Less than a day after Taylor Swift being announced as Time magazine’s person of the year for 2023, the internet had, of course, picked apart the article and chosen elements to obsess over. A favourite soundbite was, unsurprisingly, her pre-Eras Tour exercise regime. I didn’t have to spend long on TikTok that day before I was hit in the face by many Swifties chatting about trying it out. Why has Taylor’s workout captivated so many people, and is it worth trying? Let’s discuss…
Taylor Swift’s pre-Eras Tour workout
According to Time, Taylor’s workout included, “running on the treadmill every day while singing the entire Eras setlist aloud—’Fast for fast songs, and a jog or a fast walk for slow songs’—following a specialized strength, conditioning, and weights program at her gym, Dogpound, and doing three months of dance lessons”. I can fully understand why this sounds like A Lot. And it’s time to remind you of something critical: performing has been Taylor’s full-time job this year. Read that again.
This level of preparation isn’t unusual for performers. At all. It’s just had a huge amount of publicity in the context of Taylor. It’s well-known that the shows for this tour are long. She’s been highly visible in her performance. And others have been forgotten as a result.
Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez are just two other artists who come to mind when thinking about those in the past who’ve mentioned extensive fitness preparation for similar reasons. Even those who are less infamous do it – I remember seeing a clip of singer Bishop Briggs practicing running whilst singing a long time ago. This stuff just happens behind the scenes.
Taylor’s workouts are A Lot for someone who isn’t a full-time professional athlete. They also make absolute sense for someone who was planning the performances she’s completed.
What will copying Taylor’s workouts do?
With January rapidly approaching, I’m lowkey concerned that I’m going to see women in the gym belting out Taylor’s hits whilst strutting on a treadmill. Or trying to. Because I don’t think I could do it either.
Trying to go full stadium tour mode in your gym will likely achieve three things: exhaust you; piss people off; put you off exercise. It’s all well and good doing a brief karaoke performance in your bedroom or at the bar (we’ve all done it, don’t worry), but hogging a treadmill for three hours ain’t the one, especially in the new year.
Whenever a celebrity workout goes viral, a lot of the common subtext is that those who try them hope that they’ll soon look like said celebrity. I’ve got more bad news for you: you won’t. That’s not harsh, it’s just a fact. In the same way that you wouldn’t look like me if you were to copy my workouts rep for rep. It’s simple: you cannot have Taylor’s body, because you are not Taylor. Working out like her won’t make you look like her. If you were to replicate it for as long as she did it, you may get similarly fit, but you are still a different human, and results will vary.
Should I copy Taylor Swift’s workouts?
I’m going to say the following only once, in case I haven’t already made it clear: if you want to try Taylor’s workout, try Taylor’s workout. In fact, start with a chunk of it, in line with your current activity level. Seek help from a professional who can look at what you’re doing and make an appropriate recommendation. Because I can promise you that that’s what Taylor did too. If you want to copy her routine, start with that part.
Personalised recommendations are where it’s at for fitness. It means that it’ll be achievable for you and your body. That you can do something you like. That you can enjoy the session. Because that’s my priority for my clients, believe it or not.
If a Swiftie came to me and said they wanted to do Taylor’s workout, I’d start by asking what about it appeals to them. I’d then maybe ask which are their favourite tracks, and tie something in with those. But the only person I’d recommend do Taylor Swift’s exact workouts would be the woman herself. And, fortunately, she’s not asking me to train her.
If you’d like me to train you, get in touch and I’ll gladly book you in for a free consultation. Providing you promise not to sing at me for three hours. That’ll incur a fee.