How fitness powerhouse Amanda Cerny created a fitness routine that *actually* lasts
If you've just come back from a two-week holiday, or are signing up to a gym for the very first time... finding the motivation, and space in your schedule, to work out can be tough. It's something that the multi-talented Amanda Cerny (a former Vine star, Playboy model and actor, turned fitness entrepreneur with 24.5 million Instagram followers), knows all too well too.
Although working out has long been a part of her life – growing up in Connecticut, her mother owned a karate studio and encouraged Amanda and her sisters to try everything from running with their Black Labrador to surfing – she admits that finding the time to exercise, or making fitness a priority, isn't always easy. Even for somebody like her, who is a longtime fan of the endorphins and mental clarity a sweat session can bring.
"It may not be something you're initially going to enjoy," she says truthfully when asked for advice on kickstarting a fitness journey. "It does take a little bit of discomfort in the beginning. I recently went through a period where I wasn't working out much as I'd just gotten a puppy, I was running around like crazy just figuring out how to function."
She had to switch-up her schedule to fit everything in, she explains over Zoom when talking about adding another string ('Dog Mom' to two Dalmatians) to her bow, "I'm not really a morning person but I had to get up earlier to be able to get the dogs out for their walk."
Time efficiency is a big reason why Amanda launched her 60-Day Total Body Band Programme with TRUCONNECT by TV.FIT earlier this year too, which focusses on utilising resistance bands (which are not only versatile and space saving, but means that anyone keen to take the challenge on won't need to shell out on pricey equipment).
"The first week [getting back into working out] was the hardest," she says. "Getting back into my routine and getting myself up early to do it everyday was tough, but I quickly found I was so excited to have that part of my routine back."
Despite how much she hated those early morning alarms, seeing the positive impact that working out had on her overall wellbeing gave Amanda the push to keep going. "[When I work out in the morning] I'm more energised throughout the rest of the day too," she explains. "I’m more productive and I'm not drained. It actually increases my energy, clears my mind and de-stresses me too."
She explains that if you can push through the initial discomfort, working out becomes a "necessity for your everyday life." It's all about building, and sticking to, healthy habits, which is one of the reasons she and her PT boyfriend, Johannes Bartl (who also has his own sizeable following online), were keen to partner with the TRUCONNECT app.
Their programme's ethos is simple: it combines a range of resistance band workouts, that can be tailored to your fitness level, and done from the comfort of your living room or a decked out gym, whichever your preference.
"Sixty days is the point at which you're actually going to see real, significant results and that’s when you build a [longterm] habit as well," the influencer points out. "After the 60-days, you're able to go back into the programme and do it again with a higher resistance, so as to continue to seeing results."
Amanda also recommends being adventurous with your workouts, as a way to keep your brain engaged and, of course, finding something that you love to do – if it feels like a chore, you'll pretty quickly find yourself making excuses to skip a session, she notes. "With our programme there’s a bunch of different movements that are non-stop and keep you mentally stimulated throughout," she explains, "With runs on a treadmill, for example, I get so bored."
But workouts aren't the only element of our health and fitness journey that we should be looking to include variety in, Amanda, who is vegan, points out. Our diets can always be more adventurous too. "You don't want to eat the same things every single day," she stresses. "It is a little bit more work being a vegan, but it's important to diversify your diet [whatever your requirements are] as if not, you're not getting all the vitamins you need [to thrive] and that's how some food allergies can evolve [especially within children].
"I know we all kind of stick to our favourite dish or whatever it is we make every day," she adds. "But food is one of the most important things we can invest in. It's our health, it's our enjoyment. There are a million different recipes online that are healthy and simple too."
As for her best kitchen hack? Amanda says she searches out easy, five-ingredient recipes that feature what she already has in the kitchen, like lentils and a bag of spinach – lentil curry is a favourite. She also has a "cheat code" and has invested in a meal delivery service, Trifecta, which provides vegan meal plan options.
Her final tip for creating a wellness routine that'll go the distance? Laughter. Anyone who's even spent a minute on Amanda's Instagram account will know that she's funny. Like, really funny – and frivolity is a theme she ensures runs throughout everything she does (be it making comedy sketch shorts, to connecting with those looking to follow her fitness plan online).
It's also how she built such a strong following in the first place. Many of her 24 million fans have followed her from the now defunct app Vine, through to Hollywood, other social media platforms and beyond. Her love of fitness is something she began sharing naturally after she noticed many were asking about her routine, alongside seeking other intel, such as her skincare routine. These days, she shares a little bit of everything alongside the humorous skits she first became known for.
"Everything's about balance and not taking life too seriously," she laughs. "It makes whatever you're doing sustainable."
Noted, noted and noted.
Amanda Cerny and Johannes Bartl have launched the '60 Days Total Body Band Workout' programme available exclusively on one of the world’s leading fitness apps TRUCONNECT by TV.FIT.
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