We've all seen the videos of Hon. Ruth Bader Ginsburg working out and showing us that regardless of who you are, you must make time for your health. This month. we sat down with Bryant Johnson, RBG's personal trainer to find out about his military service, his ability to keep Capitol Hill and the Supreme Court Justices fit as well as his book, The RBG Workout. He also shares what we can do to maintain our fitness goals as well as power foods that we should incorporate.
ATHLEISURE MAG: You served in the US Army for 30 years with 12 of those years being in the Special Forces Airborne Unit! When did you realize that you wanted to work in the fitness industry as well as become a trainer?
BRYANT JOHNSON: I am still serving in the Army Reserves as an Equal Opportunity Advisor (EOA) where I educate and assist soldiers about the military’s equal opportunity program as it relates to race, religion, color, gender, national origin and or sexual orientation. It wasn’t long after jumping out of my first plane that I realized that I need to keep my body in the best possible shape if I am required to perform in any situation the military may put me in. As a result, people would ask me about how to keep in shape. I aspired to lead by example, but I soon realized that the military had programs and people that assist soldiers in getting in shape that they called the Master Fitness Trainers (MFT). That’s when I realized that I could help people to help themselves.
AM: Tell us about your approach to fitness and the kinds of modalities that you provide in your workouts?
BJ: When it comes to the modalities every client is different, but I provide workouts that will focus on the needs of the client that will have forms of strength training, flexibility and cardiovascular mixed throughout the workout.
![RBG-Workout[4].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1589435949600-6R8RQX7X4PWARK1V58GF/RBG-Workout%5B4%5D.jpg)
AM: For nearly 2 decades, you have trained a number of people as well as those in the military, judges, attorneys, clerks – did you specifically pick this niche?
BJ: I did not pick this niche—the niche picked me. I have never solicited my services as a personal trainer. Every client has found me by way of referral and most importantly word of mouth. Which in my opinion is the best advertisement.
AM: You are the trainer for the Notorious RBG and created the RBG workout which is also a best seller book on Amazon. Tell us more about the workout and what it’s like to train the Supreme Court Justice.
BJ: The workout covers all the modalities that I believe should be in a workout (strength training, flexibility and cardiovascular). It is not age or gender specific. It provides you with options that you can do at home or in a gym, with equipment or without.
AM: What are 3 lessons that you have taken away from your work with RBG that are great lessons in life that anyone can apply to their lives in terms of her approach to fitness?
BJ: There are 3 lessons that I have learned from the Justice that actually make up the foundation of all my training. The foundation of any successful long-term fitness plan is motivation. And the key to getting and staying motivated actually has 3 components: AWARENESS, ABILITY, and CONTROL. A person has to have a strong awareness about the importance of their fitness and how it impacts their own life journey, as well as those around them. This awareness drives a person and is the constant and strong reminder of why they want to be consistently dedicated to their well-being. Secondly, a person has to have some basic abilities to facilitate their growth. Whether, it’s being able to move their body according to the exercises or having the time or access to certain tools, a person has to have some basic abilities to facilitate their growth. Whether, it’s being able to move their body according to the exercises or having the time or access to certain tools, a person has to have the means to move toward their goals. Thirdly, after a person understands their abilities, they can translate those abilities into the skills needed to have control over their fitness progress. These 3 components give a person the power to choose wisely and to change effectively. I call this combination Choice-Fullness, and it is the most important and most overlooked part of fitness. Justice Ginsburg has these three components of Choice-Fullness and that is why she is so driven and able to stick to goals. It’s why she has such a powerful attitude towards her health.
AM: You are a member of The Vitamin Shoppe Wellness Council, what is it and what is your role on this council?
BJ: I am a proud member of The Vitamin Shoppe Wellness Council. The Vitamin Shoppe and I align on some of the most important health-related ideas, so it made sense to create a partnership between us. I believe that fitness is about more than physical “wellness." Our goal should be "well-being:” working to attain the best physical, mental/emotional, and social health that we can. The Vitamin Shoppe believes in this too and together we promote healthy ideas, products, and lifestyles.
