Here's How Kate Upton Trained to Strip Down for Her 'Sports Illustrated Swimsuit' Cover Shoot

Kate Upton is no stranger to Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. The model first graced the cover back in 2011 when she was just 18 years old and was again the face of the iconic issues three more times throughout the 2010s. Now, Upton is back on the cover for the 2024 edition, sharing the honors with stars like Gayle King and Chrissy Teigen.

It goes without saying that Upton had to do quite a bit of preparation for her fifth SI Swim cover shoot. Her trainer Ben Bruno outlined her regimen leading up to the shoot in an Instagram post chronicling her dedication.

"What I appreciate most about Kate is that she does things the right way," Bruno said honestly. "Models face tremendous pressure, but in the nine years we’ve worked together, Kate has always been great about training and eating in a way that’s both safe and sustainable."

"Training-wise, she pushes herself very hard, but she’s also great about listening to her body and not overdoing it," he continued. "She likes to lift heavy weights (hates anything over six reps) and that’s what we do most of the time, but we also do some cardio two to three times a week, either after strength workouts or on separate days. The cardio is a mix of higher intensity intervals and lower intensity steady state work."

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As far as food, Upton similarly practices everything in moderation. "Nutrition-wise, she doesn’t deprive herself or over-diet, which can work in the short term but always comes back to bite you in the long run," he said. "She eats protein at every meal and also eats plenty of fruits, vegetables, and healthy carbs (the heaviest carb meals are usually after strength workouts). She splurges a couple times a week but usually dials that back before shoots."

In the end, staying on top of a healthy routine is key, especially when you're going to be stripping down to a bikini for photos to be seen by millions.

"Consistency is the name of the game, and Kate is the model of that," Bruno concluded. "She sets an amazing example for women to follow, and I’m so grateful for all that she’s done to promote strength training for women because it means a lot more coming from someone that looks like her than from [me]."

The 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue is on newsstands now.