J.Lo is back - but let's be honest, she never really went anywhere.
But the 54-year-old is back on everyone's lips thanks to the release of her brand new film This Is Me...Now: A Love Story - a genre-bending short film released on Amazon Prime Video.
Accompanying an album of the same name, the film stars Jennifer Lopez as a fictionalised version of herself navigating a fantasy world of romance and heartbreak, inspired by the trajectory of her own notable experience with relationships (hello Bennifer 2.0).
While the film has received...mixed reviews (we're gonna be honest, we don't really get it), there's something we do agree on - J.Lo still looks absolutely incredible.
If, like us, you've been stalking Jennifer's Instagram to find out how she stays in such amazing shape, you'll have realised it's all down to hard work. Yes, sadly there's no magic potion that will have us waking up with abs like J.Lo's, and her feed full of gym selfies and dance rehearsals is certainly evidence of that.
Let's bear in mind though, as banging as Jennifer's body is, it's important to remember that we're all beautiful in our own way, and none of us, (repeat: none of us), need to change a single thing about ourselves. Even the lady herself agrees: "I think the idea of being curvaceous, being a little bit bigger than normal or smaller than normal, all of that is okay," she once told Heat magazine, "As long as it’s healthy. I embrace who I am. I feel sexy, I feel youthful, I feel pretty!"
So, rather than trying to copy every single thing the Let's Get Loud singer does to get the body she has, let's instead feel inspired to move and fuel our bodies in whatever way works best for us. Here we go!
What is Jennifer Lopez's workout regime?
Lifting weights
Spending an hour every day on the treadmill isn't the only way to get fit these days. In fact, combining cardio sessions with regular strength training, like lifting weights, offers a more well-rounded fitness regime that'll see you lose fat and tone up at the same time. Jennifer herself is a big fan when it comes to that, and earlier this year she shared a photo of herself lifting weights. "Monday morning!! Let’s get it!!! #Lift," she captioned the post. In another clip, she showed followers just how much she lifts during her sessions, and it's safe to say we're seriously impressed.
Home workouts
Whether you love them or hate them, gym closures during the pandemic forced us all to have a go at home workouts. It may come as some consolation then that even J.Lo found herself doing a few home workouts just like the rest of us. In fact, at the start of the pandemic her then-fiancé, Alex Rodriguez, shared an Instagram video of one of their sessions. The couple's DIY circuit workout included a 400 metre run around the garden (which us apartment-dwellers could only dream of), followed by kettlebell swings and pushups. We're sweaty just looking at this video tbh.
PT sessions
When the world isn't closed, J.Lo gets her workouts in with not one but two personal trainers, Dodd Romero and David Kirsch. "She trains for roughly an hour, four to five times a week, focusing on different body parts each time," Romero told Oprah Daily. Romero also emphasises just how hard the singer goes during each and every session. "We’ll go until everything’s sore and we’ve hit every body part," he revealed to US Weekly.
Over on his Instagram, PT Kirsch shares plenty of videos of the singer's workouts, which feature a range of exercises including medicine ball sit-ups to focus on strengthening her core, as well as platypus walks for sculpting her iconic booty. Speaking to Insider about how the move tones her bum, Kirsch said: "The quickest, most effective workout for your butt is the platypus walk."
Even when Jennifer doesn't fancy heading to the gym, she forces herself to go. "Very rarely will I skip my workout," she told US Weekly. "Sometimes, I work too late the night before, and I’m like, 'Ugh, I can’t do this.' But I tell myself, 'Just do it. It’s only an hour.' It’s just talking yourself off the ledge of being a lazy bum."
“I don’t like doing it later; it’s harder to get there when I have my day going already,” she continues. “I work out three or four times a week.”
Dance rehearsals
We all know that Jenny from the Block has got the moves. It makes sense then that the constant dance rehearsals for her concerts and tours are just one of the ways she stays in such great shape. "Dance has always been a huge part of my life and taking the time to move my body and do something that's so good for me is key to my happiness," she told HELLO! in 2016.
"When my confidence is lagging, I dance," the singer continued, "There's something about seeing what my body is capable of and feeling the endorphin rush that comes with a good dance session that really helps boost my confidence and my mood. I still consider myself a dancer at heart and I love it."
