Nita Strauss, the 39-year-old Los Angeles–based guitar shredder for the Alice Cooper band, has opened up about her fitness routine, workout music, and gym struggles in a new interview with Ramona Fernandez of Gym Rock Crew.
Asked whether she listens to anything while working out, Strauss explained that her approach depends on the type of exercise she’s doing. “I do,” she said. “During my cardio, I listen to some audiobooks and podcasts, because I am one of those people that finds cardio very tedious.”
Strauss admitted she doesn’t share the enthusiasm many people have for cardio workouts. “I know a lot of people, they love their cardio. I am not one of them,” she said. “So I’ll put on a book or some motivational podcast or something like that.”
When it comes to lifting weights, however, music is essential. “Then when I lift, I listen to music—mostly rock, of course, or metal,” Strauss said. She added that Spotify’s daily mix helps keep things fresh, often serving up bands like Soilwork and At The Gates, with a strong emphasis on melodic death metal.
“And then every once in a while I’ll go off the rails and listen to some really upbeat ’90s rock, like Sublime,” she said. “Sometimes I just feel like getting a little pep in my step when I do my workout.”
When asked about her favorite exercises, Strauss didn’t hesitate. “I like to do legs. I’ve always liked to train legs. I like to train heavy legs,” she said.
After suffering a knee injury a few years ago, Strauss has adjusted her routine, avoiding certain compound movements. “I don’t do a lot of compound lifts, like squats,” she explained. “I really do more hinge movements, like deadlifts or hip thrusts… more posterior-chain kind of movement, and I really enjoy that.”
Strauss was equally candid about her least favorite exercises — particularly upper-body movements. “I’ve not had a super strong upper body most of my life,” she admitted. “I get frustrated with upper-body movements.”
She went on to confess what she jokingly called her “secret shame”: “I cannot do a pullup — not even one body-weight pullup,” Strauss said. “I would love to get a pullup one day.”
While she doesn’t mind exercises like lat pulldowns, body-weight upper-body lifts remain a challenge. Strauss acknowledged that the only way to improve is to keep practicing — but as a guitarist, she has another concern. “As a guitar player, we’re all about the hands and the fingers,” she said. “I baby my hands like you wouldn’t believe. That’s the only thing that I’m a princess about — my fingers.”
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