NEW YEAR, N3W YOU

THE GOOD

I feel so blessed that I’ve been surrounded by family since March. There were seven, and sometimes nine, people in our pod— three kids; two fiancé’s, my husband, our nephew and three to four dogs. We fought for office space but ate memorable meals and did at-home Peloton work-outs together.

I personally had no choice but to take it down a notch. I’m still not meditating but I did download the Calm app. I also said yes to Zoom panels, speeches and was able to virtually connect with tons of people — new and old.

The coolest thing was getting to launch my dream cosmetics company, JonesRoad Beauty, from the comfort of my home (with a few in-office days). Who knew the power of a young scrappy team mixed with a seasoned professional could simply just get it done.

THE ADD

Travel! It’s the first thing I’ll do when we can. My husband and I love our vacation time together and as a family. I miss the UK and Paris and had also promised my youngest son a trip to Tokyo as his college graduation gift. I miss the Bahamas, which is one of our favorite warm weather destinations, too. I also haven’t been able to see my family in Chicago and really want to see my 85 year-old Dad.

Two of our sons put their weddings on hold, so I’m really looking forward to those celebrations.

THE BUZZ

Jones Road s releasing 25 shades of face pencils and 4 shades of eye pencils in mid-January. We’ll also be fully back ins tock of our Miracle Balm, which we underestimated the demand for. There are a bunch of monthly launches in the pipeline after that.

My wellness brand, EVOLUTION_18 is releasing several delicious new products to support beauty from the inside out. Plus, new episodes of my podcast, Beyond the Beauty, with amazing founders. And hopefully, I’ll get a chill spa day with my sister, which we usually do once a year, or I’ll finally meditate...

IG @JustBobbiDotCom

@JonesRoadBeauty

@Evolution_18

PHOTO COURTESY | Bobbi Brown

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THE GOOD

With the Covid 19 crisis making 2020anunforgettable year for all of us, it was a strange time to have the most successful year of my career. This year I have won the European championship (ELMS) the world championship (WEC) and the 24 hours of Le Mans. I became the youngest British winner of the Le Mans as wel las the youngest winner of WEC (World Endurance Championship). This year has felt even weirder due the races held behind "closed doors", closed to the public spectators. Covid tests proved me wrong in thinking nothing would enter that high up my nose, it didn't take away from a year where I won 6 of the 9 races I entered.

THE ADD

I said to myself that I was going to rekindle my German this year, 2 phone apps and the subscription page to an online language platform later I still haven't given it the time it needs. It's one of those things that won't make me a faster racing driver and therefore doesn't take priority, but then again that's exactly how I excused myself this year. Maybe next year will be the year.

THE BUZZ

Next year I am signed for another season of WEC, and ELMS with the same team as 2020 alongside both returning and new teammates. Another strong season next year is almost a make or break for my career with new manufacturers on the horizon to enter in 2023 and their development likely to start in 2022. Next years performance could solidify my name amongst the top to be first in line fora seat in one of the upcoming campaigns to win the top class of sportscar racing. The pressure is definitely going to be piling on over the winter months of training to make sure I'm in the best shape possible to hit the ground running where I left off this year.

IG @PhilHansonRacing

PHOTO COURTESY | Phil Hanson

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THE GOOD

I think that on a very big level, there has been a massive awakening of people on the planet. There’s so much. Anytime there is an election year, the pandemic, the amount of variables that have been going on is massive. Where people saw protests, I saw people coming together. I saw so much alignment in a way that we haven’t had in my lifetime that I can remember as an adult. I thought that that was special.

For me personally, when things slowed down and got quiet, I had an opportunity to listen. It was a year for me to let go and listen. When you sit down and listen, the answers are there. I realized that there were people, places and things that I could let go of now. I wondered why I was holding and why I was chasing to-wards them which could take me off my path. Being still, I saw relationships that I could let go with love and without any drama. It also allowed me to see some of the most amazing people on the planet that I am able to call friends. That goes to my family as well. It’s been a crazy year. My brother’s fiancé passed away very early in March not COVID related and we have never been closer. He lost his fiancé, we've been separated by a pandemic, I’ve seen him once the entire year and you know my brother and I get to FaceTime and we’re closer now then we were 10 years ago so there are gifts within the loss and that forme was great. So relationships with my brother and others has been great.

THE ADD

There are a couple of massive things I’m really proud of! One being Openfit. It’s a brand that basically I’m going back to coaching. So we’re filming a massive program that will be out in the world and we will film it in Jan. It will go out in Feb. I want to be the modern day Richard Simmons - having great access to health. I can't dance as good as Richard but man, it's going to be fun and special. All this programming is so intense and there’s no place for people that are beginning or trying to get back in. So Openfit and I have built this wonderful program and I can’t wait to do it because I haven’t coached this way in years. It will be available in streaming and I’m really excited about it. It’s exciting that people will be able to bring me back into their homes and living rooms again.

