Carrie Underwood loves the cherry picker and so should you!
Country songstress Carrie Underwood puts a lot of effort into her performances, one of the initial reasons she signed up to train with Erin Oprea.…
Carrie Underwood is a huge fan of leg exercises like the cherry picker. (Shutterstock/ s_bukley)
Country songstress Carrie Underwood puts a lot of effort into her performances, one of the initial reasons she signed up to train with Erin Oprea. Just what does this well-known trainer from Tennessee make Carrie do? Well it’s a different workout every time, she says, but usually includes a move called ‘the cherry picker.’
Don’t let the name fool you; the cherry picker may sound intimidating, but it’s an easy move that doesn’t require any equipment, and its also a part of the leg exercises Oprea told Eonline Carrie Underwood loves.
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“One of Carrie’s favorites moves is the cherry picker, where you lunge into a squat,” she said during the interview. “She loves all different leg exercises!”
Depending on who you ask, however, the cherry picker exercise may vary significantly. For Oprea, it involves squatting down with your left leg forward, right toes just touching the floor for balance. Without standing up, move your right leg back into a lunge without letting your knee touch the floor. Keep your left leg bent and return your right leg to starting position. For people just starting out, 15 repetitions is a good place to start, but Oprea indicates Carrie’s workouts vary in reps each time.
“For reps, we change them all of the time…there is no set number,” Oprea indicated. “Carrie’s workouts change every time we work out! She never does the same workout twice. I always incorporate some of the basic exercises in every workout.”
Basics for the country singer include weight exercises like squats, lunges, pull-ups, push-ups and dips mixed in with cardio. Often Underwood will change up her workout with various kettlebell weights. In fact, another version of the cherry picker outlined by Glamour, involves a 10- to 25-poud kettlebell.
One version of the cherry picker involves the use of a kettlebell in squat position. (Shutterstock)
To perform this variation of the exercise, hold a 10- to 25-pound kettlebell with both hands. Stand with your legs wide and have a slight bend at the knee.
Bending at the hips, keep your back flat, chest up, and shoulders back as you lower the weight straight down, then reach it back between your legs. Push through your heels and thrust with the hips to lift back up to standing, still keeping your back flat, chest up, and shoulders back.
“Carrie is amazing to work with,” Oprea said. “We have a lot of fun. Carrie always brings it! She is a real person…I don’t think of her as a celebrity. We have a true working relationship that has developed into a friendship. She is hard worker, motivated and disciplined.”
SEE ALSO: How to grow your legs: Challenging exercises for your leg muscles
And while Underwood enjoys the variety in her workouts, her trainer indicates nutrition plays a big role in how effective exercise is. Oprea doesn’t force her clients onto a restrictive diet plan, but instead promotes healthy eating based on the principle of consuming clean and unprocessed foods while limiting sodium and sugar intake.
What does this mean for Carrie Underwood? It means still having the ability to enjoy the flavors she loves while eating healthy.
“Carrie told Woman’s Health that she loves a tofu scramble with peppers and onions for breakfast,” said Oprea, “and I know that she snacks on raw vegetables.”
