When you're talking with celebrity fitness trainer Erin Oprea, it doesn't take long to feel just how excited she is about wellness and fitness. Her spirit is contagious. "I look at fitness in a different way than a lot of people. I don't have a goal like to lose weight or anything. Fitness makes me feel good. I look at it as a gift to be able to workout. Think of all the people that would kill to workout but cant. I just changed my mindset. It's not an option- it's a gift. Get out there and do it. And it 100% changes my mood if I'm cranky or mad. And then when I start, I feel five million times better and I think 'Why didn't I want to do this?'"
If you're like most people, you could probably come up with a million reasons why you don't want to workout. The Nashville resident says "The more you move, the better you feel. And then you want to do it." Oprea adds, "Don't hyper-focus on the scale because all it does is distract you. Nobody cares what the number on that scale is."
The naysayers told her she couldn't name her app 'Pretty Muscles' but she did it anyway. "I think muscles are absolutely beautiful. And they don't have to be big and bulky. The more muscles you have, the more calories you burn at rest, and it's a win-win."
She gives us the lowdown on the app. "My philosophy of training is simple yet super-effective, solid training. It's something everybody can do. Everyday is a different workout for the whole year and I've made it for all levels of fitness. We have brand new programs {this January}. If you want to do it low impact, you can do it that way. My biggest thing is to focus on perfect form. It is the most important thing. It's more of a weight training, but I do have cardio days built in and rest days built in." It also includes a full meal plan because as Oprea says, "You can't out-train a bad diet."
Oprea also swears by the benefits of beet juice ("Anytime you want that cup of coffee for the afternoon slump, it's amazing for that") and is the author of The 4x4 Diet and the 2021 release,The Power Plate Diet, her second book that dives more in to inflammation. She hopes to launch her own athleisure wear clothing line by next year. She even hopes to open a doughnut store one day. Say what? "I love doughnuts. They are my favorite thing. I don't need to eat a ton of them - I just love to look at them." It's just like she says, "I believe in learning to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle."
Erin's Pretty Muscles App Workout
Here’s a fun workout to try at home and all you need is a set of dumbbells, so let’s PLAY!!!! This is a simple circuit from my PRETTY MUSCLES APP, where everyday is a different workout full of lots of games, and has a program for every level of fitness, from the very beginner (having never worked out before) to advanced.
Set 1 done 3 times:
1. 12 reverse lunge into curl each leg
2. 12 sumo squat into up right row each arm (no resting between sides)
Set 2 done 3 times:
3. 12 reverse lunges into lateral raises each leg (choose a weight that allows you to hold perfect form and not go into your traps)
4. 10 plank rows each arm (no wiggly hips. Keep it nice and solid, with a tight core and squeeze your butt cheeks)
5. 20 floor dips (fingers facing towards your feet)