ATHLEISURE LIST | CITYROW

Founded by Helaine Knapp, CITYROW's Signature class format combines rowing intervals with strength training for a total body HIIT-style workout. This 50-minute class launched in their first studio and expanded to its studios nationwide. Their philosophy is that you can get an incredibly intense, effective workout, without putting your body at risk, so everything is low impact and purposefully designed to build a strong, resilient body.

CITYROW GO offers HIIT, Endurance, Strength and even Yoga classes, in multiple lengths and levels. There is truly something for everyone. New classes drop every week, and there is a library of hundreds of on-demand classes. Both the on-demand platform and the at-home rower launched in 2018.

CITYROW offers two different connect-ed rowing machines which are similar to the studio model but are optimized for the platform. The CITYROW GO Max Rower has a 19.5" sweat-resistant touchscreen for a fully immersive experience, and the CITYROW GO Classic Rower, which has a Bluetooth-enabled LCD monitor that you can connect to your own device. The CITYROW GO Rowers allow you to take classes, view live performance data, track your progress, set weekly goals and earn personal record.

Both rowers use water to create resistance as you row, have a beautiful sleek design and can stand to store, taking up minimal space when not in use.

The CITYROW GO App is available for both Apple and Android devices and you can do the classes using any rower. The app can even connect to certain Water Rower and Concept 2 models to stream your rowing data in real-time. In addition, there is also a lot of off rower content which includes Yoga and HIIT classes.

For those looking to gift themselves or others, CITYROW's only sale of the year is currently live as both the CITYROW GO Max and CITYROW GO ClassicRowers are $250 off for a limited time.

CITYROW

Visit CITYROW for studio locations.

www.cityrow.com

IG @cityrow

Read the Dec Issue #60 of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | CITYROW 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 LIST | PERSONA NUTRITION

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For those that are on medications, the doctors with Persona Nutrition are connected to expertise from their Medical Advisory Board as well as insight from peer-reviewed research which has created a database of over2,500 drugs that may interact with your nutrients. This has been built into the algorithm as well as a solution against adverse reactions.

If you're focused on key areas such as prenatal, mens, womens, bariatric, fitness, sleep, energy, stress and anxiety, weight support, immune defense, healthy aging, digestion, detox and joint health - they have programs targeted specifically towards these goals.

It's easily portable that you can ripoff each day and night that are clearly marked with your name - this is the essential way to ensure that your body is getting what it needs.

PHOTOS COURTESY | PERSONA NUTRITION

PERSONA NUTRITION

www.personanutrition.com
IG @personanutrition

Read the Nov Issue #59 of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | Persona Nutrition in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | PRECISION FIT

Presence Fit is founded by Dr. Masaki Nakada and Robert Jadon. Dr. Nakada received his PhD from UCLA in Computer Science with an emphasis on human biomechanics, while Robert Jadon is a serial, technology entrepreneur.

There are new, live classes everyday, and there is also a library of On Demand classes. Presence's signature 40min HIIT workout is what got the company started, with a combination of strength and cardio. There are strength and mobility classes, as well as body-specific routines.

Instructors have a live video feed of each member, and that is supplemented with artificial intelligence, and HR monitoring to give them the most complete picture of the participants. There is also 2-way audio available, so participants can ask questions or request modifications and get direct responses from the trainer without distracting the class.

By having 2-way audio before and after class, as well as the ability to see if a friend is in the class, members can get get the workout they need, and enjoy it in a group setting. Since your video feed is only visible to the instructor, you never have to worry about anyone else in the class seeing you. It's completely private in that regard. We think it's the best of both worlds, combining community and privacy in a mobile platform.

Members can connect their Apple Watch to have their heart rate sent in real-time to our trainers so they can adjust their coaching accordingly. The trainer dashboard allows them to see a video of the member, their HR, and our mobile tracking using artificial intelligence which shows form, reps and activity.

Classes are expanding to include yoga, barre, and pilates to complement HIIT and strength training. These will be available live as well as On Demand.

PHOTO CREDITS | PRESENCE FIT

PRESENCE FIT

www.pressence.fit

IG @presence.fit

ATHLEIUSRE LIST | CENTR

Chris Hemsworth (Thor franchise, Avengers franchise and Men in Black: International) founded Centr, a holistic health app in partnership with Australian based fitness technology company Loup.

Chris wanted to create Centr to offer the support people need to achieve their health and fitness goals, leveraging his team of world-class experts that he has used over the years. The program is designed to take all the guesswork out of a healthy lifestyle by offering a weekly goal that is customized to individual’s goals, ability and personal taste on demand.

Its approach believes that no one diet or training program is the sole answer, which is why the program offers such versatility. Centr's focus is to achieve a healthier body, a stronger mind, and a happier life - so you can reach your full potential. In one easy to use app, users are able to train, eat and live better through Centr’s:

• Personalized Training Planner: consisting of over 1000 workouts including Boxing, Yoga, Functional Training, Pilates and more for all fitness levels.

• Daily Meal Plan: Composed of 600+ unique recipes created by dieticians and world-class celebrity chefs with options for all dietary preferences from no limitations to vegan.

• Time To Breathe: Compiles hundreds of new meditations and sleep visualizations as well as including the latest kid’s meditations narrated by Chris Hemsworth & Taika Waititi.

There are hundreds of on-demand workouts anytime, anywhere. Current fitness modalities offered by Centr include boxing, MMA, yoga, pilates, HIIT and HIRT style workouts, functional training, strength training, plyometric workouts and stretching. There is a wide array of both equipment free and with equipment workouts, as well as the option to follow coached (video) workouts or self guided workouts that can be taken at your own pace and are ideal for in-gym use.

Within the Facebook community, Centr experts such as Dan Churchill, Luke Zocchi and Da Rulk frequently engage with members to offer tips and advice relevant to their specialty areas. The Centr community also provides valuable feedback on the Centr workouts, recipes and overall content which helps the product continue to evolve. Centr is compatible with Apple watch.

PHOTOS COURTESY | CENTR

CENTR

www.centr.com

IG @centrfit

Read the Oct Issue #58 of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | Centr in mag.

TURNING NEGATIVES INTO POSITIVES WITH SUZANNE SOMERS

This month, we caught up with one of TV's favorite sitcom actresses who also made an impact in the fitness world as an icon. We talked with Suzanne Somers about how a series of events took place that got her into the industry, how she nabbed one of her most known roles as Chrissy Snow of Three's Company, how leaving this role created an opportunity for Thighmaster as well as her focus on women living their best lives as the navigate the process of aging. She shared her insights as well as the negative moments that she forged into positives and her ultimate success.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment when you realized that you wanted to be in entertainment and to be an actor?

SUZANNE SOMERS: There was no moment. You’d think that there was a moment and you’d think that there was a dream. But I am a recovering Catholic and I got pregnant the first time that I had ever had sex. I was 17 or 18 – I was very young. The other day, my granddaughter said, “you got pregnant and lost your virginity on the same day?” I said, “yep”. So at that time, it didn’t matter whether you liked the boy or not, you were going to get married. I found myself walking down that aisle that I didn’t want to walk down in an outfit that I hated. My mother and I went to buy it and I remember her saying, “it shouldn’t be too white.”

What came out of that was this baby. I mean at 18, who wants to have a baby – I didn’t I’ve been very honest with my son about that and said, “who wants a baby at 18? I didn’t know you.” When I delivered him, I looked at these little eyes that were all bunchy and out of my mouth came this statement, “I promise that I am going to make a good life for you.” I did. I figured it out. I got pregnant at 18, I gave birth one month after my 19th birthday and I got divorced from the father and it was just me and my son against the world. I was never going to stay with the father, I knew that. I was the first person in my family to ever get a divorce and the first person in my hometown who ever got that divorce and I kept that promise.I didn’t know how to be a mother. My son never got into drugs, he never got into alcohol. I believe that we’re hard wired and when I had my baby, I knew I was going to make it right and I had the wisdom to know that part. I am so proud of him. He’s a good father, I wish that I had had a good father like him. He has 2 little girls that are now in their 20’s. They’re not screwed up although they are entitled – because that generation is. I did my part!

AM: Growing up, many of us remember seeing reruns of Three’s Company and then as we got older, seeing you on Step by Step. What was it about taking those roles and being on those shows that you enjoyed being part of them?

SS: By the time that I got to Step by Step, I was pretty ensconced in that world of sitcoms. But honestly, when you’re talking about the lead up to all of that, then it goes back to when I got the lead of Guys and Dolls in high school. I played Adelaide and I didn’t know that I had any talent. I tried out because the rest of the classes were too hard for me. But I did love Fine Arts. I loved music, singing, acting. I got a scholarship to college and there was no one in my family that had ever gone to college and no one in my hometown that I knew had gone to college.

I got a music scholarship and do you know what I chose? I was so dumb. I chose a Catholic girls college – that was the worst place that I could choose to go to college. Then 2 months into college, I got pregnant. Here I was, the first person in my family to go to college and the first one in my family to have that opportunity and I got pregnant. I thought that all my dreams were out the window. The last night of the show, that guy came and at the time, I didn’t know who he was. He was really well known in radio and his name was Walter Winchell – he had a trademark look of a beige raincoat and a pork pie hat. He walked up on stage that last night and he went right to me. He walked up to me in his NY accent which I had never heard before in my small hometown of California and he said, “you’re going some place sister.” That was fortuitous. Then when I got pregnant, I felt that my college dream was over and I had to go to work and I felt that I didn’t have any talent or skills that I knew of. I’m trying to make a living so I got a job as an extra, the lowest rung on the whole showbiz totem pole – you couldn’t go any lower. I made $32 a day and that was how I was able to survive.

My childhood was actually terrible. I look at people who have had negative things that happened in their life and I tell them, use it – make this be your asset. My father became my asset. The fact that he told me growing up that I was a piece of crap all the time, that I was a nothing, that I was a zero, he would make his hands shape into a big “o” – he would tell me all this stuff. So you believe how you are programmed and that was my programming. So when you ask me, “what was your dream and how did you end up in this business?" I'm an accident and I had talent that I didn’t know that I had. I now encourage people that come from a negative to use that as your opportunity – because you want it more then the average person. Every time my dad would say these things, I would think to myself, “I’ll show you.” One night, I was on stage and I was headlining a concert in Vegas at the biggest room in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand, he was in the audience and it wasn’t revenge or anything. I called him up on stage and if ever there was a moment where I had the “I’ll show you,” it was that night. He was so proud of me. I sang him a song – “you made me love you, I didn’t want to do it – I didn’t want to do it.”

AM: Wow

SS: Kind of poignant right? The negatives are the positives. So I had another thing that happened. After I divorced my husband who I never wanted to marry in the first place, I fell in love with Alan Hamel (Anniversary Game, Wedding Party, Lou Grant). I had taken an extra job and you know I walked into Studio C in ABC San Francisco and I was hired to be the prize model. It was like Vanna White but not as glamorous and all. I would open the refrigerator and pull the drawers out and show that it just wasn’t any kind of refrigerator but it was a refrigerator freezer.

When I walked into that studio, I met Alan Hamel and my knees felt weak. I had never felt like that. It was almost like we had known each other in another lifetime. So we started dating and I would meet him at his hotel. Everything that my mother would tell me not to do, I didn’t care. I felt like, I’ll show you. I’m in love with this guy and there is nobody like him in my hometown. I owned my power although at the time I didn’t see that. I did anything that I could to have a date with Alan Hamel.

I’m reading the trades one day and they say, there’s an interview for a guest starring part on a sitcom called Lotsa Luck with Dom DeLuise (Blazing Saddles, The Muppet Movie, Smokey and the Bandit II). The description was, small town girl doesn’t know who she is and doesn’t know who she wants. I thought, that’s me. I tell Alan and he says that’s great, I’ll pick you up at the airport. So I gather together 50 bucks – probably sold a jacket or something that I owned. I flew to Los Angeles and he picked me up. The whole reason I wanted to fly is because of that kiss he would give me in the car. It was this romantic kiss that I just couldn’t believe that you could feel like that. He drives me to Burbank for the interview. I didn’t know that you needed an agent, I didn’t know that you need them to set up an appointment. I just thought that you just go over there and had to be there at the time. I walk in and they ask me why I’m there and I say that I have an interview for the Dom DeLuise talshow. I had never had a professional part before as I was just an extra. I didn’t know that the one extra part that I had had when I was in the Thunderbird would catapult me and I was a writer at the time.

