alcohol or desserts, you’re going to get eight hours of sleep, you’re going to take all your stress away.” That just doesn’t work.
It’s an athlete mindset – she’s getting it done. And every day doesn’t have to be about personal records, it just has to be something. I love that, because that’s a very realistic and sustainable approach to fitness.
Gunnar Peterson, Rebel Wilson
What makes it work?
If you’re doing nothing, I’m happy if you start by training once a week. You must then add to it. You should base it on a program. It shouldn’t be: “I go all-out once, and then don’t do anything for seven days.” That’s not going to get you where you want to go. It’s not doing two, three, four or five hours in the gym.
You might say: “Let’s get a couple of workouts in,”Then, go on your own and find some time to walk. Walk outside, turn right or left, and walk 20 minutes. Turn around and go back in 20. It’s about exercises that elevate heart rate (aim for between 50% and 70% of your max heart rate), plus HIIT intervals (eg, 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off for six to eight minutes on a VersaClimber machine, or 15 kettlebell swings).
How do you keep people motivated once they’ve achieved what they set out to do?
The quote is: “You’re either striving to get better or allowing yourself to get worse” – there’s no such thing as staying the same. There’s never such a thing as reaching a goal, either. You may hit certain numbers, but that shouldn’t mean that you stop.
When that is your routine, you can make adjustments in any other aspect of your health. Some people can’t sleep. [easily], so we don’t have to tweak the sleep. Great, we’ll add workouts. And now let’s look at your diet, stress levels, hydration or if you’re a smoker. There are so many things to attack, but let’s do them in a way so you don’t feel like your whole life’s being undermined. It’s slow upgrades.
Rebel is being scrutinized a lot, especially about her weight. What would you say to someone who feels anxious about going to the gym or how they’ll look in Lycra?
With most fitness endeavours, you don’t know what everybody else is going through. Everybody’s going through their own thing. They’re not judging you.
Are you able to get in shape both mentally and physically?
I think it’s fortifying it, right? After you get over certain arduous tasks, you will be able to recognize: “Wow, I did that. And I can do that. And I can keep on doing that.”
What would you like Rebel and all others to feel after a work out?
I love watching people gain confidence and increase their competence. I enjoy watching people realize that they can control how they feel and look. In my gym, I have a sign that says: It reads: “You got better today.” I want everybody to walk out feeling great.
- Gunnar Peterson created an exclusive workout that will launch on the F45 global timetable in April.F45training.com).
Rebel’s diet
Rebel has also taken up running. “avoid sugar and junk food”The Mayr Method is high in protein and vegetables. It involves slowing down and chewing more.
Rebel to Central Recorder “There’s no real simple answer to it. I’ve been trying a lot of different things to be healthy.”
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