'I Swapped Running For Jennifer Garner's Workouts For A Week'
I became a Jennifer Garner stan two years ago after watching her—and her ripped, vigilante assassin bod—in the action flick Peppermint. (Those biceps, those abs!) Since then, Jen's kept up her hardcore exercise regimen, documenting sweat sessions with celeb trainer Simone De La Rue on her Instagram.
Inspired, I challenged myself to follow her workout routine for a week. Could a few new online classes help me get into Elektra and Sydney Bristow fighting shape in my own living room?
Easier said than done, sure. We may share the same name, but Jennifer's go-to workouts (ballet, dance cardio, strength training, and jump rope) couldn't be further from the long-distance runs I've been doing. I've hit way more PRs than pliés over the years, but a bit of cross-training felt like it could help cure my cabin fever and boredom—and what better time to switch up my sweat seshes than while staying at home?
Workout 1: Jump Rope Like Jen
Jen is quite the jump rope whiz. While she hasn't revealed exactly how often she practices, Jen has some serious rope skills. She can complete double-unders, one of the hardest jump rope skills out there, like it's nbd. These explosive tricks require coordination, strength, and lots of practice.
For this fitness experiment, I opted to jumpstart my Jen workout week in familiar territory. Jump rope is the one slice of her intense fitness routine that resonated with me. (Fun fact: When I was younger, I was on a competitive jump rope team.)
Inspired by Jen's impressive double-unders, I set out to whip around a bunch of my own. A few jumps, and failed attempts in, and my heart was racing. Finally, I nailed them and caught it on camera. (I was so high on endorphins, I even busted out a few rounds of Double Dutch.) One workout down, four to go.
It wasn't until I re-played my jumping video that I realized I was not actually getting the rope around twice with each bounce. (Like someone who thinks that they're winking, but actually they're closing both eyes simultaneously.) Ugh, foiled on the first day. But jumping rope was not a total bust. (My Garmin told me I burned 376 calories in 45 minute with both aerobic and anaerobic training boosts.) So, it was still a solid workout, and I gave it my all, which is what matters most in the end.
Workout 2: Dance Cardio
While prepping for Peppermint, Jen took daily dance cardio classes with trainer De La Rue, per Entertainment Weekly. Yep, she sweated it out every single day for months with the Body By Simone classes. They are super high energy, just like the celeb trainer, and filled with easy-to-follow, full-body movements.
Jen's been a devotee of the Los Angeles-based trainer for years, so naturally, my next workout was a BBS dance cardio class, which, thankfully, are available online so normals, like you and me, can feel like a #fitnessgoals celeb whenever, wherever. (Score!)
I prepped for my dance debut by clearing space in my living room and pulled up one of her classes on YouTube. (You can find a few free BBS videos there, but you'll get unlimited access for $15 per month through De La Rue's subscription service.) Warning: Do not attempt if you have neighbors below you or anything fragile on your shelves. De La Rue's dance moves include a lot of jumping. She adds in coordinated arm movements, booty shaking, and kicks but nothing too technical for the rhythmically-challenged among us.
By the end, my legs had flat-lined. I surpassed my daily step goal and was thoroughly exhausted. I'm nowhere near performance ready, but I kept up and so did my heart rate.
Workout 3: Ballet
Jennifer is not shy about showing off her ballet experience or fangirling over her fave principle dancers. In fact, Jen studied dance for a decade growing up, per Dance Spirit, but she still has her ballet skills at 48. Proof: Jennifer shared a snippet of a Giselle ballet sequence while traveling.
The last time I set foot in a ballet class, I was six years old and there were tears streaming down my cheeks. I hung up my brand-new pink slippers then and there. But, ballet is a big part of Jennifer's fitness routine so I bucked up and reminded myself how much I love Center Stage. Plus, Jennifer was the most adorable pint-size prima ballerina, and she can still show off her combinations today.
As for me, I would go back to basics. YouTube held a treasure trove of step-by-step ballet workouts from former pro ballerinas. I tuned into a 50-minute "beginner" workout that only required a chair as a barre.
Despite being "basic," this one put me through my paces. I couldn't quite keep up, but I kept moving the entire time. Laughing at myself gave me a bonus abs workout, especially when I almost toppled over mid passé relevé. (That's a one-legged, tippy toe balance for the ballet beginners, like myself.)
By the time I was finished, my always-tight runner's hips felt open at last. Plus, all those heel lifts were targeting my calves, a muscle group I knew needed some work. Seeing bonus benefits, I may just hit the barre again. That is, I'll dabble in ballet in the comfort of my home where nobody has to watch my embarrassingly awful form except for my husband and my dog.
Workout 4: Strength Circuit Training
Jennifer didn't just dance her way to Peppermint fighting shape. It took months of strength training and lifting heavy weights, primarily with De La Rue. So, I recreated her strength training circuit based on a snippet she posted to Instagram and the celeb trainer's go-to workout.
I noted De La Rue often opts for three sets of 12 reps and trained Jen with 15-pound dumbbells. So, I did, too. (In general, you want to pick a weight that feels hard to lift by the last two or three reps.)
I curled, I raised, I twisted, and planked with resistance bands, 5 to 15 pound dumbbells, and wine bottles. Her video snippet was 30 seconds, but the actual workout clocked in at 60 minutes when I lowered my last dumbbell. By the end of the circuit, I felt like I got a solid upper-body workout but wasn't totally spent.
The next day was a whole different story, though. My biceps were so sore, I could barely lift my coffee mug. Oddly enough, all my other muscle groups felt ready to give the circuit another go.
Bonus Burn: Ballet Encore
Unlike my 6-year-old self, I returned to virtual ballet class for another go and (fingers crossed) redemption. I couldn't redeem my double-under mishap thanks to a blizzard outside, but I could practice more combinations inside. This time, I signed up for Ballet Beautiful and filtered the streaming platform's library for "beginner workouts." There, found a bunch of 10-to-12 minute routines.
Surely, I could handle bite-size ballet classes. One video after another I flailed my way through plies, piques, and fondus. (Think Joey Tribbiani's attempts to speak French, but the dance version.) I wrapped with every itty bitty leg muscle exhausted and an extreme craving for a pot of melted cheese.
Afterward, I told my husband it was death by leg lifts as I melted into the couch.
After one week of following in Jen's fit AF footsteps, I learned a few things...
I can't say I have a freshly-sculpted six pack or biceps ready for battle like Riley, yet. It's way too soon for those kind of gains. What I can feel right away is an emotional boost. Laughing through my workouts and having something brand-new to break up my at-home routine and look forward to each day was refreshing. I felt emotionally lighter after each sweat sesh.
I won't be retiring my running sneaks anytime soon, but Jen's workouts proved to be good for body and mind. The assassin/prima ballerina routine was exactly what I needed to get out of a fitness rut and put a smile on my face.
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