Is Lizzo's On-Tour Workout Routine Worth The Hype?
The reasons to love Lizzo are endless. Between her stellar performances, sheer talent, and commitment to self-love, it's easy to see why she has such a devoted fan base. Not only does she share her music with fans, but she's vocal about caring for her body and building strength, even while she's on tour.
While she has a healthy relationship with her body now, Lizzo wasn't always so positive about it. In an interview with Paper Magazine, she shared that even when she was at her smallest, she still received criticism. She wasn't eating enough and was working out all the time, but still felt that no one was happy with how she looked. She recalled a man she'd been talking to telling her that she was cute, but her body needed work. It was at that point that Lizzo realized that if she wanted to be happy, she'd need to actually be happy with herself.
In an interview with NPR, she shared that she eventually realized something needed to change, but couldn't afford plastic surgery or expensive dieting options. So she began to embrace the fact that she'd been in a bigger body her whole life, and decided to just accept herself for who she was.
She now works out with a certified personal trainer and shares her routines on her Instagram stories. But are they worth the hype?
Evaluating Lizzo's on-tour workout routine
One exercise Lizzo has previously shared to her Instagram stories is a Russian twist, where you sit on the floor, lean back, lift your feet, and twist side to side while holding something heavy like a medicine ball (via Shape). This engages most of the core muscles, especially the abs and obliques, according to Livestrong.
Lizzo has also shared videos of herself performing barbell back squats on a Smith machine. However, some experts, like Lou Schuler, C.S.C.S., say it isn't the safest way to do a squat. He told Shape that since the machine uses a lot of weight and keeps your back perpendicular to the ground, you risk compressing the vertebrae and hurting your back. Leaning back into the bar also puts stress on your knees and doesn't allow you to contract your glutes or hamstrings fully. But you don't need a machine to do squats, says Women's Health. Using your body weight to squat is also a great addition to a workout routine.
She has also been known to use a double-cable machine to perform wide-grip lat pull-downs, which works the latissimus dorsi muscle of the back. While it's great for developing upper body strength and building the back and arm muscles, not everyone has access to this machine. You can work the same muscles by doing the yoga pose downward-facing dog at home (via Healthline).