‘Black Panther’ star Danai Gurira’s trainer swears by these 5 moves

So it should come as no surprise that the actress works hard (like, really hard) to achieve her impressive strength.

And she has her trainer, AJ Fisher, to thank for her rigorous workouts–the two of them met through one of Danai’s Walking Dead castmates three years ago and have been training together ever since.

A typical week includes three to four workout sessions (four to five when Danai is ramping up for a movie or event), which last 90 minutes. “That really gives us enough time to incorporate all the necessary mobility and injury prevention work, on top of cardio and strength training,” Fisher told WomensHealthMag.com. “We do a lot of interval training-sometimes high intensity, sometimes moderate.” Basically, they pack a whole lot into those hour and a half sessions.

“It’s so wonderful working with her, she works so hard,” says Fisher. “She really loves working on her posture, targeting her deep core, and doing our mobility strength work.”

And when Danai is traveling, they do remote sessions together, or Fisher will send Danai a workout via text, so she can always keep up with her training.

Here, Fisher shares some of those on-the-go moves that she often recommends to clients. The best part: They’re all exercises that you can do at home, too.

Half Kneeling

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"This is a good exercise to help improve your balance and posture," says Fisher. "You get great hip mobility and high-intensity training at once. And it’s great for total leg strengthening; you’re toning your quads and your glutes."

How to: Come down into a lunge, right knee on the ground, holding a five- to 10-pound dumbbell in your left hand, arm straight. Using your core strength to stabilize, press down with your left foot to bring your right leg up and kick forward. Return to start. Repeat this for one minute on each leg. Repeat 10 times, with 30 seconds rest in between each set.

Bent-Over Row And Deadlift With Wash Cloth

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Don't underestimate this wash-cloth move. "It’s surprisingly hard to hold up a wash cloth," says Fisher. This move is great for when you 're traveling, because even if you don't have any other equipment, you always have a wash cloth or towel in your hotel room. "This one is great to challenge your back muscles, and activate them to help you perfect your form and get ready to lift heavier weights later on."

How to: Grab a wash cloth and hold it in both hands. Pull it apart, arms straight, hands shoulder-width apart. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Bend over from the hips until your back is almost parallel to the floor. Row arms toward chest, keeping wash cloth taut, squeezing shoulder blades together. Pause, then lower back down. Squeeze your glutes to return to standing. Complete for a minute. Repeat three to five times, with 30 seconds of rest in between each set.

Up for more of a challenge? Try Fisher's bonus move: Jump onto a pillow, and complete the moves on one leg.

Head Posture And Abs

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"I’m so strict about head posture," says Fisher. "When your head is forward, you’re going to overuse your neck and your abs aren’t going to get the workout they deserve." This move helps get your head and neck in a neutral position, so your abs are the focus. She also uses a towel under the heels in this series, "to challenge the lower abs even more-because they need to stabilize against the movement of the legs."

How to: Get in a seated position, knees bent, and lean back against a small exercise ball placed directly under bra line. Retract head, almost giving yourself a double chin. Grab a washcloth with both hands over your head, elbows bent. Pull towel taut and bend elbows to pulse arms overhead four times. Place the towel behind head. Pull towel forward as head retracts for four more pulses, straightening legs as you pulse. Pull towel taut overhead, arms straight. Pulse arms back behind torso four more times, bending legs to pull them closer to the body. Do these three motions for one minute. Repeat three to five times, with 30 seconds of rest in between each set.

Wall Humerus Fix

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"Wall sits are a great way to get leg work, while also working on posture," says Fisher. "When you’re sitting against the wall, you can practice getting your lower back into a neutral position, along with pelvic floor contraction and pulling your lower abs in." She also notes that this is a great way to practice getting your spine in the right position, before doing more weight-centric moves.

How to: Lean against a wall with your feet about two feet away from it, then bend your knees to 90 degrees and raise your arms in front of you. Make it harder by holding a resistance band in front of your body, and pulsing it outward. Hold for 60 seconds. Repeat three to five times, with 30 seconds of rest in between each set.

Couch Intervals

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"Most of us overuse our quads, and this move helps correct that," says Fisher. "If you can keep your calf connected to the couch as you go side to side, this will set you up for great lower-leg stability, and it'll allow you to engage your glutes so much more, rather than rely on your thighs."

How to: Get in a standing position, facing a couch. Place a resistance band around your ankles, and hold a ball overhead. Jump up to tap the cushion your left foot, then your right. Move across the couch as you do this, until you reach the other side. Then move in the other direction. Continue for 30 seconds. Repeat three to five times with 30 second rest in between each.

And to read more about Danai, check out our cover story from the July/August 2018 issue, on newsstands now.