The other big thing is my CBD company! I started GetUP, a CBD company a year ago.COVID was tough, I couldn’t do shipping and getting things out – it really helped me identify the purpose of what this was.I know that there are people who may not be familiar with it, but they trust me and this will be the people’s CBD. CBD is so expensive and this is going to be like, "hey pay what you can scale" and I will send it to you. I want people to have access to health and it shouldn’t be exclusive based on affordability. It’s a really big initiative that I have decided to put together and I’m really excited as that will be available in Jan. It’s a really good start to the new year. I wanted to demystify fitness and I did, food/nutrition and I did and now I want to do the same thing with CBD. I love the name because no matter how much you get down, you get back up and that’s the mantra of 2021.

THE BUZZ

I encourage people to sign up and go to my mailing list Widerstrom.com. I send an email out every week. Sometimes it’s what just in my head or little tips. If you’re getting that, you know about things that are going on with me, challenges that I’mlaunching, Transformation will be in there I’m sure and I have things like that happening but I always say get on the mailing list and we start from there.

IG @JenWiderstrom

PHOTO COURTESY | Jen Widerstrom

Read the Dec Issue #60 of Athleisure Mag and see NEW YEAR, N3W YOU in mag.

CONNECTION MATTERS WITH JEN WIDERSTROM

We've all had many stories to share about this year and looking into next year which is par for the course when it comes to this time of year. Of course with what we have gone through this year as a global community, stepping into 2021 in the most optimized way is definitely something that we're looking to do around the office of Athleisure Mag! That entails a series of efforts that combine mind, body and soul.

We caught up with one of our favorites Jen Widerstrom Celebrity Fitness Trainer, TV Personality, Best Selling Author, Entrepreneur and Fitness Expert who we have enjoyed since seeing her as Phoenix on NBC's American Gladiators, the undefeated trainer on NBC's The Biggest Loser, as a bestselling author and having the ability to take classes led by her in years past. Her approach to motivating people and joining her clients journey in their transformation is no surprise to us!

We're looking forward to taking her 60 day challenge with Transformation Protein beginning Jan 5th - Mar 5th to hit our goals and prepare to be our best selves in 2021. We talk with Jen about how she got into the industry, how she navigated the landscape, the importance of mentorship and being inspired and giving back to others.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We know that you love being able to engage and help people. Can you tell us how you found your way into the fitness industry?

JEN WIDERSTROM: You know, it was such an accident girl! I was always involved in sports growing up and we always had a set of weights in the basement. We still do! Movement was a part of my life and my parents who are in their 70’s have their own garden plot. They grow their own vegetables. Being physical was always present early on but fitness was different. I was working out for performance in a sport or to look good for TV for American Gladiators and stuff like that. What really happened was that I came to LA after American Gladiators in 2008, I said, "I've made it. I am famous, this is great." I was 24 and I was in the greenest pasture right now. The show went off the air and I didn’t have any money to stay. I started teaching classes at this local little fitness studio called Pulse Fitness Studio that’s here in Sherman Oaks. They’re still rocking and rolling. It was great because I could have a free gym membership as I couldn’t afford one in LA and I had no money. I needed to pay my bills and I needed a gym membership.

That was it. I started out of reasons for necessity – financial. Then, I just realized that i wasn’t just about the weight loss but the pride in being able to see the changes and the person that came along with movement. I saw them just being able to open up and just starting to see what a beautiful motivator this was right? The ability to accomplish and to do. Waistlines will always change as that’s a side effect of the real work and when I saw that, I never looked back. I thought, “oh my gosh, there’s an impact here that’s far greater then I have ever given credit for.” Doing the group classes in the valley, turned into doing DVD’s for Men’s and Women’s Health to being a MSN Health person to being on NBC’s The Biggest Loser. I’ve been very lucky and honestly, that’s just where it started.

AM: We remember when you were Phoenix on American Gladiator! How was it to be on such a physical show?

JW: Headline – dream come true! You have to realize that I was born in 1982. I mean we’re talking about Zap, Jazz – these fit strong women and then you’ve got Gemini and Nitro – who’s better than Nitro – Dan Clark was great! I was just obsessed and I always wanted to be a contestant – always wanted to be on the show. I think that I have been a Gladiator 3 times for Halloween. When I actually got to do the show, I really felt that I had made it, I could literally die happy and that I got to do everything that I wanted to be able to do. It was a blast and it was special for a number of reasons. I met some incredible people. Very few times does a cast and production meld so well together. Dave Hurwitz was our producer and he had been doing MTV’s Fear Factor and he was such a class act. All of the people like former MMA fighter Gina Carano, known as Crush (Deadpool, Fast & Furious 6, The Mandalorian) and Beth Horn known as Venom, Valerie Waugaman known as Siren – all the women were just wonderful people. They were great in the industry and everybody was somebody. Hollywood Yates known as Wolf, was a professional rodeo clown. We had stunt people and then there was me. I was like, “I’m a bartender in Chicago.” I had no idea how I got this job and I was excited.

But it was good and there was a lot of pressure! These were live tapings and you didn’t get redo’s. So you’re out there and you’re in the rings with contestants. If they get by you, you look dumb! There was real pressure and there was no faking it. We really got after it so it was a lot of fun, but it was a lot of intense competition – no doubt!

