HOW I'M A CELEB'S VOGUE WILLIAMS BUILT HER ARMS AND ABS, BY HER TRAINER

As Vogue Williams sets her sights on becoming Queen of the Jungle in this year's series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, making sure she can still get a workout in here and there remains high on her priority list – as we saw in last night's episode.

"I'm just considering the free time I'm going to have in there […] I'm going to be having little gym classes, I've decided," she told her sister on their Vogue & Amber podcast. "I can't lose this ass that's taken so long to build, it's barely there anyway. I'm just going to keep squatting my way around the jungle. I'm so excited!"

It speaks to the important role fitness plays in Vogue's everyday life. Clapping back at body-shamers who commented on her weight last year, she said: "It means absolutely nothing to me what someone says about my body because, do you know what? I feel really fit and really healthy. Once you get to your 30s, you just become more comfortable with yourself."

And now, broadcaster and mum-of-three Vogue, who turned 40 last month, says her goal is to "be the best version of herself, staying strong and lean with sustainable fitness habits that enhance her life, not take over it," her trainer of six years John Belton, tells us.

"Vogue is a high performer with a busy schedule and high standards. She'd previously been told she just had to accept her natural body shape, but we created a structured plan tailored to her body and lifestyle. We made subtle adjustments to how she moved and built a programme that worked whether she was home or on the road. That consistency paid off."

Keen to know more? I phoned Belton to find out exactly what that programme involves, including her weekly routine, and her exact ab and arm workouts.

1. Vogue trains consistently, 5 days per week

"Vogue does a structured workout five days per week (never longer than 30 minutes), plus one active recovery day and one rest day."

• Monday: Strength session (usually AM) focused on compound lower-body lifts. Includes back squats, barbell hip thrusts, deadlifts. Duration: 30 mins.
• Tuesday: Conditioning session, EMOM or AMRAP style. Includes 400m runs, kettlebell swings, no-push-up burpees. Duration: 25 - 30 mins.
• Wednesday: Upper body and core day. Includes hollow holds, hanging knee raises, press-ups, dumbbell chest work. Duration: 30 mins.
• Thursday: Aerobic intervals combined with lower-body work and isometric core holds (like weighted planks). Duration: 30 mins.
• Friday: Total-body strength session, often with kettlebells and single-leg focus. Includes split squats, single-leg deadlifts. Duration: 30 mins.
• Saturday: Active recovery – long walk with family or low-intensity interval session including total body movements and core.
• Sunday: Rest day – light movement or walk with the kids, but no structured training.

2. Vogue’s training routine is determined by fitness level, not age

"I don't train Vogue any differently based on her age. I base everything on fitness level and recovery. Vogue is incredibly in tune with her body and takes a proactive role in her health – she tracks her sleep, recovery and cycle, using tools like her Oura ring. The more ownership a client takes over their health, the better the results. That’s been key in Vogue's fitness evolution."

3. For muscle definition in her arms, Vogue doesn't neglect bodyweight exercises

"For Vogue, we have found that bodyweight movements work very effectively for arm definition. She regularly does planks, shoulder taps, and hanging holds. Without using weights, she can really focus on her form and technique, leading to better overall body control and the engagement of more muscle groups."

4. To maintain muscle in her arms, nutrition is of equal importance to her training

"She prioritises protein, reduces alcohol, and eats whole foods over processed. Combined, these support lean muscle maintenance and growth. Protein helps repair muscles and encourages them to grow back stronger after workouts, while whole foods provide the essential nutrients needed for repair and growth, which also support muscle protein synthesis."

5. To build muscle and strengthen her arms, Vogue doesn’t rely on isolated movements

"Compound exercises, like the overhead squat and press, work better than isolated upper-body exercises, like bicep curls, to build arm muscle and strength efficiently for Vogue, because they engage multiple muscle groups at once, rather than training each individual muscle group, which would take more time."

Vogue’s arm workout

Triset: Perform the following three exercises for the prescribed number of reps, without resting between exercises. Rest for 1 minute after all three exercises have been performed, then repeat for four rounds.

• Alternating shoulder taps: 30 reps
• Plank to press-up: 20 reps
• Alternating renegade rows: 30 reps (using 5kg dumbbells)

6. Vogue trains her abs every day

"Daily exposure matters. She trains her core with intention, meaning she does ab exercises targeting all muscles in her core (like in the workout below) every day, not just the superficial layer on the top. These ab series are often just five to 10 minutes."

7. To maintain optimal muscle:fat ratio in her core, Vogue consumes a solid protein source at breakfast

"Eating protein at breakfast helps improve the levels of Vogue's appetite-regulating hormones, meaning she avoids overeating, but still feels full. It does this by optimising the levels of hormones like ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and peptide YY (PYY), which signal fullness. Protein also has a higher thermic effect compared to carbohydrates and fats, meaning more calories are burned during digestion and metabolism."

8. When training her abs, Vogue mixes intensity with control

"For example, Vogue regularly performs hollow holds and hanging (from a bar) core work. This helps her develop deep core strength, rather than training just the superficial abdominal muscles (on the top of your abs). This means she trains more muscles at once, which helps build more tissue."

Vogue’s ab workout

Triset: Perform the following three exercises for the prescribed number of reps or seconds, without resting between exercises. Rest for 90-120 seconds after all three exercises have been performed, then repeat for four rounds. Finish with the prescribed finisher.

• Hanging double knee raises: 5 reps
• Banded bicycle crunches: 30 reps
• Hollow hold: 30 seconds
• Finisher: 40-second weighted plank, with 20-30kg weight plate on back. Rest for 40 seconds, repeat for six rounds

9. The intensity of Vogue’s workouts is adjusted around her energy levels and schedule

"We don't implement rigid rest days, but we do ensure Vogue takes one day completely off structured training, although this might include a gentle walk. It's about listening to her body, not pushing through fatigue, and adjusting intensity around her energy and schedule."

10. Vogue swears by banded exercises for hip and knee function

"Vogue doesn't love static stretching in warm-ups, so we stick to banded prehab sequences that target the muscles we’re about to train. These sequences (done before every workout, so five-six times per week), have massively improved her hip and knee function by strengthening the smaller muscle groups and making sure they’re primed and lubricated for movement in workouts. This means she can perform exercises with a deeper range of motion, meaning she trains her muscles more effectively. We never skip them."

11. Vogue tracks her protein intake

"We try not to overcomplicate her nutrition. Vogue loosely tracks her protein intake and aims to intuitively balance her meals. If her progress stalls, we review her macros – but we avoid pressure or diet culture. For her, it's about real food, consistent habits, and listening to her body."

Well, the good news is that rice and beans are pretty difficult to overcomplicate, but the bad news is that Vogue may very well have to sample some, er, interesting sources of protein while in the jungle – but we'll be cheering her on all the way.

2025-11-24T11:31:33Z