From the Avengers’ Black Widow to her new role in Ghost In the Shell, Scarlet Johansson has reached action hero status a few times over. To stay fit enough to perform death defying stunts in form fitting cat suits, the actress relies on celebrity trainer Bobby Strom to keep her in tip-top shape. Strom, whose client roster also includes Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively and Britney Spears, spoke with Healthista and outlined exactly what it takes to get your own Scar-Jo killer bod.
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These Two Exercises are Key
To lose fat, gain muscle and get lean, Strom recommends doing more cardio than weight training. “My favorite fat-busting exercise are sprints! They burn calories and fat while building muscle. Just look at the summer Olympic sprinters, men and women,” says Strom. For building muscle, he recommends ditching the weights and starting with your own body. “My favorite strength-building exercise are pull-ups. Everyone knows they are one of the hardest exercises to do because you have to lift your entire body weight. All my girls want to be able to do pull-ups, so we train for that starting day one until they can do several on their own without my assistance. You have to have some real strength to do pull-ups.”
The Best Exercise of All
For a full-body workout, Strom says to get out of the gym and into the pool. “My most reliable all-around exercise for fitness and conditioning is without a doubt swimming. Swimming uses every muscle in the body. Then, on top of that, it’s incredible cardio, giving the heart and lungs an incredible workout.”
Hold the Pizza
Strom says when trying to get a killer body, where people usually fail is in the nutrition department. Instead of looking at it as a 50/50 investment, he says to look at the food part of it as a 90-percent investment. “I personally don’t follow any particular diet plan. For me, it’s always about the don’ts rather than the do’s. In other words, I don’t eat meat, dairy, bread or sugar. No fast food, no fried food. I do eat fish, complex carbs and lots of vegetables. I limit my good fats because, in fact, they are still fats, like salmon and avocado. My only cheat is one slice of pizza, very little cheese, when I’m in New York, once or twice a year.”
“I used to say ‘Everything in moderation,’” adds Strom. “Not anymore! You wouldn’t have ‘a little’ poison, would you? I now feel that meat, dairy and sugar are like poisons to my body, and I feel so much energy and healthier without them.”
