FITNESS ANGELS WITH KIRK MYERS

The month of Oct has a number of events that are iconic and one of them is the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show that blends the brand, models, personalities and entertainers together here in NYC. Walking the runway, rocking the wings and harnassing all of that energy means preparation. Some of that preparation involves working out so that each person has the confidence in how they feel and look. Kirk Myers, founder of DOGPOUND Gym has been working with models since 2016. We wanted to know more about how he approaches this show with his clients, how we can incorporate their workouts into our own sessions, and the power of recovery and hydration! If you missed the show, we have soem of our favorite moments.

ATHLEISURE MAG: How long have you been doing this runway-model prep work? What’s your ideal timeline when a client has a target date?

KIRK MYERS: I’ve been a trainer for over 20 years, and The Victoria’s Secret Angel work began around 2016 when I was introduced to Jasmine Tookes by her hairstylist Marty Harper. The ideal timeline would be around 12 -16 weeks, but can be adjusted according to their goals. If I know ahead of time that someone has a runway show, we can adjust quickly.

AM: What are your go-to tips you give in prep for the show?

KM: My go-to tips are:

○ Core control & breathing over “abs for show.” Engaging the core properly (with breathing) supports everything—not just aesthetics.

○ Train for function and movement, not just isolation. For models, strength, mobility, stability, sometimes boxing, and other low-impact work, like resistance bands, help keep the body balanced.

○ Volume + consistency wins. We usually go through repeated higher-rep cycles (bands, sliders, and bodyweight) to fatigue.

○ Recovery & rest built in. Models don’t want to be constantly sore. So I suggest rest days, lower-impact exercises, stretching, and hydration to aid recovery. Replenishing electrolytes with something like Vita Coco helps restore balance and supports muscle repair after training.

○ Tailor every plan - I like to tailor each plan to the client. Taking into account what they’ve done before, while adapting our training to include what they enjoy most.”

AM: For a beach-body runway feel (or just prepping for a vacation), what are 3 workouts to include?

KM: Here are three I would include with some variation:

○ Circuit of Resistance Bands + Bodyweight Supersets - Combine exercises like banded glute bridges, lateral band walks, pushups, inverted rows, core planks, etc., in supersets. Very model-prep friendly.

○ Core & Anti-Rotation Movements - Moves like planks, side planks, and medicine ball slams. These help define the waistline and improve posture.

○ Low-to-Moderate Load, Metabolic Strength Rounds - Use lighter weights with higher reps in a circuit style (e.g. walking lunges, dumbbell swings, overhead presses) to build lean muscle while metabolically challenging the body (i.e., burning fat). You can layer those with mobility work, active rest, and light cardio (walking, incline treadmill, etc.) for extra burn without overtaxing the body.

AM: How important is functional strength training and what does that look like?

KM: It’s pretty important to help create a balanced look. Functional strength means strength you can use: stability, balance, core control, coordination, and mobility integrated for daily life.

What that entails:

○ Multi-joint movements (squats, deadlifts, lunges, and presses)

○ Single-leg, unilateral work (e.g. single-leg deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats)

○ Core + anti-rotational work (to resist twist and torque)

○ Mobility + stability paired (e.g. loaded carries with anti-lateral fl exion as well as crawling patterns)

○ Dynamic & reactive work (e.g. plyometrics, mini bounds, and stability challenges) where appropriate

AM: Recovery is essential. What recovery rituals do you suggest?

KM: I would suggest the following:

○ Active recovery and mobility days (light movement, yoga, stretching, as well as foam rolling)

○ Massage, soft tissue work, and percussion devices

○ Quality sleep

○ Hydration + electrolytes through beverages such as Vita Coco

○ Compression and stretching post-workout

AM: Let’s talk hydration! How important is it before, during, and after a workout?

KM: It is important before and after! I recommend hydrating well in the hours leading up, especially with something electrolyte-heavy like Vita Coco. Coconut water is one of the most effective natural ways to hydrate since it is packed with potassium, magnesium, and sodium to help your muscles perform at their best. Bring a water bottle filled with Vita Coco to sip on throughout your workout; it’ll keep you refreshed without the artificial dyes found in many sports drinks.

Post-workout, hydration is just as key. Vita Coco helps replenish electrolytes lost through sweat, supporting faster recovery and preventing that sluggish, dehydrated feeling that can follow a tough session. Think of it as the natural way to power your performance and bounce back stronger.

AM: How can we juggle fitness goals and holiday season indulgences?

KM: I don’t want clients to go into guilt mode. We can plan to be smart, be fl exible, and stay consistent with habits even during the holiday season. Clients do virtual training to maintain balance and also focus on nutrition so they can continue to make healthier choices, even while traveling. Going for a walk is always a good idea!

IG @kirkmyersfitness

@vitacoco

@victoriassecret

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 156/Kirk Myers | PG 159 - 161 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show |

IN PHOTO | CANDICE SWANEPOEL

IN THE PHOTOS | L: Angel Reese + R: Emily Ratajkowski

Read the OCT ISSUE #118 of Athleisure Mag and see FITNESS ANGELS WITH Kirk Myers in mag.

SONGS TO LIVE BY | ROB THOMAS

There are certain songs on our playlist that transcend just being songs. They’re moments, portals to place and time in our lives, and in many cases the sound is timeless no matter how many decades have passed. When we heard Push the 2nd single on Matchbox 20’s debut album in 1997, we were hooked not only to the sound, lyrics and visuals of the video - but we knew that vocalist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Rob Thomas had something to say that was relevant to where we were and where we’d be in the future!

This sentiment hasn’t changed with countless hits from his band as well as his solo career that has included Smooth with Carlos Santana, Lonely No More, and This is How A Heart Breaks which continues to connect with people at a visceral level.

As this month’s cover of Athleisure Mag, we talked with Rob while he is on tour for his 6th non-holiday solo album which drops on Sep 5th. We wanted to know more about the band, his creative process, All Night Days, his tour, and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: You were in my hometown in Indy a few days ago and I know you’re traveling throughout the Midwest right now.

ROB THOMAS: We were just there. We were just through Indianapolis and then last night, we were outside of Detroit and today, we have a day off on the bus just chilling out in St. Louis!

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be an entertainer.

RT: I think when I exhausted all of the other options and I wasn’t good at anything else, you know? I think that when you’re lucky enough to find something that you feel like you’re good at and also – you know, when I was a kid growing up, I was in the South and I didn’t understand cars or sports and so trying to figure out where I fit in – it wasn’t until I found other people maybe in high school when I met the drama kids and the musical theater kids and they kind of spoke to me. Maybe it was the outcasts and the kids on the fringe. As I got a little older, it was musicians that were that way. It was like this fraternal group of the people that I felt like it just made sense to me.

So it was like at some point, maybe when I was like 19 or 20, it was like, I think that I want to do this as I was really writing songs. I thought, “I think that I want to do this.”

AM: Wow!

You’re so talented as a songwriter, a vocalist, and you play multiple instruments. Were you formally trained or did you just come across it all – how did all of this come together?

RT: Yeah, no – when I was a Freshman in high school, my buddies in my band were Seniors and then they all graduated and they went to Berklee College of Music and they would come back and they would bring me their music books. So I started to learn how to sight-read (Editor’s Note: It is the ability to read and perform a piece of musical notation you’ve never seen or played before, without any prior preparation or practice) chords and trying to understand relationship between notes and they would give me some of their books and I would kind of learn from that. So it’s pretty self taught and if you put me next to someone who is a really good player, it’s pretty obvious that I am self-taught.

I was alone with a guitar, I was alone with a keyboard, and I needed to learn how to write songs. I had melodies in my head, and I had songs in my head so I had to learn how to play just enough so that I could be able to write.

AM: Wow that’s interesting how you were able to access all of that as Berklee College of Music is a great school known for its jazz and popular music. My great uncle was Joe Henderson and I know that they have courses about him there.

Before we delve into your latest solo album, I can’t talk to you without talking about your band Matchbox 20. I remember when the debut CD came out, I was a Freshman in college when it came out. So for me, it was like all the things that I needed to learn about adulting and how to navigate emotions and scenarios that I hadn’t had to do before, it came from listening to your music and realizing that these things are normal! How did you come together as a band and did you think at the time that you would have this impact that resonates with so many people over all these decades?

RT: No. I mean, I think it’s funny. When you’re starting out, you have to have some sort of naïve suspension of disbelief that you’re going to make it – right? If you really thought about the odds, it would be so daunting that you would collapse under the weight of it. So I think that there was always this idea that we were going to be successful. I don’t think that we understood what that meant.

AM: Right.

RT: And I certainly don’t think that we had the ability to look forward 30 years later and realize the gift of being someone’s nostalgia. Like having this song like you said, that you went to college and this was your CD and that some people for one reason or another, at an event – someone’s wedding or their graduation and there was a song that was tied to it.

So I think that like, the gift of longevity and the ability to be around for awhile is bigger than like a level of success! It’s more of like being woven into the fabric of these fans and these people and I think that that’s a pretty special part of it.

AM: Is there going to be anything coming up that highlights the 30 year anniversary – that’s literally around the corner!

RT: Yeah, I mean, listen – we’re out on the road right now with the solo work and we’re still back and forth with Matchbox trying to plan out next year! Luckily, the end of next year marks when we put out our first record 30 years ago so we’re probably going to do some festivals next year to start gearing up for something really big at the end of the year and then touring 2027 around the world!

AM: Oh wow!

When it comes to creating music, where do you start in terms of the creative process and how is that different with you as a solo artist, you with your band, or when you’re collaborating with other artists?

RT: I mean, most of it is the same right? I write all the time. When I’m sitting down to work with someone – when I worked with Willie Nelson, we just sat down for 2 days and played each other’s songs. And then when I was done, he had written down 3 songs and he said, “I want to do these 3 songs.” If I’m writing with somebody else, maybe they come in with an idea and we can build on that. As far as if I am writing for someone or with someone, I’m just kind of drawing from this bucket of songs that I have worked on. If I go to Matchbox, I’m like, “do you guys like this song or how about this song?” I think that we all work that way so it’s never really like, gearing up for – well, I’m writing this song for this person so I need to get into this mindset. At some point, if someone wants to write with me, they probably want my point of view. So they will put their spin on my point of view.

AM: How would you define the Rob Thomas sound?

RT: Geez. I don’t know! I’ve been really fortunate that fans have allowed me to step outside and just do – I mean, if you listen to 3AM say 30 years ago, and you listen to Hard to Be Happy now, or if you listen to Lonely No More – those sound like different bands. They could be different artists. But I think that my voice is my voice and it ties them all together. So I don’t know that I have a certain – I write songs and I think about people and how people interact with each other. It’s just a very normal thing, right?

AM: Mmm.

RT: Like if I write about something going on in my life, it’s my job to write about how that thing makes me feel because you understand that – that has happened to you. You don’t need to know about me and my wife having a fight, you just need to know, “oh I know how you feel!”

AM: You’ve said that as a kid of the 80s, there are elements of that throughout your work. How do you add that aesthetic into your music while combining the various genres that you have been on and still making it sound current even if some of it is older?

RT: You know, I think part of it is that I have always went into this genreless. I think that that’s because when I grew up in the 80s, 80s radio was genreless. You would have MC Hammer played right after Van Halen and played right after Whitney Houston and then right after Bobby Brown and then Ozzy Osbourne.

AM: 100%.

RT: All of these things would play because MTV, that was our national radio!

AM: Oh yeah!

RT: It was all over the place. I think that growing up in the 80s made me more fearless where I didn’t have to be this kind of a writer and I’m a rock guy. Like, if in my whole career I had stayed 90s alt-rock like our first Matchbox 20 record, it would have been very limiting in all of the stuff that I could do later on.

AM: When I first heard Smooth, like many, I was blown away by so many things in the song and in the video! How was it for you to navigate the concept that you would be able to do both as a solo artist and then popping back in with your band?

