Working on their fitness! Jen Shah is staying active as she serves her 78-month prison sentence by teaching her “Shah-Mazing Abs” class to her fellow inmates.
“She holds the classes on Thursdays and Fridays. It’s an hour-long class and it’s completely full every time,” Shah’s close friend and assistant Murilo Bueno exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, May 31. “Some people literally just watch from the sidelines. But she’s been having between 60 to 80 women in each class.”
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star, 49, organized her sessions through the prison staff and reports to a law enforcement administrator. “She’s really trying to stay busy,” Bueno explained. “And I think that this not only [worked] because it sounded great for her, but it also sounded good for them in there to help people stay active.”
Shah surrendered to FPC Bryan in Texas in February, one month after she was sentenced to six and a half years in prison. She was arrested in March 2021 and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The Utah native initially pleaded not guilty to both charges but later changed her plea in July 2022. The money laundering charge was dropped as a condition of her plea deal.
According to Bueno, Shah’s prison workout was inspired by a class the pair took last year.
“Around the end of summer last year, I had been going to this gym and I had a trainer. I eventually motivated her to come with me and I feel like that has to have some part in [her teaching classes] because I feel like she figured that she was so much stronger than she thought,” the assistant explained. “But she’s a lot physically stronger than she knows … She obviously learned that exercise helps with mental, physical, all around [health], so I think it’s also something she’s grasping to, to help others but also for herself.”
As the friends continued to take more classes together, they added weightlifting and HIIT cardio classes to their fitness routines. Shah easily flourished in the sessions, but Bueno teased that he would be “dying” and “drenched” from the intensity.
The reality star likes to mix it up when it comes to her workouts, but Bueno told Us that Shah typically starts with a warm-up of light cardio for five to 10 minutes. She then transitions to three sets of push-ups with 10 to 15 reps each, often doing the same amount of reps with lunges and mountain climbers.
After burning her legs, Shah goes into a plank for 30 to 60 seconds and repeats the motion two additional times. Following the plank, the Bravo personality does three sets of bicycle crunches and Russian twists for 10 to 15 reps each. Lastly, she cools down with a series of stretching exercises.
While Bueno encourages fans to give Shah’s workout a try, he reminded Us that results may vary from person to person. He also noted that nutrition and water intake also play a big role in achieving a fitter physique.
When asked what advice Shah herself might give to beginners, Bueno told Us: “Don’t compare yourself to others, take one day at a time and just push yourself. Just do it!”
With reporting by Sarah Jones
