Welcome to Workout Diaries, a series where we ask expert trainers to talk us through what a week of exercise looks like for them, helping you figure out how to develop and maintain an effective workout routine.
Bianca de la Garza is an anchor at Newsmax, but she’s recently become just as well-known for her fitness routine, which she shares on social media.
Since turning 50, she’s prioritised strength training and qualified as an ACE Fitness personal health coach. “It always feels like a [moment of] self-reflection anytime I go into a new decade,” de la Garza tells Fit&Well.
Her routine is made up of strength training workouts and she’s proof that you can start lifting weights at any stage of life—you don’t need to be a former athlete to thrive in the gym.
Below, she’s shared details of what a recent week of her workouts looked like.
Bianca de la Garza’s weekly workout routine
Monday 6.45am
Upper-body workout including battle ropes, dumbbell exercises and cable machine movements.
Tuesday 6.45am
Lower-body workout including barbell exercises, TRX bands and gym-based machines.
Wednesday 6.45am
Full-body workout using kettlebells and dumbbells.
Thursday 6.45am
Lower-body workout using machines and kettlebells.
Friday 6.45am
Four-move full-body workout, including lunges, planks and deadhangs.
Saturday 6.45am
Lower-body workout including kettlebell movements and Smith machine.
Sunday
Rest day
Bianca de la Garza’s tips for building an effective workout routine
Do what works for you
“I avoid any type of jumping,” de la Garza says, explaining that she had a knee injury a few years ago, which makes high-impact exercises difficult for her. “You have to work out smart because you don’t want to be taken out of the arena.”
“I don’t do box jumps, I don’t do squat jumps, I don’t run, I don’t jump rope—I’m super careful,” she adds.
Don’t let soreness put you off
“You are going to be sore [after working out],” de la Garza says. “That’s just lactic acid building up, so don’t think that just because you’re sore you can’t do it again.”
“It's going to get better after a day or two," she says.
Tell a loved one about your goals
“I make myself accountable by telling a friend or my husband: I’m going to the gym,” de la Garza says. You don’t necessarily need them to do anything to hold you accountable, but simply saying it out loud can help you to feel more motivated.
Practice gratitude
“I always remember I’m thankful to have a body that I can move,” de la Garza says. “We can't take that for granted. So many other people would love to be moving the way we’re moving, but they’re injured or immobile or in hospital beds.”
“Practicing daily gratitude around being able to move my body helps me think myself into the workouts,” she adds.