AM: Obviously on the Biggest Loser, why did you like being on this show? Once again, it was great watching you on this show as the amount of care that you gave and the fact that you were an undefeated trainer is mindblogging.

JW: It’s funny because it was a scary show. There was no other biggest show in our field. What I loved about it was the people – my contestants and also those that were on the other teams as well. I realized very quickly that I wasn’t here to fill Jillian Michael’s shoes, to replicate what Bob Harper has done – I had to do me. I mean talk about a formula for life – do you and that’s scary you know. Will you like me, will I be invited to the birthday party? Am I accepted for who I am and what I have shared? I was really scared because I had not been on TV in that way and I had never been in that scenario. The one thing that I knew was that if I put my people first, if they were my focus it would be right. If you ask anyone that I have trained in the decades that I have worked, ask anyone and they would tell you the same that my contestants would – they were my focus and I just knew that the rest would take care of itself. People were able to see my care and my heart and that came across the screen so clearly. I said, do whatever you want with the cameras. I still talk to them every day. I have group threads with all of my teams and we’ll do little challenges like Team Jen versus Team Jen. Colby and Hope Wright (Biggest Loser Season 17), they were contestants on the show and they were struggling to get pregnant before their show and they just had their first child. I love being involved in their lives and when I have had hard days, I can call them and they are truly family to me. That really comes down to the favorite part – the relationships that I made were real and now they’re in their own lives and the effects continue to ripple in their own communities of wellness and being able to inspire others.

AM: How would you define your approach or methodologies that you use when it comes to training your clients whether it’s in person or virtually?

JW: I think that for me, I don’t know when this happened, but at some point health and weight loss got hard and confusing. That happens in media because it’s sales and marketing and people want you to be able to buy their stuff and my approach is, take away the mystery, take away the fear and just really show people, base line health. It’s not very hard to take care of yourself and people get very nervous about failure and I just take the judgement away. There’s no judgment, there’s nothing to be afraid of and I really teach people to be students of the experience and of themselves. I start there because the rest takes care of itself.

Think about a kid learning to do a cartwheel. How many times do they do a cartwheel before they actually get it? They may never get it, but they never stop trying. They’re not judging themselves and I thought that we had to bring that back. The ability to say, “hey, I’m not a failure, I’m learning and I’m trying.” The way that I actually equate it which really helped me is that I used to be really fluent in Spanish and of course, I forgot everything. When I started to teach myself again, I was feeling stupid because my pronunciation was off or I wasn’t conjugating correctly or I said “la” when it should have been “el” – the fear of trying and looking foolish with the language became a light bulb for me with health and weight loss. They’re afraid of looking foolish and afraid to tell their friends that they are doing to do this now – going to the gym. People aren’t looking for you to fail but we get it in our heads sometimes that we are going to look dumb and that the failure is something that we can’t take it – why? Treat it like a kid during cartwheels. Keep trying. I always tell people that the great thing about the wagon is that I always let you back on it! Always! I think my approach is really putting a curiosity, the minds of the students in front to remove the judgment and just keep showing up. We all get stuck. I’m trying to normalize some of those bumps in the road. That’s what gives people the chance to learn. It’s all mental – it’s all behavior.

AM: We’ve had the ability to train with some amazing trainers. What’s your advice when it comes to people finding the person that they want to train with whether in person, via IG or virtually? What should they be looking for in terms of them opening themselves up to someone who will be working with them and directing them?

JW: It’s funny because my opening statement is find someone who doesn’t annoy you - #1. If they’re annoying, you’ll never go back. There has to be a likeability and then the connection will follow. If it’s an in person trainer, do they pay attention to you and do they make adjustments? Do they have a plan for the day? If you say that your knee feels weird and they don’t change anything, that’s a big red flag to me. A trainer is a beautiful job and we are in the service industry. Gunnar Peterson is a good friend of mine and he always says that effort is second. We love serving our people, we love being there and being that support system. So if you don’t have that support, that adaptation to your workouts, really asking how you are feeling – cut and run! You do not want someone that can’t adapt to where your body and your mind is that day. It’s just not possible. Adaptability to you is key, but when it comes to online, you want to find the people that when you leave their page, you feel good about yourself. You should keep going to that person’s workouts. If you leave feeling worse, then maybe don’t follow that person anymore. Since we’re digitally coaching and caring right now – even the challenge, I don’t keep friends that don’t make me feel good. Do the same with the trainer. There are plenty of us out there as Instagram shows you that will make you excited to go to their page and get your motivation on. Whether it’s the music that they play or the exercises that they do – whoever keeps you going is who you stay with.

AM: This summer while we interviewed Gunnar, we were talking with him about the early days of the pandemic and how we were early enough to fill in the equipment that we needed scouring through Amazon and other sites. We talked with him about how he assisted his clients in getting them what they needed. How did you do this with your followers and your clients?

JW: I felt this urge to be available. I was actually going to close all social media this year as a birthday gift to myself.

AM: That will be a delayed birthday gift ha!

