Kayla Itsines Workout and Diet

Fitness Trainer
Born: 1991

Australian Kayla Itsines was always active and played sports such as basketball, but she felt intimidated by working out at the gym until a personal trainer suggested she just dive in. She followed his advice and enjoyed working out so much that age 18 she obtained a Master Trainer degree from the Australian Institute of Fitness. Itsines began training her sister’s friends in core strength and encouraged them to take before and after photos, which she then organized on Instagram. It only took a few months for her to develop a following of several hundred thousands along with frequent requests for help. In 2013, she co-founded the Bikini Body Training company with her partner Tobi Pearce. She published a series of ebooks called Bikini Body Guides and also a meal-planning guide and workout app. Sweat With Kayla is a top-selling fitness app. She has more than 11 million followers on Instagram alone and in 2016, Itsines was named one of Time magazine’s Most Influential People. Itsines 5 feet, 4 inches tall and she weighs about 115 lbs.

Known For:

Kayla Itsines’s Diet

Summary

Itsines says she has always followed a Mediterranean-style diet because that it is what best suits her lifestyle. She’s not afraid of carbs, fat or any food group. Foods she always has on hand include mangoes, figs (grown by her grandpa), eggs, Greek yogurt and chicken. The only thing she avoids are detoxes, fad diets, and processed foods. She says she keeps things simple by eating whole, natural, in-season foods, and mixing things up. In short, nothing is off-limits, except empty-calorie foods.

Estimated Macros

Medium Fat 30% 30%

Medium Carb 30% 30%

Medium Protein 40% 40%

Diet Details

A K.I.S.S. Diet

Itsines says breakfast is important, but everything you eat should be nourishing and fuel your body, not drain your energy. Simply put, eat whole foods and avoid processed ones.

Start Small

Itsines is often up at 5 am to prepare for working with clients at 6. Since it’s so early, she prefers a light meal of whole wheat toast and a poached egg. After the session, she’ll often have more eggs, toast, avocado, tomatoes, and baby spinach.

Timing Matters

Itsines says that if you do have morning coffee, she recommends having it after breakfast to increase the feeling of fullness. Itsines’ heritage is Greek and she often visits her grandparents’ house for a cup of Greek (more commonly known as Turkish) coffee in the morning.

Power Lunch

Itsines often has a salad with protein at lunchtime, but she’ll incorporate complex carbs too, such as quinoa. She is also a fan of whole wheat wraps.

Variety Is the Spice

Itsines makes a point to eat different things every night for dinner, and it is some form of lean meat, veggies, and complex carbs. She loves a good chicken and vegetable curry with brown rice or salmon with summer salsa.

Sweet Treat

Itsines says that if you’re looking to drop lbs., desserts should be fruit. As for her favorite special indulgence, it’s her grandmother’s Kataifi, a golden pastry drizzled with lemon syrup, cinnamon and pistachios.

What to Eat

Seasonal Fresh Fruit

Vegetables

Fish

Lean Meat

Greek Yogurt

Olive Oil

Complex Carbs

Nuts

Eggs

Quinoa

Coffee

Herbal Tea

What to Avoid

Refined Foods

Fried Foods

Added Sugar

Junk Food

Processed Foods

Chemically-altered Oils

Alcohol

Dessert

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Itsines On breakfast

I encourage everyone to find the time to eat a balanced breakfast as it is an opportunity to incorporate a number of food groups into one meal.

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Itsines On Mangoes

Mangoes contain vitamins C and A, which can help keep your immune system healthy and strong.

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Itsines On Alcohol

I never really liked the taste or the way it made me feel so I made the decision to eliminate it altogether…I think this is important for us to remind young girls and boys that they have a choice and that it’s ok not to drink if you don’t want to. You can still be social and have fun!

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Itsines On Chamomile Tea

I end my day…with a nice, big mug of chamomile tea. It’s delicious and can help to settle your stomach after dinner.

Kayla Itsines’s Workout Routine

Weekly Routine

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What Women Want

According to feedback given to Itsines at the gym, women want flat abs, slim thighs and toned arms, without bulkiness. She says she quickly figured out the typical routines weren’t giving the results female clients wanted, and so she developed her Bikini Body Guide to address those needs.

