Toe-to-toe with the dragon lady of fitness herself, Jackie Warner

by John Hobbs

If this season’s steady diet of empty-calorie shows forced upon us by the writers strike has left your television viewing habits with some serious mid-season spread, don’t despair. Jackie Warner — and her staff of good-looking hard bodies — are back and ready to whip America into shape, one body at a time, when Work Out premieres April 15. After a tempestuous second season that found Warner struggling in the aftermath of a break-up and mourning the unexpected death of a Sky Sport and Spa employee, she’s got a new outlook on life — and a new girlfriend on her arm. But don’t think Work Out’s going soft on us. Four hot new trainers, a few shots of jealousy and a surprise romance promises to keep the drama dialed up and us tuned in all season long. Toss a 100-calorie pack of popcorn in the microwave and get ready to feel the burn — Work Out is back!

You’re moving in to your third season of Work Out this month. How does it stack up to the last two seasons?

I think people are a little more on edge. Everybody’s sort of talking about each other a lot more—it gets a little more personal this season. You see me dealing with the stresses in my life in a little edgier of a way and certainly the trainers are feeling a little bitchy themselves.

Speaking of the trainers, there are four new faces this season. Which do you think is likely to go the distance?

The best new trainer is Agostina because she’s a true trainer. She’s not training until the casting call comes in. She’s actually here to train. She’s a really dedicated employee of mine; she works the most of all the trainers.

You also have a new love this season. How hard was it to build a relationship with Brianna, with Jim, the old, fat and bearded camera man standing around?

A reality show is absolutely not the right breeding ground for a healthy relationship. It really, really did hurt our relationship. No matter what people say their intentions are coming in to a project, they change as the cameras are around more.

Is that some foreshadowing on how things end up with Brianna?

Could be, maybe not. You’ll have to watch.

Who do you think would win a train-off between you and Jillian Michaels from The Biggest Loser?

[Laughs] Me. I don’t just beat someone into submission. I actually work on the mind-body connection.

What do you think is the most common weight-loss mistake people make?

Starving yourself. It’s the fastest way to become a fat-storing machine. People don’t get it that when you starve yourself you slow your metabolism down on a day-to-day basis. So the common thread that you’re going to see with my obese clients this season is that they all starved themselves.

If you could only pull four exercises out of your bag of tricks to get someone in shape, what would they be and why?

Boxing for cardio, chest press (or push-ups), pull-ups and, for butt and legs, a backward or forward lunge.

After filming, do you go back and watch the show?

I’ve got a little process I go through. Before the show comes out, I watch all the episodes and I cry [laughs], and then I call the executive producer and have a temper tantrum, and then I’ll watch it again with friends [who] tell me, “No it’s not that bad and you really don’t look unattractive and you’re not a monster.” And the third time I’ll go back and watch it myself and think, “No, it’s not that bad.” And then I never watch them again.

How much have you learned about yourself from the show?

There’s nothing like the camera to be a big mirror. I have learned a lot. I think I’ve grown 10 years in these last couple of years.

Work Out premieres April 15 at 11 p.m. on Bravo and resumes its regular schedule on April 22 at 10 p.m.