How Kim Kardashian West Works Out

There’s no denying Kim Kardashian West is successful — as both a celebrity and entrepreneur. She's also done some inspiring work helping folks convicted of federal drug offenses get out of prison. Plus, she seems like a good mom, her eyelashes always look like feather dusters, and she has a killer fitness routine too. And, today, she turns 40.

While we're not 100% sure where she gets her lashes done, she's opened up quite a bit about her workout habits. Hopefully, the (former) Keeping Up With The Kardashians is blowing out some quarantine birthday party candles today. While she does that, let us bring you on a deep dive into the history of her fitness routine. Take it as inspiration or motivation, or just enjoy the peek into the activist, influencer, and businesswoman’s daily grind. 

Happy birthday, Kim!

Kardashian West and her kickass trainer Melissa Alcantara (@fitgurlmel on Instagram, and worth a follow imho!) work out together at 6 a.m. six days a week, and each session lasts at least an hour, according to an interview Alcantara gave to Women’s Health before the pandemic. And Kim's leg and booty days can take more than an hour and a half, Alcantara told the magazine. 

Kardashian West is no cardio queen, at least according to the breakdown Alcantara gave Women’s Health. She said, "85% of our training is weight training, and the other 15 is made up of cardio." Like many resistance trainers, they focus on one or two parts of the body per day. So, for example, Wednesday she might work her chest and triceps, and Thursday might be back and biceps. She also dedicates one day entirely to abs. Some of her go-to moves are lying leg lifts and reverse V-Ups, according to Women’s Health. 

The celeb does two leg days a week. For what it's worth, one of Refinery29’s writer’s tried a 7-move leg workout Kardashian West detailed in 2018, and it made her “I-can't-walk-or-sit-down sore.” It included moves such as weighted hip thrusts, "sumo deadlifts," and glute kickbacks. 

Or so it seems. In May, the star posted a photo of herself on a stairmaster, captioned “quarantine workout,” according to Buzzfeed. She was wearing a bikini and Yeezys — not super-common workout wear, but not totally out of the realm of possibility. The post has since been taken down. 

In her interview, Alcantara said that Kim almost never cancels on her. Yes, even though they usually pump iron together super-early in the morning and the star has four kids. Alcantara noted that Kardashian West is "super responsible, she never cancels—she's the best client and athlete you could have,” Harper’s Bazaar notes. I, for one, could learn to lay off the snooze button from the star. 

In an Instagram post, the star noted that she likes to take a couple weeks off from her regular regimen every now and again. “I would say every 6 months I take two weeks off from lifting,” Kardashian West said. “Sometimes you just need a break to recharge and chill, but then I miss it so much and feel so good to be back at it.” 

"My trainer Mel always says that before and after you train, you should eat simple carbs, like sweet potatoes, and small amounts of fat and protein, like chicken,” she said on her paid workout app, according to Harper’s Bazaar. "You should also have veggies with your meals, since you need them to help effectively break down and absorb your protein, fat, and carbs."

Last year, the reality TV mogul noted that she was working to improve her squats by getting more depth in a video posted to her Instagram stories, Women’s Health reported at the time. Deeper squats may help you create greater muscle mass, according to a paper from California State University's Center for Sport Performance. (Although there’s some controversy surrounding the safety of deep squatting, the paper notes, so be careful and make sure you’re researching form before going hard.)

“When I work with Kim, we like to set goals that we can feel good about reaching,” Alcantara told Women’s Health. “Once we have a goal set, we write it down. I’ve found that helps hold you accountable. And, it feels amazing when you do finally reach your goal!” While Alcantara didn't give us a sneak peek of Kim's list, we're big fans of setting intentions — and writing them down — for an easy motivation boost.