LONDON (AP) -- With over a million Instagram followers and a best-selling book, Joe Wicks is back for round two with “Lean in 15: The Shape Plan,” released earlier this month.
With an idea born in his London kitchen three years ago, the 30-year-old personal trainer known as “The Body Coach” began posting 15-second videos of himself preparing simple healthy meals, shouting out directions for preparation in his own spin on fast food.
Add to the mix regular photos and videos of his six-pack abs and Wicks found Internet stardom and landed a book contract for his first book, “Lean in 15,” a combination of his recipes and cardio workouts.
“I just have fun with it, I’m not too preachy,” he says. “The recipes are so easy. It truly is a 15 minute meal”
Top of Wicks ingredients list is “midget trees” -- his name for broccoli -- so much so that he now can’t escape it as his trademark vegetable.
“Every time I turn up for photo shoots they’ve got broccoli and they’re like, ‘(Bicep) curl this.’”
And when it comes to workouts Wicks is all about high-intensity interval workouts that can be done anytime, anywhere.
“I literally do just 25 minutes, get in there, smash it, I feel like I’m going to pass out but I know that once I’ve done it, I can enjoy my day and eat more food. And that’s what I love. I love food.” Wicks explains.
And good news for dieters, his philosophy is to ditch the calorie counting and scales.
“Forget about weighing yourself every day on the ‘sad step.’ If you focus on the quality of the food you’re cooking and train hard then the rest of it takes care of itself,” he says.
And now he’s back with a second book “Lean in 15: The Shape Plan,” which centers on building lean muscle with resistance training with of course a whole new set of quick, healthy recipes.
But don’t be fooled into thinking that Joe’s body is always a temple. He’s not adverse to the occasional drink and a burger.
“I have a little blowout now and again,” he laughs. “But I’m just proving that you can still have a fun social and still have a lean body.”
