Viola Davis was born on August 11, 1965, in New York City, and is an actress and producer. She is the youngest actor and the first African-American to obtain the "Triple Crown of Acting" -- an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards. She was ranked among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world for the second year in a row in 2012 and 2017. Among other honors, she received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2017. The New York Times ranked her ninth on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century up until that point in time in 2020.

Julius Tennon and Davis are the founders of JuVee Productions, a production company they own together. Additionally, Davis is universally recognized for her advocacy and support of women's rights and equal rights for women of color.Viola Davis is a superstar who has been able to achieve so much in a short span of time. Thus in this article, we will learn a lot about her diet plan and her workout routine that keeps her fit throughout the day. But before we skip to it directly, we will talk about her body stats too which will help us know her fitness levels.

Viola Davis Body Statistics

• Birth Year: 1965
• Birth Date: August 11
• Height: 5 ft 5 in or 165 cm
• Weight: 59 kg or 130 lbs
• Breasts: 37 inches
• Waist: 28 inches
• Hips: 36 inches
• Body Measurement: 37-28-36 in or 94-71-91.5 cm
• Dress Size: 8 (US) or 10 (UK)
• Shoe Size: 9 (US) or 6.5 (UK) or 7 (UK)

Viola Davis Daily Routine

Viola Davis performed as the tough-as-nails criminal-defense lawyer and law professor Annalise Keating on How to Get Away with Murder. She is equally feisty as she is calm and complex. While Davis' character in the show is a major boss babe, Davis herself has me needing to hang out nonstop. The Oscar-winning actress (she has SAG Awards and Emmys and Tonys and Golden Globes to her name) is all about that Target shopping, essential oil diffusing, couch-loving (yet workout prioritizing) life."My ideal day off is having no agenda, nothing scheduled," Davis tells Self. "I can wake up when I want, work out for however long I want, and then afterward, lay down on the couch, eat something good, and watch really crappy television. Then go to Target and browse the aisles."

Note that Davis does not surrender to the allure of the couch: She works out five days a week with a trainer and swears by her morning routine for self-care. "When I get really busy, myself is the one thing that's left in the dust," she says. "So if I start out in the morning with myself, then I'm good to go."When she comes home from the gym, she'll relax in her whirlpool or steam room before diffusing some relaxing essential oil blends. Her favorite inexpensive picks? Aura Cacia Chill Pill and Pillow Potion.That was all about the daily routine that Viola Davis follows in her life. In the next section, we will look at her workout routine that will let us know how she provides for her role and general fitness.

Viola Davis Workout Routine

Viola Davis is amazingly fit. The 55-year-old actress has the kind of arms that are so strong and sculpted you wish you could stick them onto your own body. It's unlikely that'll ever happen, though. You're in luck, because Women's Health caught up with Viola Davis' trainer for the past two years, Gabriela Mclain, who shared with us one of Viola's weekly workout plans.The two are currently training for Viola's upcoming role in the historical action film The Woman King. The role she will play is Nanisca, a female general of an 18th-century African military unit. "My goal with her was to keep her strong, but also keep her very flexible and agile, like a badass kind of Ninja," Mclain says. She'll have everything she needs (literally!) and be ready for this physically demanding job.

Each session with Mclain lasts about an hour. She trains with him three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). The workouts generally begin around 6 a.m. "Most of the time, it's a little cooler, and her muscles are stiff since she may have worked the night before," Mclain explains. We will start with a 10-minute warm-up of stretches and light cardio, then we will do some quick mobility drills (think: butt kicks, high knees, plié squats).What about the workout they actually do? McLain says the exercise includes strength training, core work, cardio, and sculpting. The following is a day-by-day breakdown of what workouts Viola Davis does in a week. In "Get Away With Murder," 55-year-old Viola Davis doesn't need a weapon. She always has her own set of guns on her at all times, including trophies from Tony, Emmy, and Oscar awards. I'm talking about her toned and very strong arms.Does anyone else know that Viola is Wonder Woman disguised? Her fans were impressed with her muscles, adding tons of 💪🏾emojis. One person wrote: "Those are the prettiest arms I've ever seen.""#WomanKing here I come!" Viola wrote in a caption along with the trio of photos. Her new movie, Woman King, is in production and she has been working out with her trainer Gabriela Mclain for the last two years to stay in fighting shape. For your information, the film is about Viola, the commander of an all-female military unit, and her daughter, who fought against the French and neighboring tribes for oppressing their people.McKean shared the same workout photos and some behind-the-scenes details on Instagram: "Results don’t come for free. There is no magic pill you can swallow. No fancy stuff. If you want to be a badass you must WORK for IT... But what it does require is DEDICATION, CONSISTENCY, and lots of SWEAT. I’ve been training @violadavis for over two years now, and let me tell you something, she brings all this to the game. She doesn’t complain, she always pushes to the limits, she’s extremely humble and disciplined. It’s always such a treat to train Viola. She is a perfect example of how hard work pays off. 💪🏽💪🏽"Though she has been working out for years before Woman King, Viola has always kept up an awesome routine. She added weight training sessions three times a week to her regular workout schedule while filming Widows, according to USA Today. Weighted box steps are one of her favorite moves. It had happened so many times, she said, that she lost count. To this day, her arms seem to remember every move.A surprising diagnosis of pre-diabetes was made for Viola in 2018. She said she was shaken because she always exercises and eats right. “I felt fantastic. But there you go. Blood doesn’t lie."Her response: "I’m going to manage it like a warrior! I’m trying to. It’s harder as you get older because my metabolism is different. I work out three times a week with my husband and a trainer." Additionally, Viola follows a Paleo diet and is hypervigilant about what she eats. Yam noodles and cauliflower pizza are on her menu right now.Previously, Viola told Women's Health that you should live your actual self. But now everyone knows that she is an extremely strong woman.

