We sat down with Nike NTC Master Trainer, Joslyn Thompson Rule to chat about her fitness routine, toning tips and much more!

Were you always into health and fitness?
I danced for 15 years from the age of four (Irish dancing, randomly) so I guess you can say I was into a form of fitness.

What does your work with Nike entail as a fitness trainer?
It really spans across a lot of areas: I work at our NTC live events; direct movement behind the camera for shoots; am sometimes in front of the camera on shoots; take journalists on training journeys; recruit new NTC trainers from around the world and brainstorm on our current products/services. It’s constantly varied which I love!

What does a typical day in your life look like?
Every day is different but here is a sample day from NikeWomen week at the end of January. The Monday was ‘HIIT Monday’ and the day went something like this:

‪6:20am‪ – pick up to get to the venue for 7am.

‪7:45am‪ – the first class of the day as NikeWomen week commenced!  The girls worked their butts off doing box jumps, wall walks, sled pulls, burpee broad jumps to name but a few.

‪9am‪ – round two and we did it again, attacking the day whilst most Londoners were still cradling coffee at their desks!

‪10:30‪ – headed home to my baby boy for some mummy/baby time.  I’m so lucky in my work that I get to be a full time mummy and work and train as much as I can! I’m extremely thankful for that!

‪2pm‪ – back on the tube to head back to the venue.  I always spend this time to catch up on emails, and make notes about work and my ever growing to do list!

‪3pm‪ – back at the venue for a photo shoot.  I do a lot of work with Nike behind the scenes on photo shoots, directing movement, so it’s nice every once in a while to be in front of the camera!

‪5pm‪ – had a Twitter Q&A where people got to ask me any fitness related question they wanted. It’s always nice to be accessible to as many people as possible, and social media Q&As are a great way to do that!

‪5:45pm‪ – squeezed in a quick workout.  I played around with some handstand walks and gymnastic work on the rings.  I love the challenge of gymnastics and the improvements you make, no matter how small, over time.

‪6:30pm‪ – round three of the workout.  This was a media session, the girls worked hard and there was a great buzz!

‪8pm‪ – final workout of the day.  It was a late session but the girls totally brought their A-game and killed it!!

‪9:30pm‪ – end of the day, buzzing from the energy that the girls brought and a fantastic start to NikeWomen week!

Why do you favour strength training over other types of exercise?
Strength is definitely the foundation for me.  When you are stronger, every other aspect of training is easier.  It’s something that we lose if we don’t train for it so it is a priority for me!  The older I get, the stronger I become with consistent training and recovery.

What does your particular fitness regime entail?
I mainly compete in something called CrossFit which is a combination of gymnastics, HIIT, Olympic weightlifting (snatch and clean & jerk) and regular weight lifting (deadlift, squats, rows etc.) I train 5-6 days a week, working on all of the above.  It means I never get bored as there are so many things to work on!

What’s your favourite exercise/s for overall body toning?
Probably a thruster, which is a squat with a press, with either dumbbells, kettlebells or a barbell.  It’s a full body movement that will get you stronger and fitter in one hit! An absolute favourite of mine, although perhaps not while doing them!

What would you say to women who are afraid of bulking up?
Don’t be!  We don’t have as much testosterone as men and so it is very difficult to bulk as a woman (ask any skinny guy at the gym how hard it is to put on muscle!)

What are your tips for relieving muscle soreness?
Definitely recovering in the right way – getting enough sleep, eating enough and you can never go wrong with an Epsom salt bath – put 500g in a bath and soak for 10-20 minutes, you will sleep like a baby and your muscles will thank you for it!

What is a typical day on a plate for Joslyn Thompson Rule?
Breakfast is usually porridge, eggs and a big veggie smoothie – I like to go big at the start of the day!  Lunch is usually chicken with rice and some more greens, I love cavolo nero!  Dinner might be lamb or beef with some salad.  I really try to get a lot of calories in to support my training and recovery, so if I feel like I haven’t eaten enough in a day I will blend together a smoothie with some coconut oil, almond butter and yet more veggies to get the calories in.

What are your top recommendations for staying in shape?
Really to respect your body in the process.  It is such a personal journey for everyone that requires consistency, commitment and patience.  I really recommend tracking everything: your training, what you eat and drink, your stress levels, your sleep etc.  It gives you feedback that truly is invaluable to the process.

Follow Joslyn Thompson Rule on instagram – @joslynthompsonrule