Athleisure Mag MAY ISSUE #53
This month’s cover and back cover is April Ross, 2X Team USA Olympic Beach Volleyball Medalist. Our cover shoot editorial – To the Beach, talks about April’s career, the difference between indoor and beach volleyball, her relationship with KT Tape and how she is staying fit at home while she waits for the return of the AVP Tour and Olympic Games in 2021. We will also have this interview as an upcoming podcast for #TRIBEGOALS. In our feature, Something You Should Know, we chat with Emily Skye, Celebrity Fitness Expert about staying fit, being a wife and mom with baby #2 on the way and a great workout we should incorporate into our routine. This month, we chatted with Seniesa Estrada, WBA’s 18-0 flyweight title holder. She talks about her career, how she is training during this time and what it’s like to have Danny Trejo in her corner. We also talk with International CrossFit star, actress and Resident Tagger on FOX’s Ultimate Tag, Brooke Ence. She talks about CrossFit, being in Justice League and Wonder Woman as well as her newshow. As usual, we have our monthly roundups including our 9LIST (Athleisure Mag’s picks that we’re loving this month in style, beauty and fitness) featured roundups. This month’s 9LIST STORI3S (picks supplied by celebrities) gives us insight into tennis powerhouse, Rafael Nadal. This month’s 9PLAYLIST includes Supermodel and Fashion Icon EDM DJ Naomi Campbell who shares her favorite songs with us. As always, you can enjoy Athleisure List (Peleton and Purple Carrot), The Pick Me Up, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Style Files, Rock This For Your Virtual Happy Hours, Athleisure Beauty, How to Dress, In Our Bag, #TRIBEGOALS and Papaya Beauty.
This month’s cover and back cover is April Ross, 2X Team USA Olympic Beach Volleyball Medalist. Our cover shoot editorial – To the Beach, talks about April’s career, the difference between indoor and beach volleyball, her relationship with KT Tape and how she is staying fit at home while she waits for the return of the AVP Tour and Olympic Games in 2021. We will also have this interview as an upcoming podcast for #TRIBEGOALS. In our feature, Something You Should Know, we chat with Emily Skye, Celebrity Fitness Expert about staying fit, being a wife and mom with baby #2 on the way and a great workout we should incorporate into our routine. This month, we chatted with Seniesa Estrada, WBA’s 18-0 flyweight title holder. She talks about her career, how she is training during this time and what it’s like to have Danny Trejo in her corner. We also talk with International CrossFit star, actress and Resident Tagger on FOX’s Ultimate Tag, Brooke Ence. She talks about CrossFit, being in Justice League and Wonder Woman as well as her newshow.
As usual, we have our monthly roundups including our 9LIST (Athleisure Mag’s picks that we’re loving this month in style, beauty and fitness) featured roundups. This month’s 9LIST STORI3S (picks supplied by celebrities) gives us insight into tennis powerhouse, Rafael Nadal. This month’s 9PLAYLIST includes Supermodel and Fashion Icon EDM DJ Naomi Campbell who shares her favorite songs with us. As always, you can enjoy Athleisure List (Peleton and Purple Carrot), The Pick Me Up, Bingely Books, Bingely Streaming, Style Files, Rock This For Your Virtual Happy Hours, Athleisure Beauty, How to Dress, In Our Bag, #TRIBEGOALS and Papaya Beauty.
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Issue #53 | May 2020
- 1 - AthleisureMag.com
ISSUE #53
@AthleisureMag
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PUBLISHER
Paul Farkas
EDITORIAL
Kimmie Smith
Co-Founder, Creative + Style Director
Paul Farkas
Co-Founder, Artistic Director + Tech Director
FASHION CONTRIBUTIONS
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| Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire |
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@ATHLEISUREMAG
CONNECT + VISIT
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, a Division of Athleisure Media LLC.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
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HOST
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MIXING
Athleisure Studio Team
ATHLEISURE STUDIO
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table of contents
issue #53
may 2020
35
STYLE FEATURES
THE PICK ME UP
85
HOW TO DRESS
88 STYLE FILES
76
BEAUTY FEATURES
PAPAYA BEAUTY
To the Beach
with April Ross
This month, we catch up with 2 X Team USA Olympic Beach Volleyball Medalist, April Ross. She talks
about the AVP Tour, the 2021 Olympic Games and how she has outfitted her home to keep training.
16
91
ATHLEISURE BEAUTY
102
#TRIBEGOALS
She’s Superbad with Seniesa Estrada
36
We talk with WBA’s 18-0 flyweight title holder, Seniesa Estrada about her upcoming match in July. We
also talk about how she got into the sport, the barriers that she has overcome as a female boxer and
what it’s like to have Danny Trejo in your corner.
72
LIFESTYLE FEATURES
ATHLEISURE LIST
PELETON
That California Girl Life
48
We talk with Gaby Dalkin about Williams-Sonoma,
her new cookbook and more.
SYSK with Emily Skye
66
We talk with Celeb Fitness Expert Emily Skye on
staying fit as well as a great workout.
74
ATHLEISURE LIST
PURPLE CARROT
AthleisureMag.com - 10 - Issue #53 | May 2020
9PLAYLIST
TM
Naomi Campbell
Supermodel and Fashion Icon, Naomi Campbell shares what she’s listening to as we all look to add
new songs into our playlist .