I see the girls walking in, signing in and receiving their scripts under my lashes. I read my part for a guy that I would end up doing sitcoms with, he said, “very nice.” I said, “I know that I’m exactly who you’re looking for because I’m a small town girl, I don’t know who I am and I don’t know what I look like.” He said he would give me a call back. I thought great and I went to reception and told them that I had a call back and she said that was great and I asked her what it was. Johnny Carson walks in. I look up and I’m like that’s Johnny Carson. He’s looking at me and walks over to me and says, “hey little lady, what are you doing here?” I proudly said that I had a call back because I now know the lingo. He asked for what show and I told him and he said that Dom DeLuise was a great friend of his and he wished me a lot of luck. I gave him my little book of poetry and didn’t realize that on the back the only credit that I had listed was that I was the mysterious blonde in the Thunderbird of the movie which I hadn’t seen because I couldn’t afford to go to the movie. I knew that it was a dumb credit and I didn’t know who George Lucas was. I eventually did do a one woman show on Broadway 10 years ago called, The Blonde in the Thunderbird – I didn’t know anything.

I guess when he went back to the office on Wed, he read the back of the cover and saw the credit. I was booked on the Tonight Show for that Fri – can you believe it? I didn't have a dress to go to the show. But I guess, I wrote a bag check or whatever you do when you're desperate – desperate people did desperate things. I always had the mentality of “I’ll figure out tomorrow what I did today.” I bought a one shoulder long gown to the floor - I should have worn a short one as I didn't realize that my legs were my asset. Fri night, Alan drives me over there as I couldn’t afford a taxi. I’m standing behind that famous curtain in that aqua dress – I’m the mysterious girl in the Thunderbird and I don’t know that that’s anything and I hear Johnny Carson say, “we’ve all wanted to know who the mysterious blonde in American Graffiti was. Well we found who the mysterious blond was and it’s Suzanne Somers.” I was so nervous and thinking, “you were?” The curtain opened and I walk out to an audience who was cheering and I didn’t know what that was for. I go out there and he liked that he had never met someone so naïve about Hollywood – he liked me. He was from Iowa – he liked simplicity. He was so nice to me and so good to me. I sit down after the applause stopped and he let me know that they didn’t get that kind of reaction from guests very often. I wasn’t acting like anything. He started having me on once a month to read from my book of poems and my little book of poetry became the best selling book of poetry in America from all the Tonight Show appearances. He was so great, they would place an isolated camera on him so that as I read my poems, he would have over the top reactions to go along with it.

One night, after so many appearances, a guy by the name of Fred Silverman who was the president of ABC Television had already casted Chrissy Snow and neither of them had tested very well. They knew that they had a hit with the show, but this one part was not testing very well. Fred later told me, “I got the girl. I’ve seen her on the Tonight Show all the time. So I get called in for an interview for a sitcom that I have never heard of and no one had because it hadn't been heard of called "Three's Company." The rest is history and you know. I got it and I was the most surprised person in the world to find myself on the #1 sitcom. That’s how I became who I became and I guess because I had natural talent, I was able to play the ping pong game with John Ritter (Hearts Afire, Bad Santa, Child’s Play). I didn’t realize then that he was the most talented physical and comedic actor. He was so good and I recognized that when I would watch him and I could see how talented he was. I learned by watching him. Within a year I understood comedy. Even though I didn’t study comedy, I understood the music of it and comedy is musical it’s set up – set up – beat. The writers got that and when they started writing John and I, it created a tension on the set with Joyce DeWitt because she had studied under scholarship, she was under contract. I had never had an acting class, had never studied and it made her so angry with me.

AM: We see you in that part and to see all of the happy accidents that took place to make that happen!

SS: I think for your readers, it’s a story to know that no matter where you come from and it’s about using the negative things in your life as positivity and that’s what I do. I’m looking outside right now on the 93 acre land that I live on watching sheep chase each other and I grew up living in a closet hiding from my father’s temper. We had a lock on the inside of the door so that no matter how hard he kicked at it – he couldn’t get us.

AM: How did you partner with ThighMaster? That’s a fitness icon right there!

SS: Right! I get these huge opportunities that come into my life. I get on Three’s Company which shoots to #1 at a time when it really mattered. Our show had the highest demographic across all television. I had the highest demographic of all women at that time and I had never heard of demographics. When I signed onto Three’s Company at the time, I was like where should I sign and just signed! I didn’t have a lawyer, I didn't care about how much the pay was, but by year 6 when my contract was up, I recognized that monetarily, I was worth something. It pisses people off when they realize that you know their worth. At the time, the men were making 10-15 times more than the women. I now recognize my worth and I wanted to be paid what they were being paid. Laverne and Shirley had just renegotiated with ABC and they gave them a colonic as I like to say so they were ready for my husband when he came in. They had already decided that the next big female star that would try to get paid what they were worth, would be made an example of. When my husband walked into the meeting with all the men, all the lawyers and all of that they decided as my husband says, “that you were fired before the moment that I walked in.” He said that I wanted to be paid X as that is what the men were being paid. I was waiting at home because he had left that morning – there were no cellphones there.

I can tell by the fact that he’s not running up the stairs and there’s not that long of a way to walk. He meets me where I am, looks me in the eyes and says, “you’re out.” I asked what he meant. He said you were fired before I walked in. I wasn’t getting a raise and I wasn’t going to be on the show he said, “you’re O-U-T out.” I died inside. The greatest job that I had ever had, I made a jewel and I figured out Chrissy Snow myself. I created this character where most people don’t like dumb blonds and I took this person from a small town, who didn’t know what she was or what she looked like and created someone that is beloved to this day. Wherever I go even in Jerusalem and Warsaw, Poland – people point out Chrissy Snow. Not only was I out, but it became this thing where not one woman backed me up and they all felt like, “who does she think she is?” Everyone was afraid to talk and I don’t hold it against them, but it was to their detriment because in not supporting me, I could have made life a lot sweeter for all of them.

Now, I had to find a job because we were living a life of means because we thought we could afford the house that we had just bought. My husband was very well known in Canada and ironically could become the Johnny Carson of Canada because that’s who he was up there. He had the late night talk shows – at one point he had 11 series on at the same time. So Alan made a deal for me at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. I knew that I could sing and that I could dance a little because of Guys & Dolls. People said, what's your credit and I said, “well I had the lead in Guys & Dolls in high school.”

Some people came to me and pitched us ThighMaster. It was originally called The V-Bar. My husband and I always debate on which one of us named it as he thinks he did and I think I did, so I just say we both did.

AM: You mutually named it.

SS: Yes we mutually named it. We both said, you put it between your knees and squeeze and that became the byline. Oh God, Johnny Carson loved it, Jay Leno loved it, David Letterman loved it and comedians loved the name and the byline! That’s what we started doing. After we sold 10 million – again no plan. Life is a journey and it’s about following the flow and life will take you on the right road. ThighMaster started us on the road and we became and we’re seen as brilliant marketers. So I lost one job and got another job and then I got another job with Step by Step. I was just talking to Patrick Duffy (Dallas, The Bold & The Beautiful, Welcome to Sweden) this morning – the other great husband that I have had in my life. He is the most kindest, funniest and we got along great. He is very humble, doesn’t care what he looks like, where he comes from and he simply loves to work. His wife passed away and that was the saddest thing as he so adored her. He and I got along so great – that’s what led me to what I now do. In this pandemic, I have thrived during this time. Do you want to know why?

AM: Yes.

SS: I fractured my hip. I’m on a crutch and I’m having a hard time moving. Alan and I have been doing the Facebook Live Show that people love! When the pandemic started, I invited everyone to bring their own tequila, salt and hors d’oeuvres where I tell people about my products and I just finished my 27th book called A New Way to Age and I don’t know how or why but when you write 27 books, you learn something. I have interviewed so many doctors and they trust me. I’m able to speak for them in a language that my followers understand. By the time I interview a doctor, I verify everything and get approval on their interview so that they can learn about hormones, how to replace what you do when you’re aging. I love the way I look and how many people when aging feel this way? I have a great sex drive and aging is about worn out parts. You have to understand that your hormones wear out at a certain level and they have to be replaced and to understand how to replace them through lab and blood work and to have your doctors analyze where this is and how to put back what you have lost in this process. It includes what you need. Aging is great – just know what you need to do to put those items back. The women who love me, have learned so much from me and that’s what we do every Tues and Fri night. 25 million of my books have sold globally and they have the opportunity to learn a lot, have fun with me and to see my husband and I who have been married for 50 years. That’s what happens when you replace worn out parts. It’s my proudest achievement. I loved Chrissy Snow and treated her demise like a death in the family and then I made that negative work for me and I made falling in love with Alan Hamel work for me and my baby who I had at a young age I turned that for me. I live a happy and blessed life that I can be proud of.

IG @ SuzanneSomers

PHOTOS COURTESY | Suzanne Somers

Read the Sep Issue #57 of Athleisure Mag and see Turning Negatives Into Positives with Suzanne Somers in mag.

STAY ON TRACK WITH JILLIAN MICHAELS

We took some time to chat with fitness icon, Jillian Michaels who is always working on a number of projects, keeping people motivated to live their best lives with no excuses on getting their goals while also ensuring that we are mentally and nutritionally on the right track as well. She talks about her career and navigating a number of elements with it, suggests routines that we can do to include within our workout as well as how we can take what we do to the next level!

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to work in the fitness industry?

JILLIAN MICHAELS: To be honest, I fell into it very organically. When I was 17 I was training for my black belt. And people would see me working out and assume I was a trainer. So they began asking me to train them. At that time I was making about $8 bucks an hour delivering pizza, so I thought I wonder what this training gig would pay? And I began charging $15 an hour to train people and thinking I was killing the game. Fortunately, my mom had some common sense to suggest I might need some actual credentials to work people out and she helped me pay for my first training certification. And the rest is really history.

AM: Where does this passion come from to empower others to be their best self?

JM: As a person who struggled with weight as a kid, I was very fortunate to fall into karate at 12 years old. My transformation did NOT happen overnight. It was gradual and the first thing to change was my mind. I began to notice that accomplishments I had in karate were translating to a greater sense of self worth and confidence. I noticed that as I began to feel stronger physically I began to feel stronger and more resilient in all facets of my life. Then, when I began feeling like I was playing a part in someone else’s journey towards empowerment and transformation it brought a tremendous amount of meaning into my life.

AM: You have been a trailblazer in the industry as someone who has used your platform to integrate your presence from hosting TV shows, creating your fitness app, being on covers as well as launching lines – how important was it to diversify your presence and to utilize all of these areas?

JM: As a business woman it’s critical you are omnipresent in all forms of media and synonymous with fitness in general. Even if there isn’t a fitness modality I consider myself to be the best at I work with someone who is the best to create a premium program for the consumer. Whether it’s yoga, corrective exercise, running, meditation, prenatal workouts – I will find one of the top experts in the space and have them co-create programs with me to ensure they are as good as they can be and as effective as possible.

Therefore, making sure you are a consummate pro who is always learning from the best of the best is critical to becoming a go to resource in your field. By being that go to resource you ensure you are the premium go to brand. So if Samsung is looking for a brand to auto install on all their tv’s they come to me, because I have built credibility in the space that has spanned well over a decade now.

AM: What are 3 pieces of equipment that you think are essential to have at home and if you have to make a substitution due to being unable to purchase them, what would the substitution be?

JM: Your body weight is really the ONLY tool you need. If I get three other things in this article though – I’ll take em! A mat is important. You can use it for yoga of course, but it’s nice for floor work if you don’t have a soft carpet to do floor work on. An adjustable set of dumbbells. I love powerblocks, but they are expensive. Again, bodyweight is all you need, but having dumbbells just makes things a bit easier for back exercises as rows are a lot easier for people than pullups or even assisted pull ups. Plus, while you can focus on time under tension with your leg workouts and do 100 reps of an air squat it is a bit more consuming. So if you are a more advanced athlete and you want to get a killer leg day in having the added free weight can help you save time. There really isn’t anything else that is needed, so at that point if there is something you love I would say grab it. For me I love my jump rope – even though I can simulate jumping without one. Some people love an indoor piece of cardio equipment for days they just want a brainless calorie burn – again this isn’t necessary at all to get cardio in, but it’s nice if you want to simply row, walk, bike without having to think about your training.

