Our Dope Fit Chick of the week is Personal Trainer Tabathea Banks! Read our interview with her and find out what she eats and how she maintains her shape!
What motivates you to work out and live a healthy lifestyle?
Most of us look at ourselves in the mirror every day when we wake up in the morning and in that moment we will either feel good about ourselves or bad. I choose to always feel good and working out will definitely provide that feeling. I love to live a healthy lifestyle to set an example for others because when you look around and you see that most people are unhealthy that may make you feel better about yourself or make you feel like it’s not that bad. But when you see someone that’s fit & healthy that may motivate you.
What does your workout routine look like?
My typical workout split is Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays are legs, hams gluets. Tuesday is upper body pull movements and abs Thursday is upper push movements and abs. I do a warmup & stretch before the workout and a 15 min sprints on the treadmill at the max incline for cardio after each workout.
What do you eat in a typical day to stay in shape?
I’m a vegetarian so a typical day of eating for me will be a blueberry whole grain bagel with dairy-free strawberry cream cheese & a protein shake. For lunch I’ll mostly like have black bean chili over rice with a salad. Dinner will be spaghetti squash with homemade tomato sauce with sautéed spinach & mushrooms. I’ll snack on some fruit, dairy-free yogurt & my favorite nuts in between meals.
How do you maintain your hair while working out?
Oh goodness! I like to keep it simple so I just shop for some really cute hats and I wear those throughout the week. If I’m going somewhere I’ll braid my hair down and wear my wig.
What’s in your gym bag?
In my gym bag, I like to have deodorant spray, peppermints, pre-workout (if it’s leg day) post workout protein shake & workout gear that I need for the particular workouts that I’ll be doing for that day.
What might we catch you doing outside the gym?
As far as outside of the gym goes, it’s honestly not that interesting. If I’m not training clients I’m hanging out with my friends, going to see movies and reading books.
Give your best 3 health tips that people can implement right now.
My top 3 best health tips I could give would be to adopt a morning and night routine that are consistent with your goals. Secondly, write down exactly what you eat everyday, even if you’re not eating healthy. Lastly, set a goal, go get a calendar and mark off each day you completed your daily goals to keep you motivated. These are simple strategies that are very effective.