RT: I mean, it took awhile! Looking back, Smooth happened between our 1st and 2nd record. Then we made 2 more records until I went solo. So it was 10 years into the Matchbox career before I made my 1st solo record! So it took me awhile even after Smooth! The thing about Smooth was that it opened the doors as a writer. So even when I was with Matchbox 20, I was doing a lot of outside writing for other things with Carlos, Seal, Marc Anthony, Willie Nelson, and Mick Jagger. I was getting a chance to be an anonymous writer for these other voices which was very very cool and then with Matchbox – we went from record to record to record and then on tour for like 10 years straight, so whenever we took that break, then it made sense and we all went out and made solo records.

AM: We were bummed that we were unable to catch your show at the Seaport earlier this month All Night Days is dropping Sep 5th and you’re currently on tour promoting the album. Why did you want to create this album and what can you tell us about it? We listened to Thrill Me which we really love and I enjoyed Hard to Be Happy and it has a fun video.

RT: Thank you! Thrill Me is my favorite. I think that there is almost an OCD to writing in that – like I said, I am writing all of the time. So if I don’t get some of these songs out, it’s a clutter in my head and I feel like there is no room for more material and other things. We were coming up on my 20th anniversary of my first solo record and I couldn’t think of a better way to commemorate it then to just let people know that I was still writing!

AM: I love that!

Since you’re on tour, you have the US portion and then you’re in Australia and New Zealand with a number of dates that takes place this Fall so you have quite an interesting schedule. How do you prepare for such a schedule, the performances, all the different cities, are there workouts that you like to do or must do’s before you hit the stage or after?

RT: Yeah, I mean, I think that I was much more careless about my body and my health when I was much younger. As you get older, you don’t want to look like you’re trying too hard right?

AM: Facts!

RT: You’re limited with your options out here. So I started with – there’s a Beach Body on Demand (Editor’s Note: aka BODi) that has a series of workouts like Insanity, P90X, Shift Shop and all of these things. Those are kind of great because a lot of those are bodyweight, calisthenics, so I don’t have an excuse. If I’m on the bus that day, I can do them on the bus. I can do a full hour long crushing workout! Sometimes they’re harder then just going to the gym with weights.

You know, I get a bonus workout every night. It’s 2 hours of just screaming and running back and forth you know? We love, the whole band – jokes about how we like a good hot night in the Summer! You feel like it’s part of the weight loss plan. It’s great to go out there and sweat off what we had for dinner.

I don’t do after show food. It used to be a big thing you know. After the show everybody orders some food because you’re really hungry and you’ve burned off a lot of that energy, but when I’m on the road, I find that I am probably on an 18 hour fast because I eat around 5:30pm and I don’t eat again until after I wake up and work out the next day. Keeping that, green juices, keeping vitamins – I think it’s your basic upkeep! I don’t think that you have to become obsessive about things, but I think that if you’re mindful, then you wind up – I have a different relationship with food. I have a different relationship with alcohol than I used to – well maybe only slightly!

AM: That’s fair!

RT: Well, every little bit helps!

AM: Your son is also on tour with you as your lead guitarist! What has that been like to have Maison with you?

RT: Well it’s great! He graduated from Berklee as well.

AM: Nice!

RT: Yeah. He went to Berklee and he has a band called The Lucky and they met there and as soon as they graduated, they all moved out to LA.

My guitar player from my solo band, he had just retired from live music. He’s been producing and writing for other people and killing it. It was his idea and he has been watching Maison on IG and sharing his shred videos and so I reached out and asked him if he wanted to do it. It has been the time of our lives! He fits right in although he brings the median age to the band down significantly! Having that energy has been really great. He’s known this band from when it was formed when he was 7. So when he was a little kid, he was on stage goofing with Al and Abe, my rhythm section. Now to see him as an active and integral section of the band, I have to stop sometimes because I almost forget that I’m performing because I will just stop and watch him.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be known as. You’ve had over 40M+ albums sold with the band, you have your 18M+ album sales with your solo career – what do you want people to feel about Rob Thomas?

RT: I mean, I don’t care! I think that I want the songs that I have written that have meant something to people – for them to carry on. If they ever forgot who wrote them, I don’t think that I would care. I like that those little pieces of music exist out there in the world and that they are out there for somebody if they want to use them for good times or for bad. It’s so selfish what I get to do – you know what I mean?

AM: Of course!

RT: I get to make a living doing the thing that I love. Most people, you spend most of your time working. Most people don’t get the ability to spend that time doing something that they really really enjoy. So it is a gift that is never lost on me. I get to do it and it is a sense of catharsis and therapy to write and be able to share it with people – like minded people. People seeing that you feel that way too and that they are not freaks! So, I think that just in general, I want the songs to kind of remain.

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that you would like to share that we can tell our community about?

RT: I’m in it right now! This is it right now! For me, every night we have to pretend that it is our first show!

AM: Right!

RT: For some people, it is the only one that they are going to come to. We don’t think too much farther then, we’re going to crush it tomorrow. That’s our mantra, “let’s just crush is tomorrow.”

IG @robthomas

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 16 - 23 + 32 - 37 Ashley Haer | PG 25 - 27 Andrew Angel | PG 28 - 31 Randall Slavin |

Read the AUG ISSUE #116 of Athleisure Mag and see SONGS TO LIVE BY | Rob Thomas in mag.

THAT IT VIBE | SOMMER RAY

This Summer we have enjoyed a number of our favorite songs, ticked off things on our bucket lists and with a few weeks left, we continue to add to our playlists. We need to make room for Sommer Ray - DJ, fitness influencer, and entrepreneur who has been dropping singles and touring here in NY, Las Vegas, Cancun, and Cabo San Lucas to name a few must visit destinations as she finishes phase 2 of her Summer tour.

We wanted to find out more about her background, her passions, and the importance of fitness in her life. Of course, we explore who she has worked with as a DJ, music she has dropped and what we can keep an eye out for. We also wanted to lear more about projects that she is working on from beverages to Imaraïs Beauty.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into your recent tour and DJing, we’d like to get to know more about you. When did you fall in love with fitness?

SOMMER RAY: Fitness has been part of my life since I was a kid. My mom was a competitive bodybuilder, so I grew up in the gym and around that lifestyle. I loved the way training made me feel, both physically and mentally, and that connection never left.

AM: As someone who is constantly on the go, what are 3 workouts that you enjoy doing as we are always looking to add to our routines?

SR: I love weight training, Pilates, and yoga. Weight training keeps me strong, Pilates works my core and improves posture, and yoga helps me stay flexible while giving me a mental reset.

AM: What led to the launch of your fashion brand of fitness apparel and what do you enjoy about designing it?

SR: I wanted to create pieces that I would actually wear myself, things that feel good, move with you, and look great both in and out of the gym.

AM: Tell us about Imaraïs Beauty.

SR: Imaraïs Beauty is a plant-based beauty brand that focuses on gummies for skin, hair, and overall wellness. Everything is vegan, cruelty-free, and made with ingredients that really work. It’s about beauty from the inside out!

AM: We grew up as kids drinking Shirley Temples and have loved the trend of Dirty Shirley. You have Tempted. Why did you want to create this brand?

SR: I can’t share too much yet, but I’ve been teasing something in that space and there are some big things coming. It’s fun, it’s fresh, and I think people are going to be really excited when they see the full picture.

AM: What do you love about EDM music?

SR: I love the energy and the way it can instantly change your mood. EDM brings people together without needing words, it’s all about the vibe and the shared experience.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be a DJ?

SR: I used to host club nights, and after a while I realized I’d rather be the one curating the vibe than just sitting in the club. Once I started learning to mix, it clicked for me that this was how I wanted to be part of the energy.

AM: What is your creative process like when you are creating music?

SR: It usually starts with a feeling or a vibe I want to capture. I’ll think about the energy I want people to feel, then start building around that, whether it’s a beat, a hook, or a bass line that sets the tone.

AM: You dropped No Sleep last fall with Martin Jensen and earlier this year LaLaLa (Everybody’s Up) with a remix by HEDEGAARD. What was it like to release these songs?

SR: Both were amazing experiences. No Sleep had a fun, uplifting energy, while LaLaLa was heavier and more club-focused. Seeing people connect with them live has been the most exciting part.

AM: You recently dropped She’s A DJ. Why did you want to create this song and what was the process like for you?

SR: I wanted to make a song that was cheeky and empowering, especially as a female in a space that’s still very male-dominated. The process was fun, I leaned into personality and made sure it captured that “own the room” vibe.

AM: As you continue to navigate your music career, what artists would you like to work with?

SR: Calvin Harris and Martin Garrix are both at the top of my list. They’re legends in dance music who know how to make tracks that hit globally while still feeling fresh. Collaborating with either of them would be a dream, and I think we could create something high-energy that really connects with people.

AM: You have been touring for the past few weeks. What do you love about sharing your music with those in the cities that you are stopping in?

SR: Every city has a different energy. I love seeing how crowds react to certain tracks and how the vibe shifts depending on where you are. It keeps every show fresh.

AM: Since you’re traveling so much, how do you make your hotel and the city you’re in feel like home?

SR: I make time to hit the gym, explore local food spots with my team, and meet people at the shows. Those little routines and experiences make each city feel personal and keep the travel from feeling too repetitive.

AM: What upcoming projects do you have that you would like to share with us?

SR: I have more singles coming this year and a few exciting collaborations in the works. I’m also building out my live shows to make them even more of an experience.

AM: How do you take time for yourself as you have a lot going on as an entrepreneur, DJ, etc.?

SR: I carve out small daily routines that keep me balanced, morning workouts, staying active, and making time to unplug from my phone. Even when life is busy, those little moments to reset are important.

IG @sommerray

PHOTOS COURTESY | Sommer Ray

Read the AUG ISSUE #116 of Athleisure Mag and see THAT IT VIBE | Sommer Ray in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | FORZA PILATES

In the Winter of 2023, Sydney Dumler launched Forza Pilates as a high-end space where design, wellness, fashion, and community can coexist beautifully. With her background of being a group fitness instructor for 9 years as well as working with a number of wellness and fashion brands, she wanted a fitness space that was elevated, warm, and welcoming.

The studio features soft wood floors, ornate brass mirrors, and fresh branches from the local flower shop—every detail feels artfully curated. When you walk in, you’re greeted by their custom candle scent and clean linens, a personalized Reformer setup, and a sense that someone has anticipated your comfort even before you arrive.

Reformer Pilates strengthens the body in a way that’s smart and sustainable. It builds core stability, improves posture, and supports mobility—all while being gentle on the joints. Beyond the physical benefits, it trains your mind to move with intention, which translates into every part of your life.

If you are new to this method, it's worth noting that it is a full-body experience. It's about precision over pace - pilates is not about going fast, it's moving with control. Your exercise can be modified or advanced whether it's adjusting spring tension, grounding a hand or knee for support, or limiting your range of motion to protect from a previous injury.

There are 4 classes offered at their dio. Their signature Forte class offers a contemporary, intermediate-level flow designed for clients who love creative sequencing and fresh challenges. Foundations leans into classical principles, focusing on precision and control—proof that slowing down can be just as (if not more) demanding. Aria brings the energy with a cardio-infused workout set to an upbeat playlist, making it the perfect excuse to move, sweat, and have fun. Finally, Recovery is their foam rolling and mobility session—the ultimate “hurts so good” release your body craves after a week of classes.

There are a number of amenities that include a warm and attentive staff, a curated retail selection, and in the bathrooms they have Aesop and Oak Essentials. In many ways, the atmosphere of the space feels more like a boutique hotel versus a traditional gym.

For Soho House members in Nashville, they can enjoy Forza Atelier there. They offer the Forza Method in an intimate setting. With just 6 Reformers, clients enjoy a highly personalized experience—where it’s not unusual to move alongside Nashville’s creative talent, including some of the artists on your own playlist. The Atelier also features a curated retail space, their creative extension that brings the Forza lifestyle beyond the studio.

FORZA PILATES

724 Merritt Ave #103

Bashville, TN 37203

forza-pilates.com

IG @forzapilates

PHOTO CREDITS | Alyssa Rosenheck

Read the JUL ISSUE #115 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Forza Pilates in mag.