78
Superhero
Spotlight
84
As we do our part to flatten the curve to support
those on the frontlines battling COVID-19, we
acknowledge Rep. Hakim Jeffries (D-NY) and his
church testing initiative with NY State.
Let The Games Begin
with Brooke Ence
118
This month we talk to International CrossFit star,
actress and Resident Tagger of FOX’s Ultimate
Tag, Brooke Ence. She talks about her career as
well as Naked Fitness.
Athleisure Studio
Tune into our podcast network, Athleisure Studio.
Subscribe on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcast,
Stitcher, Himalaya, Google Podcast and more.
9 LIST STORI3S
TM
This month’ we find out some of tennis great
Rafael Nadal’s must-haves and why.
130
Issue #53 | May 2020
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TO THE BEACH
with April Ross
Back in 2016, we interviewed 2 X Team USA
Beach Volleyball Olympic Medalist April
Ross after her Bronze win at the Olympic
Games in Rio. Flash forward to this month's
cover, we caught up with April Ross to talk
about indoor vs beach volleyball, the AVP
Tour and the upcoming Olympic Games in
Tokyo that are slated to take place next
year. We also talk about April joining the
KT Tape team and how she uses her social
platform to to inspire and motivate her
followers to stay motivated in their health
and fitness journey.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When was the moment
that you realized that you wanted to
transition from an indoor volleyball player
to a beach volleyball player?
APRIL ROSS: There was no specific moment,
it was kind of a process and I had
kind of given up indoor and just fell out of
love with it. My big thing is that I just want
to be able to enjoy my journey always. I
just wasn’t enjoying my indoor journey.
My teammate from USC was playing on
the beach and asked me to play in some
qualifying events on the beach with her
to just help her out. I went out there and
we didn’t do very well and I wasn’t very
good, but I just fell in love with the sport
of beach volleyball. I stuck with it and
played it for a while, struggled for a while
and I finally broke through and started to
have some success and then you know, I
just kept riding that wave.
AM: In your opinion, what is the biggest
difference between indoor vs. beach volleyball?
AR: There are two biggest differences for
me – obviously the surface, it is so ridiculously
hard to move and jump in the sand
– that just creates a totally different challenge
in beach volleyball than when you
are playing indoor volleyball. The other
big difference is that you touch the ball
every single play. You are involved in every
single play. You can go through an entire
rally during indoor and not touch the
ball once. On the sand, when you want a
point, you have to touch the ball. I feel like
there is a lot more accountability on each
player in beach.
AM: Last summer, we attended the AVP
NYC Open which was a lot of fun. Obviously,
you and Alix Klineman won and typically,
right now you would be in the thick
of the AVP schedule. How have you been
spending your time since you’re not doing
that at the moment?
AR: Life looks a little different right now.
I’m at home pretty much all day. I’m working
on some home improvement stuff that
I have never had time for. That’s actually
really nice. I checked out a big amount of
gym equipment from the USA Volleyball
Gym and I cleaned out my garage which
has been full of storage stuff for the last 10
years. I created a home gym and I am able
to get my full lift in there which is about
2 and a half hours. I’m going to Home Depot
today to get supplies to make a wooden
squat rack. Because I do a little bit of
woodworking too and I am getting back
into the hobby now that I have some time
to explore that so I thought putting my
time into making a wooden squat rack
would be great. I looked at some designs
online that I want to try. Working out, visioning,
I’m doing a lot reading and a lot
of reflectioning as well as journaling. I’ve
been doing a lot of Zoom calls. I mean, everyone
is doing the Zoom calls.
AM: For sure. Obviously, with the Olympics
being pushed back to next year, what does
this next period look like for you especially
in regards to training and getting prepared
for that?
AR: That’s a constant discussion with my
team. We’re trying to grasp onto something
in the near future that we can train
for and that’s proving hard to do obviously.
So, we’re kind of waiting and seeing
the government guidelines are when we
can get back out on the beach. We want
to take advantage of this time, but it’s really
hard if we can’t get out on the sand.
We can do so much off of the sand, but
you have to be able to practice. We’re
trying to see how we can have a training
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camp and if we can do it safely if there is
a private court somewhere and we take
the proper precautions, maybe in June at
some point we can get on the sand and
do 3 – 4 weeks of training camp. If there
is still nothing on the schedule, maybe we
can take a week off. I mean, it’s tough. I’ve
never ever had to do anything like this.
AM: It’s a day-by-day thing.
AR: Right, it’s literally a day-by-day thing.
It’s a constant brainstorm and getting
creative and with each new piece of information,
it changes so we’re trying to be
really go with the flow!
AM: The weekend of May 22nd, I love that
you have partnered with KT Tape to do an
Instagram Live event where we can train
like an Olympian, actually work out with
you and get off of our butts to get a good
workout in. Why is this so important for
you to participate in this?
AR: I’m really excited for this KT Tape Instagram
Live workout. Because I’m not playing
and I can’t really interact with fans to
encourage and motivate people through
my competitions and stuff, I love doing
this and engaging people and helping
them while they’re at home. Maybe I am
creating a little bit motivation or making
it a little bit easier for people to have access
and information on how to work out
and to stay healthy during this time – as
well as how to do it while you’re staying at
home. I feel like I’m still of service in some
way and I just really like to have some kind
of positive influence on whoever decides
to follow me on social media. I don’t want
it to just be “look at me – look at what I’m
doing.” I want to give back and I want to
help people accomplish their goals and to
stay healthy.
