Taraji P. Henson in Bikini Is “Sun-Kissed”

Taraji P. Henson is heating up the islands in her bikini. In a new social media post, the Empire star flaunts her fabulous-at-54 figure in a black bikini, wowing her followers. “St. Lucia owed me nothing and gave me everything. 🌴 Sun-kissed, soul-fed, and spoiled beyond measure – thank you @windjammerlanding for the beauty, the peace, and the vibes. Y’all really rolled the red carpet out… island-style. 🛥️✨,” she captioned the Instagram photos. How does the actress keep herself in stellar physical form? Here is how she keeps herself fit.

Taraji is big into strength training, striving to be sore. “I see results, I get fired up. Cause I know things are working,” she revealed on Instagram in the same video. “When you’re sore, don’t be discouraged. Sore means something is happening. Sore means things are happening. Fat is burning. Muscles are building. So you should want to be sore. You should hunger for that sore. Cause that’s when your body is going to change.”

Taraji told The Cut that making “healthier choices” is always her objective. “I had a health scare and I want to live. My health scare came from me not eating right. You think just because you’re small and you work out that everything is coming up roses, until you take a look inside. There are so many things that we eat that are bad for us — hormones in animals — that affect you. Coffee on an empty stomach — who knew it could kill you? I know now,” she said.

Taraji prioritizes protein. “I try to do my proteins,” she told The Cut about one of her diet tips. “When I want a salt taste, I’ll do boiled eggs with my fermented vegetables. When I want a sweet taste, I’ll grab a Special K protein bar or protein shake.” Taraji skips breakfast for a reason. “I do intermittent fasting, so I don’t eat until 11, and then most times I’ll do a protein shake,” she told WSJ.

“Honestly, Taraji is very disciplined in the gym,” her trainer told InStyle, revealing that she trains seven days per week when she isn’t working for one to two hours. “She’s the type of person that if you tell her she can’t do something, she’s definitely going to want to do it even harder. Her focus is second to none.”

Taraji usually begins her workout sessions with cardio. “I usually do that on the elliptical,” she told WSJ Magazine. “If I’m feeling really adventurous, I’ll do a 20-minute stint on my Peloton bike. If I’m feeling really lazy, I’ll just walk it out on the treadmill.”

How much sleep does Taraji aim for? “I would like to see eight hours. I don’t know when I’ve seen eight hours. I don’t know if it’s a problem, but I get about five to six hours. I want more, but that’s just where we are now,” she revealed.