THE 9LIST

Read the JUN ISSUE #114 of Athleisure Mag and see THE 9LIST in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | NORDIC STRONG

We're always looking for our next studio fitness to try out. Nordic Strong started in Copenhagan and this Summer will have a pop up in Sag Harbor from Memorial Day - Labor Day before opening a new location in the Flatiron District of NYC this Fall! Nicoline Roth is the Founder/CEO of this studio. She was born and raised in Copenhagen where she enjoyed hiking in the mountains in the Summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. Her workouts were rooted in nature, connection, and simplicity.

Nordic Strong's flagship studio opened in Copenhagen in November 2022. Every part of the brand - from the design to the name - reflects a deep connection to the Nordic “way of life.” Nordic speaks to the founder's roots in nature, movement, and a culture that prioritizes wellness, simplicity, and balance. It's about a mindset as opposed to a geographical reference. Strong refers to both the physical and mental elements. In addition to building physical strength in these classes, it's important to have inner strength, presence, confidence, and community that their training style and physical space help to cultivate.

There are 3 class formats which are different in style and intensity, but are centered around their patented fitness machine inspired by cross-country skiing.

Nordic Strong is their signature class that fuses strength with high energy, offering a full-body workout that combines intervals on the machine with floor-based work using dumbbells.

Nordic Cardio turns up the pace and is rooted in endurance-style training and focuses on getting your heart rate up through fast-paced intervals. You move between the machine and dynamic bodyweight exercises, and it’s all about boosting cardiovascular fitness and stamina.

Nordic Sculpt shifts into a slower, more controlled gear. It focuses on precision, balance, and deep muscle activation. The movements are inspired by Pilates and are designed to strengthen the muscles you don’t always target in high-intensity workouts. Every session ends with breathwork to help reset and ground you before heading back into your day.

The studio is intentional by design. The lounge and reception area are light, calm, and welcoming, furnished with Scandanavian design pieces that make it feel elevated but still cozy. Once you step into the training room, it’s darker, more focused, and designed to help you lock into your workout.

The lighting is inspired by the Northern Lights and changes throughout the class in intensity and color, emulating the parallel physical journey throughout a session.

NORDIC STRONG POP-UP

11 Bridge St

Sag Harbor, NY 11963

nordicstrong.com

IG @nordicstrong

PHOTO CREDITS | Nordic Strong

Read the MAY ISSUE #113 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Nordic Strong in mag.

UNSTOPPABLE | RASHEE RICE

We're few months out from the NFL being back, and athletes across the league are putting in the work to be ready for the upcoming season as they look at how they will achieve their goals individually as well as on their teams. With that in mind, we're excited to have LVIII Super Bowl Champion Rashee Rice of the Kansas City Chiefs as this month's cover star!

We sit down with him to talk about his love for the game, what it's like playing his position, being on the Chiefs, playing for this team, looking at the season ahead, and what he does entrepreneurially as well as philanthropically off the field!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall in love with football?

RASHEE RICE: When I was about five years old, I played for my local community team in Philly called the Island Eagles.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to play football professionally?

RR: I realized I wanted to play professionally when I got my first college offer. It was

like a testament to me - getting a full ride scholarship showed me that I was good enough, and I felt like I could take it even further.

AM: What can you tell us about being a Wide Receiver?

RR: I think the number one thing is that all eyes are always on you. It’s always you versus the man in front of you. So, you get a lot of one-on-one opportunities to prove yourself. You have to make the most of every opportunity you get when the ball's coming your way.

AM: What does it mean to you to play for the Kansas City Chiefs?

RR: It means everything to me. I have the best quarterback in the NFL, the best tightend, and the right guys around me. I also have the best coach - someone I looked up to as a kid growing up in Philly and an Eagles fan. I love playing for KC because the city doesn’t have a NBA team , so we are all they got to represent the city right now and I really enjoy that. We love that and we continue to embrace that.

AM: You played at SMU and had an amazing rookie season which culminated in a Super Bowl ring! What can you tell us about your football career and what the first year meant to you?

RR: I can tell you it wasn’t easy. It took a while for me to get situated and comfortable with who I wanted to surround myself with on the team and learn from. It was a grind - it was the longest season I have ever experienced, transitioning from college to the NFL. Dealing with the transition and training was hard, but paid off.

AM: You're entering your 2nd year in the NFL with this team, what are you looking forward to?

RR: I’m looking forward to competing and showing the the world that I am one of the top receivers in the NFL.

AM: What is it like playing with Patrick Mahomes II as well as other members from this championship caliber team and what have you learned from them?

RR: Playing with Pat and the rest of the guys has been amazing. They already had that championship mindset that I wanted to learn from. So coming in, working and being able to be around them showed me I am capable of being a champion - all I have to do is follow their lead.

AM: What are 3 workouts that you do to optimize yourself in the sport that would be great for our community who are interested in adding items to their routines?

RR: Ladder drills – These help keep your feet quick and ready.

Catching tennis balls – The smaller ball forces you to focus on the catch, improving hand-eye coordination.

Conditioning – Running and endurance training help me stay in shape and prepare for any route I have to run.

AM: What have the past few months been like for you as you have been preparing for your second season?

RR: I’ve been focusing on by making sure my body and mindset are where they need to be. I have been focusing on my training and workouts, also spending time with my close family and friends.

AM: With the 2025 season coming up, what can you tell us about what game day is like for you in terms of things that you do on Sunday ahead of hitting the field and what you do after finishing your game?

RR: On game day, I wake up and pray, then start to get ready to head to the stadium,

depending on game time. When I get there I usually have some type of meeting or walkthrough. Overall, game day is a relaxed day for me. The most important thing for me is music – it’s everything. I listen to music all day getting my mindset right before hitting the field.

AM: Outside of the game, how do you take time for yourself when you're not training, preparing for the next game etc?

RR: I really love being in the crib and I love watching movies. My perfect day off is sitting on the couch, having some good food and watching a good movie.

AM: Tell us about Sun Walker, your clothing line!

RR: Sun Walker is my passion outside of football. It’s my clothing line that I recently dropped, that symbolizes my life. The sun represents the spotlight, and the Sun Walker represents me - everything I have overcome and will continue to overcome.

It reflects my journey and the transition of becoming the person I always hoped to be.

AM: How do you give back philanthropically?

RR: I do a lot for my community, I try to give back to every city that has been a part of my journey thus far. This past season, I held a Thanksgiving Drive for the families of Kansas City. I held a Christmas Drive for the children of Big Brother, Big Sister of Dallas. We were able to take them shopping at Target for some gifts. In April, I’m having an event for the kids of North Richland Hills, the city where I went to middle school and high school, to come out and have fun. In May, I’ll be having a free football camp in Dallas/Fort Worth, the city I attended college. So, I’m definitely doing some things to give back and going to continue to do some more initiatives in the future.

IG @doub11e_r

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT + BACK COVER, PG 17 - 21 AFTR-DRK | PG 24 Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire | PG 26 + 28 Rashee Rice | PG 26 Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire |

Read the MAR ISSUE #111 of Athleisure Mag and see UNSTOPPABLE | Rashee Rice in mag.

THE LEGACY OF 101 | FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR.

This month, we took a moment with the GOAT , boxing great, promoter, and entrepreneur Floyd Mayweather Jr! When he boxed professionally from 1996 - 2017, he won 15 major championships, was undefeated with a 50-0 record, fought in 5 separate weight classes and has a number of records that are still unbroken!

Even after he retired professionally, he still boxes in exhibition fights; continues to train; and has an amazing portfolio that includes: The Money Team, Mayweather Promotions, Mayweather Boxing + Fitness Gyms, his real estate investment firm VADA Properties and most recently 1 of 1 his supplement brand. He continues to extend his brand across verticals! We wanted to know more about how he came to boxing, his approach to his fights, his legacy, and how he looks at adding to his projects and portfolio.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What is it about boxing that drew you in and why do you love it?

FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR: Boxing has been a part of my life since day one. My father and my uncle were fighters, so I grew up in the gym, watching and learning. What drew me in was the challenge—the mental and physical battle of proving you are the best. I love the strategy, the discipline, and the hard work it takes to stay at the top. Boxing is not just about throwing punches; it’s about skill, precision, and intelligence. That’s why I dominated the sport for decades.

AM: On Feb 12th, you launched 101. Why did you want to create a supplement brand?

FM JR: During my training sessions through the years, everyone was always asking which supplements kept me at the top of my game. That curiosity sparked the decision to eventually create my own line, a clean brand that is science backed and delivers on its promise. There are too many brands out there in the marketplace that still contain unsafe ingredients, so I set out to create 101 to give consumers a trusted product they can feel working. When a trusted product they can feel working. When it comes to my fitness and nutrition, I refuse to settle for less, and I want the same for athletes of all levels.

AM: What was the process like for you in creating this brand and what was the most important part of the formulation to you?

FM JR: In collaboration with industry leader Magnum Nutraceuticals, we worked hand in hand to ensure products contained only the best ingredients and have met the highest standards. Products went through rigorous testing, are backed by science, innovation, and are truly determined to be safe and effective. Simply put, athletes will feel the difference and see the results with the supplements which is why I created the One of One brand.

AM: Tell us about the initial supplements that you started with and when do you take them?

FM JR: The line of products from 101 helps any athlete’s journey, from energy and endurance to recovery and hydration. There are some products that I take daily. Whey Protein delivers high-quality protein and prebiotic fiber, and digestive enzymes for smooth digestion and muscle recovery. Greens + Gut Health helps supercharge my daily nutrients. It is packed with superfoods, prebiotic fiber, and essential vitamins to promote gut health and digestion. Peptide Builder is scientifically proven to enhance muscle growth and recovery. I reach for our Hydration to keep hydrated and to help with muscle cramping.

There are 3 products that are best used as part of your training regime. Sport Pre-Workout is meant for more moderate energy and endurance and includes caffeine for an additional boost in energy and strength. Loaded Pre-Workout is what I take before looking for high-intensity, extreme focus and maximum blood flow to carry more oxygen to my muscles. Creatine Monohydrate I also take before working out, to help with performance and cognitive function.

Together all these products provide a complete toolset to fuel performance, enhance endurance, and accelerate recovery.

AM: Are there plans to include additional products within this assortment?

FM JR: Yes, we definitely have plans to launch several new innovative supplements, several are in development and testing currently. We will be continuously looking to bring new innovative products to meet the needs of our One of One community on their fitness journey. Watch this space to see what innovations 101 will be bringing consumers next to stay ahead of the game.

AM: In your career you have fought in 5 weight classes. When you make that decision to navigate those classes what are the things that you have to do in order to prepare for that class?

FM JR: Moving through weight classes is all about preparation and making the right adjustments. It is not just about gaining or losing weight—it is about maintaining speed, power, and endurance while adapting to different styles of opponents. I worked closely with my team to ensure I was always in peak condition, no matter the division. We focused on nutrition, strength training, and the right fight strategy for each weight class. Every move I made was calculated, and that is why I remained undefeated.

AM: You have had a number of memorable fights, what are 3 fights or moments that are a favorite in your career?

FM JR: I have had so many great moments, but three fights stand out:

Oscar De La Hoya (2007) – This was a turning point in my career. It was the biggest fight in boxing at the time, and when I won, I became the face of the sport.

Manny Pacquiao (2015) – The world waited for this fight for years, and when it finally happened, I showed why I was the best. It was a masterclass in skill and strategy.

Emanuel Augustus (2000) – Not the biggest name, but one of the toughest fights I ever had. He was unpredictable, but I adapted and proved I could handle any style.

AM: You do exhibition bouts after retiring from professional boxing - why is this important to you to continue to engage in the sport in this way and for you, is the training different?

FM JR: Exhibitions allow me to keep doing what I love while giving fans around the world a show. I accomplished everything I needed to in professional boxing, so now it is about enjoying the sport on my own terms. The training is different. I do not have to prepare for 12-round wars, but I still stay sharp, stay in shape, and put on great performances. It is about continuing to entertain and inspire.

AM: Tell us what a week is like with you in the gym and your wellness game. What are 3 exercises that we can do if we want to train like Floyd Mayweather Jr?