AM: You just joined KT Tape earlier this
year. What is it about the brand that is
such a great synergy with you and how
you operate?
AR: I think KT Tape is essential to being an
athlete, to staying healthy in general especially
in this time. I don’t have a lot
of access to physical therapy and therapists.
That’s essential to my program
and to staying healthy as I have these
aches and pains. Because I have KT
Tape, I’m able to use that to support my
joints and my muscles. All of last season,
it was huge as it was for qualifications.
I strained my quad early on in the season
and it was kind of a big factor and
without being able to use KT Tape and
tape it all summer, I think I would have
been in so much more pain. I had to
tape it through World Championships
and all through our biggest tournament.
Throughout my whole career, I have
leaned on my ability to tape myself and
literally keep myself together – so it’s a
natural fit. As I get older, I need it more
and more.
AM: What kinds of workouts will you be
including for your Instagram Live with
KT Tape?
AR: Well it’s going to be a shoulder stabilization
and strengthening workout. I’m
trying to think of things that maybe peo
ple have not hit so far and that there aren’t
a lot of information on. I think that
a lot of us are probably on the couch a
good amount hunched over and we’re
sitting on the computer a lot with Zoom
calls. To try and rectify our posture a little
bit, I’m going to touch on that stuff.
AM: Who have been 3 people that have
inspired you in your career whether you
know them personally, follow them online
etc? We like asking our changemakers
this question as it’s a key one for our
podcast #TRIBEGOALS.
AR: Oh wow! People that have inspired
me – I would say that one person who
has really helped me get through this
time is Glennon Doyle. I’m reading her
book and she does little Instagram TV
videos daily. I love following her. I have
recently been inspired by Megan Rapinoe
and how vocal she has been for
everything, that is amazing. Then, Dr.
Michael Gervais – he is a sports psychol-
ogist. I was on a panel for Victoria Garrick,
she played at USC and is kind of a
mental health advocate. She has me, another
athlete and Dr. Gervais on to speak
to her and her following. Just listening to
him, he gave me a lot of ideas that I could
be doing in this time to kind of just get my
vision right, my mission, my life philosophies
etc. so that when we get out of this,
I’m all in alignment – spiritually. He’s definitely
someone that has influenced me as
well.
@AprilRossBeach
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 16 - 21 + 29
Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire \ PG 22 - 27 +
30 KT Tape. Editorial Design by Athleisure
Mag |
Hear 2 X Team USA Olympic Beach Volleyball
Medalist, April Ross 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, iHeart Radio, Google
Podcasts and wherever you enjoy listening
to your favorite podcast.
AthleisureMag.com - 30 - Issue #53 | May 2020
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SHE'S SUPERBAD
with Seniesa Estrada
AthleisureMag.com - 36 - Issue #53 | May 2020
We're all settling into new routines and
we caught up with WBA's 18-0 flyweight
champion, Seniesa "Superbad" Estrada
who is taking the boxing world by storm
by breaking barriers one fight at a time!
We took some time with Golden Boy Promotions'
boxer as she is in the midst of
training for her July match. She shared
her journey through the sport, her passion
that began for it when she watched with
her father as well as how she stayed focus
despite obstacles that stood in her way.
We also talked about her partnerships as
well as having the support of Danny Trejo
noted actor of Machete and Predators as
well as restaurateur of Trejos Tacos. She
even shared how she wants to give back to
her community and those with an interest
in boxing. Finally, she shares how she has
set up her training as we continue to live in
these uncertain times.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When was the moment
that you realized that you loved this sport
and that you wanted to be involved in it?
SENIESA ESTRADA: When I was about 6
years old, I believe. I would watch boxing
fights with my dad. My parents divorced
when I was 1. The only time that I would
see my dad was on the weekends and I
would go over to his house. Every weekend,
there would be a big Pay-Per-View
fight that was on. He would order it for
us to watch or we would just watch a classic
boxing fight from an old tape that he
had – Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson – all
the great fighters. The first moment that
I watched the fight, it would intrigue me
and everything just made sense to me and
I knew that that was what I wanted to do.
AM: When did you actually start and who
was your coach?
SE: I started when I was 8. From the age
of 6 that’s when I watched it and I really
wanted to box. I spent 6-8 months just
asking him if we could go to the gym and
start boxing. But he was totally against
it. I remember when I would ask that he
would tell me that boxing was for boys
and I could do cheerleading or something
like that. I remember thinking, “cheerleading
– that’s so boring.” My brothers
played baseball from t-ball all the way to
high school. I was always at the park with
them and I loved baseball, it is my second
favorite sport. Even for baseball, he was
against that too as he felt that that was
for boys.
The very first gym that I went to was just
a little outside of East LA and my dad
walked into the gym and the trainer said,
“oh she’s too young and we usually work
with people who are 13. Bring her back
when she is 13 – plus she’s a girl and we
don’t really train girls.” My dad got in the
car and he told me what the trainer had
said and I started crying.
At that point, my dad realized how much
I really wanted to start boxing and he
took me to a local gym in the neighborhood
that he grew up in at the Colmbacke
center and it’s a great place with a boxing
program free for all kids and it was an
awesome place. The very first trainer that
I had when I walked into the gym, I remember
that he said, “you want to box?”
