‘DWTS’ Judge Derek Hough Unveils New Series Combining Cooking & Workouts

Martin Holmes January 13, 2026, 10:36 am

What To Know

Derek Hough has launched a YouTube series featuring eight-to-ten-minute micro workout routines inspired by pasta shapes.
The routines require no special equipment and are designed for anyone to follow, with Hough emphasizing the importance of movement for emotional well-being.

Dancing With the Stars judge Derek Hough is taking his skills from the dance-floor to the kitchen as he teams up with Barilla for a new campaign aimed at creating micro workouts for those looking for quick pasta recipes.

Hough, who recently welcomed a daughter, Everley Capri Hough, with his wife Hayley Erbert, has joined up with Barilla for its Protein+ Training Timers campaign. In a series of YouTube videos, Hough leads viewers through eight-to-ten-minute routines inspired by Barilla’s Protein+ pasta shapes.

According to People, this includes moves such as penne plié squats, rotini spiral planks, and spaghetti curls. There are also star jacks, inspired by the latest shape to join the Protein+ lineup.

“No pun intended, but I got a lot on my plate,” the new dad told People. “You’ve always got to find the moments to get your fitness in.”

Hough noted that anyone can take part in following the routines, as they don’t require any special equipment. “I often say that motion equals emotion,” he said. “The way you move directly affects the way you feel.”

The six-time Mirrorball Trophy winner also shared with the outlet his New Year’s resolution for 2026, saying the keyword is “presence.”

“There’s been a lot of times in the past where I’ve accomplished something and I do it and I’m like, ‘I don’t even remember what we just did, the process, because I was so focused on the result instead of the actual experience of it,'” he stated, saying he wants to be more “in the moment” this year.

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He also encouraged people to turn their “shoulds” into “musts,” saying, “I think we’re always like, ‘I should work out,’ ‘I should eat better,’ ‘I should do this.’ And you’re never really going to follow through with those. Instead, turn it into a must.”

As well as serving as a judge on DWTS, Hough began hosting Extra in September 2025, and he has no plans of slowing down in 2026, despite expanding his family.

“I think this year is going to be just jam-packed full of so many different opportunities and so many different projects that I’m working on and tours and shows,” he said. “And now I get to have this amplified and shared experience with a new family. So I’m very excited.”