Rebel Wilson’s trainer Jono Castano takes Daily Mail reporter through her weight-loss workout
It’s no wonder that Rebel Wilson has lost a whopping 36 kg.
After completing an intense 45-minute session with Jono Castano, the Hollywood actress’ trainer, I was ready for bed.
The personal trainer who owns the trendy Acero gym in Sydney, has an impressive list of celebrity clients including Wilson, Rita Ora and Simone Holtznagel.
As an average Joe, I’ll be trying out all of these celebrity workouts over the next few weeks — and who better to do that with than their real-life trainer, Jono?
For Rebel’s workout, the Sydney-based trainer explains that the goal of the game is to get the heart rate up and burn some calories.
Jono Castano took Daily Mail Australia reporter CIARA O’LOUGHLIN through Rebel Wilson’s training
As a new gym-goer who has only recently returned to strength training and likes to neglect cardio, I’m nervous.
Before we hit our first circuit, Jono has me “warm up” by doing a 30 second side plank on each side.
While this isn’t exactly what I’d consider a warm-up (what happened to a light walk?), my balance isn’t as bad as I expected, and I’m ready to move on from whatever torture comes my way .
For most of Rebel’s workout, Jono has me do four different exercises eight times, with minimal breaks in between.
First, he has me pushing 30 kg on a machine that mimics a prowler for 70 meters.
Then I move on to 10 squats with a 10 kg medicine ball, 10 ball slams and 10 push presses.
After the first lap I’m out of breath, but I know what to do.
The goal is to take very short breaks between rounds, only 30 to 40 seconds, but I silently ask Jono questions to try and get longer breaks (it works, albeit only for 10 or 20 seconds).
Daily Mail reporter Ciara was put to the test while completing Rebel’s training
Jono helped Rebel lose an impressive 36 kg, and they became good friends in the process (both pictured)
Four laps later I’m dead, and knowing I’m only halfway there makes me want to give up.
I consider asking him if I can lose weight, but I hold myself back and use his encouragement to keep going.
It’s no wonder most celebrities who want to get in shape use a personal trainer, if Jono wasn’t next to me during this workout I would have given up after four rounds or maybe even sooner.
After pushing the machine prowler eight times, doing 80 squats, 80 ball slams, and 80 push presses, I’m pleased to hear that most of the workout is over.
When Jono says the words “it’s time to cool down,” I’m so relieved.
But again, his idea and my idea of a “cool down” are two very different things.
After I catch my breath, we close the session with three 30 second planks on an exercise ball.
For beginners, the goal is to keep your knees on the floor, place your elbows on the ball, and engage your core.
As you progress, you can make it more difficult by pushing the ball farther out, eventually taking your knees completely off the floor and using only your elbows and core to balance.
When we’re done, I’m ecstatic.
While I’m feeling a little sick and wondering why I’m so unfit, my endorphins are running high.
Jono tells me that when he worked with Rebel, she did a session like this four times a week.
But we all know that the most important part of weight loss is the food we put into our body. So, what’s his advice for people who want to lose weight like Rebel? A small calorie deficit.
However, he also emphasizes the importance of eating enough calories and carbs, especially in high-intensity workouts like Rebel’s.
“In those kinds of sessions, you have to think about the number of calories, the amount of energy you expend through it,” he explains.
The personal trainer, who owns the trendy Acero gym in Sydney, has an impressive list of celebrity clients, including Wilson and Rita Ora
“So you need to replenish your glycogen levels, that’s what fuels you for these workouts, so things like carbs.”
While many people think carbs are the devil when trying to lose weight, Jono emphasizes that they are necessary to properly fuel our bodies.
He also recommends a high-protein diet for muscle growth, but getting enough sleep is also a big part of successful weight loss.
Jono emphasizes the importance of eating enough calories and carbs, especially with high-intensity workouts like Rebel’s
Before and after: Rebel has lost approximately 36 kg in recent years
“Make sure you get enough sleep,” he says.
“I think that’s also so important because your body has to recover if you want to keep training at that kind of intensity every session, because it was a tough session.”
Because his clients want to lose weight, Jono recommends four of these high-intensity exercise sessions per week, a small calorie deficit with an emphasis on eating enough carbs and protein, getting a good night’s sleep, and plenty of water.
For those who can’t get into his gym, Jono has created a new app called ACERO DRIP, which uses AI technology to create custom workout programs for its users and includes various workouts from strength training to yoga.
Jono recommends four of these high-intensity exercise sessions per week, a light calorie deficit focused on eating enough carbs and protein, quality sleep, and plenty of water