JW: Exactly and when the pandemic hit, I was like well I’m a resource I care and I need to be there for them so I made myself available. That’s what was needed. There are millions of exercises on YouTube, social media all kinds of great resources, your magazine – there are all these great things. What people needed more then content was people and community. That is what I had them focus on. I said to find someone that they could be accountable to, FaceTiming, I was doing Facebook Lives 3-4 times a week and doing those workouts. Listen, I’m a good trainer and there are a lot of people that can tell you how to do push-ups and situps, but I’m GREAT at community. I wanted people to be able to know that they had time with me. They show up for you and they move as a result. So while they’re here, they might as well do the push-ups that I was talking about.

For me, it was an accountability. They knew that I missed them when they weren’t there. They needed people, support, a voice on the other line saying that I am here and that I feel what you’re feeling. That’s really it!

AM: What are your go to workouts that you really enjoy doing whether it’s for arms, glutes, abs or legs?

JW: You know it’s funny. I’m almost 40 and gravity is doing something weird to my body. My butt didn’t use to do that and anyone that reads this will just laugh and nod. Right around 39 ha! So I realized and it really hit me this year and I think part of it was not having a gym as well. I was doing more walking outside, I was in lockdown in Florida and thankfully the weather was great and it was warm so it was good for me spiritually. Man, my butt started to sink, there was a looseness in my arms. So what I really started to think was that weight training has always been in my life. As I said, I had weights in my basement. My go to exercises were those that allowed me to simulate muscle where I didn’t want to lose shape. I’m a big glute thruster person – whether you put a barbell on your hips or a dumbbell or a kettle bell on your lap. There are a number of ways that you can target it as a single leg or a double leg. Glute Thrusters to me especially when done correctly – which I can go into. A lot of people don’t realize that their chin, sternum and pubic bone all need to be in alignment. You want to keep that straight. I will see people who will try to sag their butt down because they feel it hurts their back but you have to keep that constellation aligned. It really loads your hamstring and butt. That’s been such a savior for my backside! I’m like, there you are! I needed it!

When it comes to upper body and what happens because I didn’t have a lot of equipment and people were in this position, I always remember that tempo training has been my go to. I was tempo’ing with the glute hamstring. Even an incline push-up which takes a little weight off of your body just go s-l-o-w. I’m talking, 5 counts down, hold the beats and 5 counts up. Let me tell you that your arms will start to change. It really brought the life back to my body. Using tempo for my arms and even my legs helps. And also, as far as core is concerned, I like having a toned stomach and not like abs because I don’t want to be ripped. But pilates for me, is my go to core work. Any type of pilates, sign me up! It keeps me long and I feel very connected in my lower core, it supports me in my other movements and I just love the shape that my body takes when I am doing pilates and especially in my stomach. So those are my go to’s if I had to pick one for each.

AM: We’re fans of pilates too and couldn’t agree more!

What is Transformation Protein and why did you want to partner with them?

JW: It’s kind of funny as I joked before that I don’t know who made me an expert. I think it’s because I try a lot, I ask questions, I give the truth and I lead people to things that work. Just live everybody else, I have questions! Are these supplements any good, is this product any good, does this company have integrity – just like any civilian looking at products. It was Gunnar – a dear friend of mine. I didn’t have a place to live so I was living in his backyard at his guest house. He’s the man that opens his door and his heart and his life to you and he’s such a great mentor and friend to me and he was working with it. I was really looking for a solution with collagen because it’s an incomplete protein and it’s sold in a way that you have to actually have a supplement with it to be affective and a lot of people don’t know that. I really wanted to look into what that solution would be for someone to get the collegen which is so critical as well as high quality protein. I remember I was at his gym literally just working out and mooching off his protein and I was like, “what is this stuff?” I started asking him and he was like, “this is Transformation.” He gave me the rundown over the summer and I thought that it was great and it tasted good, its plants and when I looked at the combination and the quality of the protein, I thought this is a really incredible thing going on. What company spends the time or the money to give you what your body actually needs. Usually it’s like, let’s take the leftover protein that’s shit and put another label on it and sell it to you by saying that it’s night time protein. The way that Brian Wargula (President/Co-Founder) and Transformation have sourced the ingredients and have found that combination is really some of the best that I have ever seen.

Ask any nutrition pro and I’m a nutrition specialist so ask anybody, they will tell you that there isn’t a better formula combination out there. The fact that there is probiotics – it’s really an all in one package. They have done a great job and they have spared no expense. But when you work with people that actually care, let’s put a ring on it and get married!

AM: We have tried a number of proteins and there are those that we like and those that we can’t get behind so we can’t wait to get ours. But we knew that Gunnar was a fan of it and also you, so we’re pretty pumped to include this in our routines and we knew it was legit!

JW: Oh yeah! I mean I had a hard fall, broke my foot, a week later, I got attacked by a dog and he bit my face. I put on about 10lbs. It was weird my body was just slower, I wasn’t training, I was doing what I could, but it was about getting enough food in. I just didn’t have an appetite and I started back with Transformation Protein and it really helped lean me out. I was getting enough good food in, my body was able to let go of the extra weight and it was critical for me.

AM: We love this 60 day Total Body Challenge and the fact that you and Gunnar are a part of it. Can you give us an overview about what this is and is it true that it’s limited to a set number of people only that can participate in this and why?

