Page 24 - Muscle & Fitness (February 2020)

STEVE COOK

TEVE COOK IS TERRIBLE AT KEEPING SECRETS.
He shares just about every aspect of his life with his
2.5 million Instagram followers. His boulder-shoulder
workouts. Challenges and Q&As with his girlfriend, fellow
fitfluencer Morgan Rose Moroney. What he eats in a day. His
globe-trotting adventures. His adorable French bulldog,

Hobbes (who himself boasts 38K IG followers). Which is why
S Cook was so relieved when, last September, he was finally
able to reveal his biggest secret—that he was the new trainer of USA
Network’s The Biggest Loser reboot. “I felt really weird not sharing
things [for weeks],” he told his 1.26 million YouTube subscribers. “I had
to be in total silence.”
The popular reality competition is crazy; I would never yell and eating you,’ ” Cook says.
series—which awarded $250K scream like that to my clients.’ But “He’s like the big brother I never
to the contestant who lost the at the same time, there were some wanted,” jokes Lugo, proving the
highest percentage of weight— amazing results.” competitive nature between Red
ran for 17 seasons on NBC. Cook Now the sneaker is on the other and Blue didn’t get lost in trans-
was still in high school when it foot, and the 6'1", 215-pound Cook lation for the reboot. OG trainer
originally premiered in 2004. “I is taking a holistic approach to Bob Harper is back, this time
remember watching it and just motivating his Blue Team. The as host, and he gave Cook some
being taken aback by how in- teams, with Erica Lugo as the Red sage advice going into the season.
tense the trainers were, especially Team coach, also have access to “He said, ‘These are your babies;
Jillian [Michaels], and how much nutritionists, on-site docs, and you are their go-to person, and
weight people were able to lose therapists to round out their trans- they’re going to do whatever you
in a relatively short time,” Cook formations. “I always say, ‘It’s not tell them to do.’ And that’s a great
recalls. “I kept thinking, ‘This just what you’re eating, but what’s responsibility, you know, that I
don’t take lightly.”
Whereas Lugo used her own dra-
matic weight loss to connect with
her team (she lost 160 pounds),
Cook relied on his own upbringing

and struggle with food to connect
with his. “I remember working at
a restaurant and being in the back,
stuffing my face full of ice cream

I ALWAYS SAY,

‘IT’S NOT JUST
WHAT YOU’RE

EATING, BUT
“The sled
push is great
because you WHAT’S EATING
don’t need to
go far in order YOU.’
to get a lot of
work done.
Use your lower
body to drive
through.”

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