Monday

Cardio and kickboxing are all they do. "We focus on burning fat and speeding up the metabolism, letting the blood flow, keeping the body agile, and warming it up for the week," Mclain says. For Viola, that means a one-hour kickboxing session.Working out Tabata(ish) style of high-intensity interval training for a series of movements, starting with the upper body and working their way down is very common. The following are examples of punches with sidekicks, uppercuts, jabs, and roundhouse kicks. Viola will then be given a set of 10 or so kickboxing combos by Mclain to create a powerhouse combination. Here's a picture of what the workout would look like.

Upper BodyWhen Viola starts off with air punches, she works for 30 seconds for each move and then rests for 5 seconds.

• Alternating front punches
• Alternating hook punch
• Alternating uppercut
• Alternating elbow strike

Lower BodyThen they'll head to the punching bag for another three sets of 30 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for each of these moves:

• Roundhouse right leg
• Roundhouse left leg
• Front Kick right leg
• Front Kick left leg
• Back air kicks alternating legs while holding punching bag with both hands.
• Sidekick right leg
• Sidekick left leg
• High knees

Full-Body ComboNext, they will work off the punching bag, this time doing a minute of work and 10 seconds of rest for the moves below and doing two sets of each.

• Left-hand cross punch, right leg roundhouse kick
• Right-hand cross punch left leg roundhouse kick
• Left-arm side punch, right leg front kick
• Right arm side punch, left leg front kick
• Right leg sidekick
• Left leg sidekick

Tuesday

McClain told WH that Viola is extremely dedicated and the kind of client who will work an 18-hour shift one day and still show up to the 6 a.m. training session without complaining: How she's an actress, putting her heart and soul into every role, that's how she approaches training. "Viola pushes it hard." And because she pushes it so hard, she has to recover.On Tuesdays, at Mclain's suggestion, Viola uses a foam roller or a massage ball to address some of the tightness she gets in her hip area instead of sweating. She also has a physical therapist who comes once a week to help loosen some of those muscles. The water-based tension-release that she gets from saunas or jacuzzis on Tuesdays and Thursdays is another way she relaxes.

Wednesday

During the middle of the week, strength training is intense. Additionally, Viola's workouts are pretty intense, so that explains why her body looks like that. A typical Wednesday workout for the How To Get Away With Murder star involves a series of weighted exercises (using a pair of dumbbells ranging from 10 to 25 pounds). In each set of three moves below, Viola will perform 35 seconds of work and have 10 seconds of rest, with 30 seconds of rest between each set.Circuit 1

• Squats (she taps a weight bench with her butt for every rep to make sure she's getting low enough).
• Chest Press while laying on the bench
• Deadlifts
• Seated Biceps Curls

Circuit 2

• Straight leg raises (with 5-lb. ankle weights), right leg
• Lat row, right arm
• Straight leg raises (with 5-lb. ankle weights), left leg
• Lat row left arm

Circuit 3:

• Arnold Presses
• Lying Chest Press (elbows narrow)
• Lateral Raises
• Chest Flys
• Triceps Extensions
• Glute Kickbacks (with 5-lb. ankle weights), right leg
• Triceps Kickbacks, alternating with Lateral Raises
• Glute Kickbacks (with 5-lb. ankle weights), left leg

Thursday

Another well-deserved rest day.

