In Shape with the Star, Kayla Itsines: “I believe in efficient and effective training”

His fame was born on social networks, Instagram, thanks to a high-intensity fitness program, the Bikini Body Guide, which allowed many women to find the shape they wanted in 12 weeks. Kayla Itsines, the beautiful 30-year-old Australian of Creche origin, is a pioneer of home training, who even before fashion broke out, and the need, to connect to a Zoom link or via Instagram to follow a lesson, entered the homes of women in around the world with its workouts.

Today it has the largest tribe of fitness lovers in the world, over 41 million women follow its programs. He was 18 when he started working in Adelaide as a personal trainer in 2008. In 2009, Kayla landed on Instagram to share the stories of those who followed her in her workouts. Until his App was born in 2014, Sweat, thanks to which in 2016 the Time included her in the 30 Most Influential People on the Internet. On her Instagram profile she has 12.9 million people who follow her and post shots of before and after the transformation that took place following the program she proposes on Sweat.

When he first started the idea was to create a 28-minute program to improve fitness and strength, suitable for beginners and non-beginners. Help get fit and gain more energy and self-confidence with his home workout, formerly BBG, now renamed High Intensity with Kayla, or in the gym with theHigh Intensity Strength with Kayla, is his goal.

For our column “Fit with the Star” shared a new quick training of 15 minuti: il low impact workout. Challenging stamina and improving physical strength is the result of his tight and fast training method: six exercises that involve different muscles, chest, shoulders, buttocks, arms and core in turn, without taking long breaks, only 30 seconds, in order to get the most out of the performance.

You started a long time ago to offer digital workouts and used Instagram in unsuspecting times, can you tell us your story?
“I grew up with a strong interest in sport and an active life. I had a passion for basketball and fitness, so when I finished school I became a basketball coach. And I immediately found it rewarding to help others achieve their goals. From here becoming a personal trainer was a natural step. After qualification, I started working in a women’s-only gym before starting my own business and running a small bootcamp of about ten in my parents’ backyard. Back then I used Instagram just to keep up to date with my clients’ progress. Suddenly I started getting inquiries from women all over the world who wanted to know about my fitness program and wanted to train with me. That was when my Instagram page took off. Mine was born out of the desire to help many more women around the world High Intensity fitness e-books that anyone could buy online. Then I started expanding the offering and creating a variety of programs, until my app was born Sweat. I never thought becoming a personal trainer would get me where I am today. I am so grateful to my community that has supported me over the years and I hope I can continue to take care of women’s wellbeing and help them make their health their daily priority. “

Can you describe your workout and what kind of exercises does it offer?
«I prefer effective and efficient exercises. I know that women don’t have hours every day to train and as a mother I also need all the time I have available. I recently trained with my high-intensity program, which consists of 28-minute workouts, three times a week, and requires minimal equipment. It is suitable for anyone who wants to increase their heart rate in a short time and wants to build their endurance ».

What is the secret of her community, women share before and after photos, an approach that helps them find motivation …
«The Sweat community is made up of incredible women who support each other on health and fitness issues and it has been great for me to see them find a point of contact over the years. Sharing their stories has always been a way to celebrate the community, and their mental, emotional and physical progress, through exercises. Celebrating and motivating oneself is an inspiration for so many women and I am proud of them ».

What advice can you give to find motivation when you lose it?
“Everyone has moments of low motivation in their routine. For me it works to find a friend or a friend to train with, doing physical activity with someone else who is a relative or a partner is the best way to feel that what you do matters. You can do it live, or via FaceTime, Skype or Zoom. It’s a great way to stay in touch and have fun. Booking the lessons and setting them in the diary as important appointments helps to be consistent, even on days when the desire to train is at a minimum. Finding the physical activity that you like best, fitness does not come in one size, is another piece of advice I give: better choose a program that suits your lifestyle. It is important that it is also suitable for your level of training and that it helps improve health and achieve your goals ».

What are the most frequently asked questions that your followers ask you?
“They usually ask me personal questions, how to pronounce my last name and what I eat during the day. Or ask me about my schedule Sweat, of Zero Equipment Program which helps to improve the sense of empowerment through fitness ».

What are the principles you believe in?
«My fitness philosophy is based on efficiency and effectiveness. Exercises must be sustainable in everyone’s life and I want to show women that in less than 30 minutes they can train well. Sometimes getting started can be a challenge but my digital platform and app are tools to support and motivate in building strength and endurance. At first it all seems difficult, the muscles of the body are sore and you feel more tired, but once you start exercising regularly you notice that you make faster movements, you can lift more weight and do a more strenuous workout and longer. If you see the sense of strength grow, motivation, clarity and empowerment also increase ».

How does your fitness message fit in with the body positive movement? Is looking good in a bikini still relevant to women?
“I recently changed the name of my BBG (Bikini Body Guide) program which is now called solo High Intensity, the acronym was born about 10 years ago with a positive intent, but now I recognize that it represents a dated vision of fitness ».

Do you have any dietary advice you can give to improve your physical training? What does she eat before and after the workout?
“I encourage women to eat foods that are fuel that sustain them and give them the energy they need to do everything in their day. Training is different for each of us, personally I eat before training but for many people it is better not to do it because they can feel bad, everyone has to do what is right for themselves ».

What are his essential exercises in the daily routine, the ones he never skips?
“Plank, I think it’s one of the least regarded, yet it sets all the muscles in the body in motion. Skipping, is one of my favorites. This is a great way to improve heart endurance and increase your heart rate. And you don’t need a lot of space to do it, it’s a good cardio exercise to do at home ».

What is beauty for her?
“It’s feeling strong and safe in your own skin. I feel at my best if I eat well, train and sleep well, this is my daily goal ».

What is your beauty secret that you can share with us?
«It’s no secret, but taking care of your health, of the physical, mental and emotional part, makes you feel at your best. My biggest secret is to take time every day to get active ».