A 38-year-old fitness founder shares 2 habits she uses to build muscle

Morgan Kline, cofounder of Burn Boot Camp, emphasizes two key habits that contribute to her muscle-building routine. Kline, 38, began attending Burn Boot Camp classes four to five times a week following college, where she struggled to maintain her exercise regimen. Growing up as an active individual, Kline was a dancer and three-sport athlete in high school, but her routines changed when she stopped playing collegiate athletics.

Her body image issues emerged during college and led her to cofound Burn Boot Camp in 2012 with her husband, Devan. Unlike other fitness centers, Kline's studios do not have mirrors as she believes trainers should provide feedback on safe movements, and she finds mirrors distracting.

Kline's muscle-building habits involve compound exercises, such as deadlifts and pull-ups, which engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously. She focuses on increasing her deadlift weight and improving her pull-up count. Compound exercises like these help her glutes, hamstrings, back, core, arms, shoulders, and lats. Additionally, Kline adheres to a protein-rich diet, ensuring every meal contains good, whole-food protein alongside carbs and fats.

Her go-to meals include chicken or ground beef with sweet potatoes, rice, and vegetables, as well as eggs and chicken sausage for breakfast. Plant-based protein powder is added to her smoothies. Kline maintains these routines to prioritize fitness, set healthy examples for her children, and prepare for future grandparenthood.