NEWSPeta Murgatroyd Shares Her Energizing Secrets For DWTS' Grueling Schedule
Nov. 1 2013, Published 7:45 p.m. ET
Every Monday Dancing with the Stars fans see pro dancer Peta Murgatroyd shake it in the ballroom with her celeb partner Brant Daugherty, but what you don't see is the six hours of daily rehearsals the couple endures to perfect the finished product for national TV. This week has been particularly stressful for Brant and Peta as they attempt to work around the actor's Pretty Little Liars filming schedule (one day he was scheduled to be wrapped at 3 PM and didn't finish until 830 the next morning—yikes!). So how does Peta do it all and look flawless for the cameras? She shares her secrets with OK!.
OK!: Are there really and truly any days off for you during the season?
Peta Murgatroyd: There are no days off. I haven’t had a day off since we started the show and neither has Brant. He’s been amazing. He’s so wanting to be in the studio. I don’t think I’ve had a partner who has been so immersed in this whole competition. He’s absolutely loving it and I love that about him. This show is constantly on my mind and if I’m not in the studio I’m choreographing the next chunk of our dance for that week. On Monday night when people go out and party after the show I’m literally back in the studio and working out my next dance until 1 AM. It’s a constant, constant battle to keep up with everything but in the end it’s all worth it. We keep up with massages. We keep up with healthy eating and lots of water and stuff like that.
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OK!: Nutrition-wise, what gives you the most energy?
PM: I love taking fruit with me. Berries, pineapple, watermelon—stuff that has a lot of water in it and sugar as well so it really keeps me going. I mess up sometimes, too, and I have chocolate because my body is craving sugar. But I find Gatorade is really good. I know it has a lot of sodium in it but the electrolytes totally work for what we’re doing right now. We exert so much energy in that six hours of rehearsal. We need to replenish our bodies constantly.
OK!: During your hiatus, how do you stay fit to be ready for the next season?
PM: My body is like a typical female’s and I put weight back on when I finish the season and I always drop a heap of weight during the season. I think I’ve dropped 10 lbs already since I started. I feel really good about myself and like my body is obviously better during the season. When I’m off season I work out with a personal trainer and I go to a hot yoga class. I do boxing—my body needs a lot of cardio to maintain my weight. I do weight training as well. I’m definitely not one of those girls that can just sit around and do nothing and not put on weight.
