Michael Olajide Jr. and Constance Jablonski
The Daily got the inside scoop on how the Victoria’s Secret “Angels” get in killer shape ahead of the show. Meet celebrity trainer, former champion boxer, and founder of AEROSPACE Michael Olajide Jr. who’s put mods Doutzen Kroes and Adriana Lima through their paces…
Divulge some of your model clients, please!
The first supermodel that came to me was Iman. After that was Adriana Lima, who wanted to get in shape for an upcoming Victoria’s Secret show. Doutzen Kroes started training with me around the same time. Shortly after that was Karolina Kurkova, I had the holy trinity of supermodels there. As models, tens of millions of people are watching you and picking you apart, and that has to be one of the most stressful things. So they want to be their absolute best, physically, and I am honored they trust me.
What’s the program?
They take the whole Aero-line of workouts, but it depends on their personality. A lot of them do AEROJUMP, which is jump-roping and shadowboxing. The AERO-3 class is cardio with punching and sculpting maneuvers, and they love that. Then there’s the AEROBARRE class, which is building strength in the lower body and the glutes. Everything we do is cardio-based; “Aero” is our term for cardio. They also love the AEROSCULPT—after you burn away the fat and the water, you really start to see tone definition.
Do you go easier on your model clients, given they are easy on the eye?
People tend to think models may be a little bit soft or that the workout might be dumbed down for them and it isn’t complex. But they’d be surprised to know what they actually go through—it challenges their mind and body. If they are working out here and they are working with me, it’s as close as you can get to preparing for an athletic competition, except we’re using hand weights.
What routine would you recommend to us not blessed with model genes?
The AERO 3 class, which is a good foundation. The AEROPOWER class builds on that foundation and then teaches skills. The AEROBARRE classes are a little more complex, but give your muscles a wider range of motion. If you aren’t physically able to get here, we have great DVDs, too.
What’s your best advice for keeping in shape outside of the gym?
Jump-roping—it’s the best thing you can do for yourself. It’s basic cardiovascular, which is one of the most important things. There’s balance, power, flexibility, it helps us de-stress, and it’s inexpensive and convenient. You don’t want exercises that will get boring—you want something that challenges your mind and your body.
You’re heading to Tallum for boot camp?
We’re going to Mexico for our second training camp which involves five different workouts a day plus a vegan diet. You are burning more than what you are putting into your body, and by the time you get out of camp, your body is feeling ridiculous. The first workout is 4 to 6:30 a.m. The next is 6:30 to 8, and then the next is at 9:30 to 11, and and then there’s lunch. The next one picks up around 1, to 2:30. Then there’s a couple of hours and a lunch in there somewhere, and then it’s the evening workout, from 6:30 to 8. Afterward, people can have dinner if they want, but they generally skip it. At that point they want to go to bed.
Any post-training tips?
Coconut water is one of the greatest thing you can have—we even have real coconuts we crack open. But everybody has a different level of tolerance for foods.
What can we expect to see from you next?
We have the AEROPOWER workout for men and women—one for upper body, one for lower body, and two for women and two for men for upper and lower body. Also, we’re working on a movie with Liev Schreiber. It’s about Chuck Wagner—he’s got to fight [Muhammad] Ali] in it—and we also have VS castings coming up soon and a lot of gorgeous women that want to get ready for the show. We’ve got a lot on our plate but we are enjoying it all.