AM: We have always talked about how fitness is something that can be done anywhere. Frequently, we have talked about the challenges that one has when they’re traveling to keep it up and now as we live in a time where we are staying home, what are ROUTIN3S that we can do at home – can you share 3 that are for your arms, 3 for your abs and 3 for your legs that we can do.
BJ: I recommend the following 3-Exercise Full Body Circuit (3 rounds 1-minute rest between rounds) using only a kettlebell, that targets all three areas.
Two-Hand Swing - 20 reps.
Stand with feet shoulder or hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Place a kettlebell on the floor about a foot in front between the feet.
Do a quarter squat and hinge forward at the hips to lean down and grip the kettlebell with both hands, elbow fully extended with a palms-down grip.
Keep the back in a neutral spine or as straight as possible as you begin to pull the kettlebell back between the legs.
Push the hips forward and pull the knees back to generate the forward momentum to swing the kettlebell forward and up in front of the body, keep eyes looking forward with hands holding the kettlebell between the thighs with the elbows fully extended. Remember the power and momentum is generated from the hips and legs not the shoulders.
The quick explosive extension of the hips will propel the kettlebell up to chest or shoulder height.
Once the kettlebell reaches the top of the move, allow the kettlebell to drop into the downswing and flex the hips and knees to absorb the weight of the kettlebell back down between the legs for the next repetition.
Clean and Press - 10 reps per side.
Stand with the feet hip-width apart and grip the kettlebell tightly in one hand.
Keep the back straight while sinking slightly into the hips to allow the kettlebell to swing back under the hips between the legs.
Drive the hips forward to swing the kettlebell forward, and as the kettlebell gains forward momentum in front of the body, quickly pull it up to the chest and immediately drop the elbow towards the rib cage and sink back into the hips to catch the kettlebell up by the shoulder.
From this racked position, sink back into the hips, explosively push the feet into the floor, and snap the hips forward while punching the left arm straight into the air to complete the press.
Lower the kettlebell by pulling the left elbow down towards the rib cage, sinking back into the hips, and after the kettlebell has lowered to shoulder-height, letting it drop down between the legs. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions before switching sides.
Front Goblet Squat 10 reps.
Begin the goblet squat by holding the kettlebell at chest height with both hands. Keep your elbows tucked in close to your body and eyes looking forwards.
Feet should be a little wider than shoulder width apart with the toes pointing naturally outwards at 5 – 10 degrees.
Start the squat by pushing your hips backwards as if sitting back into a chair or sitting down as if with ski boots on.
Ensure your bodyweight is back on your heels and they do not lift off the floor during the complete exercise.
Keep your chest up and facing forwards as if your ribcage is being lifted.
As you sit back and down into the squat, weak buttocks and hips may cause the knees to fall inwards, you must force the knees outwards and prevent this from happening.
Continue descending down into the squat until your thighs become parallel with the floor. This is important to achieve maximum activation of the buttock muscles.
Pause at the bottom of the squat position for 1 – 3 seconds and then drive back up to standing by pushing the floor away from you. Stay on your heels.
Once you get to the top position, stand tall, squeeze your buttocks tightly together and avoid leaning backwards.
If you find sitting back into the squat difficult, try opening your legs wider to create a little more room for the squat.
You can also refer to my book “The RBG Workout: How she stays strong and you can too!” There is something for everyone that can help you be a better you.
AM: What are 3 go to foods that we can use to support our workout in terms of giving us energy?
BJ: Before a workout, I find that something with carbs and that can digest easy is best. (Fruit, small sandwich, half a bagel with your favorite spread). My go to is bananas or apples with a little peanut butter and or boiled eggs.
After the workout I will add protein and more carbs (sweet potatoes, quinoa fruit) for energy.
AM: Do you offer On Demand/Virtual/App based training or will this be something that you would offer in the future?
BJ: I'm excited about a new virtual product that I’ll be launching this spring. I can’t unveil it just yet, but it will definitely help people to really create some breakthroughs in their journey towards well-being. Stay tuned!
IG @RBGWorkout
Read the April Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know RBG Workout in mag.
