Get to know the trainer everyone is talking about, Kirsty Godso

From Hailey Bieber’s postpartum journey to preparing Charli xcx for a world tour, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes for New Zealand’s Kirsty Godso on any given day of the week. She’s one of the most sought-after trainers in the world, famous for her ‘hot-sauce burpees’ (they’re every bit as hard as they sound), and more recently, her fitness app Pyro, and her protein brand, Made Of. Last year, she made the decision to move on from her 13.5-year partnership with Nike, and now she looks out to the horizon for what’s next. In honour of New Year’s resolutions, and long-lasting wellbeing, she even shares her go-to routine for anyone else stuck in a rut.

What drives you to move your body on the hard days?

Caffeine! On hard days, I simplify the plan—that’s my best advice to anyone. Don’t make it feel hard or complicated, make it feel accessible and just get your body moving. My workouts aren’t often perfect or what I had planned, as I’m trying to fit them in around clients, meetings, and shoots. But I know how much better I’ll feel from moving, even if sometimes it’s just getting a walk in or doing some of my mobility exercises.

What is your training philosophy, and how does it set you apart from others? Has it evolved over the years?

I’ve been synonymous with high-intensity training my entire career—it’s how I started in my early twenties, and it’s what I became known for. But what people don’t always realise is that strength training has always been my foundation. That’s never changed. My philosophy now, and how I program for both my clients and Pyro, is built around three pillars: workouts anchored in strength, calculated cardio that gives you the intensity you need without burning you out, and what I call ‘spicy sculpt’—athletic mat Pilates that challenges you in a completely different way. What sets me apart, especially when training women, is the level of detail and observation I bring. I’m constantly watching how someone’s body responds—not just during a session, but over weeks and months—and making micro-adjustments accordingly. It’s a fine art, honestly. I’m sculpting bodies in a way that makes my clients feel confident and strong, while also meeting the very real demands of their careers and the roles they inhabit. There’s strategy behind every rep.

Anyone who has tried your workouts will attest to this—you work hard! What do you tell yourself to push through the sticky parts?

I have this mantra I use: ‘you’ve gotten through worse.’ It sounds a little intense, maybe, but it works for me every time. There’s something genuinely exhilarating about confronting yourself in those moments—testing your limits and discovering what you’re actually capable of. I’m always a little curious about where my edge is, and I know the feeling on the otherside when you break through is always worth it. That’s the part I’m chasing.

What are your non-negotiable rituals to set you up for success?

Be specific about what you want. It’s really hard to succeed if you can’t be clear on what your goals are. This also helps you identify how you’ll get there and adds an element of structure and accountability. Your plan can be adjusted along the way, but you do need an element of direction otherwise you can get caught up in a lot of random things that are deviating you from where you need to go.

You said online that 2025 was your year of radical honesty. What did that look like, and what is 2026 your year of?

2025 required a lot of hard, honest conversations—the kind you don’t want to have but know you need to. I had to end things that had become deeply intertwined with my life and identity. Leaving Nike after 13.5 years felt like leaving a marriage. It was massive. But I knew it was necessary for my next evolution, and honestly? It’s been the best decision I ever made. I’m a firm believer in betting on yourself, even when it’s terrifying. So 2025 was about doing the hard work, making difficult changes and laying the groundwork. 2026 is my year of execution. I’m doubling down on my businesses: Made Of, my New Zealand grass-fed whey isolate protein powder company, and Pyro, my fitness platform. They’re both incredible, but I’ll be honest—I haven’t always been able to give them the attention they deserve because I’ve been juggling clients and brand partnerships. This year, they get their moment. We just had a collaboration between Pyro and Beats by Dre, which was an absolute dream come true, and that’s just the beginning.

Do you believe in motivation? Or is it more about discipline?

