Talking Shop is our series where we talk to interesting people about their most interesting buys.
Derek Hough quite literally never stops moving. It’s par for the course as a professional dancer, especially one that also happens to be a Dancing with the Stars judge and a four-time Emmy Award-winning choreographer who’s currently creating, directing and preparing to star in Symphony of Dance: Encore, a 40-city tour that starts in June. Among all his roles, however, there’s one he’s proudest of: being a dad. Hough and his wife, fellow dancer Hayley Erbert Hough, welcomed their daughter Everley in December, and he says parenting has been “an absolute 10 out of 10” experience.
While bottles, diapers and strollers are some of Hough’s most-used products right now, there’s a handful of others that he leans on daily. He shares the 8 essentials he swears by below, and how his recent partnership with Barilla goes beyond a bowl of pasta (since you’re probably wondering, he prefers his with spicy tomato sauce on top).
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Exercise is a constant in Hough’s personal and professional life: As a dancer, it’s a given, but he also firmly believes that everyday movement boosts your mood. So when it comes to working out, it’s never a matter of “if” — it’s a matter of how. Hough adjusts his training based on what he’s working on, and he’s currently preparing for his tour, which starts in June.
“Right now, I’m in a bulking phase where I’m focused on building mass and strength, so I’m using heavier weights. But as I get closer to touring, I’ll use less weight,” says Hough. “With weights, you’re tearing the muscle and then you need recovery. I don’t want to tear my muscles before tour. I want to keep them limber, mobile and loose, so I start leaning out, but the bulk work I did will still be there.”
When he’s training, Hough says these adjustable weights are essential at-home gym equipment. “I don’t have a ton of room in our garage, which is where I go to workout, and if I’m trying to put on mass and muscle, these adjustable weights are great because they don’t take up a ton of room and they get the job done,” says Hough. “You can make them big and heavy, or you can go down to five pounds. They’re also easy to adjust with a few clicks — I remember having adjustable weights 20 years ago that were really clunky and you had to put pins in them for different loads, but these are much more convenient.” The weights come in pairs, each with four half plates, and you can adjust their weight in 5-pound increments by turning the handle. The minimum weight is 5 and the maximum weight is 100 pounds.
“When I’m in a bulking phase, I need as much protein as I can possibly get to recover and repair my muscles,” says Hough. “Just Ingredients’ protein powder is clean and really basic. It’s not getting too fancy, but it gives me extra protein.” Each serving of the whey-based powder has 24 grams of protein, and while chocolate is Hough’s flavor of choice, you can also buy it in vanilla bean, creamy peanut butter, mint chocolate and more.
The Athlos Fitness Store Ab Mat also earned a spot in Hough’s at-home gym. “When you do ab exercises like sit-ups, your tailbone and lower back can hurt if your form isn’t quite correct,” he says. “This ab mat is small, cushioned and has a little curvature to it — it’s nothing crazy, but it’s just enough to support your lower back. It puts you in the right position to properly target your lower core without having to overthink your form, which I love because then I can be sure I’m not messing up my lower back or anything like that.”
“I was told as a dancer, ‘Oh, you’re going to have a career until you’re 22.’ I’m 40, and I’m about to go hit a 40-city tour, so it’s really about taking care of yourself as much as you possibly can,” says Hough. He relies on recovery tools like the Hypervolt 2 Pro massage gun to keep his body feeling its best. “I’ve been using massage guns for many, many, many years, and they’re wonderful to target specific spots,” he says. “I also love the [Hyperice] Normatec inflatable compression boots for my legs when they’re sore.” This massage gun has five speeds and comes with five interchangeable attachments, plus it connects to the brand’s app, which guides you through warm-up and cool-down routines.
“When Hokas first came out, I’m not going to lie, I was like, Low key, those are not very good looking shoes,” says Hough. “But then I put them on, and I was like, Alright, alright, they’re super comfortable. This pair is fantastic for walking, a light jog and everyday life. They’re great on the knees and hips, and you just kind of walk on clouds.” One caveat? Hough is not dancing in his Hokas. He says they’re too cushioned for any exercise that requires frequent direction changes, such as dancing and CrossFit.
“This might be the most important item on the entire list,” Hough joked. “When I’m on tour or doing a show, that requires the really cheap hair stuff, like Got2B Glued. But I use this every day. I get out of the shower, I put it in my wet hair, and when it dries, it gives me texture that I can play with and move around. It’s not like a helmet — when I’m on stage, my hair has to last through two hours of dancing, turning and sweating, so that’s a helmet.”
“I will not take credit for anything baby-related,” says Hough after I asked him about shopping for essentials prior to his daughter Everley’s arrival. “My wife did all the research, put in the time and effort and knew all the best brands. We tried it all out together, but she’s the master.”
Tushbaby’s Hip Carrier is one of the products Hough and Erbert Hough are most excited to use when Everley is a bit older. “We’re still in the phase where she’s working on neck control, so I’m wearing a carrier that has every part of her body secure,” he says. “But the hip carrier is on standby. We love the outdoors, so it’s ready to go for trips, and so is a baby carrier hiking backpack we got.”
“No pun intended, but I’ve got a lot on my plate,” says Hough about juggling Dancing with the Stars, his upcoming tour, other projects and being a new dad. “Partnering with Barilla on this campaign combined some of the things that are most important to me, especially now: doing daily movement to feel good and stay energized, eating healthy and convenience to utilize whatever time you have.” Hough worked with Barilla to create Training Timers, mini 8 to 10-minute workouts you can do while its new Protein+ Stars pasta cooks. “It’s very accessible since it’s just body weight, and I give different modifications, so really anyone can do it,” he says. “I often say that the way you move affects the way you feel — motion equals emotion. With the training timers, we’re inviting people to move their bodies, which makes them feel great, and then they’ll enjoy their meal.”
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