Growing up in Idaho, Whitney Johns wasn’t good at what most girls her age wanted to excel at. Cheerleading didn’t pan out, and neither did choreographed dance. “I was kind of a disgrace,” shesays. “But it was ironic because even as a kid, I had muscle and all this pent-up athletic energy. I just needed a better way to express it.”
So at age 16, Johns started lifting weights with her father. Quickly, she was hooked. She gave up her dream of being a dancer and became a gym rat instead. But that didn’t stifle her passion for artistry.
“I fell in love with fitness and the way I could sculpt my body as an art form,” she says.
Now the 31-year-old is living in Los Angeles, where she’s a personal trainer and fitness model. She’s even got her own training app, Fit With Whit. We caught up with her to talk discipline, cheat meals, and dealing with social media trolls.
Whitney Johns on Abs, Discipline, and Getting Hit on at the Gym
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
M&F: How do you balance coaching and modeling with your own training? WJ: I am working, living, and breathing fitness at all times. I train clients all day one-on-one. Then I have to squeeze in my own training between sessions. At night, I’m usually on my laptop creating programs for my online clients. Lately, my life has been all work, but I love it. It’s what I’m really passionate about. But I make sure to have some fun. If you’re gonna be an extreme worker, sometimes you need to play hard, too.What’s your typical workout regimen over the course of a week? I lift weights four to five times a week, splitting things up between different muscle groups. I do at least one day of boxing, and I try to do a bodyweight HIIT core/cardio workout with no equipment at least once a week as well. So I’m usually training six days a week. It’s important to find what works for you. I’ve based my whole brand on “find your fit.” Discover your own avenue of staying active, and you’ll find the empowerment and confidence that come with it.
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Per Bernal
How do you stay so disciplined with such a busy schedule? I have to look the part because it’s good for business. If I don’t have my shit together, no one will hire me, so that’s a big motivator. But it also just makes me feel good. You have to treat your body like a temple. Once you eliminate artificial garbage, you’ll eventually stop craving it and have a better quality of life.When you do stray, what’s your favorite cheat meal? Definitely Italian food—some kind of creamy pasta. That or rich, red meats. I like savory more than sweet, but I’ll occasionally have frozen yogurt. Cheat meals are OK, but a whole cheat day will throw you off, so you’ve got to be careful. You have a great presence on Instagram. Got any tips for aspiring social media stars? The biggest thing is to approach it like it’s your job and work hard. A lot of people want to be influencers just to get free stuff, but you have to grind. It’s more than just posting photos. Contribute to your viewers’ lives. Give them tips and provide knowledge, inspiration, and motivation. And you have to constantly be reaching out to people. If you want sponsors, you have to pursue them. Eventually, people will come to you, but first you need to show your value and put the time in.
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
The internet can be a dark place. How do you deal with trolls and negativity? Trolls are just a given, unfortunately. I block people all the time because my life is better off without the negativity. But you can’t take it too seriously or too personally. I learned that, usually, those comments are about that person’s own issues—they have nothing to do with you. So don’t take it to heart. You’ve got enough to handle without taking on other people’s stuff.
Speaking of other people, how do you handle it when guys try to pick you up at the gym? Usually I have my headphones in and am listening to metal, so I kind of give off an aura that shows I want to be left alone. But if someone does try to hit on me, I remind him that I’m just here to work out and politely excuse myself from the conversation. No need to be rude unless someone is disrespecting you.
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Per Bernal
Train Your Abs
Johns has amazing abs. Follow her advice:Hit your abs every other day.Do abs at the end of your workout or after cardio, when your fat burning is done. Work on toning and tightening.Start with planks and plank variations. Build a base of fundamental core strength.
Johns’ Abs Workout
Blast your abs with this weights-free workout.V-Up – 3 sets, 20 reps Plank Jack – 3 sets, 20 reps Star Plank Rollover – 3 sets, 20 reps per side From a full side plank on right side, lift left leg and arm into the air. Hold for 2 seconds, then switch sides. Tabletop Heel-to-Sky – 3 sets, 20 reps per leg From a tabletop pose (belly up), alternate lifting feet toward the sky.
M&F: How do you balance coaching and modeling with your own training? WJ: I am working, living, and breathing fitness at all times. I train clients all day one-on-one. Then I have to squeeze in my own training between sessions. At night, I’m usually on my laptop creating programs for my online clients. Lately, my life has been all work, but I love it. It’s what I’m really passionate about. But I make sure to have some fun. If you’re gonna be an extreme worker, sometimes you need to play hard, too.
What’s your typical workout regimen over the course of a week? I lift weights four to five times a week, splitting things up between different muscle groups. I do at least one day of boxing, and I try to do a bodyweight HIIT core/cardio workout with no equipment at least once a week as well. So I’m usually training six days a week. It’s important to find what works for you. I’ve based my whole brand on “find your fit.” Discover your own avenue of staying active, and you’ll find the empowerment and confidence that come with it.
How do you stay so disciplined with such a busy schedule? I have to look the part because it’s good for business. If I don’t have my shit together, no one will hire me, so that’s a big motivator. But it also just makes me feel good. You have to treat your body like a temple. Once you eliminate artificial garbage, you’ll eventually stop craving it and have a better quality of life.
When you do stray, what’s your favorite cheat meal? Definitely Italian food—some kind of creamy pasta. That or rich, red meats. I like savory more than sweet, but I’ll occasionally have frozen yogurt. Cheat meals are OK, but a whole cheat day will throw you off, so you’ve got to be careful.
You have a great presence on Instagram. Got any tips for aspiring social media stars? The biggest thing is to approach it like it’s your job and work hard. A lot of people want to be influencers just to get free stuff, but you have to grind. It’s more than just posting photos. Contribute to your viewers’ lives. Give them tips and provide knowledge, inspiration, and motivation. And you have to constantly be reaching out to people. If you want sponsors, you have to pursue them. Eventually, people will come to you, but first you need to show your value and put the time in.
The internet can be a dark place. How do you deal with trolls and negativity? Trolls are just a given, unfortunately. I block people all the time because my life is better off without the negativity. But you can’t take it too seriously or too personally. I learned that, usually, those comments are about that person’s own issues—they have nothing to do with you. So don’t take it to heart. You’ve got enough to handle without taking on other people’s stuff.
Speaking of other people, how do you handle it when guys try to pick you up at the gym? Usually I have my headphones in and am listening to metal, so I kind of give off an aura that shows I want to be left alone. But if someone does try to hit on me, I remind him that I’m just here to work out and politely excuse myself from the conversation. No need to be rude unless someone is disrespecting you.
Train Your Abs
Johns has amazing abs. Follow her advice:
Hit your abs every other day.
Do abs at the end of your workout or after cardio, when your fat burning is done. Work on toning and tightening.
Start with planks and plank variations. Build a base of fundamental core strength.
Johns’ Abs Workout
Blast your abs with this weights-free workout.
V-Up – 3 sets, 20 reps Plank Jack – 3 sets, 20 reps Star Plank Rollover – 3 sets, 20 reps per side From a full side plank on right side, lift left leg and arm into the air. Hold for 2 seconds, then switch sides. Tabletop Heel-to-Sky – 3 sets, 20 reps per leg From a tabletop pose (belly up), alternate lifting feet toward the sky.
