What To Expect When You’re Expecting and Battleship star Brooklyn Decker graces the May cover of Women’s Health (on newsstands now) and opens up about her marriage to tennis star Andy Roddick, how she maintains her famous figure and her celebrity girl crushes on Kristen Wiig, Charlize Theron, Lana Del Ray, and more.
Why it’s great to be married to a pro athlete: Being married to Andy (Roddick) has given me a new appreciation for my body. He’s taught me that it’s not how thin you are that matters. It’s how your body performs, how it endures wear and tear. One day when we were in London, Andy took me to a track behind a high school. We did a kind of hopscotch down the track, more drills over hurdles, and then shuttle runs.
Brooklyn on trying to learn tennis from Andy: He tried to give me a lesson once, and I ended up hitting all the tennis balls over the fence and smashing my racket because I was so frustrated. I told him, You don’t teach me how to play tennis, and I won’t teach you how to model in a bathing suit. And so far, it’s worked.
Why she exercises even when she is tired: If I stop wanting to work out, then I’m going to be in some serious trouble.
Her food philosophy? I try not to think about foods that are too fattening or too sugary. I always think about why it’s important to eat the best foods. By not obsessing over the bad, I tend to stick with the good.
Why she likes to be challenged: My director on Battleship, Peter Berg, said that as much as I work out, he wanted me to be strong. He took me to a boxing gym in Santa Monica. After six or seven minutes of sparring, I was completely winded. But I was also exhilarated because it was a new workout that I had never before experienced. And it’s one of the best deals you’ll find. This place charges around $15 for an hour. You learn how to punch, and I promise, you and your muscles will never forget it. I love working my butt off to prove I can do something new. If I don’t keep looking for challenges, life gets sort of dull.
Brooklyn on dancing as exercise: Yesterday I returned from a trip to Australia and Munich, so I resorted to my secret, sure-fire method to get my body moving again. I blasted three Taylor Swift songs as loud as I could and started running in place and doing some stupid booty dancing. Sometimes I’ll watch a music video of a great performer like Beyoncé and try to follow her choreography. Yeah, maybe I look ridiculous, but dancing gets your energy up a lot better than running on a treadmill or pedaling a stationary bike.
Kayaking is cool too: Whenever I’m near a body of water, I love to rent a kayak. I’s easy to use, and you not only get a cardio workout but also do a vigorous upper body workout, pushing and pulling your paddle through the water. And let’s face it: The view is always a lot better than the one you can get in a gym.
Working out with friends works for her: When I was a bridesmaid for my best friends wedding in North Carolina, the two of us and the other bridesmaids hired a Pilates instructor to do a private class for us the morning of the wedding. We were able to play our favorite music and laugh and talk while working out. It was the perfect way to start a day, and ever since I’ve tried to come up with workouts that I can do with my girlfriends.
Her favorite yoga move: One of my favorite moves is to lie on the ground on my back, a yoga block propped under my lower back, and then pull my legs up while spreading out my knees, making my legs look just like a butterfly. The move opens up my hips and stretches my back at the same time.
New friends are good too, like her Battleship costar, Taylor Kitsch: You create a bonding experience that you never would have had. My hike with Taylor Kitsch [her love interest in Battleship] was very strenuous, and we needed ropes to get to the top of the summit. But when we were finished, we knew each other a lot better than if we had just had the usual dinner and drinks night. Plus, no matter how much time you spend in the weight room, you simply can’t get a better workout for your legs than when you go for a long hike.
The reason her abs are so amazing? Seriously, I will drop to the floor and do a plank anywhere, anytime in my kitchen, next to my bed, in a hotel room. Straight planks on my elbows or hands and then the all-important side planks and side plank crunches.
Brooklyn on girl crushes: When I see a woman who’s overcome obstacles, who’s done something with her life, I want to say to her, Wow, you’re cool. Your career is awesome, and I’d love to hang out with you. It’s a respect thing.
The best part about Kristen Wiig: Her sense of humor is something we can all relate to. She’s like the inner soul of every girl alive. She doesn’t care about preserving her beauty on camera and she is very beautiful. She’s very real.
Brooklyn on Lana Del Rey: She has such an individual singing style a kind of smoky, old-school jazzy voice combined with a hip-hop vibe. It’s music I’ve never really heard before.
Why ESPN Sportscaster Erin Andrews rocks: You have to love a beautiful woman who knocks down all the stereotypes and becomes one of the country’s best sportscasters. She had to fight for years to be taken seriously, and she did it without once losing her sense of humor or her great enthusiasm.
Brooklyn on another bikini babe Marisa Miller: When I was a rookie in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Marisa had already been in it for years. But unlike a lot of models who get very territorial, Marisa rooted for the new girls. If there was a job she couldn’t do, she’d pass it on to me. That’s real grace.
And Charlize Theron? Well, duh. It’s not just her breathtaking beauty that stuns me, it’s her ability to act completely against type, to defy everyone’s expectations, and to go for roles that she just finds interesting, not because an agent or manager tells her the parts will be good for her career.
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