Shay Mitchell's Commitment to Fitness Will Inspire You to Stop Making Excuses

If you're one of the 19 million people who follow Shay Mitchell on Instagram, you're well aware of how much of a badass she is in the gym. And commitment to a good sweat is apparently her specialty.

In a series of Instagram stories, the Pretty Little Liars alum shared that she drove for more than an hour, despite being jet-lagged, just so she could squeeze in a workout with celebrity trainer Kira Stokes (the woman behind the 30-day plank challenge for a strong core and the 30-day arms challenge for toned arms).

"No one can outwork her," Stokes tells Shape. "I was beyond impressed with her ability to show up and give it her all. She's proof that if you want it, you make the time no matter how many obstacles are in your way." (

As if battling through LA traffic (no small feat) weren't enough, Mitchell had just landed back in LA from Hong Kong the night before and was severely jet-lagged and sore from a workout with her personal trainer Jay Cruz. Stokes tells us that the actress said she went straight to the airport from the gym. "We are cut from the same cloth because I'd do the same exact thing," she says.

What was intended to be a one-hour workout ended up being a two-hour full-body blast inspired by Stokes' The Stoked Method. "I wasn't going to have her travel over an hour and not make it worth her while," the trainer joked.

The demanding routine started with 25 minutes straight of high-intensity cardio. "Shay loves cardio and she loves to sweat," says Stokes. "She doesn't shy away from it so I incorporated some high-intensity moves in the beginning to help boost her energy and get her ready for what was next."

Some of the drills, such as Bosu ball burpees, jump squats, and mountain climbers were documented on Stokes' and Mitchell's Instagram stories, but Stokes says the pair did a series of other athletic drills outside. "My hotel gym was small so we went outside where it was pitch black and did some jump roping, lateral shuffles, high knees, and butt kicks by the pool," she says. (

Photos: Instagram/Kira Stokes

Next, Mitchell took on some isolation exercises with compound movements. "Every circuit was put together in terms of a compound strength move, like posterior-chain move, a plyometric or power exercise like the burpees and push-up on the Bosu ball, a cardio core exercise (sliders on the floor using a towel), and an upper-body weight isolation or a dumbbell isolation like the lunge pull she did using a cable," says Stokes.

In between each one of those circuits, she had Mitchell jump rope to keep her heart rate elevated at all times. "I believe adding in a cardio move like that in between circuits keeps the person engaged and focused," says Stokes. "It really helps with that mind-body connection." (

There's no denying Mitchell's strength, coordination, and dedication, and Stokes couldn't agree more. "She had the mindset of an athlete and trains like an athlete," she says. "Just the fact that she was in the gym at 9:30 p.m. the night before and drove an hour to come, despite having a 6 a.m. flight the next day speaks volumes about her dedication." The trainer goes on to say how impressed she was that a busy celebrity client, like Mitchell, finds the time to make fitness happen and be present during the workout. "That's something to be inspired by."