Jessica Biel’s simple formula for building full-body strength at 44 – and 6 exercises behind her results
Strength training forms the core of Jessica Biel‘s rigorous workout routine, and she recently shared another demanding 45-minute session she completed under the guidance of PT Ben Bruno.
‘Full-body, start to finish. Mobility, strength, cardio. And yes, I’m definitely feeling it today. If you want to try this workout, Ben Bruno has it (and more) in his app,’ she wrote alongside clips of her chest pressing, hip thrusting and rowing.
‘We always do full-body workouts but we went a bit easier on the lower-body [today] because her legs were feeling extra spicy from the last [session],’ Bruno added.
6 exercises Jessica Biel uses for full-body strength
While not technically a strength exercise, the stretch is key for improving movement quality and reducing injury risk. When loaded, it also introduces a light strength and stability demand.
‘We always start with a few mobility moves to loosen up,’ explained Bruno. ‘Jess would be happy doing mobility the whole time because she loves it, but we usually keep it to 10 minutes [at the most] so the whole workout can be [done in] 45 minutes.’
- Take a long step back with one leg until your front knee is above your front ankle and your hip is knee height. Your feet should be hip-width apart. The back leg can remain straight with the knee lifted, or rest on the floor for a more stable half-kneeling position.
- Place each hand on the dumbbell on the floor for support. Keep your hips square to the floor and your front foot fully planted.
- Rotate the arm closest to the front foot towards the ceiling, moving from your upper back rather than your lower back. Follow the hand with your eyes as you rotate, keeping control throughout the movement. Ensure that the front foot remains in full contact with the floor and the knee above the ankle.
- Lower the arm back to the starting position under control.
- Switch sides.
2. Rear delt fly to overhead reach
- Stand with your feet 2-3 times wider than hip-width apart, keeping your legs straight. Hinge at the hips until your torso is parallel to the floor and your arms hang straight down beneath your shoulders.
- Lift the dumbbells out to the sides with straight or slightly bent arms, until they reach shoulder height, extended straight out to the sides.
- From there, continue the motion by circling the dumbbells in a controlled arc until they meet above your head.
- Pause briefly at the top, then reverse the circle, bringing the dumbbells back out to shoulder height.
- Lower your arms under control to return to the starting position.
3. Hip thrust press
‘Jessica is using 30lb (13.6kg) weights which is pretty [impressive], but I recommend starting with around 10lb (4.5kg) so you don’t end up in the morgue,’ said Bruno.
- Sit on the floor with your upper back and shoulder blades supported against a bench. Hold two dumbbells resting in your lap.
- Tuck your chin slightly and drive through your heels to lift your hips off the floor.
- As you extend your hips up, press the dumbbells straight up overhead.
- At the top, squeeze your glutes so your shoulders, hips and knees form a straight line. Avoid overextending your lower back.
- Lower your hips and the dumbbells back down under control to return to the starting position.
4. Split-stance batwing row
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, take a big step back with your left leg. Keep your left heel lifted and bend your front right knee, with your right foot firmly planted for balance.
- Hinge slightly forward at the hips so your torso is angled.
- Row both dumbbells up toward your hips, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
- Then transition into a single-arm row: extend your left arm back down under control, then pull the dumbbell back up toward your hip, keeping the same stable hinge position.
‘Jess is using 10lb (4.5kg) without much of a struggle, but you’ll probably want to start with 5lb (2.3kg) as it’s a lot harder than she makes it look,’ Bruno recommended.
- Stand with feet hip-width apart. Take one step forward into a lunge with your right leg, so both knees are roughly at 90º.
- Raise both dumbbells out to the side with straight or slightly bent arms.
- Transition into a single-arm raise: lower your left arm back down under control, then lift it back up.
6. Side plank with hip abduction
- Sit on the floor. Place your hand on the ground directly under your shoulder and turn your body sideways. Stack your feet on a bench so your body is elevated, forming a straight line from head to heels.
- Press through your supporting hand and lift your hips so your body stays rigid and aligned. Keep your core tight and avoid letting your hips sag or torso rotate – stay stacked sideways.
- Lift your top leg upward in a controlled motion, keeping it straight and your toes pointing forward. Raise it as high as you can without losing side plank alignment.
- Pause briefly at the top, then lower the leg slowly back to the bench.
Jessica then ended the workout with ‘a few hard intervals‘ on the bike erg, which provided an intermittent aerobic demand.
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