Friday

Mclain's goal by the end of the week is to sculpt Viola's body by developing her muscular endurance and targeting the tiny muscles that stabilize and support her major motions. By using resistance bands instead of weights, McLain will reduce the weights to 5–10 pounds, but the workout will still be challenging.In a sculpting session, the heavyweight does not hurt, it's the repetitions and the constant changes. And there is very little rest on sculpting days. "We're resting by switching muscle groups," Mclain says. "I'm just flowing from muscle to muscle until every muscle on our body is exhausted." Here's what the workout looks like:BandsViola steps in the middle of an object that weighs between 15 and 30 pounds. Use the large, looped resistance band with both feet and hold the top with both hands to do three sets of 35 seconds of each exercise (stretching the band around her body as she moves it) with 30 seconds of rest between sets.

• Squat to Overhead Press
• Side Lateral Kicks, right leg
• Side Lateral Kicks left leg
• Triceps Extensions
• Close-Grip Biceps Curls, bringing hands in front of the forehead

WeightsMclain will now use a lightweight set (5–8 lb.) and have Viola wear a 2-lb. ankle weight. Each of these moves will be repeated three times for 35 seconds with 30 seconds of rest between each set.

• Alternating Front Lunges With Biceps Curls
• Alternating Shoulder Presses With Side Bends
• Squat To Overhead Press
• Curtsy Lunges With Lateral Raises (arms bent at 90-degree angles)
• Lunge To Knee Drive With Biceps Curl, right side
• Lunge To Knee Drive With Biceps Curl left side
• Triceps Extension With Alternating High Knees (When arms extend to straight overhead, knee lifts to hip height.)
• Alternating Reverse Lunges With Lat Row

Viola Davis' Go-To Abs Workout

McLain requires Viola to finish every workout with core exercises. "The abs are such a big muscle and there's so many of them," Mclain explains. In other words, Viola usually ends strong with a no-break core session that can fluctuate depending on the day and might be similar to the following sequence of moves. The only rest is the time it takes for her to get into position for the next exercise.

• Reverse Sit-ups
• Leg Raises (with 5-lb. ankle weights)
• Bicycle Crunches (with 5-lb. ankle weights)
• Reg Sit-Ups Alternating With Glute Bridge
• Side Planks With Rotation
• Mountain Climbers (knee to opposite elbow)

Mclain ensures Viola does cool down at the end of every workout. In addition to classic stretches, they will use resistance bands to ensure that every muscle they worked that day is accurately stretched.

In Netflix's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Viola Davis played blues legend, Ma Rainey, in one of the greatest performances of 2020. Oscar-winning actress Gabriela Mclain helped the 55-year-old actress "get in shape" after filming, after gaining some weight in preparation for the role. “Love my amazing trainer, Gabriela Mclain! She played a major role in getting me back in shape after gaining weight to play Ma Rainey,” Viola tweeted on December 17. HollywoodLife recently sat down with the celebrity trainer for an exclusive interview about her workout sessions with Viola.“She is my hero, and now really knowing her, she is amazing. The way she is as an actor is a way she is as a human being. Not only is she an amazing actress but she is cool, somebody that you just want to hang out with,” Gabriela said of her client, unveiling that training helps the Oscar-winner build confidence. “The more she is training, the more she is capable of doing stuff that she wasn’t capable of when we started. Even though it is hard she still [does] it. That is what builds confidence.”Gabriela told me that Viola was "extremely disciplined" when she returned to the gym after performing in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. “She is focused and is extremely disciplined. She just does whatever I tell her to do and she executes it to perfection every single time and she keeps going until she figures it all out,” the PT explained. “She is a hard-working woman.” Viola is currently training for her upcoming role in The Woman King, and Gabriela said it would make her “look badass.”

“Right now she is in regular Viola shape because she trains three times a week … then she throws cardio in between and then she does some stretches and stays on top of her nutrition,” Gabriela explained, adding that she, “eats clean and is disciplined.” As for her workout schedule: “So Monday is cardio, wake the body up from the weekend. [We do] a lot of kickboxing and kicks, we use bags and light weights … [Viola] has limited breaks, we want to get her heart rate up and stay there.” Gabriela revealed they “don’t take breaks” while training. “For one hour we try to have the heart stay in the same zone.”On Wednesday, she explained, strength training would take place. “We do 35 seconds of movement and then a 10-second break. When we start with the legs that will help in fat burning … we do weights but nothing super heavy, 25 pounds is probably the heaviest.” The pair train with resistance on Fridays. “I will put 5-pound ankle weights on her feet so she has the resistance on the bottom and top of her body,” Gabriela explained. “[It is] more of a dynamic workout with the resistance bands [and] we always finish it off with a little stretch and that is pretty much it. I treat her body like an athlete, if you want to train, you have to follow the blueprints of an athlete.”That was all the workouts that she does in her week to prepare for various kinds of roles. She also does it to keep herself fit and healthy as she is suffering from medical conditions. In the next section, we will take a look at some of the tips that she gives out to keep her consistent in the gym and adhere to her plan.