AM: How do you encourage those that know that they need to get back into their fitness routine or are feeling overwhelmed with doing so due to the current times of uncertainty?

JM: Ideally, we all have our reasons “why” we want to get in shape that serve as motivation. Be it getting ready for a wedding, running a 5k to raise money for breast cancer research, being a role model to your kids, wearing a certain brand of skinny jean you are obsessed with – it doesn’t matter how superficial or how profound your reasons as long as they matter to you. Beyond those things - I really can’t think of a more important time to get in shape. I see people spending so much time and energy being afraid of Covid and I understand that completely, but take that energy and channel it into the things you can control like your health and wellness. I keep telling people, we began dealing with this in March. It’s September now. Had we started in March imagine how much healthier you’d be now over 6 months later. It’s never too late. Make your health your priority! And I don’t mean to belabor the point – but I got covid and I was sick for 4 days. That’s it. While I know it affects healthy people, we also know that healthy people fare far better with it. So don’t wait. Do it for you. Do it for your family. Start NOW.

AM: As we’re navigating these times, many of our readers want to know about how they can stay in shape. Do you have 3 movements for abs, 3 movements for legs and 3 movements for arms that we can do to incorporate into our workouts?

JM: There are literally so many different ways we can workout at home – I have literally over 1000 body weight exercises alone in my app. For example here are just a few:

Lunges – forward lunges, stationary lunges, backward lunges, side lunges, weighted lunges, jumping lunges, pendulumn lunges

Squats – air squats, weighted squats, chair squats, jump squats

Core – plank, side plank, reverse plank, superman, table, crunches, reverse crunches, bicycle crunches, toe tap crunches

Cardio – Jumping jacks, jump rope (without or without a rope), mountain climbers, marching in place, side to side hops, burpees

AM: What are 3 foods that you suggest eating before and/or after a workout?

JM: This really isn’t a thing. These are the general guidelines around food and fitness:

Don’t eat a normal size meal within 60 minutes of exercise. Not only can it cause cramps while you exercise, but blood circulates to the stomach and intestines after we eat in order transport the nutrients of our meal to relevant systems in our body. This causes a heart rate increase and blood vessel constriction in order to maintain your blood pressure. Why does this matter? Because when you are working out we want the blood circulating to our muscles so we can best deliver oxygen to them while we train. And adding insult to injury an elevated heart rate and constricted blood vessels only makes it that much harder. So wait at least 60 minutes after a meal before training. A SMALL snack is ok, but not a meal.

Ideally, eat something 1-2 hours before you train. Get a little of each macronutrient in their cleanest form if you can (clean protein, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, and complex carbs) - an apple with almond butter for example. The carbs give energy. The fat and the protein help to sustain that energy and keep you from getting a blood sugar spike that might come from eating carbs alone. Plus the protein might help encourage protein synthesis (potential improved muscle recovery).

As for a post workout meal – this is also not necessary. You don’t NEED to eat after you train. Eat every 3-4 hours for 4 meals a day – breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner. Then try to create a 12 hour overnight fast for your overall health and immunity. When you do eat, again try to get some protein, fat, and carbs in for optimal energy and protein synthesis. If you want to get a little crazy you can supplement before and after as well. I take an organic pre-workout with green tea, beets, and coffee bean before I train for the caffeine and the nitric oxide as they give more energy and help to get oxygen to the muscles. After my workout I take whey protein with branched chain aminos. Personally I like the Alaya brand, but you do NOT have to do this. Eating regularly is totally fine.

AM: Can you tell us about the Oxidizer quiz? What is it’s purpose and why does it focus on the ratio between Proteins, Carbs and Fats?

JM: Ok, this is a bit of a long answer, but I will do my best to keep it quick. The two universal rules that apply to everyone when it comes to weight loss are calories in vs calories out. And, the quality of the food matters for overall health and wellbeing. HOWEVER, insulin (among other hormones) does play a part in not just our overall health, but also our BMR (basal metabolic rate). So we want to consume foods that don’t spike insulin and eat a balance of macro nutrients (protein, fat, and carbs) that give us sustained energy. Scientists have noticed that not everyone has the same insulin response to the same foods. We believe that this has to do with each individuals unique microbiome (gut mircrobes).

Why this matters is simply to help people identify which ratio of carbs, protein, and fat they might consume to give them lasting energy, keep their blood sugar and subsequently their insulin from spiking. So the oxidizer / metabolic type quiz teaches people how to identify their ideal ratio of macro nutrients. Again this isn’t necessary, but if someone wanted to really drill down on their health – maximize energy levels, metabolism, hormone balance etc. this is the way to do that. It’s essentially a series of questions that look at how certain foods make you feel and certain physical attributes that might indicate the rate in which you turn your food into energy.

AM: With people being a bit more anxious during these times, are there foods that we can eat that will help reduce this?

JM: The first thing we want are foods rich in magnesium. Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxer and can help you feel more relaxed. Look to incorporate avocado, nuts and seeds, legumes, whole grains, leafy greens, and bananas into your diet on a regular basis.

Fermented foods and fiber rich foods to help support microbiome (all those tiny little microbes that live in our gut). A healthy strong microbiome is directly connected to overall health from immunity to metabolism and brain chemistry is just another one on the top of the list. So choose fermented foods like yogurt, tempeh, miso, kimchi, kefir, cottage cheese to keep the good bugs flowing. And be sure to feed those little critters with plenty of fiber – so lots of fruits and vegetables!

Zinc also seems to be a big one. Studies show that people with diets low in zinc are prone to depression – plus zinc is great for boosting your immune system. Foods rich in zinc are beef, lamb, oysters, shrimp, scallops, mushrooms. Foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. So, ideally we would get some fish into the mix here… Wild salmon, pecans, flax seeds, walnuts, sardines are all good sources!

AM: Bloating is also an issue that many look to fight. What foods can we eat that will assist with this and are there specific workouts we can do to remove this?

JM: It really depends on what type of bloating. There is bloating from water retention – in which case you drink more water (the more you drink the less you hold) and consume less sodium. No more than 2000 – 2300 mg a day unless you are an advanced athlete that sweats a lot.

If it’s a tummy thing – obviously I would be super irresponsible if I didn’t recommend that you see a gastroenterologist. I can recommend you check for any food allergies or sensitivities. And try foods rich in digestive enzymes and probiotics (fermented foods like kefir, yogurt, kimchi, tempeh, miso and tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, pomegranate are loaded with fiber and digestive enzymes to help promote good gut health).

AM: Can you talk about the relationship between Intermittent Fasting and the Microboime and the benefits to this?

JM: To be honest, the connection isn’t incredibly clear, but we do believe there is one. Some think it’s associated with potential better sleep. The fact that when we don’t eat before bed we sleep better, which improves microbiome. What I can say for certain, is that intermittent fasting has been shown to help fight aging and boost immunity. This is because we know that it optimizes something called autophagy – which is a process in which our bodies cull dead and senescent tissue (VERY IMPORTANT). And, it helps to resensitize people to insulin, which we know is related to many dangerous health conditions like type 2 diabetes for example.

AM: Tell us about the Jillian Michaels Fitness App. What can subscribers look forward to on there in terms of modalities as well as are there any challenges specific to this month or time of year?

JM: Well, we are now calling it The Fitness App by Jillian Michaels because we are just now starting to add new trainers to the mix. Which is really exciting. So the purpose of the app is to customize someone’s fitness and nutrition in order to give them all the tools to achieve their personal goals. So no matter what your current fitness level, no matter what equipment you do or don’t have, whatever type of workout you like from yoga to lifting, walking to kick boxing, your program is created just for you. You can literally show up and use any of my dvd workouts which are all in the app, or you can have me create a workout on the spot for you. You can use it on any device from streaming to the TV, you tablet, phone, watch etc. And, there are hundreds of recipes of all kinds – created by chefs and registered dieticians. So whether you are vegan or paleo, gluten free or omnivore your meal plan is totally customized. I can even change the recipe in the app based on how many servings you want to make of that particular dish. The calories change based on your unique fitness goal and body type. So basically – your fitness and nutrition are completely personalized to make it work for you.

AM: You also have your podcast, The Jillian Michaels Show, what do you talk about on hear and who are some guests and topics that you’re really excited about (whether they are coming up or are in previous episodes)?

JM: We have a series coming up with Dr. William Li who specializes in eating to beat disease and will be speaking on different ways to eat to fight cancer, boost stem cell production, combat covid and more.

AM: How do you stay engaged with your community?

JM: I engage on multiple platforms – so we have the forums on my app where I can take questions from users. I have a private facebook group that provides a safe place for people to connect as well and I often go in there and check in. I also and pretty engaged on Instagram in the comment section.

AM: How have you been spending your time during this quarantine?

JM: I have kept my focus pretty streamlined. My priorities personally are my health and the health of my family. And while kids generally don’t struggle with covid, I worry about my kids mental health as they haven’t been in school or in any of their usual social and physical activities. SO I try to get them outside to bike, surf, hike. Professionally, my career focus has been as great as ever. More people are working out at home so I have been in overdrive mode adding new things to my app so people constantly have new content. We just recently added meditations to the app. And a 30 Day yoga challenge all of September with Dashama (one of my favorite yoga experts). We have an all new audio workout section coming to the app as well. And we are adding slides, kettlebells, and booty bands this fall.

AM: We know you have a new book coming out next year. Are there projects that we should keep an eye out for?

JM: For the Jillian Michaels brand - I focus all efforts in constantly evolving the app. Be it new trainers, new workouts, new ways to get healthy like mind body meditations etc. As a business woman I am constantly investing in other companies that I believe have better for you products. So whether it’s an organic nitro cold brew company like Lucky Jack, or an organic supplement company like Alaya I love supporting great companies who are doing great things.

AM: What philanthropies are you involved in?

JM: Currently I am working with the UNHCR – which is the United Nations Refugee Agency. I am also very passionate about health related charities and animal welfare causes, but my primary focus for the last several years has been to raise funds and awareness for refugees as this is literally the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time.

AM: How you do you take time for yourself to ensure that you replenish your energy?

JM: Here is a strategy I employ to find the time for my self care. It’s called the 12 our rule. So - if there are 168 hours in a week and you prioritize sleep - which is critical to wellness - and take 8 hours a night for that - you’re left with 112 waking hours in your week.

If you have the most difficult scemario and you are a working single parent - and you designate 50 hours a week to run the household (take dog to vet, scoop dry cleaning, run kids back and forth to appointments etc.) and the other 50 hours you designate to work/ career that leave you with 12 remaining hours. Those are YOUR hours. Schedule them accordingly. So I usually take 2 hours a week toward fitness (four 30min workouts at home), one date night, one friend visit, one medical or hygiene appointment (dentist, hair cut, check up etc), a couple hours for a hobby, and this usually helps me over the course of the month stay fit, sane, social. It’s not perfect, but it works. And I schedule those 12 hours weekly. come hell or high water.

AM: When you look at everything that you have accomplished, how do you want your legacy to be defined?

JM: This is gonna sound so cheesy, but it really is true… I want my kids to be my legacy. As I watch my kids grow and become their own unique people I realize what a gift it is to help shape that and guide them to be the best version of themselves. And then I think – maybe this is what I’m actually here for… to be a conduit for a greater thing. A stepping stone in the evolution of something greater.

IG @JillianMichaels

PHOTOS COURTESY | Jillian Michaels

Read the Sep Issue #57 of Athleisure Mag and see Stay on Track with Jillian Michaels in mag.

LIVING WITH PURPOSE WITH BORIS KODJOE

As we begin to transition from summer to the fall, we've all been navigating this crazy year that continues to challenge us as we go about our days. For many, it has encouraged us to go beyond ourselves to live our best lives, bond with our families and to put a lot of good back into our world.