FM JR: I train every day because staying in shape is a lifestyle for me. My workouts focus on endurance, speed, and skill. Three exercises I recommend for anyone who wants to train like me:

Jump Rope – It builds endurance, improves footwork, and sharpens coordination.

Pad Work – Essential for speed, accuracy, and defensive reflexes.

Core Training – A strong core gives you power, balance, and control in the ring.

AM: You retired with an undefeated record 50-0, won 15 major World Championships across 5 weight classes, 3X BWAA Fighter of the Year, 6X Best Fighter ESPY Award, inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021, and you are known as one of the best defensive boxers in history, and as the most accurate puncher, and one of the most lucrative pay-per-view attractions across any sport - what does it mean to you to have all of these accolades?

FM JR: It means I did exactly what I set out to do. I dominated the sport for over two decades, stayed undefeated, and broke records that may never be touched. People will always debate who the greatest is, but my record speaks for itself. I mastered the sport, changed the business of boxing, and walked away on top.

AM: I've been a fan of boxing since I was 3 years old so I grew up watching Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Lennox Lewis, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Evander Holyfield, Manny Pacquiao, Marvin Hagler, and you. What do you want your legacy to be known as in this sport?

FM JR: I want my legacy to be simple: The Best Ever. Not just because of my record, but because of how I changed the game. I showed that boxing is about intelligence, strategy, and discipline. I controlled my career, I made the biggest fights happen, and I made sure I was paid what I deserved. That is the blueprint I want future generations to follow.

AM: Tell us about TMT.

FM: JR: The Money Team is about hard work, dedication, and smart decision-making. People see the success, the cars, the watches, but what they don’t see is the discipline that got me here. TMT represents a mindset - believing in yourself, staying focused, and never settling for less than what you are worth.

AM: Why did you create Mayweather Promotions and what are some upcoming events that we should keep an eye out for?

FM JR: I created Mayweather Promotions because I wanted to take control of my career and help other fighters do the same. Too many athletes let other people hand their business, and they end up with nothing. I made sure I controlled my own destiny. Now, Mayweather Promotions is one of the biggest brands in boxing. We have exciting events coming up, and we are always looking for the next superstar.

AM: You have been in the fitness and wellness space for some time with the Mayweather Boxing + Fitness Gyms. What does it mean to you to offer boxing fitness in a studio format?

FM JR: It is about making boxing training accessible to everyone. You do not have to be a professional fighter to train like one. Boxing is one of the best workouts in the world, and with Mayweather Boxing + Fitness, people can experience my training style in a fun, high-energy environment. It is about building confidence, discipline, and physical strength.

AM: We shoot a number of our editorials in luxury residences here in NY and your diversified portfolio also includes real estate where you founded VADA which has properties here in NY including 410 Tenth Ave Hudson Yards, The Copper, Two Sutton as well as properties in Jersey City, Chicago and The Villa Casa Casuarina at the former Versace Mansion in Miami - it's quite an assortment. Why is having this in your portfolio important to you?

FM JR: Real estate is about building wealth for the future. I made my money in boxing, but I invested it wisely. I own properties across the country because I understand that money has to work for you. The goal is to create generational wealth, and real estate is a major part of that strategy.

AM: We can't talk about you without talking about your style from your luxury brands, diamond necklaces, insane bags, and more. Why do you love fashion?

FM JR: Fashion is about expressing success. When you work hard, you should be able to enjoy the rewards. I take pride in my style, whether it's a custom suit, a designer bag, or a one-of-a-kind watch. Everything I wear is a reflection of my success

IG @floydmayweather

@youare_1of1

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 16 - 20 Floyd Mayweather Jr. | PG 23 + 24 Floyd Mayweather Jr./IG | PG 26 + 32 Gene Blevins Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire | PG 28 Jeff Gritchen/ZUMApress.com/Icon Sportswire | PG 30 Chris Farina/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire |

Read the FEB ISSUE #110 of Athleisure Mag and see THE LEGACY OF 101 | Floyd Mayweather Jr. in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | THE CLASS

Taryn Toomey created The Class as a lifelong student of transformation and through her personal healing journey in 2011 which combines somatic healing and self-discovery. It incorporates yoga, psychodynamic therapy, EMDR, sound work, and trauma healing. She shared with us that, "over a decade in, I'm incredibly fortunate to step into The Class every day and have the opportunity to meet people where they are-inviting them to move through whatever they're carrying while building strength in both body and mind. The community we've built over the years is the deepest testament to its power - a shared experience that brings people together in ways that are both personal and profoundly collective."

Attend The Class In-Person at the NYC Studio in Tribeca and their LA Studio is based in Santa Monica. All offerings are available through The Class’s Digital Studio, where they can choose from a library of on-demand classes and daily live streams that are available in over 75 countries.

You can expect an immersive experience that blends repetitive movement, breathwork, and cathartic sound. Attendees often come to the studio to unlock stuck energy, reconnect with oneself, and cultivate mind-body awareness—all while breaking a sweat and having fun.

The Class offers a range of sessions (The Class, Sculpt, Yoga, Meditation), length and physical intensity. The Class even offers pre/post-natal specific programming. Studios offer daily, in-person Classes, many of which are livestreamed for the Digital Studio. Regular Community Classes with sliding-scale pricing ensure accessibility or all.

Attendees can enjoy a thoughtfully curated selection of skincare products, including face wash, serums, and moisturizers from brands like Routine and Om Organics. Water fountains are also available.

If this is your first visit, it is suggested that wearing comfortable exercise clothing and bringing a water bottle. Sneakers are not mandatory, but first-time students are encouraged to start with sneakers. Come to your mat with an open mind and willing spirit!

If you're looking to experience The Class for free via the Digital Studio, you can try their 14-Day Free Trial which is perfect for newcomers looking to explore its benefits.

You can take The Class Retreatment May 20-24 in Ibiza. This is a transformative 4 day retreat centered around movement, mindfulness, and community, set in the stunning backdrop of Ibiza.

THE CLASS

22 Park Place, 3rd Fl

NY, NY 10007

2433 Main Street

Santa Monica, CA 90405

theclass.com

IG @theclass

PHOTO CREDIT | The Class

Read the FEB ISSUE #110 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | The Class in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | SALTDROP

We kicked off the year by trying out SaltDrop, a methodology that combines music-driven, high-energy sculpting and conditioning with intentional, feel-good movement designed to make you stronger, lighter and more connected. We took our class with Founder/Creator Dino Malvone who launched it in Oct 2019, continued in his apartment during the pandemic, and then in March 2022 he brought it to the current studio that he is located in.

He felt that fitness felt intimidating and exclusive and he wanted to create a space where regardless of your fitness, level, age, or background - you could feel successful in this methodology. His passion for movement, music, and community and to celebrate who you are was important to him. We can agree that in taking his classes, those vibes come across as he encourages you to listen to your body and to modify as needed (even if those modifications may be different then the ones he suggests).

You can sign up for Signature which is the core of SaltDrop. It's a high-energy, music-driven class that blends strength and cardio into a full-body sculpt session where you will move and sweat. Gravity is the Signature class but doesn't have jumping and is great for a grounded, low-impact effective option. We took Heated Sculpt which is a no-jumping, strength-focused class in a heated room at 90°. The heat deepens the intensity and helps you stretch, sweat, and release tension. Heated HIIT is their take on a low-impact HIIT class. It's fast-paced, challenging, and powered by an epic playlist, all while staying kind to your joints. We can agree that we felt better than we walked in after class and can't wait to come back and add this to our rotation of classes and we highly suggest taking a class led by Dino!

If you can't come to class in person, his classes are available on his digital platform offers live-streamed and on-demand classes to help you experience SaltDrop from anywhere.

In the weeks ahead, you should check out SaltDrop In February as they are hosting a "Love on Yourself" Valentine's Day event that combines movement with self-care. Once Spring arrives, keep an eye out for outdoor pop-up classes and collaborations as it is important to Dino to take SaltDrop beyond the studio walls to connect with their community in new ways.

We enjoyed this class so much that we want to encourage you to book a class. Use ATHLEISURE20 for 20% off whether taking a class in the studio or On Demand (code expires March 1st) when booking your class with Atheisure Mag Summit codes.

SALTDROP

61 4th Ave Third Floor

NY, NY 10003

thesaltdrop.com

IG @thesaltdrop

PHOTO CREDITS | SaltDrop

Read the JAN ISSUE #109 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | SaltDrop in mag.

63MIX ROUTIN3S | JENNA WILLIS

Read the DEC ISSUE #108 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S | Jenna Willis in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | KAMIE CRAWFORD

Read the OCT ISSUE #106 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | Kamie Crawford in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | CHANEL IMAN

Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | Chanel Iman in mag.

THE 9LIST

Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see THE 9LIST in mag.

PICKLEBALL POWER

We were invited to Life Time at PENN 1 for an exclusive event for their VIP Pickleball event that allows us to see the unveiling of their 7 courts at this location in Midtown, NYC! The event kicked off with a conversation with the company's founder, Bahram Akradi, Founder and CEO as well as tennis icon, Andre Agassi, with 60 ATP Tour Wins, 8 Grand Slam Titles (Singles – Australian Open 1995, 2000, 2001, 2003; French Open 1999; Wimbledon 1992; US Open 1994, 1999), and Team USA Tennis Olympic Gold Medalist for the Summer Games in 1996. This tennis champ has been passionate about pickleball and won $1M and the Pickleball Slam 1 2023 with his partner Andy Roddick against John McEnroe and Michael Chang. This year, he won the $1M purse and Pickleball Slam 2 with his wife, Steffi Graf as they beat John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova.

Andre was recently announced as inaugural chair of the Life Time Pickleball and Tennis Board with the goal of expanding access, enhancing programming and building community.

In addition to the Q+A we saw both men play exhibition tournaments with JOOLA Pros Anna Bright, Collin Johns, Ben Johns, and Tyson McGuffin.

LIFE TIME: Ladies and Gentleman welcome to our VIP Pickleball Event that is launching the 7 gorgeous new pickleball courts that we have here at Lifetime Pickleball in the heart of NYC! Today, we’re also partnering with JOOLA Pickleball as they recently launched their Generation 3 line of paddles with JOOLA Pros’ Anna Bright, Collin Johns, Ben Johns, and newcomer to JOOLA, Tyson McGuffin. All of them will be joining us in just a few moments.

Before that, I’d like to introduce 2 dynamic men! An ambassador in the world of health and fitness, along with being champions of the JOOLA and Life Time brands. One of these men is the Founder and CEO of Life Time, the other, career highlights include the winner of the first ever Pickle Slam partnering with Andy Roddick, side note is that he also won 8 Grand Slams and has an Olympic Gold medal! Let’s have a round of applause for Andre Agassi and Bahram Akradi.

So Andre, pickleball, what’s the first thing that you thought when you heard that word for the first time?

ANDRE AGASSI: I thought, why that name? Then I took 15mins to just sit with it and it took about a 20min learning curve and I fell in love with it.

LT: How about you Bahram, the first time that you heard of pickleball, what went through your mind?

BAHRAM AKRADI: At first I thought that it was just a sport for very, very, very, old people.

LT: So what is this sport, who are the people that play, and now we’re here in NYC specifically, talking about pickleball. So Bahram, when you first played, you said that we had to get more of this here at Life Time. And now, Life Time is the biggest provider of pickleball courts in the country. What was your vision for pickleball at first and has it come to fruition?

BA: Yes, so, I remember playing tennis in some of our other clubs and I saw these taped lines on the courts and I found it was because people were trying to play pickleball on them. Then people just started asking for us to have courts that were specific to this game. So I thought, well if I give them courts designed for pickleball, they will stop putting tape on my pickleball courts!

So we took one club and we took 1 tennis court and make it into 4 Pickleball courts and we did that to another tennis court. So then I thought that that would be the end of that! Then once I started playing it, I did it for 2 hours and I got hooked. I started with doubles, and then I began playing singles and that’s when I saw the opportunity for this sport! I saw how all kinds of people at all kinds of levels could play. We had the opportunity to have people come here with our large facilities, we have quickly grown to become the largest owner and operator of permanent pickleball courts, topping more than 680 permanent courts nationwide (including the most in New York City with nine), and serving as a host site for multiple MLP and PPA tournaments nationwide in addition to its own Pickleball Classic. So we wanted to take a run at it and I think that we have done that!

