Pictured (L-R): Erin Oprea, Maren Morris, Ryan Hurd. Photo: Zach Harrison
On Saturday (Nov. 10), Erin Oprea along with her country star clients, Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd, hosted the first CMA Brunch and Burn (sponsored by Avia and FIJI Water) held at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row in Nashville. Proceeds from the event benefit the CMA Foundation and their work to ensure every child has the opportunity to participate in a quality music program. Attendees made “pretty muscles” in an hour-long workout session followed by a brunch buffet and meet and greet with Oprea.
Based in Nashville, Oprea is a former marine known for training clients including Morris, Lee Ann Womack, and Carrie Underwood. She is the author of the 4×4 Diet which discusses four healthy eating habits and four-minute tabata workouts to transform your body. MusicRow sat down with Oprea to discuss her history as a trainer, as well as training tips for those in the music business.
MusicRow: How did you get your title as “Trainer to the Stars”?
Oprea: My first client was Aubrie Sellers, then Lee Ann Womack and Frank Liddell. From there, it went to Carrie Underwood. My passion was not to train celebrities, it was to just teach fitness and have fun with it. I wanted to spread the word that fitness could be fun, and through that it spread into what it is. I didn’t go looking to be a celebrity trainer. I get labeled that, but I am just a trainer.
Besides one-on-one personal training and the 4 x 4 Diet book, do you have any other resources for those who want to train like your star clients?
I can train the whole world; I actually have clients in England. I do virtual training classes, one on Monday night at 6 p.m. CT and one at 8:30 a.m. CT on Saturday morning. It is a live interactive class; I only take 30 people at a time. Everybody sees me, and I have a huge screen where I can see everybody, so I watch their form. We do a 45-minute workout and a 15-minute Q&A, where we talk about health and fitness questions. You can’t out train a bad diet. If you eat bad, you can workout all day long, but you are not going to get the benefits that you are looking for.
When did you make the move to Nashville and what brought the move?
End of 2005. My ex-husband wanted to move here, and I got divorced right after that. Then, I was here for custody. So I was like, “Well, I am in Nashville now,” and I hated it. I grew up in San Diego and thought this was awful. But now, I would never move back. I love it here. It has evolved and grown on me. I have the best job here; this is the best city. It was meant to be, but I just didn’t know it at the time.
Photo: Hunter Berry
What is your favorite spot to workout outside of the gym?
The Capitol stairs is one of my favorites. I really find it in every corner of the city. I can workout everywhere. I usually don’t stay put, so I take the whole city and the whole world as my gym. Put me on the corner of Broadway; I will workout.
For those who work in the music industry and are constantly busy, do you have any advice for people who find it hard to get the time to workout?
Time is definitely the issue for most people. It is trying to find [time] in little pockets here and there. Fit in tabatas; do a four-minute workout. You can do those anywhere. Before breakfast if you can get up and go for a little walk, start your steps off. If you can make your goal to get 10,000 steps in a day, you will see such a change in your body just by moving. Our bodies are made to move. The more you move, the better you feel; the more you sit, the worse it gets. Start moving and start mixing in little tabatas throughout the day. It’s easy, it’s quick, it’s effective, and it will work. Fit them in when and where you can.
Do you have any on-the-road snacks or go-to meals?
I live out of my car for 15 hours a day. The only thing I have to eat is what is in my car. I always have my oatmeal, eggs and blueberries. That’s the highlight of my breakfast. I have already had one bowl [today] and this is my second; I always have that in my lunchbox. You can have hard boiled eggs and veggies and dip. I do a thinkThin bar, creamy peanut butter and chocolate. Is it the healthiest, no. Will it keep me from having a sweet tooth, yes. I break it up into a third and get a third each part of the day.
How did the partnership with Maren, Ryan and the CMA Foundation come about?
So my job is all in music and I love both [Maren and Ryan]. I was like, “Let’s do a workout,” and I contacted the CMA and said, “Let’s do something for the charity.”
Do you foresee this event continuing in the future?
I would love to do it. Every year, I want to grow. We started doing a small one this year. I would love to do it next year and hopefully Maren and Ryan will want to continue to do it. This is what I love doing. I love getting on stage and seeing people smile while working out. It can be fun; let’s make it fun.
Pictured (L-R): MusicRow’s Alex Kobrick, Erin Oprea, MusicRow’s Haley Crow