JW: Yeah and here’s why. Because I’m one person –

AM: Really? We thought you were 10?

JW: I know! I always keep my promise and what I mean by that is that my word means something to me and I want it to mean something to people that follow and trust me. When I took on this challenge, no one reads my emails, no one signs Jen for me, no one takes calls for me. When there’s quotes in magazines and press releases, those are my words and there is no one writing for me. It’s really important for people to know that when they sign up to work with this coach, they’re getting Jen. These days, there’s a lot of dishonesty around signing up for x,y,z coach and it’s actually not them leading you in the challenge at all. Because it’s me, I thought, what is my capacity to give and help that’s going to be the sweet spot of being able to have as many people as possible to be there without diluting my abilities to be there for everyone. That was that 100 person mark. I wanted people to be able to have me and again, it’s all digital. I’m creating the emails every week, I’m sending the videos, I’m answering the emails, I’m hosting the live meetings, I wrote and filmed every single workout. Part of me is like, “maybe I’m just really controlling and a micro manager.” But, I swear I’m not! This is what people deserve and I take pride in telling people that this is what a real coach does and I want to set the standard for them so that they don’t accept anything less in their lives whether it’s an in person training when things begin to open up or whether they want to do another challenge.

That’s really what it was and the 60 days as a timeframe was intentional! Because we’re after big transformations. We were talking earlier that of course you want to see transformations that’s the visual carrot and of course people are going to lose weight, that’s a blast but the transformation or me is the 6” between their ears and we all know that. I need that for that moment of time. I’ve done other challenges in the past, but I found that they did a 30 day challenge with me and then they signed up for the next one. So I’m like, ah they want more time, they need more time and that’s why we went with that.

AM: When this challenge is over, will people be able to go to other ones or will there be other things that are rolling out?

JW: What’s really great is, I don’t feel that I am separate from Transformation. It’s not like I get a check and do a few Instagram posts. I’m very part of the team. We’re really starting to allow it to be user generated content. People are wanting it to be more support around recipes, nutritionist support – so we’re building it. Putting in the blog that's around it, recipe support, our registered nutritionist that’s there. We want to be in a place that people can trust and come to. There will definitely be more challenges. I feel like I heard a conversation or an email where they said, “the next one,” and I’m like, “guys, I gotta get this one under my belt first.”

What we're doing is we’re kind of taking an approach like a bar. If you think about it as a 1 in 1 out situation. So we will have a waitlist and we’ll run another one and we will have other great coaches as well. It’s something that they have never done before and that’s why they’re really trusting me to take the reigns and runs with it. Based off of what I see in this challenge, I’ll know what I want to do and run with on it. That’s why it’s user generated so I’m not assuming what people want and feel. I need to know so that I can develop from there. You can assure your readers that there will definitely be more opportunities!

AM: We assumed. When you’re preparing to do a transformation whether it’s this challenge specifically or something else, you have to have the want to do it. But how else can people best prepare themselves in terms of maintaining the goal and sticking with it when they are approaching something like this?

JW: The #1 thing is that people just assume that there won’t be any roadblocks or obstacles. You have to make it different and I think we have to think about when you’re driving home from work and you hit a pothole and you say, “oh man, I hope my wheels still on.” We’ve all done that and then when you go home the next day, you know there is a pothole coming up and you remember. What we tend to do as humans is that we don’t want to address or to think about the pothole. So you hit it again and again as opposed to saying, “no I remember this. It was on this street and this street and I’m going to navigate around it.” People have to look at where there are going to be problems as there will be hard days, set backs, days where you pack your food and leave it on the counter – that’s ok. So instead of going into a panic mode and being like it’s all ruined and over, I just expect things to go wrong and I know that it won’t all be perfect. There will be some turbulence and when you know it and expect it, it kind of shocks you less and you can navigate it better. Go in with the interest to be ready for the change and the reality of knowing there will be some bumps. You’ll be ready for whatever comes and to look for them not in a pessimistic view but as a way to learn to adapt and to navigate. It’s a beautiful thing.

AM: How have you found ways to keep yourself motivated this year and as we head into next year?

JW: Man, good question. I care about where this road goes. I sometimes try to look at the destination and try to find my way back. This has not allowed me to do that. My motivation is that I have to practice what I preach. Am I learning, am I being curious? What’s really been fun is that I’ve learned how capable I am and it’s been a fun experience. I’ve hard weeks and I’ve had times where I drank every single day just like the rest of America! I’ve allowed myself to ask questions like why am I drinking every day this week? Am I bored – am I avoiding something? I’ve really let that motivation that I have in me at almost 40 to know that I have so much more to learn and that when I learn, I get to share! That’s the beauty of it. It’s not about being a public figure, being a celebrity like me, having millions of followers - it's what we do as humans. We get to learn and we get to share. My experience is I get to do this and to share it with other people. That’s the backbone. I love people and I love helping – I love being an everyday hero and that’s my heart. I had to learn the lesson first and I really had to do that by putting myself first. It’s changed my perspective in myself and the confidence that I have in myself as well. That’s the motivation because it feels great and I’m not going to stop doing this. I will tell you though, having people in your life – I’m always better with a teammate. I have a friend that we go on a walk together and she’s in Georgia. We walk and talk and I have my headphones in and we agree that on this time/that day, we’re going. I meet people – online for workouts. I have a few people that I’m potting with, I go in their backyard. I know I need the accountability and the other thing I would tell people if they are struggling to get motivated is create that accountability for yourself. It gets you going, it gives you that support and it’s a great thing to let them be there for you and it’s powerful. That’s what I have allowed the focus to be and it has just changed my outlook on the whole year. I had a great year. I don’t have young children, I’m not going through the school stuff and I feel that that is a whole other experience that I can’t even speak to or begin to understand what parents have been going through or how they have been able to cope. But I had a great year and I have used my time to get so much done personally and professionally. 2021 is going to be an excellent year for me regardless. I think that people need to feel ok in being able to ask for help when they need that support.