LT: To you Andre, what about your process of being a pickleball player as well as looking at your phenomenal tennis career?

AA: First of all, I just want to know with everyone that’s here, how many of you have played pickleball? Look at all these hands – why are you asking me this question haha?

For me, what I really appreciated so quickly about it separately from inside the lines is when you’re playing tennis, you have to spend a 1-2.5 years before the game opens up to you. It’s that feeling that you’re not so concerned with what you are doing with the ball – you’re thinking of what you are trying to accomplish. With pickle, you’re able to get out there and connect quickly and there is a low point of injury involved.

Then there is the dynamics of family as my extended family as well as my wife’s who are from Germany when they come, we can all play together and we’re all different levels. I would say that we would all be out there – aunts, uncles, cousins, etc and no one had their phones out for 2 hours. The phones are on the side.

For me, what the hell can I do at this age that I can actually get better at? I mean I have gotten better at so many things in my life already – except for pickleball and I am getting better! You know, I’m a tortured perfectionist and when I think about playing pickleball versus tennis, the thrill of having to unlearn some of the sensibilities that I had as a tennis player right? But I also had to maintain some skills right? I am able to put my mind to the task and I get the reward of seeing all of that come together and I can only see this sport continuing to grow as it has. I feel that if we have X amount of people playing right now, we’ll be able to 10X that in no time at all!

LT: Andre is long on pickleball, I love that!

Now, you had mentioned that you have been playing with your family – your wife – I mean she’s major! Do you prefer playing with her or against her?

AA: I mean, she has crossed some finish lines in her life!

LT: A lot of us have significant others, spouses, that we play with so it’s always interesting to know!

AA: I like playing on her side because we are connected and that’s how you start to really understand what your partner is like and what you can and can’t do and to start morphing into their game. It’s cool to be on the same side of the net and that way you won’t feel guilty body bagging her! I mean, she has a few shots that are unique and then there are other things that don’t translate so well. She wants to play everything pretty traditionally. She’s always expressed her energy and her blood pressure through physical output so she was like a racehorse on the tennis court, but for me, my energy was always shot making when I was on the tennis court. It was about taking the ball and doing something with it.

So some things translate a lot easier when playing pickleball, but it’s fun watching her get past that first part and then seeing her get into her stride in this game. She just started playing singles after starting with doubles and you know, there’s one thing I don’t know how this sport works with someone who struggles with their knees. So she’s being careful and she has a cyst in her knee so once that thing gets drained and her knee feels good, she wants to play singles.

LT: Andre, just so you know, that was also a singles challenge right there for Bahram to play Steffani in singles. Are your kids approaching you to play pickleball or are you approaching them?

AA: Well, my kids – my son is a senior at USC and our daughter, thank God still lives with us at home as education and school wasn’t her thing. She’s artistic and does her own thing, she’ll get out there and play. My son plays baseball so when he hits something, he’s not thinking about it staying within a certain perimeter.

LT: He likes to be out there with the foul balls!

Bahram, how did you and Andre meet and what makes you excited to bringing Andre on board as the Chair for Raquet and Paddle Sports here at Life Time?

BA: We started working together 15 years ago and we continued to grow as really close friends. I have all the love and admiration for his intelligence and athleticism. I have always loved Andre and I have always hoped that when the right time came, that we would be able to partner together and to do something good that would be for the greater good. Life Time is the largest provider of pickleball and we wanted to be able to continue to deliver and offer tennis and pickleball and there was no better person that I could imagine to be the chair of our tennis and pickleball board. With his vision, his insight and I called him and asked what he thought about this. When he told me about his vision and how it would utilize our platform, it was a no-brainer for me.

LT: Andre, we are approaching the 30th Anniversary of you winning your very first US Open. What kind of memories does that bring back for you?

AA: Well, I had hair.

LT: Where were we then? Was it touching your shirt?

AA: The hair was going past the shirt!

You know, it’s such a profound place in my professional journey as well as in my personal journey. You guys not only watched me grow up, you helped me grow up. You really did. I was 18 years old playing Jimmy Connors at night giving him the beating that he deserved! Someone yelled out, “Jimmy, he’s a bum, you’re a legend!” and I remember thinking that I got the legend part, but what? Then fast forward and I got into something that I had done my whole life in front of those people and then down the road after my journey, saying goodbye when I finally retired.

LT: Well I mean, we have an exhibition coming up shortly today!

AA: Yeah, I was told about that! I’m ready!

LT: On that note, let’s bring in our 4 JOOLA Pros, Anna Bright, Collin Johns, Ben Johns, and JOOLA newcomer, Tyson McGuffin! Come on down here! So we’re going to ask our pros a few questions right now so that we can get to know them a little better and then we will head down to the Life Time Pickleball courts as we have a a whole stadium court set up. I wonder if you thought about that this morning Andre?

AA: Ok, I’ m nervous enough!

LT: I mean, it’s almost like a US Open crowd!

So starting off with Anna since you have a microphone in your hand, what excites you the most about pickleball?

ANNA BRIGHT: I think you know, it’s so cool that everybody is here to experience the joy of pickleball and to see us and to watch it! What I love most is the growth of it and not knowing where the sport is going to take us! When I first started playing 2 and a half years ago, I never thought that I would be here in NYC to play a tournament here to meet people and to talk about this game! There’s on way to really know how this game will look in a year or 2 years especially since you have the Pro level and I feel like we’re always kind of being pulled around on a chain by the powers that be, but it’s crazy to see the growth of the amateur game and I hope that we will be back here next year and will need more seating! I’m kind of excited and I don’t even know for what specifically, but I can’t wait to see where it goes in the next few years.

LT: Bright future, Anna Bright! Hopefully we will need more seating and have more people in here next year.

Tyson, I’ve watched you drill on the courts and a 2 hour session turns into a 3 hour session and I think that your T-shirts were more wet than is humanly possible. What are you working on to improve your pickleball game? More specifically, to beat these 3 people around you actually and to beat up on Mr. Agassi today?

TYSON MCGUFFIN: Yeah I think that for me, I have lost some top matches this year. So I think that walking in and raising the level mentally and being a little tougher in those moments. I think that at the highest level, we are all really talented and it’s just about that when the going gets tough and your back is against the wall, you just have to mentally lock in and dial in. I want to say thank you New York and let’s go New York Knicks!

LT: Collin, you’re a professional pickleball player. There was a time when you were not a professional pickleball player.

What advice would you give to somebody that is trying to be a professional pickleball player or what's one thing that was really integral in your path as you went Pro?

COLLIN JOHNS: Um, being Ben’s brother probably is a good start. The tennis journey, I did that for many years and then coming over to pickleball, I think that that just let me witness that I was playing a different sport. There are certain things that are going to help you as background significantly, but there are other things that you have to learn how to change. If you look at the players that have had the most success, especially relatively rapidly – they are very open to learning the game and that was really good for me. It was certainly a credit to the guy on my left that helped me along the way. But, the event today and one I did yesterday, it’s just amazing to see where the sport has grown since I started playing. I’m very excited about being here today.

LT: Speaking of the guy to your left, Ben, you’re the middle of 7 children! What was it like growing up? Was it constant sports and competition of those 7 kids? Who was the most competitive?

BEN JOHNS: Yeah, I grew up as 1 of 7 kids, but also 1 of the 2 boys as we have 5 sisters so it was primarily just sports with this guy. Pickleball is the only thing that I ever won. So, I’m really just taking my sweet time with it! He is 6 years older and it was very competitive. So when you have someone that much older than you, you just get used to losing at everything! But it was a great upbringing and I wouldn’t do it over in any other way. I was very grateful and it all led me here!

IG @bahram.akradi

@lifetime.life

@agassi

@annabright.pb

@benjohns_pb

@collinjohns_pb

@tysonmcguffin

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Life Time

Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag and see PICKLEBALL POWER in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | HOT BONES

When you're in Detroit, head to HOT BONES which opened December 2023. HOT BONES' speaks to:

• Hot yoga and pilates classes which range from 85-100F, using an advanced infrared heating system, that heats the body from the inside. They believe that their community deserves the benefit of both modalities without multuple memberships. For Pilates, they offer HIIT Pilates and a Sculpt Pilates class, For Yoga, they have Sculpt Yoga (with weights), Power Yoga, Slow Flow Yoga, and Restorative Yoga.

• Hot bone broth is made and sold in small batches of beef and chicken bone broth made from organic bones that simmer for 48 hours.

• Hot architectural bones, as the studio is located in an adaptive reuse building with beautiful historic architectural bones.

• Hot Bones, believes that every person, despite ethnicity, body type, and socio-economic background, is made from the same bones.

For centuries, bone broth has been a foundation for health, immunity and healing in most cultures — ramen, pho, matzo ball soup, brodo, and chicken noodle soup to name a few. Bone broth is beneficial for:

• Recovery and athletic performance: Post-workout recovery that replenishes essential nutrients and promotes muscle repair and growth.

• Joint and bone strength: Collagen to strengthen bones, reduce joint pain, and improve mobility.

• Electrolytes & other nutrients: Nutritional powerhouse, containing essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids such as glycine and proline to support a healthy immune system and overall well-being.

• Detoxification and immunity boost: Rich nutrients boost the immune system, assisting the body in fighting off illnesses and infections.

• Improved sleep: Amino acid glycine has a calming effect on the body to improve sleep quality.

• Social connection: Opportunity to connect with friends after class when endorphins are released to reduce stress and improve mood. Before and after classes, people often meet in the lobby or outdoor patio to connect while sipping on a cup of bone broth. The studio is thoughtfully designed to feel like an extension of a curated home and has a collection of print publications from the local magazine store.

While at the studio, enjoy all necessary equipment, including mats, towels, weights, resistance brands, and balls at no cost for each guest.

HOT BONES

2895 E Grand Blvd,

Detroit MI 48202

hotbonesdetroit.com

IG @hotbonesdetroit

PHOTO CREDIT | Christina Stoever

Read the MAY ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Hot Bones in mag.

PUSHING NEW LIMITS | JENNA WILLIS

Focusing on our health is multi-layered as it's about working out, nutrition, recovering our body, and wellness. By combining these elements together you're on the track to creating a 360 approach to doing what is best for your body.

We caught up with Jenna Willis who is know for her celebrity clientele that includes Liza Koshy (Boo! A Madea Halloween, Transformers: Rise of the Beast, Good Burger 2), Lala Kent (Vanderpump Rules, The Valley, MAY ISSUE #29 cover in 2018) and Camila Cabello. We've gotten to know her through seeing her on Vanderpump Rules as well as on her Instagram.

We wanted to find out how she became a celeb trainer, the impact of fitness on her life, her approach to working with clients, how we can approach our fitness goals, and her upcoming projects.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We’re so excited to talk with you as the first time we became aware of you was when we had Lala Kent as the cover and we shot with her. In her interview we were asking about her physique and how she got to looking so amazing and she was like, “oh my God, Jenna Willis!”

JENNA WILLIS: Oh that’s so nice - so thank you! Truly and it makes me so happy.

I was literally with Lala today training with her as we’re now in her 2nd pregnancy now and we’ve gotta keep her body on track to snap back the day after!

AM: She always looks great and you also have other clients that I’m a fan of like Liza Koshy and I know our readers will love learning more about you and your fitness approach!

When was the moment that you fell in love with fitness?

JW: Wow, you know it’s one of those things where you look back and it all makes sense. But when you’re in it, you don’t realize how impactful it is and how it has pretty much supported me my entire life! I started off doing Tiny Tots Gymnastics when I was 3 years old. So fitness – what’s interesting to me is that fitness is fun! A lot of people forget that. My true ah ha moment, I have actually had 2. I transferred colleges and I went to a school in NY called Wagner College where I was actually the tiniest Division I volleyball player in the nation so I was playing volleyball for this school. I always knew I wanted to move to LA to pursue acting because that was my dream. I was literally like going to my parents saying that I was up and moving and going to LA. They were like, “cool, good luck!” But they also added that I could do that or I could transfer and study whatever I wanted and graduate. So at the age of 19, I packed up a bag, moved across the country with 6 girls that I had never met before – this was back in the day! I was on a call with the girl in LA and she was like, “do you want to move into this house with us for the summer?” I was like sure. I show up and girl, we were sharing a bed for the summer and we had never met in my life – to this day, she is one of my best friends!

