Jonnie Peacock, Strictly Come Dancing (2004-Present) fame and the first disabled celebrity who participated in the show is not only a good dancer, but he is also a Paralympics double world champion.
Here we get to know about his fitness secrets, workout motivation, diet indulgence, how Strictly Come Dancing has changed his lifestyle and the key reason why he opted for participating in the show.
Devising HIIT Workout
The sports personality has designed his own High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout with an aim to help everyone on the dance floor, the gym, and the track. Further, he designed HIIT workout to enhance his conditioning and aerobic fitness which is a vital requirement for any athlete.
His 100-m training is usually focused upon quick and intense bursts that help with acceleration.
Training for Strictly Come Dancing
The European champion has shared that though he likes participating in the show, he didn’t realize that it would be quite tricky. As learning all the moves is a challenge for him, he doesn’t want to worry about fitness on top of it.
He has designed “HIIT the Floor 100” to re-train his body and give him a considerable boost in his aerobic ability. He has switched short 100 meters sprints on the track with dance practice in the dance studio.
Differences between a Dance Floor and an Athletics Stadium
The English sprint runner says that an athletics stadium and a dance floor are very different things. He never feels nervous in an athletics stadium because he knows that he has done all the necessary training and got all the support he needs. But when he is on the dance floor, he feels nervous about messing it up because he knows he trained for just three and a half days and is usually not confident of getting the steps right or has any faith in his dancing abilities.
He says that sprinting is easier than dancing because you just go up and down while sprinting but for dancing, you need to remember more steps.
Life’s Inspiration
The Cambridge-born says that he was mad for football when he was younger and David Beckham was his inspiration. This inspiration was a core reason why he made a career in sports.
Changes in Life
Johnathon says that his new-found celebrity lifestyle has made him busier and more popular. So much so that a person sneakily took his picture when he was on the train. He hasn’t changed as a person yet because he is just happy when he is sitting on the sofa at home with his girlfriend and his dogs.
Workout Motivation
The son of Linda Robert says that he stays focused during his rigorous training of more than 40 hours a week by hoping to do better and improve his skills. He also said that he still prefers a gym floor to a dance floor.
Bench Pressing
His personal best is 115 kg.
Water or Beer
He prefers a pint of water over a pint of beer.
Diet Indulgence
The Strictly heartthrob admits that he likes to indulge in a burger occasionally.
Breaking the Stigma
The amputee sprinter shared that he appeared on Strictly Come Dancing because he wanted to break the stigma regarding his disability. He says that till now, his upper body has been a challenge and not his leg.
When he was five years old, he contracted meningitis, and he had to have his right leg amputated below the knee level. He was bullied at school as a result.
He also highlighted that people often have perceptions about what a disabled person can or cannot do and he hopes to break this stigma by showing his dance moves.
Not Consulting a Medical Professional
The dance partner of professional dancer Oti Mabuse says that he didn’t have a consultation with doctors before participating in the show as his prosthetic leg was not a big concern for him.
Working Extra Hard
The sports star embarked upon an intense training journey that lasted two weeks before the show began. He said that the show is scarier than the London 2012 Paralympics where he won gold. Explaining the reason, he said that he prepared for the latter for three-four years but for the former, he only had a two weeks’ time.
Fun is the Focus
Though most participants aim to win the show when they participate, that’s not the core focus for him. He is just hoping to have a lot of fun during this new journey.
Training Issue
Peacock shared that rather than falling off during dance training session, his focus is on not standing on Mabuse’s toes. Oti says that he is very good at it, he works hard and absorbs all the information, but they still have a long way to go as there is a lot of scope for improvement.
Featured Image by Kelbv / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