Viola Davis Workout Tips and Tricks

Having trained Davis for a variety of projects, Page Six asked Mclain how he helped her transform from the voluptuous Ma Rainey to the different physique of the former First Lady Michelle Obama.Bringing back clean eating meant six meals a day, she went on to mention a shocking health tip, "Stop eating after seven." Late-night snacking packs in a lot of extra calories, but going without meals after seven o'clock would be challenging.Mclain came to America to pursue a singing career with none other than the original Material Girl, Madonna. After a hip injury interrupted her from continuing this path, she became a successful personal trainer and life coach for entertainment industry professionals.We'd like to know what specific workouts helped Davis along the way. Nowadays, the internet is littered with confusing weight loss treatments, so it's good to get an opinion from a professional before starting your research.

Preparing To Become Michelle Obama

"It's pretty much like a full-body workout. Just always keep including those arms," the trainer explained, "More like kickboxing. Yes, a lot of high-intensity interval training. (I) kind of made a little routine for us. For example, we go straight punch, curve punch, hook."On her official website, McLain sells her own specialized Zoom workout videos. Workout guides range in length from 15 to 20 minutes, and they include strength and sculpting exercises.She admired Davis's work ethic and the drive she brings to every session, "She's a real warrior. She's lifting stuff, she's moving stuff, so naturally, her muscles will get bigger and wider."If it means we can achieve Michelle Obama-level arms, we might reorganize some of our monthly payment plans. She also knew what would make Viola Davis' booty perfect: "Lots of squats, lots of deadlifts. Glute bridges, lunges, back lunges."

Exercise

“You know they say 80 percent of losing weight is what you eat, and 20 percent is exercise? I have 20 percent covered.” Davis explained to pop culture, “If I have to be at work at five a.m, I will get up at three and work out. I run, I do weights. I’m very toned. I’m like every other woman. I’d love to be 10 pounds or 20 pounds lighter. If I’m not, I’m OK with that, too. I’m good as long as I’m healthy.”What does she do to stay in shape? While listening to her favorite music while regularly hopping on the treadmill. Jumping on a treadmill for 45 minutes has many of the same benefits as running on a track. You'll burn more calories, improve endurance, sleep better, and your cholesterol will improve.In addition, Davis also shared that on rare occasions she exercises with weights, she opts for kettlebells. Using iron weights in the shape of balls can help people improve their endurance, posture, and flexibility.

Make massages a regular part of your life

In an interview with WebMD, Davis told them that one of her favorite luxuries is squeezing in a massage. Many people see getting a massage only as a way to pamper themselves, but a regular massage can help you improve your overall health.In addition to helping you unwind, a full body massage can also improve your skin's health, detox your lymphatic system, improve blood flow, and even support digestive health.

Positive thinking is essential

According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, people who are more optimistic live 11 to 15% longer. Accordingly, Viola Davis' infectiously positive attitude likely plays a key role in her wellbeing.“I don’t feed myself a mantra that suppresses the negativity,” she shared with SELF. “The negativity, the anger, being hurt is a part of the joy, a part of the passion, a part of all of it. I’m not a piece of Teflon, I’m a human being.”With that said, the actress announced that she is finding different ways to cope with negative emotions. She remembers the restless nights she experienced due to her negativity.“I live my life with a purpose, and I think when you do that things fall in line, and they fall in line in the exact order they should,” she says.

That was all about the workout tips that Viola Davis has to give away. In the next segment, we will talk about the diet plan that she gives away to her fans and friends so that they could understand exactly how she keeps herself energized.