The gym was filled with little boys and
I was the only girl in there. He said, “ok
I’m going to train you, but I’m going to
tell you right now that I am going to treat
you just like one of the boys. I’m not going
to treat you any different.” I said, “ok”
and we started from there and I haven’t
stopped since.
AM: That’s a great story and at what point
did you decide that you were going to go
pro and what led to that decision?
SE: I would say when I was 16, I won the
USA National Championship which ranked
me #1 in the US. The first Women’s Olympic
Boxing was going to be in 2012 which
was 3 years later. At that point, I had had
over 100 amateur fights already. I wasn’t
sure - I didn’t want to wait another 3
years. I was tired as I had been doing a lot
of traveling for tournaments. I also fractured
my toe – I dropped a weight in the
gym on it. The toe kind of kept me from
being able to compete and there was just
a lot going on from the injury as well as
waiting 3 years so I decided to turn pro.
Turning pro, I didn’t realize how the transition
was different. When you’re in the amateurs,
there is pretty much a tournament
every month and you’re fighting constantly.
When you turn pro, it’s not like that.
Especially for women, now it’s great, but
back then it was different. It was difficult
to get a fight, it was difficult to get signed
by a big promoter. I was fighting every 7
months and sometimes, every 8 months.
So I didn’t realize how different the transition
was and how dead women’s boxing
was. Just to see the change now – the difference,
that change has only taken place
in the last 2 years. It’s insane to see the
difference of where boxing was 5 years
ago vs. today. It’s only getting bigger and
better now which is something that I am
looking forward to in the future.
AM: To know that it has only been in the
last few years that these changes have taken
place is really interesting. In doing our
research of you as a female fighter, being
Mexican-American, winning the women’s
Golden Gloves match, being signed under
Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions
– you have had so many firsts that you
have broken through. What was your motivation
to continue to play the sport with
all of these things that could have impeded
you from breaking through?
SE: My motivation, I would say that there
were so many times that I wanted to give
up. I knew that I didn’t want to live my life
wondering if I could have done it if I gave
up. That was the biggest motivator for me
and kept me going.
AM: What is a typical training session like
for you normally and since we’re all staying
in due to COVID-19, how have you modified
those kinds of things to stay fit?
SE: Typical training, I would do strength
and conditioning for 1 hour to an hour and
a half. Then I would go to the boxing gym
and I would be there for about 3 hours.
But now, it’s been a little different of
course. We have been running at the
parkas well as training there. I have
also trained in my dad’s backyard. We
got as much equipment as we could
out of the gym to the backyard. So
we’ve been doing that. It’s a lot different
not having a boxing ring and easy
access to everything, but I was talking
about it with my trainer. We’re getting
ready for a fight that is supposed to
take place in July – what we’re getting
ready fo. We’re not able to spar but I
have been through so many training
camps where I couldn’t get any sparring
and I only sparred 6 rounds during
the whole training camp which is insane.
So all of the little obstacles that I
have dealt with throughout my career
this isn’t difficult because I have been
through this before as it comes to
training. We actually didn’t have a gym
for awhile years back. So we trained at
the park so I have done this before.
AM: What is it like on fight day for you?
Are there certain routines that you
have leading up to the fight?
SE: I would say that he day of the fight,
I just like to be left alone. I don’t really
like to have friends or family around
me. I don’t like to talk. I just want to
stay focused and be by myself on the
day leading up to the fight. I get very
nervous. So many people are surprised
to hear that I get so nervous because
it doesn’t show especially when I get
into the ring – it doesn’t show.
Having so much amateur experience
and just being as good as I am, people
don’t expect that from me. But I do, my
hands are just dripping in sweat and I
don’t eat. I mean, you’re supposed to
eat a good breakfast of course which
is good for the body and to have lunch
if you can, but I get so nervous that I
can’t eat that much the morning of or
anything.
AM: Who have been your mentors in
this sport?
SE: I would say, my dad. Because he’s
been through so much personally and has
overcome so much. As far as him being in
and out of prison, addicted to drugs and
changing his life. He’s been my number 1
supporter and has always made sure that
I have never gave up and I always continue
to have faith in myself and faith in God.
He is the one person that no matter how
down I’m feeling or no matter what it is
that he is there to lift me up and to put my
head in the right place.
AM: You have had a phenomenal career,
you’re 18-0. What do you think about that
and what are your goals that you want to
do in the sport as you have such a dynamic
career?
SE: In the sport, I just want to continue to
elevate the sport of women’s boxing to
be better. It won’t be easy for all female
fighters, but all I can do is continue to accomplish
my goals and for people to see
me and recognize me so that they can
be more open minded to watching women’s
boxing and supporting other women
in the sport. Of course, my goal is to win
multiple titles in 3 different weight divisions
– which is definitely something that
I want.
AM: We know that you signed with RVCA
the SoCal sportswearbrand, you have
partnerships with Ladder – why are these
great fits for your brand and are there others
that you will be apart of as well?
SE: RVCA is a great fit for me because,
it’s difficult to find a brand that really
supports you no matter what during the
ups and the downs. I feel that there are a
lot of sponsors and brands that will only
want to work with you when you’re at
the top and winning. RVCA has been with
me even before I had a deal with them.
