I took a workout class with Taylor Swift’s trainer — and it changed how I feel about the gym

Last week, Kirk Myers stopped by the lululemon Glow Up Studio in NYC to teach a class — and as a longtime Swiftie, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to snag a spot. Elana Fishman

As anyone lucky enough to have witnessed one of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shows in person can attest, the woman is in incredible shape.

Over the course of three and a half hours, the pop megastar strutted, sprinted and danced her way across a sprawling 75-meter-long stage, all while belting out more than 40 of her greatest hits back to back — and without ever stopping for a break.

The man responsible for getting Swift in fighting shape for the longest and most physically challenging tour of her life? Kirk Myers, the founder of celebrity-adored gym Dogpound and the Grammy winner’s trainer of about a decade. (His other clients include Hugh Jackman, Cynthia Erivo, Lana Del Rey and basically every Victoria’s Secret model.)

Myers has been training Swift for about a decade, and helped her get in peak physical shape for her grueling Eras Tour. Jacquelyn Kozak His other clients include Hugh Jackman, Cynthia Erivo, Lana Del Rey and basically every Victoria’s Secret model. JOSEPH HALE

Last weekend, Myers stopped by the lululemon Glow Up Studio in downtown NYC to teach a class — and as a longtime Swiftie whose fitness level can be generally described as “lacking,” I couldn’t resist the opportunity to snag a spot in the sought-after session.

As I headed into the pretty pink-lit pop-up space to change into my Glow Up Tank Top and Super-High-Rise Tights, I had to admit I was nervous.

I’m pretty good at getting in my 10,000 steps a day, but I hadn’t set foot in an actual gym in several years. Exercise classes have never been my thing — heck, when I tried my hand at a Krav Maga session years ago, I wound up so sore afterward that I was bedridden for 48 hours.

Plus, Myers told Vogue last year that “some people would probably throw up” if they tried one of his tailored workouts for Swift. How could I possibly keep up?

lululemon Glow Up Tank Top

lululemon

---

“Have fun with it!” Myers advised me before the class. “You don’t have to take it so seriously and be hard on yourself if you can’t do this or that. Just do your best — and if you can’t do it, you can laugh about it!”

Armed with his assurance that “showing up is half the battle” when it comes to exercising, I hit the mat alongside my classmates and prepared to work up a sweat.

Myers told me his workouts typically include a “big focus on core strength,” which was reflected in the series of butterfly crunches we did to kick off the class. As someone who’s barely done a crunch since her middle-school Presidential Fitness Test days, I found the reps challenging — but in a good way! Each time my abs (or lack thereof) contracted, I imagined myself shaking it off in one of Swift’s signature “1989” crop top sets, with everyone in awe of my impossibly sculpted midriff.

Myers told Vogue last year that “some people would probably throw up” if they tried one of his tailored workouts for Swift. taylorswift/Instagram While he creates custom plans for each of his clients, Myers told me his workouts typically include a “big focus on core strength.” JOSEPH HALE

“I tend to train a lot of women, so the style [they typically go for] is long and lean. We focus on glutes, core, triceps and back; targeting that and minimizing bulk,” Myers told me.

All those muscles (and more) were activated during the series of planks we did next. Given my complete and utter lack of upper body strength, I unsurprisingly struggled with this section of the class; within seconds, my arms were quivering like noodles. Folks, I was down bad crying at the gym, and not in the way Swift once sang about.

“You can plank on your knees if you need!” Myers helpfully shouted in my direction.

After our several minutes spent in planking purgatory, we moved on to something I found far more manageable: leg and glute exercises using resistance bands. Think clamshells, squats and side-lying leg lifts. I felt the burn, to be sure, but my daily power walks and past life as a ballet dancer prepped me well for this portion of the class.

We then traded those stretchy bands for ankle weights, adding resistance to the donkey kicks and fire hydrants we did next. (You might recall Swift demonstrating similar moves in a behind-the-scenes YouTube Shorts video last year, looking far more graceful than I did.)

Myers’ class at the lululemon Glow Up Studio incorporated both ankle weights and resistance bands. JOSEPH HALE Given my complete and utter lack of upper body strength, I unsurprisingly struggled with the planks. JOSEPH HALE

As Myers walked around the room giving us notes and tweaking our form as needed, he kept our energy up with words of encouragement: “We love our bodies! We take care of our bodies!”

And the trainer certainly knows whereof he speaks, having overcome obesity and a host of health issues to become one of the most respected fitness pros in the industry.

“Growing up, I was husky,” the Kansas City native told me earlier. “I weighed 300-plus pounds when I was 16 — and I’m only 5-foot-5, so I was kind of like a bowling ball. I definitely was not in great shape.”

At age 21, he was diagnosed with a heart condition — a wake-up call he describes as a “huge blessing,” as it not only forced him to start exercising and eating properly, but also led him to discover his professional calling.

“I lost 100-plus pounds. And as I was losing weight, I started helping my friends [do it too],” he said. “I love training, because it’s rewarding. This is my passion. I’m just helping people feel better, which helps me feel better as well.”

“I tend to train a lot of women, so the style [they typically go for] is long and lean. We focus on glutes, core, triceps and back; targeting that and minimizing bulk,” Myers told me. JOSEPH HALE We closed out the session with some step aerobics — my favorite part of the class. JOSEPH HALE

The exercise expert’s enthusiasm shone through as he led us through the last part of the session, and my personal favorite: step aerobics.

Since I grew up dancing, choreo’s always been my favorite kind of cardio, and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I followed along with Myers’ moves. During the handful of spin, boxing and HIIT classes I had tried in the past, I’d always found myself counting the minutes; now, dare I say, I was actually having fun.

“You did great!” Myers told me as after our cooldown — and planking struggles aside, I actually kind of believed him. While a single sweat session’s obviously not enough to see lasting changes (or magically morph myself into a pop superstar), I felt strong, energized and full of endorphins, even once the post-workout soreness set in.

To paraphrase Swift on her Eras Tour stage, you might even say I felt … like I’m the man.

---

Why Trust Page Six Style Shopping

This article was written by Elana Fishman, founding editor of Page Six Style. Elana applies her celebrity fashion and beauty expertise to shoppable content for fellow fans as the host of video series including Style Trial, Heart to Cart and Beauty Scoop — and by tracking down every Taylor Swift-worn style so you can shop it, too. Elana consults celebrity stylists on the latest street style and red carpet trends, researches which celebrity-backed brands and products are worth it, and chats with the stars themselves for beauty and fashion recommendations. Prior to Page Six Style’s inception in 2018, Elana covered celebrity fashion at Vox Media, Lucky, Marie Claire and Teen Vogue.

---