Viola Davis Diet Plan

Viola Davis, who holds the title of most Oscar-nominated black actress of all time, opened up about her humble beginnings as a young girl who grew up in extreme poverty. She continued, “I didn’t have a lot of friends. I didn’t date or do any of that stuff. I was overweight and very, very shy,” she told People.Despite her lack of confidence, she learned to be more confident through her love of acting. Even though she broke into acting in the mid-1990s, her breakthrough role didn't come until 2008's Doubt. Although most actresses are used to being asked to lose weight for a role, Viola revealed that she had been asked to gain weight for her next big role in 2011's The Help.“It was absolutely wonderful having a practically all-female cast, there was just wonderful female energy,” the 52-year-old told Celebuzz at the time. “There were no egos, no one wanted to be the star. And we got to gain weight!”However, Viola had to lose weight to portray Susie Brown in the biographical film Get on Up, the mother of R&B legend James Brown, because she relied on Hugh Jackman's Wolverine diet to slim down. The diet Viola was prescribed in 2013 instructed her to schedule her meals in eight-hour blocks while fasting the remaining sixteen hours. She was allowed to eat whatever she wanted during those eight hours. "Despite being told not to binge, you choose to indulge for eight hours," she stated.Having reached her ideal weight, Viola relies on her regular workout routine in order to maintain her weight. Isn't it true that 80 percent of weight loss comes from what you eat and 20 percent from exercise? That's what she told Self magazine earlier this year. “If I have to be at work at 5 a.m, I will get up at 3 and work out. I run, I do weights. I’m very toned. I’m like every other woman. I’d love to be 10 pounds or 20 pounds lighter. If I’m not, I’m OK with that, too. I’m good as long as I’m healthy.”L'Oreal signed Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis to be the new face of their Paris brand in September. As part of the brand's latest promotion of self-worth and inclusion, the 54-year-old actress joins Helen Mirren and Celine Dion.The actress, 54, told the brand that receiving the opportunity to represent the beauty brand was an honor, but also a challenge.“As someone who is, self-proclaimed, not a “classic” beauty, my ultimate hope is that women out there are inspired by my image,” she said, per a press release. “I hope to convey that there is beauty to every age. Youthfulness is beauty in its most obvious sense, there’s classical beauty, but with age and experience come confidence — and there is nothing more beautiful to radiate than that. When you reach a certain age, the playing field is leveled in terms of looks, and what you’re left with is your self-worth and how you impact others. I want people to realize that this is the only thing that stands the test of time.”

Viola Davis on Wellness

Despite her beauty, How to Get Away With Murder's star turns heads for more than just her looks. Her commitment to her health is the reason why she is constantly praised for her appearance on the red carpet. As a result, let's learn how the actress keeps both her health and beauty in tip-top shape.

Maintaining her prediabetes

Davis was shocked to learn in 2016 she had prediabetes after a routine blood test.“I thought I was pretty fit and that I ate really well,” she revealed to Everyday Health, “Now I’ve made really good friends with my doctors, I exercise more regularly, sleep more, and watch what I eat—especially when I’m on set.”Even with her health regimen, Viola Davis is still at risk of developing prediabetes due to the fact that her two sisters, her aunt, and her paternal grandmother have all been diagnosed with diabetes.

Precisely what is prediabetes?

American Diabetes Association describes prediabetes, which affects 84 million American adults, as a condition in which blood sugar levels are high, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. Tests such as Hba1C (hemoglobin A1C) can be used to diagnose prediabetes. These results reveal the average glucose number attached to the hemoglobin in your red blood cells over the past three months. If the results read 5.7 to 6.4, then the patient most likely has prediabetes. Anything higher indicates diabetes.Diabetics who have prediabetes are at great risk for developing type 2 diabetes. It is imperative to manage your health once you have been diagnosed with prediabetes so that you can reduce your risk of complications. Otherwise, you will be at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, you must also deal with the complications that come with it. Some of these complications include heart disease, nerve damage, and even amputation.

The Paleo diet

Davis made sure to reevaluate her eating habits after she was diagnosed, adopting the Paleo diet as a result.“I’m redefining food, which I thought I already did” she explained, “But I’ve been vigilant about that. I am doing the Paleo diet.”A Paleo diet emphasizes the consumption of lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds while minimizing the consumption of processed carbohydrates like corn, wheat, and rice. Additionally, dairy products, legumes, and vegetable oils are prohibited by this diet.One study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition noted that diabetics who followed the Paleo diet saw decreases in blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as a reduction in A1C levels.

Negative aspects of Paleo

There are also some concerns with the Paleo diet. This is because the Paleo diet emphasizes consuming a diet similar to that of cavemen. Unfortunately, cavemen spent a lot of time hunting and gathering so that they could eat red meat. Diabetics are already more likely to contract heart disease. Increasing red meat consumption will only make matters worse.Furthermore, legumes are extremely high in fiber and this is beneficial to managing blood sugar levels in diabetics. If you have diabetes and are interested in adopting the Paleo diet, you need to discuss it with your health practitioner first.