In an interview with People, J.Lo added: "It’s no secret that I love dancing, so it doesn’t even feel like exercise to me. I freestyle dance with [personal trainer] Tracy five times a week. We’ll incorporate light weights (3 lbs/ 1.4 kgs) for the arms and moves that focus on the butt and thighs and engage the core."
Pole dancing
Whilst preparing for her role alongside Cardi B and Lili Reinhart in the 2019 movie, Hustlers, J.Lo trained in pole dancing. "It's, like, acrobatic, it's a different muscle group," she said on Jimmy Kimmel Live. "The things that they do with their legs and everything and go upside down... it's hard. I have a lot of respect for people who do the pole."
And, over on Instagram, the mother-of-two opened up to her followers about just how gruelling pole dancing can be. "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone," she wrote, "This was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve ever done physically. But it was all worth it in the end."
Plenty of rest
Jennifer works hard, but appreciates rest is important too. Without nabbing between eight to 10 hours a night, the singer admits she feels "crazy, emotional and tired".
"The number one tip is to always get enough sleep," she told InStyle. "I can’t stress this enough. Ideally I would love to get nine or 10 hours of sleep, but either way, I always make sure I get at least eight."
What is Jennifer Lopez's diet like?
Whole, fresh foods
When it comes to what she puts into her body, Jennifer's diet is packed with whole foods. "She stays away from processed foods and gets her nutrients from whole sources," PT Dodd told Oprah Daily.
"Everything is fresh," added J.Lo's former trainer, Tracy Anderson, while speaking to People. "There’s nothing processed," she points out, especially when it comes to carbs. On her website, the trainer added: "I have her eating very clean because she needs really good fuel for all the things that she’s doing. It’s all organic and it’s all very well thought out, with the balance of very high quality proteins and a lot of nutrient-dense food."
Jennifer instead opts for oatmeal, sweet potatoes, brown rice and quinoa over white bread, breakfast cereals, doughnuts and pastries. As for vegetables, she packs her plate with leafy greens like kale and spinach along with broccoli, but avoids carrots and corn (which have higher amounts of naturally occurring sugar), says Dodd.
Protein (but no salmon)
When incorporating protein into her meals, J.Lo starts the day with egg-whites, and prefers white meat including lean cuts of turkey and chicken or grass-fed beef for lunch and dinner. "Protein is my go-to," she told HELLO!, "It fills me up and keeps me full longer. It's a great muscle fuel."
"We eat a lot of green vegetables, asparagus, brussell sprouts, broccoli and kale," she added of her eating habits with her children. "I love to cook a lot of stuff, I love cooking Puerto Rican food because that’s what I grew up on." This includes a lot of pork and chicken and if she’s out at a restaurant, Lopez will order fish and veggies.
"I do try to eat right,” she told People. “And I don’t always want to."
However, J.Lo is not a massive fan of salmon (us neither, Jen).
"I know Jennifer doesn’t love salmon, so if I’m cooking salmon for the [table], I always got to do a sea bass or a halibut or cod for Jennifer because she’s just not a fan of the texture and the taste of salmon," Kelvin Fernandez, a chef for Jennifer told Us Weekly.
No vices
A huge difference in Lopez’s lifestyle compared to the average person is the little luxuries she omits from her life. Alcohol, smoking and drinking are off limits (she sips decaf in the morning).
"I don’t drink or smoke or have caffeine," she previously told Hollywood Life. "That really wrecks your skin as you get older."
Balance
Eating healthy doesn't mean the 54-year-old doesn't treat herself every now and then. "Throughout the years I’ve learned the importance of maintaining a healthier diet," she told People, "I still eat some of the foods I love, but in moderation. I don’t deprive myself."
She added, "We’re all human. I don’t think you should beat yourself up if you make a mistake or if you have a potato chip. Everyone wants a cookie or a piece of cake or fried chicken every once in while."
As Anderson points out, there's no need for crash diets when you have a balanced fitness regime. "[Jennifer] is a very balanced person, so she’s not going to miss out on Thanksgiving or a holiday with her children. That’s one of the reasons why [our] workouts are important, and consistent – so we don’t do any kind of extreme dieting."
