Blake Lively continues to crush her fitness game in her late 30s, stealing all the spotlight with her svelte figure and stellar gaze. The mom of four, who’s currently basking in the success of her latest release It Ends With Us, is the real-life IT girl we all lowkey aspire to be. Isn’t it? Always glowing on the go, effortlessly stylish and incredibly fit – Blake is our ultimate girl crush. So, how does she stay in shape while juggling mom duties and work commitments? With killer sweat sessions at the gym. If you want to know the fitness rituals Blake Lively abides by, let’s familiarise you with her workout routine and diet plan.
Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, Blake showed up in a (literal) skintight catsuit to cheer for husband Ryan Reynolds at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere, making him speechless. We get you, Ryan. Sure, she’s got some great genes and is blessed with good looks, but that doesn’t take away the fact that she puts in consistent work to boost her wellness game.
Luckily, Blake has found the perfect celebrity trainer in Don Saladino, who she has been training with for about 13 years now. The ace fitness coach has trained a trail of A-listers like Emily Blunt, Cindy Crawford, Anne Hathaway as well as Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds.
Thankfully for us, Saladino has spilt the deets about the ‘Train with Blake’ workout program which accounts for her sculpted physique. Let’s give you all the intel in our guide below.
Blake Lively workout routine: The star’s go-to fitness mantra
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In a 2023 interview with Women’s Health, Don Saladino shared that Blake’s workouts comprise mostly strength training. Each workout is unique to one’s body and fitness requirements, and even Blake’s workout plan is altered based on the requirements for a particular role she’s filming.
Saladino has a dedicated ‘Train like Blake Lively’ fitness program on his official website, specifically designed to ‘build lean muscle and burn fat’. It’s a six-week-long program, spread five days a week into the following categories:
1st day: Linear
2nd day: Lateral
3rd day: Accessory, Abs, & Cardio
4th day: Linear
5th day: Lateral
Lively is also quoted on Saladino’s website saying, “Turns out you can’t lose the 61 pounds you gained during pregnancy by scrolling through Instagram & wondering why you don’t look like all the bikini models. Thanks, Don Saladino for kicking my A double S into shape. Feeling very proud.”
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The goal is to feel mentally and physically better
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Saladino stressed that it’s important to listen to your body and curate a workout plan based on what mental and physical state you’re in. While there’s a general workout template for each day, the trainer doesn’t mind tweaking the schedule based on how Blake is feeling.
On days when she’s physically drained or hasn’t had a good night’s sleep, they decide to go focus on raking up the steps instead and doing more restorative work. The motto is: don’t aim for perfection daily.
After they’ve gone through the plan, Blake starts off her workout with a 10–15-minute warmup session to activate her muscles. Warming up before any workout is crucial to prevent injury and prep the body. It increases flexibility coordination, balance, and reaction time, all of which increase your workout’s efficiency.
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Blake has mastered intense full-body workouts
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The Gossip Girl star usually trains about four to six times a week. Saladino further mentioned that he splits the workouts into ‘linear days’ and ‘lateral days’. On other days, he divides the workouts into upper and lower body days. Some of the go-to exercises in Blake’s workout routine include:
- Child’s pose( x5 breaths)
- 90-90 hip stretch( x30 secs)
- Hip flexor stretch( x20 secs)
- Cat/cow pose (x10)
- Hip airplanes (x5)
- Push-ups (x5-8)
- Broad jumps (x5)
- Farmer carries (x50 steps)
- Rest x1 min
- Repeat twice through
- Dumbbell deadlift (x8)
- Flat dumbbell chest press (x8)
- Rest x1 min
- Repeat four times through
- Goblet squat (x8)
- Bent-over dumbbell row (x8)
- Rest x1 min
- Repeat four times through
Looks intense, right?
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Strength training is her forte
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Lastly, Saladino focuses on strengthening Blake’s core, glutes and arms. The actress usually starts her sessions with a weight-carrying exercise, like farmer’s carry, to activate her muscles and reduce stiffness. Her trainer further revealed that this is usually followed by other intense weight movements like kettlebell deadlifts, split squats, and bilateral and unilateral presses.
Saladoni stresses that strength training goes beyond its aesthetic benefits, especially for Blake who has to be strong as a busy mom of four kids. What also helps is Blake’s enthusiasm to take every challenge head-on and try new moves.