AM: Wow!

JW: The point of the story is that I moved to LA, I didn’t know what a sesh is like a Surf Sesh – all of these terms. All of these boys and all of this lifestyle stuff. I was like, I’m just going to live and enjoy extracurricular activities like Beer Pong right? About 5 months in to doing that, this was the first time in my life that I was not exercising. In the middle of a sorority meeting, I was laid out with a panic attack and it was the first time in my life that I had realized that fitness literally saves me. That was the first realization. I think that because it had always been part of my life because I always played sports, I played volleyball in college, and I never realized how impactful it truly was until that moment.

The second time, it was 2015 and I was actually on Vanderpump Rules at that time and I was also on a TV show called, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story - which was one of the best years of my life and then quickly went to one of the hardest years of my life. I stepped away from Vanderpump Rules, I was engaged to someone for 8 years and then we broke up and that ended, and then my management at the time left the industry and I just felt that I was left with nothing! My fiancé and I had broken up, I was no longer on Vanderpump Rules, and my acting career had not gone the way that I thought it would after booking the OJ series and I went into a very bad situational depression and my anxiety was through the roof and I summoned up the energy to get to the gym one day. I told myself that enough was enough. I go to the gym and I quickly realized that one of the few times out of my day that I felt present, I felt alive and felt good – that was how I became a trainer.

AM: That’s what I was going to ask you, how did you know that this was going to be your career because working out for yourself and knowing what to do for your body is so different than having clients and doing this for them.

JW: Yeah, I mean, honestly you can’t make this shit up! I was going to the gym and I knew I was feeling better. I got a call one day and a friend of a friend from college said, “hey, we need a fitness model for this job.” I thought, I’m not a model, but sure!

AM: I’m not a model, but I am today haha!

JW: This fun day of shooting and doing fitness stuff made me think, “wow, this is really cool!” So I'm going to the gym, I’m starting to workout and I’m feeling better, I’m doing this fitness modeling thing. I’m at the gym one day and I’m working out. Mind you, I’ve been let go from Villa Blanca which is how I ended up on Vanderpump Rules. They were like, “Jenna, you haven’t made a shift in a month.” It was a dream for me to not ever have to go back to a restaurant again and I mean that in the most kindest way, but it was a goal that I had set for myself to try something new in life and to pursue my dream of acting.

I’m at the gym working out and a girl comes up to me and says, “oh my gosh, that move! Do you work here?” I told her no, but that this is how you do it. I kid you not, the next day I go to the gym, I’m on the cable machine, I’ll never forget it doing some chest on my massive non-existent boobs and another girl comes up and says, “woah, you’re really strong, do you work here?” I told her no, but this is what you do. Next day, at the gym, doing something for my butt of course, and a girl comes up and says, “I have really been trying to target the glutes” – she didn’t know what to call it, but I call it the Booty Dimples. Right like that little side part that we all want to focus on and I was hitting that real hard and she was like, “my gosh that move! Do you work here?” I’m not kidding, I looked at her and I said, “yes, I do!” I was like how can I help you? Then I helped her and I let her know that I didn’t really work there, but I went home and I was 30 at this point and I was like, if I have ever gotten a message in my life, this is it!

I went online and figured out the certification that I needed to get and which one I was going to do. I completed my certification in 2 months and it was a goal of mine to hit the ground running in 2017 and I got certified as a trainer and in CPR First Aid and I hit the ground running.

It changed my life! Yet again, fitness changed my life on a whole other level. I will tell you 1 thing. When I was 9 years old, I went to see a musical, The Newsies and I was sitting in the audience and I had this feeling of euphoria and that’s when I knew I wanted to be an actor because I wanted to give people the same thing I feel right now for the rest of my life. I get to do that now with training. I get to make people feel amazing. So you put the dots together and you get this path together! Now, there’s a lot of road there and there’s going to be a lot of bumps on that path.

AM: Oh yeah!

JW: It makes sense.

AM: It will be a mix in terms of result and what happens along the way. So it’s amazing that you found it and made it make sense.

JW: It’s been really cool and what I will say is when I made that decision from being on Vanderpump and being in that world some what – all of the girls got very excited. Lala was literally like, start training me.

AM: You were just on an episode the other week of the current season.

JW: Yeah! So that’s so cool, well it’s full circle as I get to go back and I can train them on the show. It’s so cool!

AM: It’s amazing, you have trained her, Camila Cabello, Liza – you have has so many amazing people. How important is that client to trainer relationship? What are you looking for when it comes to deciding to train someone as a client?

JW: You know what’s funny? It’s such an intimate relationship to train someone. What someone looks for in me is what I am also looking for in them. Which is a partnership and the ability to go through thick and thin together as well as the high and lows with one another – there will be both. I am definitely a supporter kind of trainer. We’re going to laugh in our sessions and you’re as sure as shit going to feel the burn and hate me a little bit. But the session will be over and you’ll be like, wow that went fast! I think that that’s what a client looks for. You’re hanging out in very strange circumstances and in those circumstances, you’re going to feel the burn, you’ll hate me a little, but then you will love me because you walk away feeling amazing.

AM: How would you describe your fitness method?

JW: My whole thing is that I have always been the weird kid and my thing is that we should embrace the awkward of fitness. I grew up an athlete, I have 3 older brothers, I had to be an athlete, I had to defend myself. My whole philosophy is to make fitness tangible and fun and something that can be done anywhere and anytime truly. People get so caught up in the major overhaul of life and what I like doing is to make it part of life.

AM: So for those just starting this journey, what would be the focus that they should be looking at or maybe beyond the goal of what it is that they want to do?

JW: Totally, there’s a few things that I recommend right off the bat. Start walking! It sounds so simple, but it makes such a difference. Once you create a routine of just getting up and walking outside, you’re creating that window to move - you release those endorphins and serotonin to move. You’re awake and your body doesn’t feel as tight. When you realize that your body is moving and that you’re getting that energy, you’re more motivated to want to take it to that next step. I always say the 5 mins rule. Sometimes, you just need to get to the gym. You show up, you get to that treadmill for 5 mins and you can leave. It’s all about creating a habit or a routine.

Another thing that I like to do for someone who is just getting started is a calendar program. Look at your calendar for the week and the meetings that you have to go to – those things that you cannot move and schedule 20 mins in between whether that’s in the morning, your lunchbreak, or right after work. Because when you build it into your schedule, it doesn’t feel overwhelming.

AM: Makes sense as you literally see it in your calendar and you feel horrible clicking it off of Google calendar.

JW: That’s exactly right – it’s accountability!

The other thing that I love is just to find something that you enjoy! You know, some people feel that fitness has to be in the gym and lifting weights, I do it and I live for it. But not every person wants to do that. Maybe it’s that weekly dance class – it’s that one commitment that doesn’t feel overwhelming and that it’s social.

AM: How do you approach those that do have a specific goal that they’re looking to achieve in their workouts? Maybe it’s a wedding, an anniversary, reunions, etc? They’re looking at a set time and a set place where that goal is able to actualized.

JW: So that’s when I get a little more intense. If someone has a very specific goal, we talk about what that is, we look at the timeframe, and we break it down to what will truly heed results in that length of time. I am talking about a meal plan and a workout plan. Everybody is different. It also depends on the timeframe that we have.

AM: How important is the nutrition and recovery plan. What are all the things that people should be thinking about when it comes to a workout session on a given day and over time?

JW: Wellness. Truly and when I say wellness, I mean mind, body, spirit, and soul – all of that. I think that the goal for me with any of my clients is to create a program that is sustainable and enjoyable because if it doesn’t have those aspects, it won’t continue. I never want to feel like I am having to overhaul someone’s life. That’s not fun. It’s picking small goals that heed big change. Little things like the way that you eat your meals makes such a difference. People don’t realize that you start with your veggies – it creates a block so that you don’t get that glucose spike and it prevents having those crashes in the afternoon. Then you move to your fats and your proteins and you finish with your complex cards. It’s little tips and tricks that make a huge difference. All of a sudden, you’re not eating as many of those snacks or craving those foods because you are satiating your body in other ways.

AM: How can we make sure that you’re establishing achievable goals as you’ve been talking about? Because I also have those friends who feel they have a goal and a plan, but in life, what they’re going for would not be able to happen whether the goal is off or the time allowed doesn’t make sense.

JW: Exactly, this is my philosophy. Anything that seems too good to be true, it probably is. And anything that comes so easy, goes easy. I truly believe that. A healthy amount is a pound a week and that’s an aggressive weight loss plan. If you are doing that, you are doing incredible. Anything over that, you’re kind of traumatizing the body to some degree and I hate to say that and to use those words.

AM: Well, it’s shocking the body.

JW: When people are leaning into taking things or doing things where this aggressive weight loss is happening, you can be losing muscle mass, you’re stressing your hunger, and how are you supplementing that to then create longevity?

I’m not just promoting myself so even if it’s not you working with me, maybe you are doing Pilates – you’re allowing your body to be supported and to create a strength for itself during that process. When you do go off of it, you’re still in a healthy mindset that will still support your mind and body.

AM: For those that may not be able to work with your 1:1. Tell us about Don’t Sweat It Alone! I love that everything in your world is so bright and approachable as there are a number of methods or trainers that sometimes have a very different look to their site and their approach and for some people that can be a bit too much for them.

JW: Yesss! Thank you for saying that and I really do appreciate that!

Just going back for a moment on what we were talking about before, if you’re just starting out – you may want to consider breaking up your workout. For some people that only have 20mins like a lot of my clients are working moms. That’s a busy job and 20mins is better than no minutes. If you’re waiting to have that block of an hour, you may tell yourself you don’t have it today, but you will do it tomorrow, and then it just keeps happening and ultimately, you never worked out. Give yourself some grace and set that timer for 20mins, that’s time you put in for yourself, you nourished your body and gave it what it needed.

AM: I agree even for myself, I prefer to workout at 8am and be done by 9am, but then I may have a day of meetings, editor appointments, interviews, creative, etc – I know I will catch up with it again later in the day, and won’t let the day go on without it. But it can be tough as sometimes things start moving.

JW: I love that! That’s how I operate it and not everyday will go the way you want it to. Sometimes schedules are crazy and that is ok!

AM: You do the best you can, my newest component has been meditation as I have found that just as necessary as working out my body. I am not someone who likes to sit for a second in silence, but when I am in the meditation groove that follows after my workout, I can do it.

JW: You’re inspiring me – like meditation and affirmations is part of every morning of mine, but I would say that meditation is the one that I struggle with the most. So you're inspiring me right now so we're always a work in progress.

AM: You have to find what works for you. I use Hyperice’s Core App and the fact that they break down the sessions to whether you’re feeling anxious, whether you want to be moved by music, or to have guided meditations, I have the group of instructors that I enjoy listening to and if I’m pushed for time I can find the one that is where I am at mentally within the time frame that I have to give.

JW: Do you ever do the nose breathing thing?

AM: Yes! I love Breathwrk App!

JW: Oh my gosh! It’s so good and if I’m having a crazy day, there are some days that you’re just not here! If I do that one technique, it’s like, “hey, I’m back!”

My Don’t Sweat It Alone, what’s really beautiful is that the only blessing in COVID that I experienced is that it gave me the ability to reach anyone all over the world. So what I do is that you don’t sweat it alone. I offer online programming, personalized month-to-month plans, and meal plans to anyone in the world. I’m also certified as a life coach as well through Jay Shetty, do you know him?

AM: Yeah!

JW: So, that’s a buddy of mine. I also do live check-ins as well. So you can be anywhere in the world and still have access to me. I call it the Power Hour and a member can sign on during that time and we set goals for the week, we talk about SHREDS – how’s your Sleep, how’s your Hunger, your Rest, your Energy, and your Digestion? We go over everything and go live every Monday and Friday with my HIIT workouts.

