DWTS Runner-Up Debuts Body Transformation

After finishing “Dancing With the Stars” in second place in November 2021, runner-up JoJo Siwa decided to spend the next year really working on herself. The 19-year-old took some time for self-care, putting her “physical health” first — and it has paid off.

On December 31, 2022, Siwa shared a picture of herself heading into 2023 — with toned muscles and more definition in her abs.

“First and last pic of 2022. I NEVERRRR take ‘progress pictures’ because they make me uncomfortable… however after a year of putting tons of focus on my physical health I am soooo proud of the muscle/strength I’ve gained!! I looked like the first picture EVERYDAY literally. Sweated and sweated,” she captioned an Instagram post.

Here’s what you need to know:

Siwa Experienced Lots of Changes While Competing on ‘Dancing With the Stars’

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As one of the youngest competitors to take part in “Dancing With the Stars,” some may say that Siwa may have had an advantage. Regardless, she experienced some serious changes while learning how to ballroom dance and previously opened up about them.

“My mind has changed more than my body has, for sure,” she told Us weekly in November 2021. “I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned a lot about being happy. I’ve learned a lot about — just yesterday and the day before — not second-guessing myself and being on eggshells,” she continued.

“I learned a lot about my mind. It’s growing and it’s changing. And I think the biggest way that it has is I’ve become more open-minded about myself. I’ve always been open-minded about others, but I think I’ve been closed-minded with myself. And I think it’s cool that I’m finally a little open-minded,” she added.

In an interview with Hollywood Life, Siwa shared that she gained a ton of muscle strength on the show.

“Jenna [Johnson] has transformed my body. I could not do one single push up when we started and now, every day we do 15 solid nose to the ground, no cheating push-ups. I do it twice a day — once with her, once on my own,” she shared. This seemed to inspire her to keep going and really challenge herself — and she appears to be very happy with her progress.

Siwa Said She Hasn’t Had the Best Body Confidence in the Past

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Being seen by millions of people on social media means that there will always be scrutiny and someone will always be watching with eagle eyes.

Interestingly, though she appears to exude confidence, Siwa has admitted that she hasn’t had the best body confidence.

“[Jenna Johnson] figured out that I’m not very confident in my body, in the way that I look, and she was not having it at all. Jenna was like ‘We are not doing that here. Never ever.’ She got me over it and she got me over the hump. It’s something that I didn’t really tell anybody about. I didn’t even really tell my family about it. Nobody knew about it. It was something that I kept to myself,” Siwa told Hollywood Life.

The social media star has received a ton of positive feedback along the way and her fans showered her with love on social media after she shared the picture of her toned abs.

“Inspiring young girls to focus on the health/strength aspect of working out <3 that’s what it’s all about Jojo,” one Instagram user commented on Siwa’s post.

“Always stunning. You should be so proud,” someone else wrote.

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