Keke Palmer's trainer said she started lifting weights and eating more to prep for Met Gala 2023

• Keke Palmer has been lifting weights in her new fitness routine, her trainer Corey Calliet said.
• The actress has had "very fast" results returning to exercise after having her first child in February.

Keke Palmer prepared for her Met Gala look by lifting weights, eating more, and crushing intense HIIT routines, according to her personal trainer Corey Calliet.

The actress hit the red carpet Monday night in a strapless, form-fitting tweed gown from designed Sergio Hudson. Days earlier, she showed up at the Atlanta Film Festival in a cheetah-print bodysuit for the premiere of her new film and directorial debut, "Big Boss."

Calliet told Insider that Palmer reached out in late March to begin working with him first on Zoom, then through in-person gym sessions in LA. The actress had her first child February 25, and has spoken out against pressure to 'bounce back' after a pregnancy.

Calliet specializes in celebrity body transformations, including training Michael B. Jordan for "Creed 3".

He said Palmer was highly motivated and made quick progress when he started her on weight lifting workouts.

"She's an amazing client, and she can actually train," he said. "Her body changed a lot very fast, which was really impressive."

Calliet said Palmer incorporated exercises like goblet squats, glute bridges, kettlebell swings, and HIIT-style circuits, and also began eating more to fuel the intense routines.

Palmer's workouts include weight lifting five days a week

The "Nope" actress has previously stuck to workouts like pilates, body weight, and cardio, as reported in Shape.

Leading up to the Met Gala, she worked out every week day, resting on the weekends, and spent about an hour per session in the gym, including a warm-up, weight lifting, and conditioning, according to Calliet.

He said the strength training portion of the workout started with exercises for the lower body and back. Since those are big muscle groups, they take more energy to train, so it's best to tackle them first before any fatigue sets in, he said.

Calliet said each day's workout had specific focus on one muscle group — glute day, for example, includes exercises like squats, reverse lunges, and glute bridges, often with impressively heavy weight.

"Some of these glute exercises that women do, I can't do them myself," he said.

Calliet said that for lower body gains, he specifically loves goblet squats, which involve holding a weight in front of the body and can help build core muscle and stability.

Palmer also trained with kettlebells, which are ideal for powerful explosive movements like swings.

Basic, foundational exercises like squats, presses, and rows round out the rest of the workout, since Calliet said he "doesn't do anything fancy" and likes the tried-and-true classics.

"You don't have to re-invent the wheel," he said.

For cardio, she did HIIT and incline treadmill work

Calliet said he also likes to incorporate high-intensity interval training or HIIT into Palmer's workouts, with a circuit-style workout of both upper and lower body exercises as well as plyometric or explosive movements.

"I like HIIT because it's a mix of everything, with weight training and cardio at once," he said.

A typical circuit might include several rounds of push-ups, mountain climbers, sit-ups, jump squats, and battle ropes.

Calliet said the while Palmer is "not a big cardio person," he had her finish each workout with a short session on the incline treadmill for an intense, effective finisher to keep the heart rate high, burn fat, and boost stamina and overall health.

"Some cardio is mandatory for all my clients," he said. "You just don't want to do too much of it."

The biggest change to her diet was eating more to build muscle, trainer said

The most important part of Palmer's routine was good nutrition, which is crucial for any fitness transformation, according to Calliet.

"You can work out all day long but if nutrition is not aligned, you won't get there," he said.

He said that prior to working with him, Palmer hadn't been eating enough to build muscle. He had her work with a meal prep company to get a mix of carbs, fats, and protein to fuel her workouts.

"It wasn't a strict diet, more of a healthy lifestyle plan," Calliet said. "The main thing was eating more food because you have to eat to lose weight, and you have to lift weights to burn fat."