Here’s How to Get Kelly Ripa’s Arms, According to Her Actual Trainer

We’re big Kelly Ripa fans over here. And after 30 years of watching her go from soap star to daytime darling, we’d say we’re verging on stan status. On TV and social media, Ripa is an open book, sharing everything from her at-home gym to her husband’s poolside six-pack. Thirst traps aside, we had to know more about her fitness routine, including how she rocks a strapless dress like no one’s business (seriously, have you seen her triceps?).

In addition to weekly runs and spin classes at Soul Cycle, Ripa has relied on AKT's cardio and strength training to keep her body in tip-top shape. Founded by Anna Kaiser back in 2013, the AKT method combines dance, circuit and toning exercises to create a program known for its heart-pumping intervals and high-intensity moves. But why does Ripa love it so much? We caught up with Jonathan Tylikci, the Director of Education at AKT, to learn more. “We’re different from other workouts because we embrace the body’s need for cross-training,” he tells us. “Rather than just doing one type of workout, you get the benefit of a variety, which prevents plateauing and promotes insane results.” And those results are clear every time Ripa lifts her Live with Kelly and Ryan coffee cup.

But the secret to Ripa’s age-defying physique relies more on commitment than cardio. “Kelly has been working out with the AKT team since before our first location opened in 2014. For anyone to get results and maintain them, it comes down to consistency and diligence. Kelly is consistent about getting her workouts in, and it’s something she enjoys. Looking forward to your workout is so important.” Why not get psyched for those wide-arm push-ups, rather than psyching yourself out?

“It’s also so important to continue to do resistance training as we age,” Tylikci goes on. Studies have shown that muscle mass begins to decline as early as age 30. But at 50-years-old, Ripa looks like the exception to that rule. Regularly incorporating weights and resistance bands into your workout routine will help combat dear old father time. “Don’t be afraid to lift heavy weights a couple of times a week,” he says. That combined with lower weight training, aerobic activity and active recovery will help maintain muscle mass overall (and no, you won’t bulk up).

To get you on the road to Ripa-level arms, here are five upper-body moves our favorite talk-show host swears by—straight from her trainer’s mouth.

RELATED: 12 Arm Workouts for Women That Require Zero Equipment

1. Sphinx Push-Up

*Bodyweight only. Works your triceps and shoulder stabilizers.

Step 1: Lie down on your stomach and bring your hands directly beneath your shoulders, so your elbows and forearms are resting on the ground (like a sphinx).

Step 2: Squeeze your triceps and press into your palms to push your head and torso up, extending your arms until they are straight. Do not use your back to lift. Actively engage your arms to power yourself up. You should feel a contraction in the back of your arms.

Step 3: Bend the elbows to lower back down to the starting position and repeat.

2. Dumbbell Bicep Press

*Weights needed. Works your biceps and anterior deltoid.

Step 1: Begin standing or kneeling while holding a light set of dumbbells. Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle with your palms facing up, anchoring them at your sides.

Step 2: Engage your arms and press them out directly in front of you, extending them fully away from the body, until your hands come just below shoulder height.

Step 3: Bend the elbows to return to the starting position and repeat, engaging your biceps on both the concentric and eccentric movements.

3. Down Dog Shoulder Press

*Bodyweight only. Works your deltoids and triceps.

Step 1: Begin in a downward-facing dog position. Rotate your hands inward so your fingertips face each other. Walk your feet in slightly, bending your knees as needed, so that your body weight is sitting mostly in your hands.

Step 2: Bend your elbows to lower your head toward the ground. Your elbows should be facing out as you try to tap the top of your head on the floor.

Step 3: Press up to return to the starting position and repeat.

4. 90-Degree Arm Circles

*Weights needed. Works your shoulders, biceps and triceps.

Step 1: Begin standing or kneeling while holding a light set of dumbbells. Lift your arms and bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle, so that your elbows are in line with your shoulders, palms facing forward.

Step 2: Keeping your elbows isolated and lifted, rotate your hands and forearms inward making a full circle.

Step 3: Complete one set of 8 reps, then reverse the circle and rotate your hands and forearms outward following the same pattern. Return to the starting position and repeat.

5. Dumbbell Row + Tricep Kickback

*Resistance band or weights needed. Works your posterior deltoids, rhomboids (upper back) and triceps.

Step 1: If using a resistance band, step on the middle of the band and grab the ends in your hand. If using weights, hold on to a heavy set of weights. Hinge forward at the hips and let your arms relax down by your sides.

Step 2: Roll your shoulders down and row up, bringing your hands up while pressing your elbows back until your palms reach your rib cage.

Step 3: From this position, straighten and extend your arms back behind you, keeping your shoulders relaxed. Squeeze your triceps to lift your arms up as high as possible while maintaining good form.

Step 4: Isolating the movement, bend the elbows to return your hands to your rib cage. Reverse the row by slowly lowering your arms back down to the starting position with control and repeat.

RELATED: Here’s How to Get Kelly Ripa’s Legs, According to Her Trainer

And now a word from her nutritionist...

As any fitness trainer will tell you, what you do after a hard sweat sesh is just as important as the workout itself. We checked in with Dr. Daryl Gioffre, celebrity nutritionist and author of Get Off Your Acid and Get Off Your Sugar to find out exactly how Ripa recovers—including her post-workout meal.

“The fuel you put into your body after a workout is the most important meal of the day,” he tells us. “After a workout, Kelly will have a big salad with microgreens, fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, which is loaded with alkalizing minerals such as magnesium, a powerful neutralizer of lactic acid,” which is a chemical byproduct of exercise that can build up in your muscles, leading to soreness, “to drive down inflammation and promote faster recovery. Kelly also adds some healthy plant-based keto fats, such as avocado, pine nuts, walnuts and pumpkin seeds, which energize and satiate, providing an additional source of protein for nutrient replenishment.” Is anyone else suddenly in the mood for a salad? After a particular strenuous workout, she’ll also mix in a mineral rehydration drink, like Dr. Gioffre’s own Acid-Kicking Minerals supplement.

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