This month's cover is Boris Kodjoe, who we have enjoyed in Showtime's TV series Soul Food, CBS' Code Black, NETFLIX's House of Cards and on ABC's Station 19. We talked about how he came to acting, preparing to shoot the 4th season of this show. We also talk about how he has utilized his platform in order to provide masks for First Responders through his #HopeForHeroes initiative, focusing on social justice as well as inspiring everyone to get their physical and mental health aligned in order to be their most optimized selves.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We’ve been a fan of yours since Showtime’s Soul Food and seeing the interaction with the Josephs family and how they remind us of a number of our own family members and then other shows that are our favorites from CBS’ Code Black, Netflix’s House of Cards and now ABC’s Station 19, what was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be an actor?

BORIS KODJOE: You know, it was a process because I started going to acting class in my mid 20’s because I wanted to learn to be able to speak better English. Growing up in Germany and coming over here for college, I still wasn’t a very good English speaker. I could communicate but I had a very strong German accent. So in order to be able to speak better, a friend of mine suggested that I should go to acting class to show me how to enunciate and breathing techniques and stuff. That’s when I started going to class. Throughout auditing some classes and going through that and then being able to put up some scenes and stuff. I fell in love with it. It wasn’t a very traditional way to get into the business, but that’s my story.

AM: That’s a great story! At what point did you feel that you had made it as an actor? Was it a specific role, a show, an accolade or just the body of work that you had created?

BK: You know, I’m not sure what that is in terms of making it as an actor, right? I think that we have different objectives at different points in our careers and our lives really. It’s a journey and once you understand that, you can let go of some of the pressure that you put on yourself. Instead of focusing on the destination, you focus on enjoying the journey and I guess the moment that I realized that this was my way of making a living, was halfway through Soul Food. It’s when I realized, “ok, I am starting my career and this is what I am going to be doing." It’s a great feeling when you have an idea on which direction your journey is going to go. Even if it is just for a short moment in time. I’ve been lucky that I have been on this journey for 20 years now.

AM: Do you have a specific process when you’re deciding whether you’re going to take a role or a specific show? You take on so many characters that have such a depth to them. How do you decide what makes sense for you?

BK: You want to be able to relate to what the character is going through, We’re in a business where we get to work with so many talented people. I’ve learned so much with different actors, directors and producers so it’s a combination of the scripts, the production, who’s involved and also where I am in my life. I have 2 kids, I’m married, we live in Los Angeles and sometimes, I don’t want to spend 5 months in Bulgaria to shoot a movie in the winter, right? Because the kids need me around and I need to be around. In a case like that, I would say, “ok I am going to do a show here.” So it all depends on what the situation is at the time and what the script looks like.

AM: We enjoy seeing you as Captain Robert Sullivan on Station 19. What is it about the character that made you want to play him and what was it about the show that made you want to join that cast?

BK: It started with Shonda Rhimes. I have been a fan of hers for a very long time and I have always wanted to work with her and this was a great opportunity for me to be a part of Shondaland. Her and Krista Vernoff are changing the way that we watch TV. So that was the first reason and then the cast is family. They’re just beautiful, beautiful people that I have grown to love and just become close with. And then it’s fun to play a fire fighter. That’s something that I had wanted to do as a child. You know – that or being a cowboy or a train conductor haha. It was a childhood dream come true to be able to ride in these big trucks, put on the gear and be able to run around to be able to represent these real live heroes on the front lines. They’re risking their lives every single day for us – it’s an honor.

AM: This past season, we got to know a lot more about Robert as a person. We specifically remember when we watched the episode about ICE coming to raid the restaurant and looking at how impactful that scene was and your character was telling Pruitt Herrera (Miguel Sandoval) about why he felt compelled to intervene. Were there elements of your family history that were utilized in that scene and was that hard to play?

BK: Yes and no. Obviously, it’s a creative process so there were some fundamental building blocks that were taken from my real life. My maternal grandfather fought in the war in Germany and so he had a whole lot of stories that he told me when I was a really young kid that I remember. They obviously took creative license in order to make it applicable to the story and to create an analogy to what’s going on today. Which I thought that they did a great job with.

AM: Are there any nuggets that you can tell us about the upcoming season and when are you guys going back into production?

BK: We actually go into production this week!

AM: What!

BK: Yeah, they put a lot of safety measures in place in order to keep us safe and to keep everyone – the whole crew safe that is involved in the production. ABC and Disney, they have done a really good job in making sure that we are all safe and that we can do our jobs.

I have to speculate myself because I’m not sure what’s going to happen. All I can tell you is that clearly my character has been through a lot – getting married to Andi (Jaina Lee Ortiz), having the surgery to alleviate some of the chronic pain that he has been suffering through for years, the substance abuse that got him in trouble – so there are a lot of things that are at stake right now for Robert. In this new season, clearly we’re going to address all of that on top of this new world that we’re all living in – this COVID world. There’s also social justice and equality with the struggle that we’re in. Krista Vernoff, Shonda and everyone at Shondaland take pride in creating dialogue by way of storylines that are introduced that challenge people to confront some of the issues that we are dealing with. So I am certain that we will deal with some of them – the real life issues whether it’s the pandemic or the racial justice issues that we’re dealing with still and again. I’m sure that we will see some of these pop up in our scripts.

AM: We’re sure about that too. One of the things that we love about this show is the fact that there are these great crossover episodes with Grey’s Anatomy. How is it for you to be able to engage with that whole cast as well as to go into that portion of their audience as well? That must be such a fun thing that you are able to do a bit of a dual play there.

BK: You know, the Grey’s Anatomy family is a part of our family. We’re part of their family, they’re also tremendous human beings over there and they are super talented and super nice. Anytime we get to play with the other team, it’s always a lot of fun. Again, it’s an extended family so everybody is real close, we love each other and it’s a really great situation for us to be in.

AM: With COVID-19, it’s changing a lot of things that we would normally do. We’ve been preaching to our readers the importance of washing their hands, wearing face masks and social distancing. We first learned about GymWrap last year via our cover, WWE + E! Total Divas' Trinity Fatu/ Naomi who has been an ambassador for the brand. You have this amazing initiative with #HopeForHeroes. Can you tell us more about that and how GymWrap is involved as I know your wife, Nicole Ari Parker is the founder. How did it come together and what are you doing?

BK: Watching the news everyday in the beginning of March and realizing the devastating impact that this pandemic has had on this entire country and the entire world. Seeing how many people are struggling to put food on the table, losing their jobs and the essential workers and the first responders and all these people are putting their lives at risk and risking their safety every single day to keep us safe. They’re struggling without PPE and without appropriate gear to keep them safe, Nicole one day said, “hey, why don’t we manufacture masks? We have a great operation with great people that have been supporting us and have been working with us.” So we called the team together and said, “how quickly can we manufacture these masks?” Credit to our team, they did an amazing job to turn this around really fast and we were able to create the #HelpOurHeroes initiative. With this initiative, we have now shipped over half a million dollars worth of free masks for our heroes on the frontlines, essential w orkers and first responders. I’m so thankful for the support that we have gotten from our fans and from everybody that’s out there who has gotten together to support these initiatives and those who have bought these masks from us.

It’s the least that we can do. We’re in a fortunate position where we can support others or can lend a hand, I think that it is our responsibility to lead collectively and individually. We jumped right in. Again it was Nicole’s idea and the GymWrap team got together really quickly and hopefully we will be able to keep on doing this for a long time.

AM: It’s important while this is going on for everyone to come together and coalesce around this. While we have this pandemic going on, we also have the focus of social justice and the #BlackLivesMatter movement taking place as well. We enjoyed seeing on your Instagram that you have actually utilized your platform to have these videos to talk about deconstructing buzzwords and hot button issues. Why was that so important for you so that people can be aware and understand all of the different things that are surrounding this issue?

BK: Being Black and living in this country, I think it requires you to have a sense of awareness and it requires you to use whatever tools you have – voice or platform to support the movement. In order to support our struggle for equity, our struggle for equality, our struggle for social justice or equal housing, education, healthcare. Those should all be basic human rights granted to every single person who lives here and it hasn’t been that way in 400 years.

To me, it’s an inherent responsibility that POC, Black people carry that has to be expressed and voiced. That’s how we raise our children, we have these dialogues with these children every single day to equip them with knowledge to teach them about history – to make them understand how important it is for them to speak up and to be a part of the solution. I think we’re in a pivotal moment in history where the #BlackLivesMatter movement has touched every corner of the planet. We see more people than ever get on the streets and protest and voice their outrage about what has happened and not just with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others. The systemic racism that has been prevalent here for hundreds of years and has been put in place systematically and really mechanically to create this huge gigantic, generational wealth gap and inequality. I always try to see the silver lining and I think that the pandemic has helped us focus on these social justice and equality issues because in the past 6 months, when everything came to a standstill we were finally able to focus on this movement and not be distracted by other things.

That’s how I look at it. I think it’s important that we continue to mobilize and galvanize everybody out there to co-ordinate and make sure that we don’t just stand here and watch. I think it’s important that we formulate a real plan for action and that we appeal to our allies. Whether it’s corporations, organizations, communities and individuals, to state very clearly that it’s not enough not to be racist anymore. You have to be anti-racist. Because racism is not just the overt violence and the hatred that we see on TV. Racism is also ignorance. Racism is apathy. Racism is privilege. That’s all part of the system that has been put in place to systematically and continuously oppress Black people. It’s time for white people to join in and speak up and not look away because they’re not affected or they think that they’re not affected. People need to realize that with equality, with economic equity comes a stronger economy. So, this shouldn’t be a divisive issue movement. This movement should band us together in order to create a better country, a stronger country, an economically stronger country and a more equitable and equal country.

AM: We have the election coming up, do you plan on using that as well to make sure that people are registered to vote, the methods by which that they can do so and additional points that you will be speaking to?

BK: Absolutely! That’s where it starts. We have to mobilize and go out and vote. We have to fight for our right to be able to access polling stations and not fall into the trap of being discouraged to get out and vote. Every single vote counts. My wife and I have definitely supported the voting efforts. It’s so important and this election is the most important election that we have ever had. It’s crucial that we get this guy out of the White House as soon as possible.

AM: With all of these things that are going on as a parent, how difficult is it during these times to educate, protect and deal with all of these issues that have converged together at one time. We watch children who are involved from mask wearing, socialization, social justice etc. It must be a lot as a parent to have to navigate all of these things.

BK: It is a lot. The masks – the psychological effects of the pandemic, the social justice issues that are raging, not being able to see your friends, sitting in the house, being constricted, not having an outlet, not being able to go out and play basketball with your boys. Those are things that are going to affect children even as we’re going back to school now. There’s millions and millions of children now that don’t have the opportunity to engage online the way that they should because they don’t have the access to work wireless, they don’t have the devices, they don’t have parents present in the home because they have to work. It’s terrible – it’s really terrible and we are going to see children struggle for a long time because of these past 6 or 7 months. It’s sad. A so called super power, one of the top developed Western industrialized countries who are leading the world in technology and in science – arguably in the top 3 – isn’t able to appropriately support children in their schooling. It’s embarrassing. It’s embarrassing that the government hasn't done the necessary things to prevent almost 200K+ people from dying, to prevent over 5M people from being infected, to put testing in place for everybody as well as contact tracing. It’s absolutely embarrassing and disgusting. The effects are going to be felt for years and years to come and our children will have the burden and shoulder the weight of this year for the next 10 years. I’m really upset about it because it’s really so unnecessary.

AM: Wow it is.

One of the things that we looked up in preparing to talk with you today is the inaugural ESSENCE Full Circle Festival in Accra Ghana. We know a number of people that attended this event last year. What was the purpose of this event and why was it so important for you to be involved in it?

BK: It was important because first of all the president from Ghana, his excellency Nana Akufo-Addo he asked Bozoma Saint John and myself if we would host an event celebrating the Year of Return (Editors Note: The “Year of Return, Ghana 2019” was a major landmark spiritual and birth-right journey inviting the Global African family, home and abroad, to mark 400 years of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in Jamestown, Virginia which affected the kith and kin that were forcefully taken from Africa. This event celebrated the cumulative resilience of all the victims of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade who were scattered and displaced through the world in North America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia.) which was obviously in 2019. Of course we agreed, Bozoma was born in Ghana and my father is from Ghana. I have a very close relationship with the country and with my family there. We started working on Full Circle Festival as a celebration of our ancestry and our collective accomplishments looking back 400 years since the beginning of the slave trade. Traditionally, Western media has changed the picture of Africa that is disgraceful. That it’s a place and continent of war, corruption, poverty, hunger and starvation and this is just not true. We wanted to change that narrative and show people that Africa first of all is not a country, that Africa has the youngest population in the world of any other continent and that Africa also has 3 of the fastest growing economies in the world. Their technology and manufacturing is thriving in Africa. There’s amazing economic development opportunity on the continent. We come with a great culture and diversity with languages, food, music and beautiful locations. Not just for tourism, but like I said, for engaging in business.