AM: Who are 3 people in your life that have inspired you to be where you are today?

JW: You know, I’ll tell you what. When it comes to life, I have won the lottery. I have been inspired by incredible people who have believed in me before it was cool to watch Jen Widerstrom. I’m going to tear up a little bit when I think about it. My parents are just such incredible people – they are incredible people. They have been married for 46 years. I look at my mom, she had a 4 and a 5 year old, 40 years old, pregnant 9 months with my brother and going with a full-time job in the inner city of Chicago, one of the most violent schools that there were. At night, my dad would drive her to Northern Illinois University at night so that she could get her Masters Degree. She wanted to work in higher education. She was so pregnant that she couldn't sit behind the wheel and drive any way and it’s like at least an hour driving each way! It was like, what if she has the baby in a cornfield so my dad’s driving her each way. Her commitment to her, their relationship, their love, their family – she took her finals early so she could have my brother, When people ask me about my work ethic, mom and dad they are incredible and they worked so hard to give us so much for us. We didn’t have a lot of money and we didn’t go on planes, but every year they saved up money to drive us to Florida or to get in the van and go to New Mexico and that’s what we did. It was really special. They still work, they still grow their own vegetables. They are such salt of the Earth and intelligent special hard working people. They inspire me and whenever I think that I have had a long day, I tell myself, “well you’re not 9 months pregnant with 2 kids and a fulltime job trying to get your Masters in night school!”

I think that the people who inspired me along the way. I had incredible teachers, I could just name a list of the teachers. I think back to my 7th grade science teacher, I was an average student, never talking and by the end, I had a 96% in the class and I was in the front. He taught me how to give a good handshake, he taught me how to feel confident in myself. My orchestra teacher Mr. Foley, he encouraged me to keep playing bass. I was playing sports and orchestra wasn’t cool, but he encouraged me to find a voice in music for myself. I look at my college track coach. I was a walk on in the rowing team and I was terrible. He saw me lifting and he said I should be a hammer thrower and I thought he was crazy and yet a year later, I was placing at the Big 12 Conference, earning a scholarship, winning the nationals to compete - he believed in me first! I use them as inspiration because the people along the way - people will say, how did you get here - what was it? It’s always the people. It’s the people that believed and saw something in you when you couldn’t believe it yourself. For me, that’s the legacy that I try to pass through those people.

I had a diving coach Steve Mazzerella – dear friend of mine until he passed away. He taught me how to see things in people and to help them let it shine. That’s what I do and I always joke, the waistline will change, bit it's the heart that I am really after and I know the difference that that will make. I know I can do that same difference and that's where I take it.

IG @JenWiderstrom

@TransformationProtein

PHOTOS COURTESY | Jen Widerstrom

Hear Celebrity Fitness Trainer, TV Personality, Best Selling Author, Fitness Expert and Entrepreneur Jen Widerstrom on our show, #TRIBEGOALS - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multimedia companion podcast network! Subscribe to be notified when the episode drops. Listen on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

Read the Dec Issue #60 of Athleisure Mag and see Connection Matters with Jen Widerstrom in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #60 DEC 2020

ATHLEISURE MAG | DEC ISSUE #60

In this month’s issue as we ring in the New Year with DJ/Producer, Benny Benassi. Our virtual cover shoot took us to Italy as we talked about Benny’s career in music, the process of creating music and collaborating and more. This month, we took a moment with TNT’s Claws Niecy Nash in between completing shooting for the final season of this series. We talk about the holiday season, how she is staying connected with her family and upcoming projects. You can also hear our conversation later this season on our podcast show, Bungalow SK. We’ve always been a fan of Jen Widerstrom’s from her days in NBC’s American Gladiators as well as NBC’s Biggest Loser as well as her approach to working with her clients. We took some time to catch up with her to find out about her latest project, a challenge running from Jan 5th – March 5th with Transformation Protein. We also find out more about what she is working on and how she has maintained her positivity during these times. You can hear the full interview on our podcast show, #TRIBEGOALS later this season. We catch up with Chef Brandon Collins, the North American Mustard Sommelier of Maille to find out about the historic roots of the brand, how it’s made and how it can be used beyond being a condiment. You can also hear our conversation in full this season on our podcast show, Athleisure Kitchen. We’re always up for taking some time with ourselves with a glass of wine. We took some time to talk with Joey Wölffer who continues the legacy of running and maintaining creative inspiration to make such wines as Summer in a Bottle and more at Wölffer Estate Vineyard. While we’re enjoying the holiday season and looking forward to the beginning of the new year, we talk about how we can get on the best financial path with Grant Sabatier.