They supported me and have always been
there. Pat, who is the owner of RVCA, the
way he’s so genuine and that’s what really
got my attention. It was the kind of brand
that I wanted to work with and the kind of
relationship that I wanted to have. I didn’t
just want to wear the clothing and repre-
sent them. i wanted a relationship
and to have a feeling of loyalty. That’s
what stood out to me about RVCA
and why I liked the brand, the people,
the athletes and those who work for
them. Everyone is just really good people
and that’s what I appreciate about
RVCA. Ladder is a great company and
they have been great to work with and
I love the products. I have always had
a hard time finding supplements that
I liked. Supplements that are actually
working – I have never really felt that
until I found Ladder and everything
tastes good which is very important
and it works.
AM: That is the perfect combo.
You also have a sponsorship or partnership
with Danny Trejos? We love his
taco destination, Trejos Tacos, his movies
and his personality. How did that
happen and has he given you any advice
on staying motivated?
SE: He’s great! Daniel my publicist, actually
worked with him when he was
at the LA Rams and introduced me to
him as they became close friends. He’s
amazing and super supportive. He
is someone that is just great to have
and genuine as he cares for his close
friends and his family. I am grateful
to know him. I would tell people – because
they ask me, “how is Danny?” I
always tell them an example. If he is
doing an interview, he would invite
me to come along with him so that we
could talk about me. Every week, I will
get a random call from him on a Mon
or a Wed. I would say, “hey what’s
up.” I would wonder what he needed.
He was like, “nothing just checking up
on you.” A call to check up and not because
he wants to say something or
wants something specifically. I don’t
even have friends or family that do
those calls that are just to check up!
Everytime I tell people that, they find
it interesting. No matter what he has
going on or movies that he’s in, he still
takes the time to think about people
that he cares about.
AM: When you look at goals as a brand
or things that you want to be involved in
to add to that – what do you envision for
yourself whether it’s in the sport or an adjacent
area?
SE: As far as outside of the ring, I’d like
to motivate those that are in the inner
city and communities that I grew up in.
I’d like to open up a gym in a community
like where I grew up in. I know that a lot
of gyms are expensive now. Being able to
start boxing back at home in the community
center that was a free program. My
parents couldn’t have afforded being at a
gym where there was a monthly fee and
I know how important that is. Especially
when there is a family that 3 or 4 kids that
want to box – it’s not easy to pay $125 for
each kid for a gym fee. I’d like to open a
gym close to my community, have it affordable
and classes for counseling. That
way, everyday that you’re going to the
gym, it’s a place where you can feel comfortable
to talk about what is going on in
your life and around you.
AM: I think that it’s awesome that you
would want to create that in order to
merge that balance between athleticism
and mental health!
SE: I think it’s really important for kids
and the community to find someone or a
place where they are really comfortable
speaking about these things going on in
their life.
AM: You were saying that you are training
for the fight taking place in July. Is there a
place that we should keep an eye out for
on your social?
SE: Yes! We’re looking at July. I think Golden
Boy hasn’t said a date but I know their
first boxing fight will be then. So I’m just
preparing for that on any date in July.
@Seniesa_Superbad
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Seniesa "Su-
perbad" Estrada
Hear 18-0 WBC boxer, Seniesa "Superbad"
Estrada on our show, Bungalow
SK - 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, iHeart Radio,
Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy
listening to your favorite podcast.
Go!
crispygreen.com
facebook.com/crispygreen @crispygreensnacks @crispygreen
Inspiration
doesn’t just occur.
It’s created.
Perfection isn’t simply achieved.
It’s worked for.
Reserved for those who get out and go. Fueled
by nature. Motivated by spirit. How do you go?
THAT CALIFORNIA GIRL LIFE
with Gaby Dalkin
Food has always been a great way to
bring people together, explore cultures
and even to give insight into who you
are and your creativity. This month,
we talk with cookbook author, founder
of What’s Gaby Cooking culinary
creator, and who has created a line of
seasonings, sauces and cocktail mixers
that you can purchase at Williams
Sonoma for a number of years – Gaby
Dalkin. She shares how she created her
culinary universe, her focus of California
Girl Living, being inspired through
travel and lifestyle as she approaches
creating her dishes. We also talk about
her popular site and how she grew it as
well as her newest cookbook that’s out
now, What's Gaby Cooking, Eat What
You Want. She even tells us how we can
enhance our movie nights in with her
dishes as we all do our part to flatten
the curve!
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall
in love with food and realize that you
wanted to work in the industry?
GABY DALKIN: So I fell in love with
food really when I was in high school.
I used to come home from school everyday
and watch the Food Network
and I just loved watching them cook. It
was mesmerizing to me. I would watch
it everyday for a couple of hours when
I would do my homework. Then when
I got to college, I started cooking for
my tennis team. I played tennis in college
and I met my husband, he was my
boyfriend at the time. He was on the
men’s team and I would cook for everyone
– we have both not picked up
our rackets in years. I would cook for
the men’s and women’s teams right
before matches. I loved getting people
around the table. It brought me
so much joy for me to be able to feed
them and just watch the conversation
happen when you bring people to a table
and include food.
After college, I got a job in the fashion
and marketing/PR industry for a couple
of months. The whole company
folded and then instead of getting an-
other job, I decided to go to culinary
school – just for fun. I had no intention
of going into the culinary world fulltime.
I ended up loving it and falling in
love with food. I got a job as a private
chef and I started my blog and it just
snowballed and that was a little over
10 years ago.
