Robertson prefers HIIT workouts with light dumbbells and her bodyweight.
Heather Robertson, a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, and fitness influencer, has gained widespread recognition for her at-home workout videos and dedicated social media following. This article explores Robertson’s journey, including her background, sources of inspiration, training methods, and fitness philosophy. We’ll also take a closer look at how she has achieved and maintained her physique through disciplined workout routines and mindful nutrition. Let’s get started!
| Full Name: Heather Robertson | ||
| Weight | Height | Date of Birth |
| 110-140 lbs (50-64 kg) | 5’5” (165.1 cm) | 04/24/1983 |
| Profession | Era | Nationality |
| Personal Trainer/Nutrition Coach | 2007 – Till Date | Canadian |
Heather Robertson’s Biography
Heather Robertson hasn’t always been in fitness; in fact, she never played sports growing up because she was always shy and kept indoors. She loved the arts, dancing, and acting. However, she started working out when she came across a Buns of Steel VHS tape in her parents’ basement.
Gym Consistency & Pro Shows
After this, Robertson focused fully on working out and going to the gym in high school. She was a skinny fat girl and wanted to add more muscle, so she drew inspiration from fitness model Annette Milbers.
Heather Robertson became more consistent in her 20s. Attended various fitness competitions to showcase her physique. In 2007, she made her debut and won a contest, which made her excited.
This encouraged her to get into more competitions from 2007 to 2011. Her first three competitions were a success, and she then earned her pro card, becoming a WBFF Pro Bikini model. She also competed in some pro shows. Robertson enjoyed her years of competing and says she found it incredibly fun.
“Those years of competing, though, were honestly so much fun. I had a great time. I met so many awesome people, but I kind of just grew out of it. I realized that I wanted more of a sustainable, balanced type of life.” — Heather Robertson
Retirement From Bodybuilding
She took a break from competing to work with supplement companies and travel extensively. Robertson worked with companies like Oxygen Magazine and Inside Fitness. She appeared on numerous magazine covers. “It was a huge whirlwind at that time of my life,” Robertson said.
Being a Certified Trainer
Her exploits led her to this point in her life, as she became a certified personal trainer in 2010. She started training clients and decided to expand her brand by becoming more active on social media.
YouTube Presence
Heather Robertson’s reason for starting her YouTube channel was to reach a wider global audience. “I wanted to help people all around the world, not just the city that I was living in,” Robertson stated. YouTube was an excellent outlet for her, as she also enjoys working with cameras and creating videos.
“I actually love the editing process. I’m a pretty creative person, so I love actually being behind the camera, learning how to use it, learning how to edit, and all that.” — Heather Robertson
On her YouTube channel, she shares the types of workouts she likes to do from home. She believes that working out at home is just as effective and cost-saving as going to the gym, especially considering the several dollars spent. “I want everybody to access workouts that are effective and that can be done anywhere,” Robertson said.
Robertson’s Training
Dynamic Training
Heather Robertson has a dynamic workout schedule because she has seen that her body will easily plateau if she doesn’t switch things up. She also gets bored easily if she’s not trying out new training methods.
HIIT Routines & Cardio
In her training routines, she always includes HIIT workouts because they are her favorite. She isn’t a fan of working out for long periods, which is why she finds shorter, high-intensity workouts effective for her cardio and strength training.
She does a HIIT workout three to four times a week. Then, she dedicates two days to focusing on strength and resistance training, alternating between upper and lower body days. Occasionally, Robertson includes some cardio during those days; however, she isn’t a fan of doing hours on the treadmill. She prefers to do sprints or stair runs.