I believe in both, but motivation without discipline is just a nice thought. It doesn’t get you anywhere on its own. That said, I’ve learned discipline is a double-edged sword. I love it—I know how powerful it can be—butit can also become a prison if you lean too hard into control. I’ve been there, and it’s not sustainable. What I try to teach people now is a healthier balance. Use discipline as your guideposts, your structure, your accountability—but not a chokehold. Life isn’t meant to be lived like that. There has to be room to breathe, to adapt, to be human.

A lot of the people you have worked with have careers that require them to look a certain way and maintain a certain level of fitness. How does this change how you approach a routine?

Working with my private clients has completely evolved my toolkit, and I’m so grateful for it. These are some of the most scrutinised women in the world—there’s immense pressure on them to look a certain way. So the most important thing for me is making sure they feel good for themselves, not just for everyone else’s expectations. In terms of how I approach their training, there’s foundational work that stays consistent across the board, but then there are very specific demands depending on what’s happening in their careers. Olivia Rodrigo or Charli xcx preparing for world tours requires a completely different strategy than Kaia [Gerber] or Maddie [Ziegler] getting ready for a film or a major runway show, or Hailey [Bieber] navigating pregnancy and postpartum. Those factors shift where we place our focus, but my main objective is always keeping them ready at a baseline level of strength and conditioning—because in their world, there’s always something happening. A major shoot can pop up with 48 hours’ notice. They’re some of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met, and I’m endlessly proud of them.

On fads and trends—what things do you see not lasting long in this space, and what are routines and rituals that still ring true? And what do you think we’ll be seeing more of and less of this year?

I think we’re going to see the supplement market get even more saturated—there’s always a new miracle product being pushed. But what’s encouraging is that consumers are becoming more informed and discerning. People are starting to strip back their routines to what their bodies actually need rather than falling for every marketing claim that comes their way. I also think we’ll see more emphasis on strength and longevity training, and less of the ‘burn yourself out’ mentality that dominated for so long. There’s a shift happening toward sustainable fitness—people want to feel strong and capable for the long haul, not just for a six-week challenge. And hopefully, we’ll see less performative wellness and more people actually doing the work quietly and consistently. The Instagram-perfect version of fitness is exhausting. Real results come from showing up, not posting about it.

If you could tell people to do just three things to improve their health, wellbeing and fitness for the year ahead, what would they be?

These are three, easy to execute things, that will make a big impact on your health and wellness. Cook more of your own meals! Having awareness about what is in your food from oils to salt to everything elseis a big unlock. It doesn’t have to be boring either! But when you eat out/buy pre-made food all the time there’s often a lot of fillers and stabilisers that your body doesn’t need. Active steps throughout the day. Breaking up your day, especially if you have a desk job, with little 10min bursts of activity like taking a 10min digestive walk after your lunch or shifting a Zoom to a walking phone call can really change how your body and energy feels across the day. It sounds small but it can be really powerful and is an easy thing to hold yourself accountable to even if you have a slammed schedule! I’m a bigger fan of regular mini movement moments across the day versus a 10K steps walk in one burst. Pick one thing for your fitness this year you want to work on and create a plan around it. For example, to do a chin up, to do a hip thrust at a certain weight, to run your fastest mile or your first 10km run. Having a performance-oriented goal is really exciting and helps keep you both accountable and motivated. This can often be the gateway into a whole new world of training for you also.

What would be your words of motivation to someone who might feel a little stuck in their fitness journey?

Now is always the right time to start! It’s so easy to keep pushing that start date back but you will feel so much better when you actually begin. If you’re not sure what to do or need some extra motivation, book a workout class with a friend so you have some accountability, or join a gym that has some great group fitness classes where you can learn some technique in a supportive environment before perhaps exploring your own strength interests on the gym floor. The structure takes the guess work out of it. When you’re just starting or restarting, your body is incredibly receptive to change. You’ll see progress faster than you think, which creates momentum. The hardest part is the mental loop of overthinking it. Starting is always less daunting than the story you’re telling yourself about starting. 

One final note—tell us one thing about you that might surprise us!

I'm an extroverted introvert. I love people and am super social and energetic but I also love time alone to recharge and reset. It’s that duality that allows me to get all my work done.