The world’s reaction to what we did was tremendous. I had no idea that we would start this title wave and we ended up being able to contribute to adding $1.9B to the Ghanian economy in 1 year just by way of Year of Return. The increased interest and excitement of not just Ghana but Africa as a whole. It’s important for African Americans or any other members of the diaspora to understand that a lot of the issues or most of the issues that we’re dealing with here are directly related to the fact that we don’t know our history.

We don’t know where we came from. To reconnect with our ancestry and our heritage – our culture also means that we are reconnecting with our source. We’re reconnecting with our strength. We’re reconnecting with our power. We’re reconnecting with our beauty and our diversity. That redefines how we see ourselves and it redefines how we see our future and where we’re going with our future. It’s a tremendously important movement to create a bridge to our diaspora and the continent for more and more people to visit and to experience and to engage with the continent.

AM: I know that you have done 2 events there already, do you foresee doing other types of this nature obviously as things settle themselves down in terms of travel etc.

BK: Absolutely – we’re not going to stop. After Full Circle Festival started 2 years ago, other African countries started inquiring about having similar events and bringing more people. It’s a proud and humbling thing to be able to contribute to more and more people experiencing the continent.

AM: You’re known for being in really great shape and we enjoy finding out about workouts that you do that we should include in our own routines. Do you have workouts that you can share?

BK: I think that rather than focusing on specific exercises, it’s important to understand that you can be healthier, stronger and happier if you start including some healthy habits into your life. It doesn’t mean that you have to go into the gym for an hour and a half every day. All that means is that you commit to doing something each day to start adding some healthy habits to your day. That could be sitting for 5 minutes in total stillness and observing your breathing when you get up, meditate, doing easy and simple exercises for 5 or 10 minutes a day. Whether it’s squats or sit-ups or pushups – whatever you can do. You’ve got to start where you are. Oftentimes, we’re discouraged when we look at exercise videos and all of this advice that’s out there because we’re not there yet. Or it may not be the level that we’re able to obtain with the 6-packs and the gladiator physiques and it’s just not real for us because we have a job, responsibilities, bills to pay and kids to raise. We don’t have time to spend on ourselves for an hour and a half a day.

So with KoFit, we’re trying to show people that all it takes is 5 or 10 minutes a day to start moving and changing your life in a different direction. That’s what it’s all about. We do it as a family because it is more fun and it’s more sustainable.

AM: It’s fun to see that whole dynamic in there with KoFit. Why is health and wellness so important to you individually as well as to your family as a whole? AthleisureMag.

BK: Health and wellness is important because it goes hand in hand with your mental and your spiritual right? If you want to optimize your potential as a person, you can’t leave out your body. The body is where your emotions live and your physical dictates how you feel. If you are morbidly obese and struggling with conditions like heart disease and onset diabetes, you can’t fully enjoy your life and it’s just a fact. A lot of these issues we’re dealing with on a health level are avoidable. It’s important to claim your power by way of taking care of your body because your body is taking care of you. You have been blessed with your physical being, why not take care of it? The physical, the mental and the spiritual goes together. If one is lacking, you can never hope to maximize your potential.

AM: How do you take time for yourself as well as to focus on your coupleship with Nicole? It’s great to see you guys do projects and philanthropy together. How do you make sure that you guys are staying connected and that you take the time that you need to take care of yourself?

BK: You have to make it a priority and you have commit to each other and make sure that you are present, attentive and that you take care of each other and family comes first. There are struggles and you have to put in that effort and work. Sometimes there’s miscommunication and we go through our own things and go through patterns of things that we have had since we were kids that rear their ugly heads when we’re adults. We have to then confront those things and then talk, and talk some more and then some more. It’s a process – a journey. I think that you have to be able to give each other the space to make mistakes and not run for the hills. That’s the key.

AM: That’s true.

BK: Yeah, a lot of people when they see a little bit of a challenge, they run. So I think that’s one of the things that we really believe in that – I’m going to mess up, you’re going to mess up let’s give each other the space to grow, evolve and make mistakes. We all have flaws and great qualities like everyone else.

AM: Are there projects coming up that we should keep an eye out for that you’re working on?

BK: We’re going to really dive into KoFit the next couple of months because there’s no gyms open and even if, people are hesitant to go out and pay all of this money for gym memberships. We want to give people tools to stay healthy and happy at home. That’s not just working out, it’s mindfulness, breath work, meditation, yoga – things that as a culture we haven’t traditionally believed in but it is an important part of us being healthy and strong. We’re going to dive into that – my brother, his wife, Nicole and the kids to show people how easy it is to start creating some of these habits.

Then I’ll start working on Station 19 which will take me from all the way to May. We’re going to shoot from this week to May. It’s going to keep me busy for the next 9 months. I’m also working with the 2% Initiative that Robert Smith has introduced recently. It allows us to create pathways for big organizations and corporations of Fortune 100 companies to support Black communities across various sectors whether it’s banking, education, social justice, media, entertainment to start making some headway in reducing the generational wealth gap.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be?

BK: The most important part of my legacy is my kids. Those are 2 human beings that I raised and will be here long after I am gone. Hopefully, I have raised them in a way that has allowed them to find their purpose to be kind, empathetic, considerate and treat people with respect and love. Then I want to be known as some body who tried his best, learned from his mistakes and has hopefully touched a few people.

AM: We like talking to our changemakers as they inspire people and they are doing amazing things inside and outside of their verticals and communities. Who are 3 people that you have been inspired by that have assisted you where you are today?

BK: There are so many people – wow. I’ve always been inspired by great writers. Ta Nehisi Coates he’s a trailblazer, an activist that I really admire and respect. Right now, these are some of the people that I think are really important to the movement. Nikole Hannah Jones who started the 1619 Project with the New York Times. She’s somebody I admire and look up to. I admire some of the NBA players that are outspoken like LeBron and Chris Paul and people who are actively using their huge gigantic platform for change with police reform, social justice – I really admire these guys who are really outspoken right now.

IG @BorisKodjoe

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT + BACK COVER, PG 16, 38, 42 + 44 Brandon Bobbins | FRONT + BACK COVER, PG 16, 38 + 42 Editorial Design by Athleisure Mag | PG 18 - 37 + 40 ABC Network Stills, Promo and BTS |

Hear activist, philanthropist and Station 19's, Boris Kodjoe on our show, #TRIBEGOALS - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

Read the Aug Issue of Athleisure Mag #56 and see Living with Purpose with Boris Kodjoe in mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW WITH GUNNAR PETERSON

This month, we chat with one of our favorite celebrity fitness trainers Gunnar Peterson who has worked with a number of your favorite personalities from Khloe Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and more. In addition, as the Director of Strength & Endurance for the Lakers, we talk with him about how he has worked with his clients and the team to keep them on their routines. He also shares advice on movements that we can do at home regardless of whether we have equipment or not. He also shares his thoughts on returning to gyms and studios as the country is in various stages of reopening.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We always love being able to talk to you and being able to optimize our workouts and here in NY we have been in since March 13th. Thankfully, we got all of our equipment that we needed and we had no idea how long that we would be staying in due to COVID-19. What did you suggest to your clients in terms of equipment that they should have on hand?

GUNNAR PETERSON: I love that you guys got your equipment right away because it seems to me from what I heard, that the people that didn’t get it right out of the gate automatically had to line up and there was a delay. I have a very strange relationship with equipment – you can call it an addiction or a relationship whatever you want. That said, look whatever you have – even if you have nothing, you can still make it work. I would suggest adjustable dumbbells, a piece of cardio equipment that you enjoy, an assortment of bands, an auxiliary piece of cardio – think jump rope, a utility bench, a stability ball and that is all best case scenario. Worse case, we will get busy with water bottles, soup cans, a broom stick, a stepping stool, a couple of pieces of scrap cardboard. If you have that kind of stuff lying around it doesn’t have to be a mish mash like that, I actually thought those through it’s not grab bag you can come out of this lockdown in better shape. How’s that for a statement on standby?

AM: Love that statement. About a week before this quarantine, we had bands and a few other things, but didn’t really have dumbells, weight plates and other things like that so I was on Amazon and started amassing these items. And once we were in quarantine, you couldn’t get anything. We were pretty well stocked on our end.

GP: I heard it from people that are planners and those that get out ahead of things like this. There were other people that told me that they had nothing and that they had given everything away. Ever since they had started coming to me, they had given everything away as they didn’t need it in their house anymore because they came to me. I was like, “oh I’m sorry – like I’m supposed to be the person to blame for this.”

The household items though the water bottles and the soup cans, broom stick an ottoman – you can fill up garbage bags with laundry because they have the handles built in and scrap pieces of cardboard or a towel. You can use a scrap piece of cardboard if you’re outdoors on the lawn or turf. If not on a towel if you have a hard surface like poured concrete or hardwood floors. Any of those towels can work for leg curls, hip curls, hip bridges, ab extensions, chest flys there are so many movements you can do on the floor with that. People are like, “cardboard?” and I’m like yeah. I actually demo-d that workout online for someone out on the lawn, you put your heels on the cardboard and you do a leg curl in and put your hips up and your hamstrings and your glutes are good to go.

AM: What are 3 movements for abs, and legs, butts and arms that we should include within our routines as we’re always looking at changing it up a little bit and just optimizing that workout?

GP: For abs I would say, think bicycle crunches where you’re pulling left knee into right elbow and you’re up and semi crunched the entire time so that you’re abs which is all about time under tension the TUT Principle. The abs are engaged the whole time and you’re working that transverse rotation bringing the right elbow to left knee while extending that right leg and pulling the right leg in and extending the right leg and the left elbow to the right knee.

Also abs in extension which comes down to you being on your knees, toes in contact with the ground in sort of like a coffee table position and then extend the arms by sliding a towel out or if you’re on a piece of cardboard then you’re on cardboard. You want to extend them and working abs in extension is important and not just working them in inflection and also athletically – a lot of the strain happens when people will go into extension against resistance and they weren’t prepared for it. So you want to work on extension. You can also do that single arm right? You can fly one arm out and bring it back and the other arm up and bring it back just to create an uneven load.

The third one I would say is the hip bridge. So, using that same towel, put your forearm on it, extend your body and think about keeping a straight line between all of the h’s – head, hip, heels – straight line. Lower the hips down, draw the abs in. Your cue is when you pass center line pull your abs in and then bridge up so now you’re working frontal plane abs. So those are the movements for abs.

For legs, I would say squats and you have a number of squat movements to choose from whether it’s a basic squat, a sumo squat, a split squat, kick stands – there are a million ways to do that. But you definitely want to hit a squat and you should do that loaded because you’re working a big muscle group and it can handle an exterior load.

Then I would add clock lunges. Picture yourself standing in a center of a clock right where the hands are right where the hands meet in the middle. With your right leg step to 12 step to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 which involves a full pivot again the transverse plane. Then bring it back to 12 and then with your left leg, go to 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 and back.

Then I would say, single leg deadlifts and if you need that, do it next to your dresser, counter or a willing family member so that you can stabilize. You want to hinge at the hip and have something in your hand, something weighted whether it’s the water bottle or a dumbbell – whatever you have and down to your hip and then come up so that you have a stretch in your hamstring. Push through your heel and your big toe as you stand up so you fire the glutes and continue through that – you’re a lot stronger. A lot of people say, “aww my back.” Don’t worry about your back. You’re going to go in that position through your life so many times, you have to strengthen it. You’re doing yourself a disservice to not strengthen it.

And for glutes, I would say a lateral lunge. A deep lunge out to the side and really getting low on that because you want to hit gluteus medius and power through back to the starting position and alternate sides.

I would say a hip bridge, you can do that single leg or double leg. So put one foot up – one foot off the ground. You’re lying on your back, create a triangle between where you’re up from the ground and where your heel is on the ground and then bridge up by driving into the heel on the floor which is a single leg version. The double leg version, obviously both of your heels are on the ground.

