Celebrity Fitzness Report: Gold Medal Olympic Gymnast Shawn Johnson
Categories: Celebrity Fitzness Report, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements
Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly, our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.
Pound for pound, Shawn Johnson would probably be the strongest member of the U.S. Army ... if she were in it. This petite 16 year old can do an insane amount of pull-ups on her first set alone, and has more drive than any NASCAR vehicle on the road. Wouldn't you love to have the strength, stamina and flexibility she's earned? Take some of the advice she gives here, and you may do just that. Just like the brilliant medals she won in Bejing this summer, Shawn's advice is golden!
Fitz: How many hours a week do you train before a competition?
Shawn: Before the Olympics I was training about 26 hours in the gym a week and up to five hours out of the gym running and swimming... doing anything extra I could.
Fitz: Your upper-body strength is amazing. How many pushups and pullups can you do?
Shawn: I've never really tried for a maximum, but on average we will do about 50 of each at a time.
Fitz: Wow! That's amazing. So, if you weren't a professional athlete/gymnast how do you think you'd pursue fitness?
Shawn: I love leading an active healthy lifestyle so if I wasn't in gymnastics I would always be apart of some physical activity. I'm not sure in which direction I would go but pursuing dreams and setting goals is always something that I have believed in and been apart of so I try to share that with as many people as I can. I recently teamed up with Secret Deodorant to help spread that message by being apart of their Secret Sport Challenge that is giving away $100,000 in athletic scholarships to female athletes to help give them the opportunity to obtain their goals and dreams like me.
Fitz: What's your favorite healthy food?
Shawn: Fruit and Sushi
Fitz: Favorite not so healthy food?
Shawn: Ice Cream
Fitz: What's on your mp3 player?
Shawn: I love listening to kind of anything and everything... whatever is out and new, but I listen to a lot of alternative music and some of my favorite artists are Colbie Caillat, Ferras, and Coldplay.
Fitz: Any secrets to staying fit or eating well consistently?
Shawn: Just stay active and do what you love. I have always had a passion for gymnastics and it's what has kept me so healthy and fit. As for eating well consistently, I love feeling good about myself and eating healthy and staying active is how I do that. The better you eat the better you will feel. So that is always my motivation.
Fitz: What was the best part of your Olympic success?
Shawn: Being able to influence and make a positive difference in people's lives. If, from my success, I'm able to touch the heart of at least one person out there it will make the whole journey worth while.
Fitz: Any advice you can share for average Joe or Jane trying to become more fit?
Shawn: Always set goals and dreams that are obtainable and that you can motivate yourself towards. As long as you have a passion and some support for something, you can stick with it and have fun. I've been able to stick with gymnastics and a healthy lifestyle because I truly enjoy it. So, just find your own niche and you will be set for life.
Fitz: Thanks so much the great advice Shawn. You're a terrific role model and you've inspired me to work towards 50 pull-ups in a row. I'm at 13 now. I imagine millions of AOL readers are about to get busier too!
**If you or anyone you know would like a chance at an athletic scholarship click here!
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