AM: That’s a great story and one of the
things that we enjoyed reading about
you is that you’re all about the California
Girl Life. We’re based in NY and we
wanted to know how you define the
California Girl Life?
GD: To me, the California Girl Life is not
about being in California. It’s more the
state of mind as opposed to an actual
place. I think it’s all about living your life
in balance, being your own sunshine
and making sure you’re happy and all
of that. I think that that is what my
definition of California is. I can have a
beautiful salad with all of these incredible
vegetables and I can also indulge
in pizza, pasta and cookies – that’s the
balance part of it. I mean, we’re very
fortunate in California to have incredible
weather most of the year. Whether
or not, you can experience that or
not, I think that we can all bring a bit
of sunshine into our kitchens via food.
AM: Would you define that as your
style of cooking or since you went to
culinary school, do you have a specific
way that you like to cook?
GD: I would say that I am very California
focused, but I would say that I was
trained in French cuisine, but I wouldn’t
say or even qualify myself to say that I
am a French trained chef. I like to say
that the way I cook is very carefree, I
like to do simple ingredients – I would
say that I am a Mediterranean style
cook and that really resonates with
California. I also grew up in Tucson,
Arizona so there is definitely some
South West and Mexican influence in
my food.
AM: We can definitely see that. You are
a recipe developer. What does that
mean and what does it involve?
GD: A recipe developer is someone
who has an idea and takes it from an
idea to a finished recipe. Normally, it
takes anywhere from 3-6 tries to get
a recipe perfect before it gets up on
my website or one of my cookbooks.
For me, it’s important for me to stay
continuously inspired. Pre COVID-19, it
came from traveling and being able to
eat at restaurants and all of that kind
of stuff. Now, I’m finding inspiration
from my CSA (Community Supported
Agriculture) Boxes and things that I’m
doing because before, I had access to
Farmer’s Markets and now I get these
things delivered once a week and I’m
like, “what do I do with this and this?”
It’s creating so many ideas because I’m
being forced to cook with things that
I normally would not get on my home.
It’s been cool to recipe develop during
this period of time when things have
been more limited.
AM: Can you tell us more about the
website, What’s Gaby Cooking?
GD: What’s Gaby Cooking is my website
that I started back in 2009. It was
originally a blog that I was able to put
up things that I was cooking in culinary
school and beyond on it. It has now
been turned into more of a hub that
houses all the What’s Gaby Cooking
things. So we have recipes on there,
meal plans on there, we feature companies,
we do travel guides, menu
planning for Memorial Day or Mother’s
Day, our podcast is on there now
and we just recently launched a culinary
school on there as well.
AM: Which is awesome.
GD: I’m basically reliving my culinary
days and turning it into videos so that
people can get the same education I
got A. for free and B. done in quick snippet
videos. While everyone is cooking
more at home right now, you have access
to some cool how to videos.
AM: When we looked at it, we loved
seeing how you had all the different
ways that you could make eggs because
there are some that you know how to
do, but then there are others that are
a bit more challenging and it was cool
to see the one on poached eggs. It’s
great how easily bite sized that it is
where you can just start from there, do
it and then you just roll into other videos.
Couldn’t agree more that especially
during this time, you may not have
cooked a lot but you find yourself doing
it a lot more now and you’re looking for
fun places that you can kind of make it
fun for yourself to do it. Especially since
we’re all at home!
GD: I think it’s important to make
things accessible. Yes cooking can be
complicated, but at its core, it’s not.
I’m enjoying being able to dispel some
people’s fears around cooking while
doing culinary school.
AM: Your husband works with you as
well, how is that in your coupleship?
As our co-founders are a couple, it’s interesting
to see all the roles and those
that spill over work between them as
well as finding that balance with them.
GD: Thomas came on fulltime about
a year ago. The first couple of weeks
were rocky because we were so used
to – I mean I have a team that helps me
but I wasn’t used to having someone
in my space every day. It was really interesting
getting Thomas and I into a
groove. Now a month in, we’ve been
smooth sailing. He runs the whole
production, tech and design side – he
does all the video editing, the website
design – all that and creating all
the graphics and things. I do all of the
recipes and camera facing work. He’s
also been apart of What’s Gaby Cooking
from the beginning. He wasn’t getting
paid as he had an other job, but he
knows my business inside and out. It’s
hard to find someone who cares about
the company as much as I do. So, it’s
really cool to have him involved full
time now and to have someone who is
as equally invested in it every waking
moment of every day.
AM: You have so many aspects to your
business. What was the moment that
you realized that you wanted to include
a cookbook within your ecosystem? We
were fans of Absolutely Avocados –
we’re a fan of the fruit. What was the
process like when you decided that you
were going to do your first cookbook
and how long do you spend doing your
cookbooks?
GD: When you write a cookbook, it
normally takes you 2-2.5 years start to
finish. But when I did my first cookbook
which was 8 years ago, I had no
idea what I was doing and I walked into
it very blind and it was an incredible
learning experience for me. I LOVED
Absolutely Avocados. It was my first
child if you will. I’m very proud of it,
but it also came with so many lessons
about what kind of person I wanted as
my agent, my editor, how I was going
to be pushed and did I need someone
to be my best friend who would hold
my hand the entire time or did I need
someone that would push me to make
it an incredible book and to make it
even better.