AM: I like that SHREDS thing and I’m all about gut health.

JW: It’s so important!

AM: During the pandemic, I also took time to really focus on my sleep and to change some things in that area as well. I feel it’s way more optimized then it was before. I still have moments that aren’t great, but it’s so much better than what it was before.

JW: I love that!

AM: Are there any retreats that you have coming up?

JW: Yes!!! Oh my gosh! Thank you for asking me! I’m a work horse.

AM: Same!

JW: Girl, of course you are! Look at what you’re doing. Teach me your ways!

I did my first retreat and because I’m a work horse, I had such a hard time stepping away truly. So I thought how could I step into my work while also exploring the world to do what I love? I got an opportunity last year to partner with a friend of mine and we did a wellness retreat in Bali. We called it Balanced to Bali and it was amazing! It was 6 nights/7 days, there were workouts every single day, yoga, meditation, it was so incredible and then I traveled before and after. It was such a hit, so euphoric, and so beautiful. I just announced Elevated in El Salvador 5 nights/6 days in El Salvador Dec 22nd – Dec 27th. It’s on the black sands of El Zonte. I am so excited. I have always wanted to explore Central America and to get down there that way. I can’t wait. I have been looking for a place and there is a beautiful and quaint resort right there on the ocean there will be yoga every single day and sound baths!

AM: The retreat seems amazing!

Obviously this can be different for everyone, but what are power and energy foods that when we’re running around and don’t want to snack idly and we want to put nutrients in our bodies intentionally – what are things that you suggest that we should have?

JW: Oh, I love this! Anything that supports the system more than process foods. I know that that is a very vague answer. But I can share some of my personal favorites – roasted chickpeas.

AM: We're such a fan of them!

JW: I love them – they’re just natural from the Earth, it’s a true whole food ingredient – it has the good fats, some carbs, great fiber – talk about what’s great for our digestive system! So, many great things, in one food! Another one that I enjoy and not everyone eats beef but grass fed beef sticks is absolutely amazing. Hard Boiled Eggs! It’s one of the best snacks that you can have! Protein bars are great and they are a great alternative to a protein bar, but I always say, look at the ingredients in those protein bars because a lot of time there is a lot of fillers and processors in those bars that we don’t even realize. Raw trail mix – I geek out. Some people geek out on wine tastings and don’t get me wrong, I love that! But I geek out on creating my own trail mix!

AM: Oh that’s so smart! Because then you know exactly what’s in it.

JW: Almonds are great or even pistachios.

AM: I’m ok with pistachios. I’ve also been someone who loves customizing and personalizing a number of things from clothes, office supplies etc, and a number of my foods – never thought to extend it to trail mix!

JW: Oh my gosh put a little goji berry in there and a little dark chocolate!

AM: Love both of those too!

JW: You have to live a little bit here right? We don’t want anyone miserable – it’s about healthy choices 80% of the time!

AM: You also have resistance bands! I love and I think it’s so great. I always have a set in my luggage so no matter which bag I take with me, I have them with me when I’m traveling. Do you foresee expanding your brand into a workout line or more devices and gear?

JW: Girl, that’s the dream and we’re living in it. Yes, 100%. I have had some merch in the past. I have had requests to bring it back and I was so excited to bring these pink bands out with my slogan, Get Sweaty. I just like it because to be honest, I’m so inappropriate and I’m ok with who I am. Get Sweaty just means so many things and that’s why I love it so much! The dream is to come out with more products and I definitely have aspirations when it comes to that. Nothing that is locked in that I can share.

AM: I can so see it and how the brand lends itself to being able to hammock so many things.

Are there any projects that you’re able to share that you would like for our readers to know?

JW: Anyone who is looking for any kind of fit tips or workouts, I share those. I have more videos launching with PopSugar which I am very excited about, Fabletics is a great partnership of mine.

IG @msjennawillis

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | JENNA WILLIS

Read the APR ISSUE #100 of Athleisure Mag and see PUSHING NEW LIMITS | Jenna Willis in mag.

FINDING MAGIC AND FREEDOM | BROOKE BURKE

When we first met actress, host, fitness/wellness entrepreneur, and author Brooke Burke, it was back in our collegiate days as we watched her take us to an array of locale's on E!'s Wild On! From there, she continued to stay on our screens whether it was Dancing with the Stars, hosting Miss America pageants, seeing her on copious Skechers commercials and always adding that element of fitness and lifestyle to everything she touches!

We wanted to find out about how Brooke got into the industry, how she created her opportunities that began to structure what the Brooke Burke brands means, current projects she's involved in, the importance of fitness and wellness, her upcoming wedding, and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Hello! How are you!

BROOKE BURKE: I’m home in Malibu and it’s my day off and I’m so excited to be able to talk to you!

AM: Of course! Well before we talk about your phenomenal career, did you think that it would always involve being a model, being a TV host, acting, being in fitness, and an author?

BB: You know, to be honest, I studied Broadcast Journalism in Business Advertising and I always thought that I would be a business woman. I accidently got into the business, but I always had a love affair with fitness and wellness. I didn’t grow up with that sort of guidance, I think that I took a big pivot after high school mostly because of the industry. Then I had an opportunity to work with some of the most brilliant wellness instructors and to make a business out of it 10 years ago because I wanted to show people how to live longer and stronger and to take better care of themselves as well as to be able to do it all over the world – whether you’re traveling, a busy mom, or you don’t have time, and even if you don’t like fitness! Just find a way to be able to get it done without excuses and to create energy – it’s so much more than a fitness app. I mean Brooke Bourke Body started as a fitness app, but now it is an intentional wellness space, it’s about community, and energy, and mindset – it just feels really good – I love this space, maybe more than I love the entertainment business?

AM: Well, when I first became aware of who you were, I was in college and I was a fan of E!’s Wild On!

BB: Oh those were the days!

AM: Oh yeah! I remember looking at it and I thought, I don’t think at that time, that there was anything even like that in terms of format, blending travel, food, culture, and nightlife.

BB: Oh my gosh! See, I will always be that travel girl to some people! It really was the greatest time of my life – that was reality TV before reality TV!

AM: Exactly!

BB: I mean, it was so guerilla, it was like me and a young crew! We all had a zest for life. We just went around the world, traveled like locals, had the best time, and did things that you could never do today!

AM: Yup!

BB: It was really an amazing gig and I have done some pretty cool things in my career, but that one, I’d love to be able to reboot that show and I’d like to get back out there on the road!

AM: Yes!

BB: Yes and I want to do it again! I meet people like you all over the world that are like, “I took that vacation because I saw you do it. I explored the world through your eyes.” And that, that feels so good and I feel that that connected me to so many different cultures, different types of people, and my mom – from my mom to my daughter, who doesn’t love to explore the world? It’s the greatest education that I have ever had!

AM: What drew you, because clearly before the show started, you didn’t realize that it would have all of these elements to it. What drew you to that to be part of that experience?

BB: To be honest with you, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Nor would I have probably signed up to jump off of planes and to sign rockets or to swim with sharks or whatnot! I have always had an adventurous appetite or an adrenaline junkie if you will! But I also was so naïve and growing up in Tucson, Arizona to grow up and have the privilege to just see the world. I just believed in taking chances and I was never a young girl and hopefully I’m raising my children the same way, I wasn’t going to leave here wondering what if! I had no idea what to expect and it was crazy, absolutely bananas! I would do it again and again and again! It was an adventure and I made friends around the world. I would tell everyone that to travel is to live! Take that adventure and just expand and open your mind!

AM: What do you love about hosting? You have hosted shows from so many different types of verticals whether it was Rock Star, She’s Got the Look, Dancing with the Stars, or Miss America? What do you love about being that central force in those particular shows as a host?

BB: I think that I have always done scary things! But I also love live energy, I love people, I love connection, I love the energy of a live audience! I’ve learned now as a more seasoned host, I like when things go wrong, I like when things go right, I like spontaneity, I like uncertainty, there’s just something about being in front of a live audience that just ignites me and I think that that’s why I work in the wellness space, I teach classes with live audiences even in health and wellness, to guide, to teach, to connect, to connect the dots, to connect people. I get so much out of it and it’s really different in front of a live audience!

It's been a minute, but joining the Fool Us cast last season, I forgot how much fun it was to be on a stage! Las Vegas, live, and magic! There aren’t a lot of live shows anymore so I just forgot how much I love it because I’ve been in health and wellness as a space so passionately; more so, than in television. So I feel like I get the best of both worlds.

AM: Last month in our issue of Athleisure Mag, we interviewed Penn + Teller about a number of things, but also about Fool Us as well! What did you love about – in addition to it being live and interacting with people as you said, what drew you to be on this show?

BB: Oh, I love magic and genuinely! I feel like it’s a time where it’s a family show for a family viewing! It’s an opportunity where we need a little hope, we need a little uncertainty, it’s escapism. They’re incredible and iconic, it’s such an honor and a pleasure to share the stage with them! I feel like this was a show that was celebrating talent! Whether the magicians got the Fools trophy or not, they were also thrilled to be there and to have the opportunity to be part of something! I’m somebody, my daughter was on production with me, she was so frustrated because she wanted to know how every trick was being done – but a magician will never tell! I on the other hand didn’t want to know because it’s so much fun to wonder and to be surprised, or to cry and laugh!

AM: Before you were hosting DWTS, you won S7 with Derek Hough! What was it like being a competitor on that season and then also, how difficult was it to learn so many different dances from week to week?

BB: It was the hardest thing that I have ever done in my entire life including being a mother to 4 children! It was terrifying to be honest. I love music, I love rhythm, I love dance. I didn’t grow up a dancer. I think putting yourself out there and learning something new is awesome for your entire inner network, but it is also terrifying, unfamiliar, uncomfortable, then you’re being judged for it, then you’re performing live – like live live – not live to tape! At the time, it was 15M – 20M viewers! It was bananas and it was the hardest thing that I have ever done. It was also filled with so many life lessons about how to perform under pressure, about how not to overthink things, how to have faith in my body - there are actually a lot of lessons that I bring into my transformational work and retreats. How to trust your body, how to just let go and to know that what you have done is good enough and how to just show up and you know overthinking can be such a demon and it can be a bully until we learn how to quiet it down and that voice inside is really fear based!

But It’s just all fear. So learning how to quiet down all of that noise was the greatest life lesson! And then an amazing opportunity to let America see me not as a host, but a person, human, and out of my comfort zone. All of that stuff and it’s so important! We rarely get to do that in my business and you know, especially in live television, there’s just not a lot of time to play. It was just an awesome opportunity and I think that that gave me the opportunity to do so many other things. It was fun and it was such a great show!

AM: You’re focus on fitness and this whole wellness industry – we always like to ask our faves about the workouts that they do that we can incorporate into our routines to shake things up especially since we are heading into the Spring/Summer.

So what are 3 workouts that we could do for toned arms, legs, or abs?

BB: Good question! There are so many things that we could do at home and I’m a big believer in working out – sweating in a smart way because of time, life, ability, age, hormones – you name it! The reason why I started Brooke Burke Body is to teach people how to get it in whatever limited time that you have! I have a lot of target toning opportunities and of course specific opportunities that are really designed for all of the areas that women are complaining about – compound moves which means that we spend less time. I have a 4 Week Ab Attack, a 4 Week Booty Challenge, I’ve got 30 Mins or Less Body Weight Workouts where you don’t even need equipment! I also have Zoom classes every Fri. So wherever you are whether it’s a hotel, you’re busy and don’t have time to get to a class, you can’t afford that class! People from all over the world Zoom in and it’s really fun! Then we develop a community that’s real and it holds you accountable.

I would say get an app, get on YouTube, find free content, join my app that is free for the first week! It’s just find something that keeps you interested! We’ve got about a 3 month attention span and then most people either fall off because they are looking for a quick fix and they are bored. But for me, it’s about developing a sustainable lifestyle that is about energy and mobility. It’s about living longer, stronger and it’s just about a booty or a bikini body. We don’t even use those kinds of words anymore right? It’s all about building strength and we have a strong community and a strong commitment. It’s about building strength, functional fitness, intentional wellness, and protecting our body so that we can do all of the things that we want to do without injury.