Then I would add something explosive and plyometric. A tuck jump and you can do those in place. The goal is not to drop down super low into a squat and jump. Think about when you see someone jumping at a volleyball net or when they’re getting a rebound from a basketball – they don’t drop their hips all the way to the floor, they literally hinge at the hips and explode upward. So think of that kind of jump.

For arms, I would say something in a curl and I would spice up the curl a little bit and do it in a split stance. I like to create the offload, I like to make the core fire even more and do whatever your scheme is half of it with your right leg bag and left leg forward and then you drop down relatively low and then switch the split and repeat the same number of the reps of the curls.

That’s 1 the 2nd one would be a close grip push up. So keeping your hands relatively narrow and more importantly than that, tuck your elbows into your sides so you can feel your ribcage slide down against your forearm on the way down. If it’s too hard to do them on the floor, instead of doing them on your knees – I’m not a huge fan of that, I would say do them off of something. Elevate the hands versus just staying on your knees. So you’re still getting that fully planked position whether you come up and do it on an ottoman or at the end of a bed or on the end of a couch depending on your fitness level right?

Back in the day, Zsa Zsa Gabor did a workout video (Editor’s Note: of course we had to check out this video which is 30 mins of Zsa Zsaisms, working out and is worth watching) and she actually had 2 body builders come out and she just leaned back and did the push up off their chest. So she was still standing at a 5° incline but you can work backwards to any level of fitness. I want to say that she was in her 70’s when she did it so kudos to her for still doing the work.

AM: That’s pretty amazing!

GP: I know, when I saw it, I thought, “you have to give her credit for that.”

The 3rd one would be a press overhead. And that’s not for your arms, biceps, triceps, but it’s for your shoulders. If you look at the side view of the arm, almost half of that is the cap of your shoulder. So overhead pressing of any kind whether you alternate, palms forward, palms in – you just want to make sure that you get the shoulders. Especially since a lot of clothing in the summer time is exposing the shoulder.

AM: I know on your Instagram, that you created quarantine courses for your family to do. How important is it for your to incorporate movement especially with children and what do you suggest to do to keep them engaged?

GP: For us, it’s a priority. It’s not for everybody but it is for us. The kids learn how to move and use their bodies, how to work through things that are difficult and I think that that’s a life metaphor and you get to spend real quality time with them and I would suggest mixing in things that you know that they like as well as things that they need. That’s the challenge of being the parent. You challenge them and then you reward them with something that is good for them. My kids love Propel, they love the electrolyte water and there are 0 grams of sugar and I know that post workout, they need the electrolytes so it’s such an easy reward and sometimes I will put it at the end so right when he comes off the course, they’re there. They can pick the flavor and you’re empowering them with that.

AM: In addition, you have been participating in a number of IG Lives doing various workouts during this time of quarantine, how important is that to you to do those things and let people across the internet to have people workout with you and also engage with you?

GP: It’s important for me because A it keeps me sharp on the selfish side. I like doing anything that I can with the fitness community and the fitness industry as a whole. If I can add to that collective, then count me in. It’s not like I am putting on the Propel fitness stuff in my backyard, but if I am giving something that can approximate that during a time when we may have to push that back in a calendar then I’m all for it – sign me up.

AM: Across the US, we have various levels of openings on city and state levels. A lot of gyms and studios are doing that as well and a lot of people are excited to go back to their favorite spaces, but there is a lot of apprehension to in terms of whether the gyms themselves are actually prepared to be opened. What are your thoughts on how we can return to them safely and what we should be looking for when we enter? Should we be bringing items with us?

GP: You said it first – safety right? Be smart and be safe. Make sure that you’re doing the right thing and if you see someone who isn’t, instead of tattling and being condescending – I would share with them what the right approach is and be open if they share with you. We can all get better together. Remember we all heard a lot of information in the last 5+ months and we all process it differently. There are a lot of beliefs, so it’s better to be open and tolerant until we have all the facts locked down. I know I said lock down, but I said that on purpose!

As far as what you bring, I am a big fan of bringing my towel and water to the gym. I bring my towel and my Propel. You might want to double up and bring gloves, I don’t know the science on that one yet, but I’m OCD enough that I’m taking my towel and Propel with me for sure. I’m not going to be needing water fountains for a little bit if I can help it.

AM: For sure! You’re the Director of Strength & Endurance Training for the Lakers, our favorite team!

GP: Ah I love that!

AM: The Lakers have been our team since the 80’s.

GP: Not a fair weather fan, I like that!

AM: With the NBA completing their season and getting closer to the Playoffs, what has this time been like for you in terms of working with the team, preparing them prior to going to the bubble in Orlando and during this season?

GP: So our Strength Staff, a guy named Chattin Hill (Lakers’ Associate Head Strength & Conditioning Coach), Ed Streit (Lakers’ Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach) and I put together a Fit Kit and we sent the Fit Kits to the players early on. I don’t think that we got the jump on as early as you did, but we were a couple of days behind. We sent those to the players and we also emailed and texted them daily individualized workouts and all that was done within days of the lockdown. We also held and this ended up being great, but there was an element of comedy to it, we held Zoom workouts a couple of times a week to maintain the interaction, to keep the camaraderie up, trash talking – that was the great job of our GM Rob Pelinka and it ended up being great. There were times when the strength staff were a little disjointed and disconnected in doing it all on Zoom, but it created a moment of levity during some of those uncertain times. I’m sure you guys went through it too! There were times when the lockdown felt super annoying and there were times when it felt super scary! Like it was legitimately, “let’s not poo poo this guys. This is real.” Then you just develop a system. I’m sure that there is a psychology there of numerous phases that we all went through and having those workouts allowed those guys to keep connected and also allowed them to keep connected to us allowed them to keep connected to us which was key.

AM: Wow! When we did our last photoshoot it was with Rachel Nichols from ESPN. It was literally the day after the NBA announced that they were postponing the season. We’re literally sitting with her coming off of ESPN, doing the shoot and we’re looking at each other saying, “is this the last time that we’re going to be doing this for awhile?”

GP: I know Rachel and I like her. She’s very smart and she’s not taking any chances. If she did that then she did the right thing and hats off to her! I’m not surprised actually that she did it the right way.

AM: She is amazing and she was an awesome cover for us in March.

Obviously, the word “typical” feels like a very strange word right now, but what is a typical day or week like for you right now in terms of all the stuff that you’re doing?

GP: The only thing typical is that everything changes every day. I make sure to get some kind of workout in for myself, call it selfish, call it self preservation. I use the down time to connect with my family as well as a lot more Face Time calls with my brother, my parents and I think that it’s probably fair to say that our house as well as my sock drawer has never been neater! I have a lot cleaned up – everything is clean!

AM: You’re always working on so many things, is there anything coming up that we should know about or that your happy to announce with everyone?

GP: Lots of irons on the fire, that’s the way that I like it. I’d rather do than talk so let’s see what actually materializes after this. I will say that I have not been idle, definitely not going to sit around and do nothing. There’s definitely good stuff coming up though – definitely! More than just Instagram obstacle courses. Although I did enjoy those I’ve gotta say!

AM: As someone who is working with your clients whether it’s in person or virtually, doing things with your family and you have all of these different projects, how are you taking time for yourself just to make sure that you have the time that you need?

GP: So, I emphasized and the things that I struggle with the most – sleep and recovery. I’ve been working on that for the past 4 years and I’ve really made that a concerted effort to bump those up. I’m far from perfect for sure but it is still a focus and I have been able to improve it. I make sure that I get my workouts in which keeps me sane and it also makes me less of a jackass around my kids and my wife so that’s a priority ha!

AM: Haha I know they appreciate that! So we love asking our changemakers who inspire so many people who are 3 people that inspire you that have gotten you to where you are now?

GP: My parents and I have to put them together. A, for no backlash and B, because it’s the right thing. My parents for just the way that they weather storms. They have been married for over 60 years and I’m sure it hasn’t been perfect, but they just finish what they start kind of thing. My brother who is a super successful business man and all around greatest most generous guy going and I’m going to keep it in the family and say my wife and kids. They really inspire. It’s those days that you get up and go, “I’m getting up today because I know my purpose.” Obviously, you know that it supports your family, but they make me better!

Years ago, I worked for Jennifer Lopez for a long time and that’s not name dropping a lot of people know that. I wrote her a note one New Year’s morning. It just hit me that I was so thankful to have had the opportunity – I was still working with her, but I wanted to acknowledge it in real time. The opportunity to work with her – my working with her made me want to do my job better because I saw how well she did her job and how hard she pushed. I wrote her a note and I just said, “I want you to know I recognize this. I was always going to push myself and I was always going to strive for greatness, but being around you for this many years and watching how you do it has just made me A, be a representation of you at the same level, but also just to hold myself accountable because I see how hard you go and the standard to which you hold yourself.”

IG @GunnarFitness

PHOTOS COURTESY | Propel

Hear Celebrity Fitness Trainer and LA Lakers' Director of Strength & Endurance Gunnar Peterson on our show, #TRIBEGOALS - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multi-media podcast network! Make sure to subscribe to find out when the episode drops. You can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening to your favorite podcast.

Read the Aug Issue of Athleisure Mag #56 and see Something You Should Know with Gunnar Peterson in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | AARMY

AARMY involves the integration of three founders' unique expertise with a shared vision. Both Akin Akman (right) and Angela Manuel Davis (below) grew up training to become pro athletes and share the instinctive drive and authenticity that comes from all their years of dedication. They each combine inspiring mental conditioning with a strong physical regimen to bring out the best in the athletes they coach. Trey Laird adds his years of creative, marketing and branding expertise to deliver the full AARMY experience in a visually powerful and innovative style.

This fitness method launched September 2019 and its second location in LA opened in January of this year. In AARMY's studio their ethos is written on the wall: 'A trained force, a united team. A skilled group of soldiers ready to fight for what they believe in.' When working out, having this sense of community to inspire their guests is an empowering feeling while working on their goals.

With the combination of mental conditioning and physical strength training through a range of Bootcamps targeted to certain body parts, Cycle practice sessions for high-intensity cardio, Recovery and stretch, and dedicated inspirational programming are offered. Lift focus sessions will be added later this year. Athletes can personalize this mix of modalities to match their fitness goals.

Although both locations closed in March, AARMY immediately pivoted by offering multiple hours of live programming via Instagram Live, free of charge to keep their community strong and have done so for 150 days straight, non-stop. Phase 1 of AARMY's Digital Subscription App includes their content, their message and their movements in one place.

This app currently has over 20 new on-demand practice sessions that are uploaded each week. Additional features will be added this fall to the premium subscription. Guests feel like they are working out directly with the coaches. Music is a key component to the experience and comes from the world's top artists. The AARMY founders loved the energy and driving force of Boys Noize Cerebral track and are proud to have that as the soundtrack for all their launch films.

It's worth noting that a state of the art cycling bike will be released soon and although they have yet to release specific details on this, this custom AARMY bike will propel users to push themselves to A Higher Standard much like the brand itself. This development that has been done to the bike, reimagines what cycle equipment should look like as well as how it should feel. This will create a complete experience to those that workout on it and will be made available later on this fall.

PHOTOS COURTESY | AARMY

AARMY NYC HQ

636 Broadway

NY, NY 10012

AARMY LA HQ

8599 Santa Monica Blvd West

Hollywood, CA 90069

www.aarmy.com

IG @aarmy

Read the Aug Issue #56 of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | AARMY in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #56 AUG 2020

This month’s cover and back cover is ABC’s Station 19, Boris Kodjoe. Our cover shoot editorial – Living with Purpose, talks about Boris’ career, how he came into acting, preparing to shoot the upcoming season of Station 19, the importance of using your platform to raise issues regarding safety in these times as well as social justice, his fitness brand KoFit and more. This interview will also be in an upcoming #TRIBEGOALS podcast episode. We also have an interview with Celebrity Fitness Trainer Gunnar Peterson as we talk about working out from home, how he advises his clients to maintain his workouts, how he worked with the Lakers to ensure the safety and continued training of the team heading to the bubble and his thoughts on gym and studio openings. His interview will also be on an upcoming episode of #TRIBEGOALS. We check in with 3 X NBA Champion Dwyane Wade who is the Co-Founder of Budweiser Zero a non-alcoholic beverage. He talks about his work with the brand, importance of this category and more. We caught up with Celebrity Hair Stylist to a number of our faves from Beyonce, Shakira, Kelly Rowland and Mary J. Blige. We found out what Kim Kimble has been up to with a number of her projects including her hair care brand, her salons, TV opportunities and more. You can hear her episode on an upcoming #TRIBEGOALS. We also found out more about tea, how it benefits our bodies, the importance of having a ritual with the founder of Art of Tea, Steve Schwartz. You can hear his episode on an upcoming Athleisure Kitchen. We get the intel on how we can maintain our oral care with Dr. Brian Harris who is also the founder of Klen.