This month, EDM DJ duo, NERVO shares 9 songs that we should listen to in this month’s 9PLAYLIST. BRAVO’s Top Chef Season 14 winner, Chef, Restaurateur + TV Personality, Brooke Williamson shares her favorites and why in our 9LIST STORI3S. One of our favorite features that appear in our Dec as well as our Jan issues is known as NEW YEAR, N3W YOU: THE GOOD, THE ADD and THE BUZZ where our celebs share their thoughts on this year and what’s coming up for next year (we do have spots for the Jan issue). This month, we talk with Celebrity Makeup Artist, Author and Founder of Jones Road Beauty – Bobbi Brown, International Racing Drive and winner of the 2020 ELMS, 2020 WEC and 2020 Le Mans 24 Hour Winner – Phil Hanson and Celebrity Fitness Trainer, Entrepreneur, TV Personality and Author – Jen Widerstrom.

Our monthly feature, The Art of the Snack focuses on Alfie’s Bar + Kitchen. This month’s Athleisure List comes from Winona’s in Brooklyn and CITYROW. This month’s BING3WATCH looks at one of our favorites, HBO’s LOVECRAFT COUNTRY. As always, we have a number of our roundups that include our favorites in an array of categories that are timely to the season.

Read the Dec Issue #60 of Athleisure Mag.

NEW YEAR, N3W YOU

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I think watching my son grow up is a beautiful thing, watching him develop. Internationally, I was just in Finland with a partnership I'm working on there. Being approached by Care Bears was very dreamy for me.

I’m working on a podcast so I hope to have that checked off. Then also just expanding in licensing into a few more countries. 

Care Bears is in the first quarter of 2017 and in the second in a big way. My Colette partnership in Paris is another major buzz as I brought Care Bears In for that. 

STACY IGEL | FOUNDER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR & DESIGNER | BOY MEETS GIRL | Photography Courtesy Stacy Igel

I'm looking forward to spending more time chanting and reflecting, to get really grounded and clear-minded for 2017.

I'm really excited to offer one Latino chef from New Orleans a scholarship to The International Culinary Center in New York. It can be difficult to work your way up the ladder from dishwasher or line cook to executive chef. There aren’t many opportunities for aspiring chefs, especially from the Latin community, to get to that next level in my opinion. The scholarship, which is part of the John Besh Foundation and its Chefs Move program, is necessary to overcome financial barriers. As part of the scholarship, I'll mentor the winner and take him/her with me to Mexico. I hope to eventually give out multiple scholarships in one year.

AARÓN SÁNCHEZ| CHEF/OWNER JOHNNY SANCHEZ + TV PERSONALITY ON FOOD NETWORK | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY AARON Sanchez

One of the things that made this year so special is how I realized the growth of my brand and the ability to clearly see how far I’ve made it in my career. A huge moment for me was when E! reached out for me to be on Revenge Body By Khloe Kardashian. Being on television training people and helping them was something I has spoken into existence around November 2015. Seeing the lives I've changed helped me to be more confident and helps me to push forward. This was a major moment of affirmation and understanding for me how powerful your words are, the lives I’ve changed, it's helped me be more confident. Traveling to Spain for two weeks with my first NBA client was also special this year. It was there we really sealed our bond. I never thought I’d be working with an NBA player, yet alone traveling the world. The trip allowed me to reflect and put my journey into perspective. 

I can double down on my discipline. I believe that in everything you do there must be discipline. when we fall short on our discipline, we make make mistakes and mistakes mess up our game plan. In order to stay focused on my goals, discipline is key and it’s something I have to truly work at.  

Timing! Using time wisely can can help achieve all my goals this coming year. We always like to say we don’t have enough time, but that’s  impossible. We have 24 hours a day to take care of everything we need to take care of. We have to have the discipline to make time to do the things we have to get done.

I'm super proud to announce I just launched my new website CoreyCalliet.com, where I'll be uploading videos, workout plans and showing a different side of me with my blog. My blog will discuss how to stay motivated, eat right and even give a little relationship advice! I’m also working on my athleisure line and preparing for more television appearances. The goals for 2017 are to continue transforming more bodies and building my brand.

COREY CALLIET | CELEBRITY FITNESS TRAINER + TRAINER ON E!'s REVENGE BODY WITH KHLOE KARDASHIAN | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY COREY CALLIET

It was a great year for women! Team USA's women won the most medals this year in Rio, seeing Serena Williams come out with such a strong voice this year and even Hillary Clinton's run for president.

I am really excited to share more about myself! A lot of times, when the Olympics are over, people wonder what  we do, how we train, and our recovery from injuries. KristiCastlin.com will do this so that they get to know more about me, “Hollywood,” which is my personal style and my road to the Olympics for 2020 in Tokyo.

I'm starting to work with brands in terms of my sponsors/endorsements in 2017! 

