The Without A Trace star’s trainer shares the secrets behind Poppy’s super-fit figure.
When it comes to working out, Australian actress Poppy Montgomery, star of TV show Without A Trace, takes fitness very seriously. Playing FBI agent Samantha Spade means she not only has to look good and be physically fit for the role, but she also has to have the energy and stamina for the gruelling schedule and long days spent on set.
To get in top shape, Poppy works out with Hollywood celebrity personal trainer Helene Guzman, who also trains Hilary Swank and Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman, who’s taken part in a number of testing triathlons.
A lot of celebrities call on Helene, renowned for transforming body shapes, to get them ready for a movie role.
Doing it the healthy way
Sydney-born Poppy works closely with her trainer throughout filming for the show.
“Poppy’s extremely dedicated to her fitness regimen, mainly because she has to be,” says Helene.
“She not only has to look like an FBI agent, but she’s always being asked to present awards shows and is invited to a lot of red-carpet events — which also requires her to make sure she maintains her energy levels.”
“To stay thin, a lot of actresses don’t eat well, and they get really tired, which isn’t healthy,” says Helene.
In order to keep in fighting-fit shape, Poppy trains seven days a week for an hour each day, doing cardio and weights.
Helene says: “To change a body type takes about six weeks, working out seven days a week for an hour every day, which is now standard for Poppy.”
“I design a workout for her that simulates what she does on the show — she works out for an hour wearing a 4.5-7kg vest. We do balance exercises for stability, which involve unstable surfaces like a balance board, BOSU ball, or standing with one foot raised off the ground.”
When Poppy has to appear on the red carpet or host an awards show, Helene switches it around and the 33-year-old actress does four days of weights and three days of cardio.
Which workout suits?
“Because Poppy wears a lot of strapless, sleeveless gowns and dresses, we focus a lot more on her upper body, so her arms and back look really good,” Helene says.
“In this case, we use body weight for training, which means we use her own body’s weight for the resistance. This involves bench dips for triceps with one leg off the ground, or single-leg lifts, which work the butt. I’ll get her to lie on her back with one leg raised, while lifting her body up, using the opposite leg. We do 20-25 repetitions per exercise.”
“We also do a series of stretches, abdominal exercises and side crunches which work the obliques, helping with posture and making her feel long and lean.”
Helene also has Poppy do interval and endurance training to improve stamina.
“Interval training involves doing three to five weight-training exercises, with a cardio workout — like jumping on the treadmill for three to five minutes — between each one.
“Endurance training is when you do intervals of cardio bursts within a circuit of three or more exercises, like bicep curls, push-ups, and single-leg squats, then running on the treadmill for three to five minutes.”
Ditch the fad diets
When it comes to eating, Helene is not a believer in the Zone, South Beach Diet or any other diet, as the results are short-term.
“I get my clients to eat balanced meals,” Helene says.
“When Poppy is shooting, she eats a balanced meal every three hours. Whether it’s a snack or a meal, it must have carbohydrates, proteins and fat. There’s no use having just one food group, like an apple, a bowl of pasta or cheese as a snack because it doesn’t provide enough energy or satisfy hunger.”
“These foods are great for natural energy, and aren’t artificial like high-sugar foods and caffeine.
“A lot of actresses are afraid of fat, but it’s okay when it’s fat like avocados, olive oil and peanut butter. I recommend eating protein in all meals,” the celebrity trainer advises.
Helene also recommends staying away from salty foods because, like Poppy, many women retain a lot of water in their bodies.
“Poppy can go out and eat sushi, which can be very high in sodium, then carry 1.3kg of excess water the following day. If she doesn’t eat high-sodium foods, the excess pounds will drop off after a couple of days.”
While Helene uses a healthy food delivery service called Sunfare — hugely popular with stars like J.Lo — for her star clients when they’re on set, she gives the following food tips for you to try at home.
Try to stay away from really salty foods.
Keep hydrated. If you don’t like drinking plain water, try plain water with sugarless fruit flavours.
A healthy breakfast option is oatmeal, a bit of egg-white and peanut butter.
For lunch, try a salad with protein and vegetables, avocado and oil.
Suggested snacks include half a small apple with some natural peanut butter and a slice of turkey, or some hummus with chicken, or a small amount of cheese with a few almonds plus a slice of turkey.
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