From my first book to my second and
third book, I actually switched both
agents and publishers. What I learned
was, I can have both. My editor now, is
someone who is going to push me to
be a better writer, a better thinker and
all of these things. She has now turned
into a friend, but at first I was just looking
for a friend. I wasn’t looking for
anyone to push me because I thought
that I was doing it so well to begin
with. But we all need to be pushed and
I think it’s important to have someone
that keeps me accountable. I’m lucky
that I have thatwith this team. But the
first book, was a really great learning
lesson for me.
AM: You just released your third book,
What’s Gaby Cooking, Eat What You
Want. It has such a great conversational
tone as well as pictures. What inspired
you to creating this particular book?
GD: Thank you! I get asked all the time,
“Yeah you post all of these pizzas, pastas,
cookies and salads. But what do
you really eat Gaby?” I was like, “this
is what I really eat.” I just wanted to
really drive the home that you could
do it all, you could do it in balance and
you really have a great life. I think in
today’s world, there is a lot of noise in
food. You’re not supposed to have bananas
in your smoothie and all of these
things that aren’t necessarily true and
it’s because of the diet industry that is
rebranding as part wellness industry
basically. I wanted people to get rid of
the noise. Food makes you happy. It’s
supposed to nourish your body, make
you happy and bring people around
your table. I wanted to create a book
that was going to celebrate all of that.
AM: To have the section on the sauces,
the splurge foods, you have the foods
that are definitely the healthy ones –
having the balance and destigmatizing
it as opposed to saying what should
and shouldn’t be really rang true to
when we created Athleisure Mag. We
wanted to present the options and allow
people to decide if they wanted to
do something in the manner that works
for them. To have it in a succinct and
awesomely packaged way, it made us
want to make a number of the recipes
because there are so many fun things
that are in there. The flow and the way
that it is broken out is conversational
which makes it super approachable
which is exactly on point with your
brand.
GD: Thank you! That’s exactly what I
wanted people to feel when they are
reading it. I wanted them to feel like
they were in my kitchen with me and
they were just hanging out with their
friends. I hope that everyone else feels
that way as well.
AM: With all of us staying in. We have
been doing movie nights 3-4 times a
week. We have our projector that goes
up, we have our snacks and things together.
What are 3 dishes in your book
that we should be making when we do
our movie nights?
GD: Definitely the Parmesan Pizza
Popcorn. It is made for movie night. I
would say the brownies in the back –
The Caramel Marshmallow, Chocolate
Chunk Brownies – it’s a very nice decadent
treat to watch a movie to. And
then, while it’s not exactly good food
to eat on your couch as they’re a little
messy. The Chipotle Wings in the appetizer
section are such a gamechanger.
They’re so good and they’re not
– punch you in the face spicy, they’re
smokey and they leave you with a nice
heat. I think that that is really fun also.
AM: That sounds amazing. Are you already
making plans for your next cookbook
and what it is going to be?
GD: Oh my gosh, yes! I just talked to my
team the other day and they said, “so
what’s book number 4?” I was like, “I
don’t know.” Give me a few months to
think about it. I would love to continue
to do cookbooks. It’s so much fun
to see people use them in their kitchens,
tagging me in their recipes, hearing
how food is effecting their lives
and making them better. Right now
with the quarantine and people being
home with their children and homeschooling
them, so many moms have
been messaging me and saying that
they are using my book as a textbook
to teach their kids fractions, how to
read and colors. I think that that is just
the coolest thing and I never would
have thought of that and I think it’s
just really cool.
AM: That’s huge! You’re really synced
into your social media! You were just
talking about how people let you know
how they are using your books and recipes.
It’s awesome to hear that as busy
as you are with so many things going
on that you’re able to stay engaged
with them.
GD: It’s my favorite part of my job! One
of my favorite things to do it to talk to
my whole audience they’re my family
and friends. I have had the opportunity
to meet some of these people on
book tours and hosted events. I’m with
them every day in my kitchens so it’s so
much fun to be able to communicate
with them via Instagram, Twitter or
the blog. I can answer their questions,
hear their stories – hands down one of
the favorite parts of my job.
AM: With your new podcast, What’s
Gaby Cooking… In Quarantine, it focuses
on the quarantine and different
dishes that you can make, how do you
decide what dishes are going to go on
the podcast?
GD: So the podcast is all user generated
content. So I have a hotline. Remember
back in the day when there
was, 1-800-Jenny-Craig from back in
the day?
AM: YES!
GD: I have one of those numbers now
and so people call in and ask questions
based on quarantine. How do I cook
x y z in my pantry, how do I clean this
and how do I this? It’s been so cool
to listen to everyone’s voicemails and
then to listen for things that are fairly
common themes across everyone’s
questions and to answer those on the
podcast. It’s helping people to get
even more comfortable in the kitchen.
We just started having guests! My
mom was my first guest and we talked
about food noise, food shaming, raising
children in today’s world and how
we shouldn’t pay attention to the crazy
food noise as well as how she did that
she she was raising me and my sister.
It’s going to be cool to see everyone’s
response to that.
AM: Looking at Williams-Sonoma, how
did that partnership come about and
what is it like to create all of these amazing
seasonings with them and what’s it
like working with them?
