Health

The Miss DC Workout: Fit Check

Ashley Boalch goes through her first workout with John A. Morris, a pageant trainer for Miss DC

Miss District of Columbia 2011, Ashley Boalch

For the newly crowned Miss District of Columbia, it’s not just about nailing the pageant walk or the talent portion. Eating healthy and staying fit, says Ashley Boalch, is vital to her daily routine, too.

“Fitness isn’t just about how you look. It’s also about how you feel,” Boalch says. “I find that after I workout, even if it’s just for a half-hour, I have so much more energy.”

Since becoming this year’s Miss DC, the University of Maryland student’s schedule has been jam-packed. Fitting in a workout almost every day of the week helps Boalch effectively accomplish everything on her to-do list, she says.

We spent an afternoon checking out Boalch’s first-ever workout with John A. Morris, a pageant fitness specialist in Washington. Morris has trained countless Miss DC’s and Miss DC Teens over the years.

Read on for 12 of the typical exercises Morris has all of his pageant trainees do in a normal workout. His workouts focus on building a toned, lean body over lifting to create bulky muscle mass. Then, watch the video below to see Boalch perform each exercise.

Exercise 1: Walking Lunge with a Kick Back
Muscle area: Gluts, quads, and hamstrings
Reps: Walk from one end of the room to the other twice

Hold light-weight dumbbells in each hand. Do walking lunges from one end of the room to the other. As you bend the front knee, keep it right above your ankle so your leg is at a 90-degree angle. Be sure to keep your body upright. As you come back up after each lunge, kick the back leg back.
The kickback adds more intensity to the exercise and helps tighten the gluts.

Exercise 2: Dumbbell Flys
Muscle area: Pectoral muscles
Reps: Three sets of 15. Or, decrease your reps with each set and increase the dumbbell weight.

Start with a light dumbbell weight in each hand. Lie back on a weight bench with feet firmly planted on the ground. Hold the weights above you, with arms slightly bent. Lower your arms to your sides. Bring the dumbbells back to starting position in a hugging motion, “like you’re hugging a tree.” Repeat.

Exercise 3: Dumbbell Chest Press
Muscle area: Pectoral muscles
Reps: Three sets of 15. Or, decrease your reps with each set and increase the dumbbell weight.

Start with a light-weight dumbbell in each hand, which should be positioned at your shoulders. Lie back on a weight bench with feet firmly planted on the ground. Press dumbbells up until arms are extended. Lower weights to shoulders and repeat.

Exercise 4: Bicep and Hammer Curls
Muscle area: Biceps
Reps: Three sets of 15. Or, decrease your reps with each set and increase the dumbbell weight.

Sit on an incline bench. Hold a light-weight dumbbell in each hand. Perform a bicep curl, with palms facing out. Lower arms perform a hammer curl, which is similar to a bicep curl except palms face inward while you lift. Lower arms and repeat.

Both of these exercises work your biceps, they’re just different positions, Morris says.

Exercise 5: Overhead Shoulder Press
Muscle area: Shoulders
Reps: Three sets of 15. Or, decrease your reps with each set and increase the dumbbell weight.

Sit on a weight bench. Start with your arms bent at shoulder height. Press the weights upward until arms are extended overhead. Lower weights to sides of shoulders and repeat.

Exercise 6: Tricep Kickbacks
Muscle area: Triceps and core
Reps: Three sets of 15. Or, decrease your reps with each set and increase the dumbbell weight.

Place your right knee on the weight bench and keep your left foot firmly planted on the floor. Use your right hand as support on the bench. Your body should be bent over with your back straight line.

Hold a dumbbell in your left hand, with the arm bent at a 90-degree angle. Extend the arm back until it is straight. Return to 90-degree angle and repeat. Switch sides and repeat.

Exercise 7: Dumbbell Standing Fly
Muscle area: Chest, shoulders, and back
Reps: Three sets of 15. Or, decrease your reps with each set and increase the dumbbell weight.

Stand with your knees slightly bent. Hold the dumbbells close your chest with palms facing in. Press the dumbbells up so your arms extend out into a flying position, palms facing out. Lower to starting position and repeat.

Exercise 8: Fitness Ball Squats
Muscle area: Gluts, quads, and hamstrings
Reps: One set of 50

Stand with your back to a wall, holding a fitness ball in the small of your back against the wall. Stand hip-width apart. Slowly lower into a squat position. Slowly roll back up and repeat.

Exercise 9: Side to Side Twists
Muscle area: Core
Reps: About one minute

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Stand with your knees slightly bent and arms bent toward your chest. Make your hands into fists and slowly roll your torso from side to side, like you are forming a figure eight.

Morris says you’ll typically find the girls doing this dance-like exercise backstage before the swimsuit portion of the pageant.

Exercise 10: Fitness Ball V-Ups
Muscle area: Core
Reps: 50

Lie on your back holding a fitness ball between your feet. As you lift the fitness ball with your legs, lift your torso and arms simultaneously and grab the ball with your hands. Lower your legs and arms down at the same time. Lift your legs and arms up again and grab the fitness ball with your feet. Lower again and repeat.

Exercise 11: Inverted Ab Exercise
Muscle area: Core
Reps: 50

Lie on your back and bend your knees. Lift your legs so they form a 90-degree angle. Slowly lower your legs and tap the floor with your toes. Lift your legs to starting position and repeat.

Exercise 12: Bosu Ball Push Up
Muscle area: Arms and core
Reps: Three sets of 10 to 12

Place a Bosu ball on the floor with the flat side facing up. Place your hands on both sides of the ball and get into push-up position. Keep your back straight as you lower into a push-up.