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On a recent Family Feud episode contestants were asked to guess what 100 people answered when asked the question “Name Something America Loves About Michelle Obama”. Guess what one of the top five answers was? Her arms! That’s right…they admired the first lady’s arms; along with her style, her warm personality, her grace and her smile.
Women’s Health magazine landed an interview with the first lady’s personal trainer, Cornell McClellan, to discuss how she stays in such great shape, and everyone from the Today Show to Yahoo News is talking about it.
Want to know how Mrs. Obama gets those long, lean arms that are the envy of women across the country? To start, she has made a major commitment to overall health and fitness; working with her personal trainer since 1997 and waking up at 5:30 am four times a week to get her workouts in. She stresses the importance of taking personal responsibility for your health and admits she does indulge in her favorite “junk” foods like French fries, but only in moderation.
According to McClellan, the foundation of her workout is based on movements that work multiple muscle groups at one time such as lunges and bench presses, with short burst of cardio mixed in. Some of the specific exercises she does include: alternating hammer curls to sculpt her biceps, tricep pushdowns on a pulley machine with an over-hand and under-hand grip to tone the back of her arms, and mountain climbers to get her heart rate up while working all the major muscle groups.
In addition to looking good, she understands the importance of being a positive role model. Mrs. Obama wants to set a good example for her children and for Americans; proving that even the first family isn’t too busy to make time for healthy habits. According to a recent interview with Men’s Health magazine, her husband works out six days a week (two days of cardio and four days of weight lifting). Mrs. Obama was also interview by Children’s Health magazine and stated that small changes such as “eliminating processed foods, cutting back on sugary drinks, eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, eating together more as a family and teaching her daughters how to read food labels” have made a big difference in her family’s health.
The Women’s Health, Men’s Health and Children’s Health articles are all set to hit newsstands on September 15th. They are all part of an interview series the Obama’s took part in to discuss health care along with their personal health and fitness routines.
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