It hasn't escaped our notice that Fleur East is looking 100% banging lately. She credits her success to her recently launched W8 Gym - a compact home gym which contains weights, resistance bands, kettlebell and step.
This project literally started in her grandma’s garage, “We used her old garden chair to create the first prototype!” she laughs, Watch out, Dragons Den!
We caught up with Fleur to find out more about her fitness game....
How did the idea for W8 Gym come about?
I’ve always been active and always been into exercise yeah, but I’m definitely starting to see the benefits of weight training. I was struggling to find a space to train when I was on the X Factor tour and my cousin came to visit me and showed me the prototype of this portable gym he was working on. Initially he wanted me to help him promote it, but then I saw it and said ‘Well I’ll go one step better - get me involved and let’s do this together as a business’. From there I just basically revamped the whole aesthetic.
What’s your workout routine now?
I work out about five days a week, usually first thing in the morning because it sparks my creativity. We’re doing an 8 week challenge with the W8 Gym family at the moment so I post a work out at 8am every morning. Then I have Saturday and Sunday off.
How do you motivate yourself when you just don’t fancy it?
I like to follow a lot of fitness people on Instagram so when you’re scrolling first thing in the morning when you’re in bed and I look at people like BrittneBabe and Kayla Itsines, then I’m like ‘okay, I just need to get out of bed’. Or if I’m having a really slow morning, I’ll get up, brush my teeth, put my gym kit on before I do anything else.
What’s next for you?
I have my fingers in so many pies! I have music which I recorded over a year and a half ago when I was with Syco which is coming out at the end of the year and I’ve been doing a bit of acting aswell. I came really close to being in Empire but I didn’t have the right visa – gah
How can I do a W8 GYM workout?
You can do all of these moves with your own equipment or at the gym. DO three sets, the first 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off, the second 40 seconds on and 20 seconds off and the third 50 seconds on and 10 seconds off.
Using the resistance bands, stand on a box holding the bands in each hand and slowly bend your arms from the elbows lifting your hands to your shoulders. Pause and release back down, keeping your glutes and abs engaged for maximum burn.
Using your W8 Gym unit (or a bench) and holding a dumbell in each hand, stand with your feet hip distance apart, step onto the box raising your knee and lifting the weights to your shoulders before stepping back down to your starting position Repeat on the other leg
Holding a weight (this could be your W8 Gym or even a big bottle of water) sit on your bottom with your legs bent and hovering off the floor. Lean back until you can feel your abs engage and then twist from your waist to move the weight from one side to the other.
Stand on your W8 Gym or a small box, then jump so that your feet land either side of the box and bend your legs so you're in a squat position. Then jump back onto the box to return to your starting position
W8 GYM costs £99 and you can get yours from w8gym.com.