The gorgeous ladies of wrestling are coming back to Netflix for a third season in June of 2019. The Netflix comedy series “GLOW”, starring Alison Brie, is a big hit, especially among women, and everyone is wondering how Brie got into fighting shape.
Ruth Wilder, played by Alison Brie, is a failed actress from Los Angeles in 1985. She joins a professional women’s wrestling team and takes up the persona of the Russian villain Zoya the Destroya.
If you are familiar with wrestling, you know it involves fighting, flips and body slams. Alison Brie’s prep for the show involved more than getting a perm because she does her own stunts (and she definitely looks the part). You may think wrestlers are huge and muscular, but Brie was able to get strong without getting big.
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The 36-year-old actress quit her cardio routine and hired celebrity personal trainer Jason Walsh to get ready for her role. Walsh started Alison Brie on a three-day-per-week training program that involves mostly bodyweight workouts, such as pullups, pushups and pistol squats. She also did lots of sled pulls and pushes.
Bodyweight strength training is a great place to start for a beginner. A big mistake most women make is thinking they have to choose between heavy weight training or cardio. Cardio has its own benefits, but if you want to get stronger and shape your body, then strength training is the best option. Fortunately, you don’t have to lift heavy weights if you don’t want to.
You also don’t need a personal trainer or an expensive gym membership to achieve Brie’s physique. All you need is your body, a couple of inexpensive pieces of workout equipment — a pullup bar, for example — and a bodyweight workout program like Kinobody’s Bodyweight Mastery Program.
Key Characteristics of Alison Brie’s Physique
Alison Brie is 5-foot, 3-inches tall and weighs around 115 pounds. In “GLOW”, she hovers around 15-18 percent body fat. Brie has always been a petite woman, but she transformed her body for this role without changing her weight. The secret behind the actress’s transformation was focusing on foundational strength while dropping body fat.
Brie has a tiny, slender physique, but she’s strong for her weight. The actress has defined shoulders and arms, visible abs and shaped legs. To help you achieve this physique, the “GLOW” workout focuses on getting stronger on bodyweight exercises without getting bulky with heavy weights.
Alison Brie’s “GLOW” Workout Routine
Jason Walsh revealed that Alison Brie wasn’t able to perform a single pullup when she started. She can now perform weighted pullups. Walsh used progressive overload to build Brie’s strength.
If you can’t do pullups, don’t worry. The “GLOW” workout routine will take you from a beginner and build your strength up to the intermediate level. Once you reach that milestone, you can progress further — all the way up to the advanced level — using the eight-level progression system in the Bodyweight Mastery Program.
Training Schedule
The “GLOW” workout is a bodyweight strength training program, three days a week, alternating between two full-body workouts. Your training sessions will be short but challenging. All you need to achieve Brie’s physique is 40-45 minutes.
Workout A
- Pushups (or Hands-on-Bench Pushups): 3 sets x 5-15 reps
- Bench Dips: 3 sets x 10-15 reps
- Step-ups: 3 sets x 6-10 reps per leg
- Bodyweight Rows: 3 sets x 6-10 reps
- Hip Bridge Hold: 2 sets x 20 seconds
- Planks: 2 sets x 30 seconds
Workout B
- Negative Chinups (go down as slow as possible): 6 sets x 5-10 reps
- Pike Pushups: 3 sets x 6-10 reps
- Squat Jumps: 3 sets x 6 reps
- Lying Leg Raises: 3 sets x 10-20 reps
- Hip Bridge Hold: 2 sets x 20 seconds
- Planks: 2 sets x 30 seconds
“GLOW” Workout Notes
Progressive Overload
Nobody starts out by doing weighted pullups for reps. The only way to get there is by using progressive overload and consistently improving every week.
In the beginning, try to reach the prescribed sets and reps for each exercise. If you can’t perform the exercise or fail to reach the recommended rep range, use assistance or an easier alternative.
If pushups are hard, try a more vertical angle. You can use a bench or table to get started. The more vertical you get, the easier it is. Once you hit the rep range, lower your angle to a more horizontal position. You will get stronger every week and eventually do regular pushups.
Pullups are also challenging for most people. Don’t worry if you can’t do a single pullup yet; you’ll get there by using progressive overload. Start with negative pullups. Focus on the negative portion of pullups and you’ll get stronger week by week. Jump or use a bench to get to the top portion of the pullup. In a controlled manner, slowly lower yourself. You can start with the chinup hand position, where your palms face toward you. Every week, try to last longer on the bar, and, eventually, you’ll be able to perform regular pullups.
Once you reach a level where you can perform regular pushups and pullups, you can progress toward the eight levels of the Bodyweight Mastery Program. People on level eight of this program are performing one-arm pushups and one-arm pullups!
In order to get the most out of this program and reach a body like Alison Brie in “GLOW,” you need to be consistent. You should track your progress in each workout and push yourself to your limits.
Nutrition is also a very important part of getting in shape. The main principle is this: You need to be in a caloric deficit to lose weight or calorie surplus to gain weight. The Bodyweight Mastery nutrition guide includes a fat loss protocol and a lean bulk protocol that can be customized to your individual needs.
Supplements for the “GLOW” Workout
Supplements are not required to achieve the body you want, as long as you follow the workout and nutrition plans. However, certain supplements can speed up your results.
In order to increase your workout performance, consider using a high-quality pre-workout supplement. Kino Octane is the best all-natural pre-workout on the market. Unlike cheap pre-workouts, Kino Octane delivers clean, sustainable energy. You’ll get through your workouts with high energy and laser focus without the post-workout crash.
If you are serious about getting leaner and stronger, try the complete Superhero Stack.
If you’re unsure about which program is right for you, take the physique quiz today to find out the best program for your goals. You can also take a look at other celebrity workouts and free tips to achieve the body you have always dreamed of.