KRISTI CASTLIN | USA 2016 OLYMPIAN 100M BRONZE HURDLER | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY KRISTI CASTLIN

CRAIG: No doubt the biggest blessing and game-changer for 2016 was Sybil Ann Melvin who burst onto the scene November 5th. She and our 2 1/2 year son fill our days (sometimes long) and nights (sometimes short) with laughs. I didn't believe the countless people who warned us about how fast it goes, but they were right. It's flying by. We used to cuddle up at night and watch shows. Now one of our favorite hobbies has become watching the lightbulb in our son's head go off almost daily now as he gets something for the first time or creates a clever new way to challenge us. Lindsay and I spent a fair amount of time reflecting on our dating days in Washington, DC and marvel at how that turned into this. 

LINDSAY: Overall, I'd say the blessing of good friendship is a big one for me. The gift of our new daugher has given me more time to focus on and get to know the amazing women I normally don't have time to hang with much because of how busy my work schedule is. It's been moments like listening to a girlfriend's story at a coffee shop or walk at the beach that has meant a lot.

A place that started off our year on a great note... A magical trip to Sedona, Arizona. We went there last Feb. to Enchantment resort. I think about it all the time. Such wonderful amenities in the most serene and relaxing setting.

CRAIG: This time last year, I resolved to be more present so I could enjoy some of my special moments more. I did it.... for about three weeks. I'm recommitting to putting down my phone for large swaths of time, occasionally cutting myself off from the digital world, and rediscovering the great art of conversation. I'm going to text less. There are also the annual pledges to work out more and eat and drink less. Thinking there's a greater chance for a digital detox. We'll see. 

LINDSAY: My goal for 2017 is to allow creativity to play a more dominant role in my life and my career. This is the year I'm going to create something. It may be as random as the perfect eyemask to promote sleep (something we could all use more of) or as consuming as a new show but damnit, it's gonna happen. 

Getting back to writing more and living a less "cluttered" lifestyle is certainly a resolution that will make myself and my husband happy :)

I'm going to spend more time living in the moment and not worrying about what is or isn't ahead and relishing in my kids discoveries and happiness is key. I am committing to worry less and to get away with my husband to a place we've never been.

CRAIG: As for upcoming awesomeness, look for me in places outside the news space. Perhaps some sort of fantastic project or venture with my favorite collaborator...my wife. We're doing well at making babies. Maybe it's time to see what other compelling content we can create.

LINDSAY: Stay tuned...exciting things ahead this year, but besides things I'm looking forward to career-wise, I'm excited about stepping outside of my comfort zone working on some passion projects that will challenge my creativity and also spending more time doing work to helping others. I'm looking forward to cohosting the leukemia lymphoma ball in Washington DC with my husband this spring and working to raise money for cancer research impacting both adults like my Dad as well as kids battling pediatric cancer.

HUSBAND AND WIFE POWER COUPLE |

CRAIG MELVIN | MSNBC NEWS ANCHOR + CO-HOST TODAY WEEKEND

LINDSAY CZARNIAK | ANCHOR ESPN SPORTSCENTER | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY CRAIG MELVIN + LINDSAY CZARNIAK

Wrapping another very successful season on “The Biggest Loser” was an amazing way to start my year! Of course it felt good to have my contestants win both the at home and championship prizes, but I was so proud of all the contestants. Their courage continues to inspire me and others to consider what can happen when you believe in yourself. Another big moment for me this year was being named the face of women's fitness for Reebok! As a global ambassador for the brand, it's my responsibility to help more and more people take those first steps of fitness, so that's exactly what I'm going to do. On a personal level, this year was particularly special for me because I had the privilege of officiating two of my best friend’s weddings. Such incredible and proud moments for me. And to top off an amazing year, I adopted my rescue dog Hank!

In the midst of this beautifully, crazy year I have lost my way when it comes to taking care of myself. It's ironic to say as I'm the one that teaches this to people, but this is my reality so I intend to embrace it. I freely and passionately love to give to others, but it is my resolution to work on balancing that output with more input... more time and joy for myself. 

My first book, DIET RIGHT FOR YOUR PERSONALITY TYPE, will be on shelves February 7th! I just had to write this book... finally an eating guide that's customized for the reader, honoring their strengths and personality. This book will prove what an asset they are in their lives and help them lose weight in a healthy sustainable way. As of the New Year, I will also be a featured columnist each month for Shape Magazine and have joined their board of directors. In addition, I have been brought on to be the North American spokesperson for California Almonds.
 
I believe we must all be accountable for our own greatness. As I teach others to do it, I will walk the walk and do it for me as well. Promise! 

JEN WIDERSTROM | CELEB TRAINER +  COACH ON NBC'S BIGGEST LOSER | PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS JEN WIDERSTROM

DEC ISSUE IS LIVE

The Dec issue is live - our last issue of the year! It's so exciting to have this issue which is filled with a number of great interviews from Boy Meets Girl - Stacy Igel, NEW YEAR, N3W YOU from celebrity trainers, fashion designers, Olympians and even wellness trends. Check it out below!

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | Paul Farkas

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