When you're focused on working out, it's important to optimize your hard work with your method of choice, recovery and proper nutrition. Ladders is a sports nutrition brand that offers premium supplements that is co-founded by LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ladder's Chief Nutrition Officer, Adam Bornstein tells us about Ladder and their new challenge Rituals>Resolutions.

ATHLEISURE MAG: LeBron James, his trainer Mike Mancias and Arnold Schwarzenegger coming together to create Ladder is a powerful combination. What led you to Ladder?

ADAM BORNSTEIN: Ladder was one of those opportunities you get where you have no idea what it will become but it's worth all of the time and effort. I was a part of Ladder long before it was ever a brand and growing business. Years ago, after LeBron's cramping game - and Mike’s quest to find better supplements - I was contacted by Arnold Schwarzenegger to help formulate the initial Ladder products that were designed for LeBron. I’d known Arnold for years, and he had seen my approach to nutrition, which is one backed by quality, safety, and results. So, when the opportunity came to formulate something for LeBron, it was one of those projects that are incredibly exciting. When someone puts faith in you to create a supplement that will be used by one of the greatest athletes ever, you not only have to rise to the occasion, but you need to go above and beyond and make what you create so much better than anyone’s expectations. That was the original mission and continues to be what drives me every day at Ladder.

AM: Tell us Ladder’s leading shakes and products? What’s the science behind it?

AB: One of the best aspects of Ladder is we only create products that we know work. So, every single ingredient and every amount needs to be backed up by numerous studies (on people, not animals), to say with confidence that it delivers results for the people that use the products. That means we don't have many products because only a few ingredients are undeniably effective. We have 2 protein powders (whey and plant), a Superfood Greens, and our Pre-workout (energy) product.

With the protein, we tried to examine what makes protein effective, which is the amino acids. In order to unlock all of the benefits of protein - everything from muscle gain and fat loss, to even qualities like better hair, skin, and nails - you need a complete protein that is high in essential amino acids and BCAAs. Many proteins might look good on a label with how much protein it has, but it's using a low-grade protein that won’t deliver all of those benefits.

For our Pre-Workout, we were very interested in a position paper by the International Olympic Committee that examined the most powerful performance supplements. Three ingredients stood out: caffeine, beta-alanine, and creatine. So, we built a product around that core and then added elements to help improve focus and ensure that the caffeine would cause a crash or jitters.

And our Superfood Greens focuses more on the essential nutrients in your body - things like magnesium or Vitamin D - that are very hard to get in your diet.

AM: The Rituals>Resolutions Campaign sounds exciting and productive! What does it emphasize and focus on?

AB: The Rituals>Resolutions campaign is designed to solve the age-old question of why it’s so hard for people to stick to their resolutions and see success. It's not that a resolution is a bad intention, but - by design - it’s set up to fail. Goals without systems can’t succeed. And the best way to build a system is to have a habit. And the best way to create habits that stick is to create a ritual that makes it easier for you to repeatedly do behaviors that will lead to desired outcomes.

Instead of having people do the same thing over and over again, we wanted to celebrate the rituals that create habits. Our goal at Ladder is to help anyone level up and better their best, and this is an important component of sharing how so many successful people are able to experience success at the highest level.

AM: Tell us about the featured Challenge led by master trainer Mike Mancias.

AB: We’re lucky at Ladder to have access to some of the best fitness pros in the world. And for the challenge, Mike Mancias worked with Alex Toussaint - a senior instructor at Peloton - to design a challenge that will improve all aspects of fitness. Together, Mike and Alex designed a workout that is a combination of strength and cardiovascular conditioning, requires minimal equipment, and is flexible so that anyone can fit the plan into their busy schedule. We know that after January, people start falling off with their goals. We wanted to make sure that we provided a challenging workout to keep people on track and offer the support of Mike and Alex to keep people motivated, working hard, and seeing results.

AM: What’s the hashtag to get involved, support and follow along?

AB: The Ladder Challenge really is for everyone. A big part of what Ladder does is it brings people together and builds a community so that people are not alone in their pursuit of living healthier and being more active. And the best part is it is driven by one of the best trainers in the world – who has worked with two of the most successful athletes in history – who are sharing insights and access to a wealth of information with anyone that wants it. Everyone can join the Ladder Challenge and engage with others taking the challenge socially using #LadderChallenge.

@LadderSport