Ashley Graham is a plus-size model and is incredibly beautiful. She started modeling at a very young age since she was discovered by someone at a mall in her hometown, Nebraska. She has got the face and curves for it, and her career is at its peak. She is working with some great and high profile brands and magazines like Vogue and Glamour. Also being a body activist, and a fitness freak, Ashley’s body transformation and always tried to change the perception of a fit body. There is a thin line between being plus size and being fat. It’s all about whether your body has a lot of muscle or layers of fat.
Ashley Graham’s Workout Routine
Ashley’s workout is designed by her trainer and friend, Pena to always keep her in the curvy shape she has, on which everyone is swooning over. When you have a curvy body, you have to keep exercising regularly so you don’t gain weight as it only takes a while for to add up but it takes an impossible amount of time to turn it into muscle.
Ashley’s full-fledged workout –
Squats
No. of reps – 20
Directions – Keep your feet apart, hands in front and back straight. Go down in the squat position till your thighs appear parallel to the floor.
Sumo Squat
No. of reps – 20
Directions – Keep your feet at a width twice your shoulders and toes pointing out. With dumbbells in each hand, lower your body as much as possible, keeping the back straight.
Speed Skaters
No. of reps – 20
Directions – Stand on your left leg, left knee slightly bent and right foot slightly off the floor. Lower your body towards the floor and jump off your left leg landing on the right foot. Bring your left foot behind your right as you reach toward the outside of your right foot with your left hand. Reverse the movement and now land on your left foot.
Burpees
No. of reps – 20
Directions – Keep your feet at hip width apart and bend your knees in a squat position so that you can easily lower your hands to the floor. Jump both the feet back to move into a plank. Keep your backbone straight and do a push-up. Jump your feet back up to your hands and clap them overhead.
Body Ball Burpees
No. of reps – 20
Directions – Bend your knees in a squat position and balance yourself on a Bosu ball in a plank position. Do push-ups with back straight.
Lunges
No. of reps – 20
Directions – Place your hand on your hips and keep your feet hip-width apart. Bring left leg forward and bend it at 90 degrees. Repeat the same with another leg.
Ball Smash
No. of reps – 20
Directions – Stand to hold a medicine ball, feet hip-width apart and knees bent. Raise the ball over your head and then bring it down, keeping your torso parallel to the ground.
Slash Hammer
No. of reps – 20
Directions – Keep one foot in front, perhaps on something like a tire and swing a hammer up and down as fast as possible.
Planks
No. of reps – 15
Directions – Put all your weight on one arm and do push-ups. Jump back to the other hand and repeat.
Jackknife
No. of reps – 25
Directions – Lie on the floor, face up and knees straight. Lift your torso and one leg as you bring the ball toward that foot. Repeat the same with the other leg.
Scissor
No. of reps – 35
Directions – Lie on the floor with your face up and extend your legs towards the ceiling. Bring one leg close to your face and then hold it with your hands. Repeat the same with the other leg.
Triceps Extension
No. of reps – 20
Directions – Lift weights overhead, arms straight and knees bent in a squat position. Bend the elbows and lower the weight at the back of your head. Go back to the starting position and repeat.
Triceps Kickback
No. of reps – 20
Directions – Stand keeping your knees bent and the lean forward slightly holding a dumbbell in each hand. Bend one of your elbows to bring the dumbbell to your side, making your upper arm parallel to the floor. Press the dumbbell back and straighten your arm. Return to the original position and repeat with the different arm.
Dumbbell Biceps Curl
No. of reps – 20
Directions – Hold a pair of dumbbells in each hand with your palms facing forward and keep your back straight and chest up. Keeping your upper arms still, bend your elbows and curl the weights toward your shoulders. Lower the weights and get back to the starting position, straightening your arms completely and repeat.
Dumbbell Chest Fly
No. if reps – 20
Directions – Lie back on a bench holding dumbbells at your chest and palms facing each other. Push the weights up, straight. Open your arms wide and lower the weights towards the sides and a little backward, until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Reverse the sides and repeat.
Dumbbell Bench Press
No. of reps – 20
Directions – Lie flat bench on a bench, letting your elbows and shoulders drop. Hold a dumbbell in each hand on either side of your chest. Lifting both weights and push them up until your arms are fully extended. Hold for a second, drop and repeat.
Bent Over Row
No. of reps – 20
Directions – Hold the dumbbells and stand with your feet at a shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. With your arms at your sides, bend over from the hips until your back is almost parallel to the floor. Pull the dumbbells up, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Pause and then lower the weights.
Lat Pulldown
No. of reps – 20
Directions – Sit at a lat pulldown station and grab the bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip, arms straight and torso upright. Without moving your torso, pull the weight bar down towards the chest as you squeeze the shoulder blades together. Pause and gradually return to start.
Machine Shoulder Press
No. of reps – 20
Directions – Sit at the shoulder press machine and grab a bar at shoulders with the overhand grip. Press weight upward until your arms are straight overhead. Hold for a second and release in 3 seconds to lower the bar back to start.
Lateral Raises
No. of reps – 20
Directions – Your feet must be shoulder width apart at starting position. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in and arms in front with elbows slightly bent. Raise arms until they are parallel to the floor. Return to start and repeat.
Ashley Graham’s Diet Plan
Ashley starts her day healthy and eats nutritious food. She does not strictly restrict herself from anything in particular, but she does limit the amount of anything unhealthy.
The first thing she does soon after she wakes up is a delicious glass of fruit smoothie. It’s definitely a healthy as well as a tasty option. She sips on it while she is checking her schedule for the day and going through some important emails.
After freshening up, she has her breakfast before she’s ready to leave for work. She has made it her routine to have a big glass of green juice extracted from rich green fruits and vegetables. Her typical blend consists of – kale, lemon, ginger, beetroot, apples, and parsley.
For her lunch, Ashley has boiled or cooked leafy green vegetables along with a bowl of brown rice. Brown rice should always be preferred over white, and it is very important to feed your body with the right vegetables, and they are the purest and greatest form of nutrition. Her lunch also includes some quinoa and tahini.
For dinner, Ashley likes to have some sweet potato and a bowl full of salad comprising entirely of raw fruits and vegetables, no added cheese! Cream and cheese are not the right way to go for an everyday salad. She has chicken or salmon, baked and not fried.
Ashley loves to dine in the Little Beet Table in New York from time to time when she is not eating at home. You can spot her there many times. Also, her most favourite healthy drink is Green Giant from Juice Press. When her taste buds are craving for something delicious but healthy, she likes to gluten-free, kale paste pasta. It sounds weird, but it is amazing according to her.
Although Ashley eats healthy during her routine but goes on cheat meal Mac and Cheese. It gives her the guilty pleasures, and she likes to have it when she has no swimsuit or lingerie projects coming up. In fact, those are the days when she motivated to eat strictly low carb healthy food and work out to the core. Also, the secret toppings that work every time over any food for her have to be garlic, tahini sauce, and honey. You will always find these jars full at her home.
