Natalie Portman Black Swan Workout
Bowers designed the program to give anyone a ballerina body. The Natalie Portman Black Swan workout lasted 5 hours a day, 6 days a week. Much of this time was spent perfecting dances for the movie. But, a large portion of time was also spent swimming, and doing the Ballet Beautiful program.
In fact, Natalie spent an hour swimming (mostly front crawl and breast stroke), an hour doing Ballet Beautiful, and up to 3 more hours doing ballet work & dancing. The “Ballet Beautiful” program behind the Natalie Portman workout uses for Black Swan promises to produce the following:
- Legs that are toned, long and lean.
- Butt that is “high and tight.” Perfect for wearing jeans.
- Core that is strong, defined and narrow.
- Arms that are taut and strong, but not bulky.
Natalie Portman says she did the Ballet Beautiful 6 days a week, while swimming and doing more ballerina practicing, as well. The Natalie Portman Black Swan workout routine is detailed, section by section, here. Each day we’ll detail one section of the Natalie Portman Black Swan workout routine.
Natalie Portman Black Swan Workout Monday Routine = Bridge Series Details
The Natalie Portman Black Swan Workout Monday Routine:
- Swimming (1 mile)
- Bridge Series (Detailed Below)
- Reverse Bridge Series
- Abs Series
- Inner Thighs Work
- Outer Thighs Work
- Arms Work
- Ballet & Dancing
The Natalie Portman workout starts with the Hamstring Stretch and the Hip Opener Stretch. After each exercise, Mary Helen Bowers has Natalie Portman move back into these stretches. This gives her a minute to stretch, and rest from the previous exercise.
Beginners should do a lot of stretching, a quick stretch between each exercise. You can taper it down as you get more advanced (and flexible) by skipping stretching here and there.
Bridge Series: 4 sets of 8 reps
For the Bridge series, do 4 sets of 8 reps for each exercise. This workout will work your core, legs and butt. Also, starting out you may only want to do 2 sets. Keep your hands out by your sides, firmly down if you need support.
- Hip Bridge (on your back, lift hips and butt off the ground)
- Hip Bridge Pulses (shorter and faster now)
- Demi-Plie Hip Bridges (now, only use your toes, keep heels off the ground)
- Butterflys (open your knees, then squeeze closed)
- Butterfly Bridge (up-open-close-lower)
- One-legged Hip Bridge (4 sets of 8 counts still, do exercise for each leg now)
- One-legged Hip Bridge Pulses (shorter, faster, focus the highest point you can go)
- Extended Bridge (similar to hip bridge, but spread your legs)
- Extended Butterfly (raise hips as high as you can, up-open-close-lower)
Here’s Mary Helen Bowers performing the workout routine:
Keep your knees together, then lift up for the Hip Bridges (1st exercise). The normal version of each exercise is to rest on your heels through each exercise. The demi-plie version of this (heels off the ground) exercise is advanced. Do the normal version, until you’re comfortable balancing yourself on your toes.
About the ballerina bodies that she admires, Natalie Portman says:
When I go to the ballet, I am always in awe of the dancer’s bodies as much as I am of the beauty they express through movement: the definition in their arms, their strong legs, and the length that extends from their fingertips to their toes.
Arms that are taught? I didn’t know you could teach that. And, ditto the above.
Taught arms are now taut. Thanks
Natalie Portman is my favorite actress. It is a great workout for her.