Read the Aug Issue #56 of Athleisure Mag here.

9LIST STORI3S | AMANDA ANISIMOVA

Read the July Issue of Athleisure Mag #55 and see 9LIST STORI3S | Amanda Anisimova in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | STEEZY

STEEZY was founded in 2014 by Connor Lim & Evan Zhou initially as a blog. In 2015, STEEZY Studio launched as an online dance class subscription service offering on-demand digital dance tutorials for dancers of all skill levels, with the goal to make online dance classes accessible to anyone, anywhere while bringing the dance community together as a whole.

Rather than simply taking a physical dance class online, STEEZY develops technology to make learning to dance easier, so you can enjoy dancing faster. The platform utilizes custom features allowing users to see everything, review faster, and practice more efficiently. Users can easily switch views, view specific sections of a dance, loop moves, control speed, and even watch themselves dance with the “see yourself” mode. This feature allows users to see themselves on screen side by side with the instructor, by using the computer's webcam.

Each class and program is thoughtfully designed by the most sought after choreographers including CJ Salvador (credits include Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez), J Blaze (Justin Bieber, Usher, Chris Brown, Robin Thicke), Kiira Harper (Beyonce, Lizzo, Drake, Janelle Monae, Trey Songz), Lyle Beniga (Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Christina Aguilera), Nicole Kirkland (Prince, Iggy Azalea, Kehlani, Gwen Stefani), Ysabelle Capitule (Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, Kehlani, Mya), and many more.

STEEZY currently offers 700+ classes with new dances added weekly in 9 different styles: Urban Dance, Breaking/ BBoy, Dancehall, Popping, Hip Hop, Whacking, House, Krump, and Heels/Jazz Funk. Upcoming new style launches include: Dance Fitness - 7/26, Intro to Heels - 8/23, LiteFeet - 9/6, K-pop Dances - 9/20 and Locking - 10/11.

Videos remain on the platform permanently unless noted otherwise. Each STEEZY user can save classes or programs within their account. iOS and Android users also have the ability to download for offline mode.

STEEZY is available for $20/month or $99.99/year. First-time users can enjoy this app with a free 7-day trial.

STEEZY

www.steezy.co

IG @steezystudio

Read the July Issue of Athleisure Mag #55 and see Athleisure List | STEEZY in mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW | HARLEY PASTERNAK

COVID-19 has effected every aspect of our lives from our routines, our work, how we interact with one another and more. When it comes to working out at your favorite studios, the impact is felt here as well. We took some time to catch up with one of our favorite Celebrity Fitness Trainers and Nutritionists, Harley Pasternak who has trained Kim Kardashian, Charlie Puth and Ariana Grande to name a few. He shares how we can build our home studios, advice he has given his clients as well as what to expect (as well as what to bring) when we return to gyms and studios.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Here in NY our team began staying at home March 13th and we quickly got our equipment as we had no idea how long we would be staying home due to COVID-19. What did you suggest for your clients in terms of equipment that they should have on hand?

HARLEY PASTERNAK: Home fitness equipment has become a real scarcity in our new normal. The first thing I tell people to do, especially since the weather is nice, is to walk. Walking does not require any equipment and will definitely help you keep track of how much and how intensely you move. Next, I would opt for TRX suspension straps because they are fantastic for training and the posterior chain. Dumbbells are also great, if you can get them, since they are so versatile and don’t take up too much room. A bench, preferably an adjustable bench, also allows for countless strength moves. Otherwise, some sliders, a hip band and a glute ham roller would be high on my list of things that would make working out at home even better and more efficient. On top of that, recovery tools like foam rollers would be great to implement.

AM: Although we were fortunate to get our dumbbells, weight plates and bands - many have not been able to get those items. What would be substitutes for these items to have a productive workout?

HP: Cans of soup and water bottles are great substitutes for dumbbells, and large jugs of water or laundry detergent could work for kettle bells.

AM: What are 3 workouts for abs, 3 for legs and 3 for butts, 3 for arms that we should include within our routine?

HP: Pike planks, bicycle crunches, and twist planks are great to work your abdominals and fire up your entire core. For legs, walk lunges, lateral lunges, and hamstring curls with either sliders or a TRX band are great to do on a consistent basis. To work your glutes, I recommend single leg bridges, hip thrusts, and lower body Supermans.

AM: For those with families, how important is it to incorporate movement with their children and what do you suggest to keep them engaged?

HP: Now more than ever, it is critical to keep kids moving as much as possible since we are spending so much time indoors. Kids are really a product of their environments and respond well to behavior modeled by their parents. If your kids see you working out, working out becomes natural to them. Incorporating them into your workouts is even better and it makes it a real family affair. My family and I go on walks together which is a great way to stay connected and get some moves into our day. My wife and I also do strength circuits together with our four and six year olds. We even let our kids earn credits through doing exercise that allow them to have screen time.

AM: We follow your IG and we like your series on the #2fer. Can you tell our readers about this and why you created these posts?

HP: I created these posts because when COVID-19 hit and people started to quarantine, a lot of people felt frustrated that they could not access a gym or their favorite fitness instructor. Therefore, many fitness professionals created overly complicated fitness programs online and some even charged for it. After seeing this, I thought it would be nice to create a program with just two simple moves every day that require no equipment and are completely free and accessible for everybody to do. The feedback was incredibly positive, and it felt good to help people during a very difficult time. I emphatically believe working out should be accessible for everyone.

AM: We also love your posts that show you and your kids trying different fast foods as a means to show balance. Why is this important and in your tastings, have you found brands in this category that are healthy?

HP: The idea for these posts started with a client of mine ordering fast food to our house. My kids have never tried McDonald’s before, and I wanted to capture it on film. It was a really funny experience and when I posted it, it very quickly got over 40,000 views. I thought it was important to show people that there’s many sides to somebody who lives and teaches a healthy lifestyle. It’s important to allow us adults, and especially kids, a chance to taste everything in this world as well as to practice both indulgence and balance. The problem arises when we indulge too often and it becomes part of routine. We do these fast food experiences once a week and have a lot of fun with them. By allowing my children to try everything, they no longer yearn for these “forbidden” foods because they realize they are not forbidden, and often, they are not that delicious, and often give them a tummy ache.

AM: What are 3 power foods or snacks that you suggest that we enjoy pre/post workout?

HP: I’m not really a fan of pre-or post-workout meals. That’s really more having to do with bodybuilder or high-level athletes dealing with performance. I mainly focus on health and physical transformation. Other than having some caffeine 60 to 90 minutes prior to a workout, I focus more on creating three meals and two snacks a day, and then decide where to fit in my workout rather than the other way around.

AM: What are 3 healthy indulgences that we can enjoy?

HP: I think healthy indulgence is often an oxymoron. Most of the things that I find indulgent are really not healthy. Chocolate chip cookies and french fries are indulgent, but not healthy. However, I do think it’s healthy to indulge sometimes and not think about having to be healthy. I try to live by the 85 to 15 method: 85% of the time I eat clean and 15% of the time I eat what I want.

AM: Across the US, cities/states are in various levels of reopening. Many gyms and studios are reopening and although many are excited to get back to their routines, there is some apprehension amongst those working out and even for gyms that are preparing to reopen. What are your thoughts on how we can return to gyms/studios safely, what should we be looking for when we enter these spaces and are there items that we should bring with us?

HP: That’s a good question and one that is constantly changing. To be honest with you, I think it’s a little too soon to go back into indoor fitness spaces with multiple people huffing and puffing. These last few months where people have not been able to use health clubs, they realize that they’re able to get most of what they need to get done without an elaborate gym or fancy equipment. That being said, a well-equipped fitness facility has a lot more tools for you to train your body in fun and creative ways. There’s also the element of socialization. People really miss being in a group with group energy and a sense of belonging. Unfortunately, this may have to wait a little bit longer. If you do choose to go back to the gym, try to go at non-peak hours. I would also suggest maintaining a safe distance from those around you and making sure to wipe down any equipment you touch before and after use. I also suggest bringing your own hydration so you don’t have to share the drinking fountain. Propel Powder Packs, for example, are packed with electrolytes and easy to throw in your workout bag to make sure you’re properly hydrated.

AM: Via IG, we saw that you and Ariana Grande were doing an in-person workout, what are you personally doing for you and your clients to ensure mutual safety?

HP: I see very few clients in person and do the majority of my training online. For a few clients, we work out together at my studio in my outdoor gym. When doing this, both of us wear masks and keep a proper social distance. We also wipe down all surfaces of equipment that are touched by the clients, have replaced our cable attachments with copper-coated antimicrobial attachments, and have the gym deep cleaned twice a day, which is the same amount of cleaning we utilized before COVID. So far, so good.

AM: You have always stated that we should consume no more than 30g of sugar a day as it can lead to diabetes; however, sugar also has an impact on our immunity. Can you tell us about that?

HP: There are great number of studies that have shown the impact of sugar on our immune system. When we consume a high amount of sugar in either a meal or beverage, it can cause a temporary suppression of our immune system. Chronic consumption of a high sugar diet can also contribute to insulin insensitivity, obesity, and possibly even type two diabetes. These are all three incredibly high-risk factors for COVID complications as well.

AM: What foods can assist in raising our immunity?

HP: Vitamin D, Vitamin C, and Zinc are all great to help support a healthy immune system. I like to incorporate Propel Vitamin Boost into my hydration routine because it has 100% of the daily recommended value of Vitamins B, C, and E. It is great to drink to during my workouts to stay hydrated as well as make sure that I get my vitamins in.

AM: As we continue to stay healthy from home, what should we be doing to optimize ourselves?

HP: Managing stress is important. Try not to have too much screen time, especially before bed, and make sure you are getting enough quality and quantity sleep. This will help keep Cortisol levels in check and ensure they don’t get out of whack and suppress your immune system. Staying physically active and hydrated is also very important. And most importantly, please wear a mask.

AM: As someone who is working with his clients whether in person or virtually, spending time with your family and working on a number of projects – how are you taking time for yourself in your downtime?

HP: Good question. I make sure I have breakfast and dinner with my family every day and weekends are all about my kids. As I’ve gotten older, I have realized how important prioritizing family and personal time is. I like to golf every Sunday morning, and make sure I have a date night at least once a week with my wife.

IG @HarleyPasternak

PHOTOS COURTESY | Propel

Read the July Issue of Athleisure Mag #55 and see Something You Should Know | Harley Pasternak in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | COURT 16

Court 16 is a contemporary tennis company remixing the sport. Its flagship opened in 2014 in Gowanus, Brooklyn and provides programs across all age groups that are designed to focus on strong integrated teaching methodology and commitment towards fostering teamwork, community and empowerment for adults and chidren.

Its second location in Long Island City, Queens opened in 2018 as the first tennis facility in the world to feature customized LED tennis courts on the most advanced flooring system in the world. Both facilities are a premier lifestyle tennis destinations for passionate players, esteemed business and organizations across several brand categories.

Court 16's name comes from the court number 16 at the Royal Leopard Club, a tennis club in Brussels, Belgium where the founder Anthony Evrard, learned to play the game with his grandfather.

His love for the sport, playing for the National Belgian Circuit in his youth, being the captain for Layola Marymount, a Division I team as well as his time as Senior Global Lifestyle Manager at Puma created the foundation for Court 16.

Their longterm partnerships with LACOSTE and Babolat (exclusive tennis equipment that is available for complimentary use at the club) have allowed them to collaborate with product launches, exclusive invite only events, off-site programming and ATP player appearances.

The club has a long standing partnership with the USTA for impact programming as well as receiving a grant during the coronavirus pandemic for each club to upgrade their safety protocols. In addition, the USTA has supported their Sound of Tennis program for blind and visually impaired players. These are just a few of ways that they work with Court 16.