Moreover, the star doesn’t mind clocking in higher reps for each exercise than prescribed by her trainer. “If she’s feeling it, she’s in the groove, I’m like, ‘Go for it’,” Saladino says. The duo further structures their workout by adding two to three repetitions of the same exercise back-to-back to build endurance. The goal is to keep moving.
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Blake’s workout ends with a dose of cardio
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To finish the workout with a bang, Saladino adds a burst of intense cardio, mainly focusing on getting the steps in. She focuses on low-to-moderate levels of cardio, for example, power walking on the treadmill while going through scripts or taking phone calls. At the end of the day, Saladino asserts, the goal isn’t to break her down but to ensure she wakes up feeling great and energetic to ‘rinse and repeat’ the cycle.
Diet secrets Blake Lively swears by!
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Thankfully, Blake’s diet plan doesn’t require any crazy lifestyle modifications or food elimination. You don’t have to starve yourself or deprive yourself of the gluttonous pleasures to abide by the actress’ diet plan. Here are the key diet tips that Blake Lively follows to stay fit:
1. Blake Lively is a teetotaler
Considering her husband, Ryan Reynolds is the former co-owner of Aviation Gin, it might be surprising to know that Blake abstains from alcohol. But the actress has indeed cut off booze for good. In a conversation with People, Blake said, “I don’t drink because I don’t like the effects of alcohol, but I like being a part of it”. She maintained she’s very social and likes people coming together, but that doesn’t have to mean one must always drink to enjoy gatherings. This is also what probably motivated her to launch a non-alcoholic sparkling mixer business, Betty Buzz.
2. She consumes well-rounded and nutritious meals
Meal planning throughout the day is supremely important, something that Don Saladino advocates for his clients. Talking to People in another interview, Saladino said Blake is given well-balanced meals. “She had a protein, a vegetable, and a slow-burning carb.”
He further spoke about the other considerations of planning her meals when she was shooting for The Shallows as a new mom. Her diet was mostly gluten-free, and as for the carbohydrate intake, sweet potatoes, gluten-free oatmeal, and white rice were a part of the meals. Saladino mentioned that since he was dealing with a woman who’s got a child, there have to be certain nutrients in her body. “The way that we did it was the right way, and it wasn’t through starving her,” he remarked.
3. Blake cooks her own meals at home
At the end of the day, there’s nothing more comforting than home-cooked meals. Moreover, preparing your own food often results in healthier meal options containing fewer calories. Blake Lively has taken charge of her wellness journey by prepping her own stuff in the kitchen. “She really enjoys the kitchen and didn’t have a private chef,” Saladino revealed in a 2020 interview.
4. She eats the ‘right kind’ of carbs
It’s time we bust the myth of carbohydrates being bad for your body. Carb-rich food definitely deserves a place in your diet, as they’re what mainly fuel your body. Discussing the diet plan of Blake Lively with E! News, Saladino stressed the importance of having ‘slow-burning carbohydrates’ in your meals. He added that something like sweet potato or fruits, which are rich in micronutrients and high in fibre, really help fuel the body.
He also stressed the importance of healthy fats, another food category vilified by many people. The trainer added that foods like olive oil, avocado oil, nuts and seeds are powerful energy sources and help to maintain our blood sugar levels.
5. She doesn’t shy away from relishing comfort food
Embarking on a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean you’re not allowed cheat meals once in a while. Right, Blake? After following a clean diet on most days, the actress guilt-freely devours her comfort food and sweets. If you follow her on Instagram, you know her absolute love for baking everything from cupcakes to macarons and more. “To be around me, you must love food or I’m the most obnoxious person you’ve ever met. I’m in a big cooking phase,” she said via Us Weekly.
So, will you try out the workout routine and diet plan of Blake Lively?
(Hero and feature image credit: blakelively/ Instagram)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
In an interview, Blake Lively's trainer Don Saladino mentioned that she usually worked out four to six times a week.
Blake Lively focuses on low-to-moderate levels of cardio towards the end of her workout routine.
Everyone must follow a workout that's unique to their body. Since Blake Lively works out intensely to prep for a role, her workout might not be suitable for someone who's just starting out. You should consult a fitness coach before indulging in high-intensity workouts.
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Written by
Kriti Nayyar
Senior Digital Writer, Wellness, Culture, Astrology, Tech
Kriti is a stay-at-home dog mama, whose knack for telling interesting stories keeps her erstwhile monotonous life sane. A literature & journalism degree holder, you'll find her binging on Agatha Christie novels while critiquing the everyday state of affairs. On Kriti's seldom social outings, she's seen devouring coffee sangria with appetizing bread on the side.