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Plan It

Every Sunday, Itsines schedules her workouts for the week in her calendar to keep herself accountable. She says even if she’s short on time, she can still find 15-20 minutes to squeeze a session in.

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Listen to Yourself

Itsines says it’s important to tune in to your body and know the difference between fatigue that you can push through and being unwell and needing rest.

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AMGRAPs

AMGRAPs stands for As Many Great Rounds As Possible. Itsines’ standard Bikini Body Guide (BBG) routines contain with 4 circuits per session for a total of a 28 minute workout. The goal is to get in AMGRAPs for 7 minutes before moving on to the next circuit.

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High and Low Intensity

Itsines says she designed her BBG routines to target muscle groups throughout the body. They offer a combination of plyometrics (jumping), body weight exercises, and strength-building done in high-intensity (HIIT) circuits. Low Intensity Sustained State exercise (LISS), such as walking, compliments her HIIT routines and aids with recovery.

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Rock the Plank

Itsines says her current favorite exercise is planks. Underrated because they ‘look easy,’ planks engage all core muscles, which improves balance and stability. There’s also tons of different planks to choose from.

Exercise Style

Some Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Routines

You can do these exercises without equipment, but lightweight dumbbells, a medicine ball, jump rope, and bench are recommended. A foam roller is also suggested but not required.

For Glutes

Pick 3-4 and do a 7 minutes circuit. Rest for 1 min. Repeat. Do 15-20 reps of each before moving on to the next exercise.
Crab Walk
Knee Up
Donkey Kick
Glute Bridge
Reverse Lunge
Goblet Sumo Squat

For Abs

Do as many of circuit 1 as you can in 7 min. Rest 1 min., then move on to circuit 2 and do for 7 min.
Circuit 1
Bent Leg Jackknife: 15 reps
Ab Bike: 50 reps
Straight Leg Sit-up & Twist: 20 reps
Circuit 2
Toe Taps: 20 reps
Russian Twist: 30 reps
Bent-leg Sit-up: 15 reps

For Arms

Try to do 2 circuits in 7 minutes. Rest for 1 minute, then repeat.
Push-ups: 15 reps
Mountain Climbers: 30 reps (15/side)
Commandos: 24 reps (12/side)
Burpees: 12 reps

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Itsines On Walking Her Dogs

This allows me to incorporate my LISS (Low Intensity Steady State) cardio into my daily routine.

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Itsines On Fitting In Her Own Workout

The time of day that I train will depend on what my schedule is like that day.

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Itsines On Her Personal Routine

This is the time of day that I look forward to the most, as it’s a time I can focus on ME and my own personal progress. It may sound strange but it’s actually the time I am most relaxed for the day.

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Itsines On Bouncing Back After Having a Baby

Since giving birth to my daughter Arna, my focus has been to rebuild my muscle, strength and confidence in the gym.

Kayla Itsines’s Supplements

Itsines believes in getting nutrition from whole foods, but for those who don’t always have the time to prepare wholesome meals, a daily multivitamin can help fill in nutritional gaps. Many people, particularly those who live in northern climates, can also benefit from supplementing with vitamin D. If you don’t eat much seafood, consider a supplement of omega-3s.

Kayla Itsines’s Lifestyle

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Vitamin Zzz

While Itsines may not get as much sleep as she used to with a baby in the house, but she recommends getting 8 hours a night. If that means going to bed early, so be it.

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Power Down

Itsines recommends doing some stretches or yoga to unwind, and also turning off your devices at least a 1/2 hour before bed.

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Body Positive

Itsines is an advocate of body positivity means realizing every body has value and is beautiful, and focusing on what your body can do rather than what it can’t.

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Clear the Calendar

Itsines recommends writing down everything you need to do so you don’t have the to-do list running through your mind when you’re trying to relax in the evening.

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Tune In To Channel You

Itsines says it’s important to listen to your body. This counts for exercise, the foods you eat and the other day-to-day choices you make. She recommends journaling, mindful eating, and making time for yourself.

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Itsines On Sleep

Your bed should be a sanctuary where you feel calm and relaxed.

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Itsines On Tuning Into Oneself

Being healthy is all about balance, and to live a balanced lifestyle, it helps to be in tune with your body and listen to what it needs.

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Itsines On Feeling Good

I want to everyone to feel good about themselves, to make well-being, balance and a positive mindset a priority.