Her HIIT workout starts with a one-round circuit, which lasts for about 30 minutes. She begins her HIIT routine with some warmups to get the blood flowing and warm the joints (1). Her exercises are time-based and not about rep ranges. She does each exercise for 40 seconds with 20 seconds of rest between routines. Here is how she goes about her HIIT workouts:
| Exercises | Time |
| Pop Squats | 40 seconds |
| Stand Up & Hops | 40 seconds |
| T-Push Ups | 40 seconds |
| Plank Rockers | 40 seconds |
| Lunge & Kicks | 40 seconds |
| High Knees | 40 seconds |
| Plank Jack & Pikes | 40 seconds |
| Double Bicycle Kicks | 40 seconds |
| Triceps Presses & Kicks | 40 seconds |
| Crab Dances | 40 seconds |
| Squat & Twists | 40 seconds |
| Skater Hops | 40 seconds |
| Inchworm Push & Hops | 40 seconds |
| X-Crunches | 40 seconds |
| Frog Crunches | 40 seconds |
| Walking Bear Planks | 40 seconds |
| Super V-Squeezes | 40 seconds |
| Pop Jacks | 40 seconds |
| Lunge & Switch | 40 seconds |
| Shuffle & Jacks | 40 seconds |
| Wall Sits | 40 seconds |
| Jump Squats | 40 seconds |
Full-Body Strength Training
Robertson’s strength training workouts are two circuits of various exercises. She uses heavy dumbbells during her workouts, maintaining proper form. Before her routine, she does about two to three minutes of warm-ups and grabs dumbbells to begin her major exercises.
| Exercises | Time |
| Dumbbell Curtsy Lunges | 40 seconds |
| Dumbbell Underhand Rows | 40 seconds |
| Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlifts | 40 seconds |
| Dumbbell Plank Pass Throughs | 40 seconds |
| Dumbbell Glutes Bridges | 40 seconds |
| Dumbbell Chest Presses | 40 seconds |
| Dumbbell Squats & Lunges | 40 seconds |
| Dumbbell Skull Crushers | 40 seconds |
| Dumbbell Sumo Squats | 40 seconds |
| Dumbbell Push Presses | 40 seconds |
Rest & Recovery
To help with relaxing, she also does some yoga once a week. She stated that it really helps her flexibility and mobility. “I just find it super relaxing. I like to go for hot yoga, because I sweat more,” Robertson said.
After her intense workout and weekly engagements, she sets aside one day for rest and recovery, watching movies or sleeping.
“I may not necessarily do the exact same thing every week, but I am consistent in just being active every day, and that’s one of the biggest pieces of advice I’d give people when they ask me what’s the best way to get results quickly.” — Heather Robertson
Heather Robertson’s Nutrition
Though Heather Robertson used to count her macros in the past, she has put that all behind her. She explains that it really takes time and a lot of experimenting. In the past, she used to keep a daily calorie count of 1,500 to 1,800 with a macro ratio of 40:30:30. 40 is for her carbs, 30 is for her protein, and the other 30 is from fats.
However, right now, she just eats intuitively when she’s hungry. She doesn’t follow a specific meal plan, nor does she follow keto or paleo diets. Robertson likes to stick to real, whole foods and keep her meals healthy and balanced.
“I don’t follow anything really restrictive … I think it’s all about balance.” — Heather Robertson
Robertson avoids sugar, processed foods, and fried foods as much as possible. She eats out occasionally, and on those days when she’s not working out, she limits her calories in the morning. Here are some sample breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack options from her nutrition guide:
Sample Breakfast
- Green Smoothie
- Cocoa Cranberry Protein Muffins
- Lemon Zinger Pancakes
- Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Frittata
Sample Lunch
- Black Bean Quesadilla
- Turkey (or Veggie) Meatballs
- Baked Garlic Cheese Fries
Sample Dinner
- Black Bean Quesadilla
- Olive Chicken
- Greek Quinoa Salad
Typically, her daily meals consist of foods like eggs, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, spinach, shrimp, cilantro, bananas, oats, and chocolate. She is a fan of wine. Her snacks in between meals could also include black forest cake shakes, cocoa avocado pudding, and chickpea cookies.
Follow Generation Iron on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more athlete profiles!
Reference
- Fradkin, A. J., Zazryn, T. R., & Smoliga, J. M. (2010). Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 24(1), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c643a0