I have great trainers also, it’s not just me and I celebrate them as I love variety! So there is a little bit of everything on there!

AM: That’s exciting!

BB: I really do love it and it’s so fun! And mostly, it’s because of the community which is what is really good about it!

AM: It’s also good for accountability!

BB: Of course! Fitness shouldn’t be isolated when it's 11:30 and your friend is asking where you are, sometimes you need a little love, you need a little nudge, we need to increase our self-care, we need a little love! Body confidence is key! We are in a very interesting time where it’s an amazing time to be a woman, I think! I’m raising 4 daughters, Scott has 2 children – I have 4. It’s about inner dialogue, it’s about body confidence, and really it’s about strength and coordination, and lowering our stress levels. You know, we’re hearing all of these things now and there’s so much science behind the value of lowering our stress levels. How are we going to do that? Better learn how to create adrenaline and dopamine and oxytocin – like when I’m stressed out, I workout. I can sweat myself into a new space in a moment right?

AM: Oh exactly!

BB: Of course and I hope you try it out and would love to have you – no pressure in our Zoom classes. I don’t know if that’s your thing?

AM: It’s nice to be able to learn something and just to see how it sits with you.

BB: You’re bringing up a really good point! The best piece of advice that I have been given and have realized as someone who is an advocate for women’s health, we have to be a detective of our own bodies. What works for me, may not work for you. That’s why I have different people and even in my retreats I say that if it’s not me that they are responding to try to find somebody else that you do respond to and find your community!

AM: Tell me more about your health and wellness retreats because it seems like you have quite a few coming up!

BB: I do! I love the work that I do! By the time this issue has dropped, I would have just finished Carefree Arizona at the CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa, but I am doing another one there in the fall. I’ll do a couple of wellness events here in Malibu at the property at my home. That’s called Soul Creek Wellness, We’ve got Costa Rica a yoga retreat in 2025 and the nice thing about being organized about them is that you can fundshare, you can do a payment plan, and to find a way to afford these plans if they are meaningful to you. I get so much out of doing this work. I get more than I give. I connect with like minded women and men – they are invited as well. Beyond the workout, we are transforming our mind, we are doing deep work, meditation, journaling, rhythm, movement, energy - it’s really been a beautiful ride for me. I’ve had an incredible company called Yogando it means yoga in Italian. She’s my partner and she does retreats all over the world! We have a really great thing going and we brings the spirit, the soul, the energy, the experts, it’s been amazing! I really love this work!

What we put into our body is as important as how we train our body. How we speak to our body is as equally as important. So that’s why we have shifted from BB Body, to BB Body + Soul, and now it’s about energy and intentional wellness because they are all connected! Meditation, lowers your stress levels, it gives you clarity, the more you workout, the more you want to do. When you have a community, you're connected, and you're accountable! So all of those things for me as a woman is essential for wellness and I think that it goes beyond fitness and being a great patient, getting that physical, being mindful of your nutrition and whatever that means! Being part of a community, supporting one another. We did a deep dive into the Blue Zones in Costa Rica, we were out there and we will do it again in 2025.

I’m really excited about teaching people on how they can create their own Blue Zone wherever they are meaning you can do it at home. You can find your tribe, your community, you can fuel your body – mine is different then yours. I intermittent fast which is great for my body for recovery and for repair!

I’m a big believer in that! But I also eat and I eat for fuel, I eat for energy, I eat mostly plant-based, but I do also eat meat. I drink a tremendous amount of water! I try to keep it as natural, colorful, and as fresh as possible! I fill my body with fresh, bright, and colorful vegetables. I eat lean meats, great sauces, spice, things with flavor and really good fats. I believe in fuel, I believe in energy. Back to what I said before, being a detective of your own body and understanding what makes you tired, what makes you bloated, what makes you retain water, what makes your joints hurt, what makes you sleepy? We really have to learn and then of course, we have to correct. I’m always testing different things and I’m a bit of a biohacking geek as well. So I really increasing our NAD production, and doing things that really help to manipulate the system! I mean, I’m 52, so let’s go!

AM: I completely agree and sometimes I'm realizing that we may be in different like cycles as we navigate a month. So if I’m more stressed in those times of the month due to closing the issues or other things going on, I may not be able to eat the same types of things I could when I am in more of a normal situation.

BB: I think that it’s great that you tune into that. I think that the older that we get, we have an ability to know when we have to turn it up or to turn it down. And it’s about really learning how to listen to our body! I have a mindful carousel that is in the app that is just for meditation. Stretch and Recovery, Morning Mobility – you have to listen to your body and to create that energy! It might mean having to take a day off. There’s a lot of bootcamps out there and kick your ass programs, and a lot of quick fix diets where you will starve yourself – but then you put it all back on! I just don’t engage in that. For me, I want a healthy lifestyle that is sustainable and works for me so that is doable.

AM: And flexible like you said! What I can do Tues, I may not be able to do it on Wed for whatever that reason is!

BB: And that’s ok! I think that we have earned a little bit of grace! Tough love my friend!

AM: You are in the middle of preparing to get married! So congratulations!

BB: Thank you!

AM: How is it to navigate the planning process of that while also juggling all these other things that you are obviously already doing!

BB: Well, it's slow in planning – just starting with that honesty! We have 4 daughters that are excited about this wedding so we can’t phone it in! I want it to be spectacular, I want it to be about hope, I want people to be able to believe in the next chapter! I want people to believe that they can redesign their life and that they can love again! Even if it looks different, it feels different, it sounds different! I thought that I would never get married again and then I happened to meet the most wonderful man! I would probably say that I would never want to get married again, but I want to get married to him.

When you least expect it, love comes along. I was just able to receive it! We’re planning it, we’re all consumed with building our new home! We’re blending our families, work, and our life. So it’s coming up, but it’s not coming up quick enough!

AM: What are you the most excited about in terms of your wedding day?

BB: I think that celebrating love – knowing that his family is on board and we’re willing to raise each other and to do it with integrity and acceptance. It makes me a really proud mom and woman. Watching our children grow without any resistance in love which is very key and very challenging because I have been on both sides of that. Nobody ever thinks that they’re going to do it again, nobody ever thinks that they’re going to do it wrong, so to find a love like I have with Scott that has flow, it’s just a really nice flow – I feel really lucky, safe, and blessed and it’s sexy. It’s meaningful.

AM: How do you take time for yourself when you want to give those moments to yourself for peace and zen?

BB: Most of my me time sounds like a contrast because it’s shared with people. My wellness space and my yoga is kind of my temple. Yoga for me is not a workout or a practice, it is a total necessity. So I teach and I walk the talk. I meditate everyday, I get up early, I try to rise with the sun. This is a new thing for me. I am retraining my brand. I sleep when I’m sleepy that’s also a new thing for me. I’m really listening to my body and so my me time is maybe those extra 10 mins in the morning, it’s my Savasa yoga and I will carve out 10 mins for that. It’s time for me to quiet down so that I can actually hear my soul and my spirit. I spend a lot of time with sound baths and I get a lot out of that. I really do believe in sound frequency. I am in this space, so I have a lot of access to it and I create a lot of different offerings and it has changed my life. We’re hearing a lot more about it and I feel that when we hear the word mindfulness, people think that it’s all woo woo. I live in Malibu so you can only imagine. Just simply learning about doing nothing sometimes and learning how to slow down and how to listen to your body on most days, that is the gamechanger for me! I can teach people how to get into bikini shape all year long and that would be easy and boring. But what I hope I’m teaching is inspiring people to slow down and listen. We’re in a grind culture. You’re grinding and I’m grinding. Grind Culture – we need to navigate that. Meditation for me has been a big game changer.

It’s hard. I tell people that they have to meet meet themselves with a little bit of compassion and surrender. Meditation is different for everyone. I don’t feel like I need to sit down and just breathe, sometimes it’s a walking meditation, or a guided meditation, or a journey through music. I’m also a Breathwork Facilitator so I do a lot of different things to just slow down and to check in! Let’s just call it that! People put such high expectations on this concept to meditate. Just take a moment! Your meditation might look different than someone else’s and it’s good enough.

AM: That’s where I had to find out for myself and to be ok with a bit of trial and error, but if I can figure out the perfect shoe for my foot, I need to be able to find the perfect meditation that works for me!

BB: That’s right! Oh my God, I love that analogy! Just making it up on your own. 100%, we spend more time doing so many other things as opposed to checking in!

AM: So what do you want the Brooke Burke Legacy to be as you look back at all of the amazing things that you have contributed to the world?

BB: That’s such a hard question! Today is my son’s birthday, so today I am all gooey and emotional because he’s my baby and he’s 16 and he has 3 older sisters that worship this kid. He’s a football player and I have just watched him grind and grind so hard and he is everything that I respect and I am so lucky to be able to say that. So I guess, I feel like I'm just getting warmed up in my passion projects because I’m in my 50s and you’d think that I’d be winding down.

I feel so lucky to be doing something purposeful and I guess on a deeper space and I am so tapped into it today, I just want my children to know and they were raised in it that they are in a safe and loving space where they had freedom. Freedom for me is my thing. It's freedom to start over, it’s freedom to fuck up. It’s a loaded concept for me and I think that as women, we’re in this space as well. It’s freedom to be able to do whatever you want to do or not at all.

AM: Right and it’s a freedom to know that even if you mess it up, it’s ok.

BB: Totally! My daughter is taking a mandatory day off today, because I made her do it. I was like, you’re 16 years old, you’re going to take the time to do what 16 year olds do. I’m listening and learning!

IG @brookeburke

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Body By Brooke Burke

Read the MAR ISSUE #99 of Athleisure Mag and see FINDING MAGIC AND FREEDOM | Brooke Burke in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | JETSET PILATES

JETSET Pilates was founded by Tamara Galinsky in 2010 in Miami Beach and has grown to become an internationally recognized brand with a growing, loyal community devoted to the unique 50-minute modern Pilates workout that challenges body and mind.

This studio has 8 locations throughout South Florida - Coral Gables, Downtown Miami, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Brickell, South of Fifth neighborhood in Miami, Edgewater, and Sunset Harbour. There our 20 in-development studios include NYC (multiple locations), Tampa FL (multiple locations), North Miami, West Palm Beach FL, Orlando FL, and Melbourne Australia, to name a few!

JETSET's custom-made reformer is designed to elevate the pilates experiences. With a unique configuration of seven springs, each varying in weight, this reformer offers unparalleled versatility in resistance exercises. When working at the front, the springs seamlessly assist movements, providing support tailored to individual’s needs. Conversely, shifting to the back intensifies the challenge as the springs add resistance, ensuring a well-rounded and dynamic workout. The reformer's platforms and carriage are equipped with strategically placed leverage straps and pockets, enhancing stability and control throughout the session.

Their private sessions offer an exclusive 50-minute class, delivering a signature total body workout with the added benefit of personalized attention. With a dedicated instructor at your side, the session is entirely tailored to fit clients' unique needs and body, ensuringa workout that aligns seamlessly with goals. Private sessions are offered either in private pilates rooms as a single or duet (two clients) in select studios or in the main studio space.

JETSET's Arms and Abs class is a 50-minute session that zeroes in on sculpting the upper body, center core, and obliques. They're also rolling out more specialty classes such as Fundamentals and lower-body focused.

Pre/post-workout, they have cold water in eco-conscious packaging and pre/post-workout drinks such as Amino Lean. Some studios feature a selection of local juices available for purchase. You can also purchase JETSET Pilates apparel and accessories as well.

JETSET PILATES

110 Washington Ave

Miami Beach, FL 33137

For your nearest location or studios that are opening in your area, visit their website.

jetsetpilates.com

IG @jetsetpilates

PHOTOGRAPHY | JETSET Pilates

Read the FEB ISSUE #98 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | JETSET Pilates in mag.

9DRIP | SEBASTIEN LAGREE

Read the DEC ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see 9DRIP | Sebastien Lagree in mag.