Shakira, 49, relies on these 5 exercises to strengthen her abs, obliques and deep core muscles
Few performers are more iconic than Shakira. The Colombian singer-songwriter and producer is as well known for her remarkable fitness and stamina as she is for her chart-topping music. Whether she’s delivering high-energy dance routines on stage or preparing for major performances, her training combines strength, endurance, flexibility and coordination.
The Grammy Award-winning singer works out four days a week, with dancing and strength training forming the core of her routine.
‘I love to focus on strength and dance separately. I usually start with the strength session for about 30 to 45 minutes, and then I’ll add about 15 to 30 minutes of cardio,’ her longtime personal trainer, Anna Kaiser told Us Weekly.
Often, the strength portion of the workout involves a ‘combination of heavier weights, like eight or 10 [pounds] (3.6-4.5kg), and a burnout’, meaning lighter weights and higher reps.
Then they move on to the cardio portion of the workout.
‘We have fun afterward, [like through] dance!’ Kaiser explained. ‘Sometimes, if she has a really busy day, we end up doing cardio on a machine, but most of the time, we’re doing dance cardio.’
Moving into the dance portion after resistance training is deliberate.
‘The dance is meant to elevate and boost the efficacy of the strength training we’ve just finished because at that point your muscles should be fatigued,’ she said.
However, the ‘Whenever, Wherever’ singer’s hectic timetable means the dance cardio is even more effective.
‘There’s so much going on that by the time we get to dancing, it’s really pushing her endurance and stamina because of everything she’s already accomplished that day. It is… a mood-booster and [incorporates] power components,’ Kaiser continued.
The enjoyment of learning sequences is a big draw for Shakira.
‘I will teach her a series of routines, and she has used the moves in her performances are in her choreography, which is really fun,’ Kaiser said. ‘Her cardio is more low impact [and] she really loves to get her brain involved and learn new ways of moving.’
Shakira’s 5 go-to core exercises
Kaiser shared the five-move core sequence that she included in Shakira’s programme.
‘The workout incorporates full-body movement (not just isolated abdominals) because your body works as a unit, not a combination of parts!’ she explained. ‘Wait and see all the fun places you’ll feel these exercises.’
Perform all exercises on one side and then repeat on the other (2.2kg-4.5kg weights)
1. Side cincher
Do 15 reps
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the dumbbells by your sides
- Bend your torso to the right, lowering the weight down past your knee. Keep your chest facing forward and don’t let your top shoulder collapse.
- At the same time, lift the left weight up to toward the side of your rib cage, bending your elbow.
- Pause briefly, then return to stand.
2. Standing marches
Perform for 1 minute
- Stand with feet hip-width apart and hold the two weights above your head with extended arms.
- Lift your right knee up to your chest as you bend your arms, bringing the dumbbells down towards your knee and twisting your trunk.
- Pause, then place your foot back down and extend your arms overhead.
3. Towel extension
Do 15 reps
- Sit up straight on the mat with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Lean back until you’re about halfway between sitting up straight and lying down, making sure to keep core tension.
- Hold one end of the towel in each hand and straighten your arms out in front of you at just below chest level.
- Lift the towel with straight arms until it’s directly above your head.
- Pause briefly, then lower the towel back down.
4. Lateral teaser
Do 15 reps
- Start lying on your right side with a small exercise ball between your legs. Extend your right arm over your head, straighten your legs and raise them off the mat. Use your right elbow to support you.
- Contract your obliques (side abs) and bend your knees to bring them up towards your chest, at the same time bending your right elbow to meet them.
- Pause briefly, then extend your legs and arm back to the start position.
5. Twisted hinge
Do 10 reps
- Sit on the mat with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Place the exercise ball against your lower back and lean on it, bending back until you’re at a 45º angle. Place your fingers lightly behind your head.
- Lift your chest toward the knees with your core. As you sit up, twist your body to extend your left arm across you, so the outside of your hand taps the outside of your right knee.
- Pause briefly, then return your hand to behind your head and lean back.
How Shakira stays stage-ready year-round
‘She is really focused on consistency with her workouts – the strength, the cardio, the stamina, the power, the flexibility, everything,’ Kaiser told Vogue, adding that Shakira manages to keep her energy levels high and push through workouts even at the end of long days. ‘She was determined and focused to finish strong!’ she said.
Training for the Super Bowl in 2020 involved working out intensely five days a week including:
- 90-minute dance interval workouts focusing on cardio endurance – ‘I want her to push through with few breaks for the entire 90 minutes,’ said Kaiser.
- 60-minute strength workouts to build muscular endurance, particularly in her core – ‘I never focus on one body part because there’s always a larger goal,’ Kaiser explained. ‘When we are working on her core, it is part of an entire workout.’
- 30 minutes of power training, including 2-minute lunge sequences repeated eight times. ‘It’s important to add an element of power…to…really push her stamina,’ Kaiser added.
- All-day dance rehearsals that also incorporate a 45-minute workout incorporating stretches and strength moves.
- 30 minutes of swimming in the afternoon.
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