Members have access to private and semi-private lessons. They also have pickleball lessons and court rentals that can be booked.

During the pandemic of COVID-19, they have focused on their innovative platform Court 16 @ Home which is aimed at providing continuity and an ongoing connection to the members of the tennis club. They have access to to adaptations of existing plans, enriching immersive content that is consistent with Court 16 experience.

COURT 16 BK

526 Baltic St.

Brooklyn, NY 11217

718.875.5550

COURT 16 LIC

13-06 Queens Plaza S

NY, NY 11101

718.875.5550

www.court16.com

IG @court16tennis

Read the July Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | Court 16 in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG | #55 JUL 2020

This month’s cover and back cover is 3 X Team USA Swimming Gold Medalist, Ryan Murphy. Our cover shoot editorial – Always Topping with Ryan Murphy, talks about Ryan’s career, how he got into swimming and his love of the backstroke, his success in the Summer Games in Rio in 2016, his approach to the upcoming games, how he is furthering the sport of swimming as well as encouraging others to embrace water sports. This interview will also be in an upcoming #TRIBEGOALS podcast episode. We also have an interview with Celebrity Fitness Trainer Harley Pasternak as we talk about working out from home, how he advises his clients in terms of what they needed on hand, his thoughts on gym and studio openings, a correlation between sugar and COVID-19 and how he has been passing his time for the past few months. We check in with Team Canada Pole Vaulter Ashlyn Newman who recently participated in The World’s Greatest in Greenville, South Carolina, this year’s first USA sanctioned Track & Field event. She talks about how she got into the sport, her training focus and what she looks forward to for the upcoming Olympic Games. Her interview will also be on an upcoming podcast of Bungalow SK. We check in with one of the Co-Founders of Huda Beauty, Mona Kattan. She talks about her role with the brand, their product assortment, KAYALI fragrance which is a part of this beauty empire, the power of fragrance and how she is spending her time in Dubai. We also talk to Head Winemaker of Cupcake Vineyard, Jessica Tomei. She talks about how she got into her career, harvest season, their newest line Cupcake Light Hearted and the importance of keeping it delicious. This episode will also be an upcoming podcast episode of Bungalow SK. In this month’s The Art of the Snack, we talk with James Beard Award winner, Food & Wine winner and runner up on BRAVO’s Top Chef Season 11 and Fan Favorite, Nina Compton. She talks about her culinary journey, her two restaurants, how she has navigated COVID-19 and signature dishes and cocktails that can be enjoyed there.

Read the July Issue #55 of Athleisure Mag here.

9LIST STORI3S | LAURA DERN

Read the June Issue #54 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | Laura Dern in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | FHITTING ROOM LIVE

As businesses continue to navigate quarantine as well as capacity based on what phase your city is in, many have focused on streaming to provide fitness services. Fhitting Room Live is an extension of their studios that are located in Flatiron, UES and UWS. A number of professional athletes from the NBA, NFL and Olympics train there. Trainers' backgrounds include professional athletes as well as dancers.

Each class has a format known as FHIX (functional high-intensity mix). You'll find that you will do something different every time. This circuit-based class is similar to what you would do in the gym; however, the difference is the music as well as the instructors that bring their hype into the routines.

This HIIT workout holds classes live online 7 days a week via Zoom and are $20/class. Guests are able to workout virtually with their trainers and are able to interact with them as well as other attendees. Only 24 people can access each session which runs for 35 mins.

This workout is known to be tough. Pre-COVID-19, attendees could focus on their individual goals while also having a sense of camaraderie by the class as a whole as you can see everyone pushing through together. Even in this streamed version, this same feeling is available due to small class sizes and the use of Zoom.

When prepping for this workout via Fhitting Room Live, there is no equipment needed for body-weight-only classes. For those that do have equipment as an option, it is suggested that you have a kettlebell or set of dumbbells nearby. Make sure to checkout their Instagram to stay in the loop on themed workouts, engagement from the team as well as additional updates as we continue to navigate the current times of quarantine as well as openings as we continue through phase levels.

FHITTING ROOM

201 E 67th St #5F

NY, NY 10065

646.869.1840

584 Columbus Ave

NY, NY

10024 646.858.1658

31 W 19th St

NY, NY 10011

646.850.0469

www.fhittingroom.com/live

IG @fhittingroom

Read the June Issue #54 of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | Fhitting Room Live in mag.

9LIST

Read the June Issue of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST in mag.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW | GETTING STRONG WITH EMILY SKYE

One of our favorite Celebrity Fitness Experts, Emily Skye is always showcasing how she focuses on being strong through her fitness journey. She has graced a number of covers, provided countless advice and juggles it all while being a mom. She is currently pregnant with her second child and took some time to share some advice that she has as we continue to add new favorites into our routines. We also talk about her role as an ambassador with Women's Best and why this brand is synergistic with her platform.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell the readers of Athleisure Mag how you found your interest in fitness?

EMILY SKYE: I spent most of my life up until I was almost 25 years old being unhappy & unhealthy. I suffered from depression, anxiety, and self-worth issues. I couldn’t imagine living my life like that forever, so I decided I had to do something about it and make changes. I used to think someone was going to come along and save me, but I had to save myself.

I heard that healthy eating and exercising had an impact on mental health, so I started eating healthy food and exercising and also changed my attitude to be more positive. Fitness changed my life, it made me feel incredible and I loved the way the exercising influenced other areas of my life. Working out and healthy eating, made me feel more confident like I could do anything, kind of like a superhero! I felt on top of the world and I’d never felt like that before in my life and I wanted everyone around me to feel the same way. So, I’d tell my friends and family to come and train with me, but it wasn’t enough. I just wanted to get out there and share with the world how good it is makes you feel! I still do this over 10 years later!

AM: As many people find their modality of choice, there seems to be a new awareness, especially for women, that there is an interest that in addition to being toned, that they want to be strong. How important is that for you?

ES: Strength is more important to me than being “toned’. People often don’t realize that in order to get “toned” you need to do resistance training and have a good diet. Feeling strong is the best feeling in the world to me and I’d pick that over being lean any day. I have been educating women (and men for that matter) on the benefits of lifting weight for women. I have seen a huge shift over the years and women are more open to lifting weights, but there are still a lot of women afraid of getting “bulky”.

AM: What is your modality of choice and what does a week of working out look like for you?

ES: As previously spoken about, I love strength training and being strong so I usually base my workouts around lifting as heavy as I can with good technique. I do mix it up sometimes though and will do some sprints, or circuit training. That’s the key to staying motivated I believe, change it up and make it exciting and different if you’re getting bored.

AM: Are there any challenges or fitness programs that you are currently sharing with your followers?

ES: I have a 30-day free trial on my FIT Program which has home workouts so it’s perfect for all the people currently stuck at home. It also has gym workouts and a Booty Challenge as well as a customizable meal plan that members get access to.

AM: Tell us about being a Women's Best brand ambassador. Why do this partnership between you and the brand make sense and what do you love about them?

ES: It’s such an honour, all the Women's Best team and other ambassadors are the loveliest people - they truly are like a family. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to meet up with some of these amazing women in New York City for the Women’s Best launch in the U.S. through a partnership with The Vitamin Shoppe and had the most amazing time connecting with them! They’re passionate, supportive and genuine and that’s what I’m all about and I love being surrounded by likeminded people. We all want the best for others and want to see them happy, healthy and fit. Women’s Best has an amazing line of supplements, now exclusively available in the U.S. at The Vitamin Shoppe, to suit everyone and the flavours are all delicious and help keep me on track with my training. My personal favourites are all of the BCAA AMINO flavours - they honestly are all SO GOOD - I have them before and while I exercise. I love their Vegan Protein, it’s the only protein I have ever had that doesn’t upset my tummy and make me bloated and crampy. The Cookies and Cream is amazing and a current favourite of mine, but I also love the vanilla and chocolate flavours. I like to have one after my workout, if I’m craving a late-night snack and love to make pancakes, muffins and smoothies using the protein. My two year old daughter also likes sipping on my smoothies! The Women’s Best Wear is the most flattering and comfortable sportswear I have ever worn - even while pregnant!! I’m really grateful to be in partnership with such an amazing brand.

AM: What are 3 go-to foods that you enjoy eating to assist your workouts?

ES: When I’m not pregnant I love eating high fat and lower carbs and feel my best eating that way - it also keeps my sensitive tummy happy. I usually have chicken or fish with veggies or salad and for dessert, I love an açai bowl with my partner Declan’s special homemade caveman crunch on top! It’s delicious!

AM: With the summer coming up, what are 3 workouts that we should incorporate into our routine for our arms, legs and butt?

ES: LEGS & BUTT - Lift as heavy as you can while maintaining good technique. Rest for 2 mins in between sets.

Front or Back Squat 4 x 10-12 reps - tight tummy with core engaged, back straight, shoulders back & down, chest out push through the glutes. Make sure your knees push “out” and don’t come “in.” Maintain a straight back and tight core throughout.

Deadlifts 4 x 10-12 reps - pick a weight you can comfortably life, if you’re not an experienced lifter ask someone to help you with technique - especially before upping the weight. Start by bracing your core and a straight back, pull up on bar without moving it off the ground to set yourself up into a strong starting position and hold that while lifting the weight off the ground but driving through your legs and glutes. Think about pushing the floor away from you in a fluid motion to stand up straight. Squeeze glutes at the top and keep your tummy tight and back straight. Don’t hyper extend by arching your back and pulling your shoulders back past where your hips are. You want to finish with your body as straight as possible before lowering the weight to the ground to complete the rep. Remember to BREATHE!

Walking Lunges 4 x 10-12 reps - lunge forward as if you’re on train tracks so you’re stepping out in front and not crossing over your body. Try not to let your knee go past your toes, push through your glutes, keep tummy tight and back straight with shoulder back and chest out.

Hip Thrust 4 x 10-20 reps or until failure (make sure you have a decent weight for these) - Keep back straight, core tight and push through gutes, don’t let your back arch too much, the movement is all about the glutes doing the work.

BACK & BICEPS - Lift as heavy as you can while maintaining good technique. Rest for 2 mins in between sets.

Lat pulldown 4 x 10-12 reps - keep core switched on, back slightly arched & don’t use momentum for the movement. Slow and controlled reps.

Single arm bent over row 4 x 10-12 reps - Core “on”, back straight, chest out, head neutral and in line with spine. Slow controlled reps.

Seated Row 4 x 10-12 reps - Back straight, tummy tight and no rocking. Slow controlled movements.

Bicep curls 4 x 10-12 reps - standing or seated - no swinging, keep elbows close to body & stable - slow, controlled reps.

SHOULDERS & TRICEPS - Lift as heavy as you can while maintaining good technique. Rest for 2 mins in between sets.

Seated shoulder press 4 x 10-12 reps - core tight, back straight - slow and controlled reps.

Shoulder fly 4 x 10-12 reps - standing with a tight tummy, straight back, slightly bend knees, shoulders back and down, head neutral raise dumbbells to just lower that shoulder height - slow and controlled.

Dumbbell kickback - 4 x 12 reps - tight tummy, back straight, keep elbow in tight to the body and try not to move it. Squeeze through the tricep.

Tricep pulldown 4 x 12-15 reps _ straight back, tight tummy, slight bend in knees, pull the ropes down by straightening your arms and keeping your elbows in close to the body and try not to move them.

AM: How do you balance your life as a wife, mother?

ES: It’s hard to be honest. I have had to let go of the idea of getting EVERYTHING done and done perfectly. There is no such thing. I’m not as hard on myself now that I’m a mother and my priority is always my family. I try to allocate hours where I work and most of my work is either on the computer or phone so I try to do it away from my daughter Mia so she doesn’t see me ignoring her. I break up my work by taking time out to play with her and go outdoors if I can. Things are about to get harder with a new baby, but I have a wonderful supportive partner who is a fantastic father. I’m very blessed. The worse thing a parent can do I think is beat themselves up for not doing everything. We just do the best we can and love our kids. :)

AM: Can you share with us any upcoming projects that you have coming up?

ES: I’m so excited that my new app is launching in a couple of months.

IG @EmilySkyeFit

Read the May Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Something You Should Know | Getting Strong with Emily Skye in mag.