GD: Williams-Sonoma came about a
few years ago back in 2016. I had decided
that the next iteration of What’s
Gaby Cooking would be for people
to have something tangible that they
could use in their kitchens that felt like
I was there with them. I knew that they
were cooking the recipes and they
were watching us on YouTube and all
of that kind of stuff. I wanted them to
have something that they could literally
put in their recipes. I cold called a
number of companies and told them
my idea. Everyone that you can imagine
that sells food products, and a couple
of them wrote me and asked me
to fly to their headquarters to take a
meeting. Williams-Sonoma did not call
me back right away, but I knew people
there and I knew that everything
that they’re about made sense for my
brand. I went ahead and went to the
meetings for the brands that reached
out – they said, let’s get this rolling.
I felt that it just wasn’t right yet. 24
hours later, the head food buyer of Williams-Sonoma
emailed me and asked
me to come up to San Francisco and
to cook for the whole team and tell
them my story. So, I dropped everything
that I was doing and I hopped on
a plane, flew up there a couple of days
later, cooked for everyone, told them
my story and we talked about my social,
my website and culinary school.
I didn’t know this at the time, but salsa
was not their best SKU. So they said,
“let’s try a line of salsas.” I was like,
“ok cool.” I’m from Arizona, I love salsa
– let’s do it. We crushed it. We developed
3 salsas that came out that
were also able to be used as multiuse
sauces as well. It did so well and outperformed
all their salsas. I think that
that was their way of testing me. From
there, we expanded into seasonings,
oil, perishable products and cocktail
mixes. It’s been such an incredible
partnerships for the last few years
and I feel incredible lucky to work with
people that have become like family
and friends to me. To be part of a company
that has such strong messaging
and goals – I feel fortunate to be apart
of the WS Fam!
AM: So each season, do you have a particular
focus on foods that you want to
attack and then create those items that
would go under that particular assortment?
GD: They do that for the catalog. A
couple of years ago, they did a Mexico
vibe and that’s when the salsas went
into it. Now, they do have priorities like
brunch was a focus for them this spring
and we introduced our cocktail mixed
with that as well as the All Things Eggs
Seasonings. That plays into it. But at
this point, they know that I know what
will resonate with my audience. So we
have collaborative brainstorm seasons
where I say, “I think that we need to
do this or we need to do that.” Then,
we can make that happen.
AM: What in the culinary world have
you yet to do, but want to embrace
that and bring it into your empire – or
even outside of it as you are a lifestyle
brand?
GD: Interesting question. I haven’t
done any travel to Asia and I’m dying
to explore the different cultures and
food – everything. I want to cook with
people for a month or two when we’re
able to travel again and to learn all
about that. I would love to learn from
someone that is an expert or multiple
experts and then bring that back
to share that knowledge. We have
dabbled in it at What’s Gaby Cooking
but I really would love to immerse
myself in something like that. That
is high on my priority list in terms of
growing the brand. But it changes so
much. What’s Gaby Cooking Culinary
School came about because so many
people were messaging me on how to
prep vegetables. It wasn’t something
that we thought about doing until we
were like, we should start this. Being a
small company and being nimble is so
important because you’re able to pivot
and adapt to make changes really
quickly. Who knows? Whatever we do
when we’re over with COVID – it will be interesting
to see how we change our business
to accommodate that.
AM: What are 3 items that you always have
in your fridge?
GD: I always have mozzarella in the fridge,
I have fresh tortillas and salsa. I think
those are things that I can’t live without.
AM: With someone that is so busy and now
with having a number of the issues that we
have all dealt with regarding COVID and
staying at home. How are you taking time
for yourself as well as your husband to taking
down the noise and still being able to
do the self-care that you need to be a calm
and normal person?
GD: It’s really interesting. I do struggle
with this and I am attached to my phone
for most of the day. When we wind down
at night, I leave my phone in the kitchen
plugged in and I don’t take it with me to
bed because I don’t want to be responding
to DM’s until 11pm which I could easily
be doing. I try not to. So that’s been helpful.
We have been going out for walks every
night after dinner - again without my
phone to decompress from the day. That’s
also been helpful. We also have been using
FaceTime and Zoom dates with all of
our friends. Honestly, we have talked to
and seen them more now then we did
before COVID. Because, they all live in different
parts of the country. Some of our
best friends in Portland, we FaceTime with
them and their little daughter, multiple
times a week which we didn’t do before
all of this and it’s been so fun to be able
to hang with them because we wouldn’t
have been able to see them in person
anyways because they live in a different
state. It’s been nice to do that and to pay
attention to the conversation rather than
what’s going on around us.
Hear the full interview with What's Gaby
Cooking, Gaby Dalkin on our show, Athleisure
Kitchen - 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, iHeart Radio,
Google Podcasts and wherever you enjoy
listening to your favorite podcast.
@WhatsGabyCookin
PHOTO CREDIT | Matt Armendariz
Saturday, June 27
3-10pm, House of Yes
NYCPride.com
How to Safely Wear and Take Off a Cloth Face Covering
Accessible: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html
WEAR YOUR FACE COVERING CORRECTLY
• Wash your hands before putting on your face covering
• Put it over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin
• Try to fit it snugly against the sides of your face
• Make sure you can breathe easily
• Do not place a mask on a child younger than 2
CLOTH BARRIER
USE THE FACE COVERING TO PROTECT OTHERS
• Wear a face covering to protect others in case you’re infected
but don’t have symptoms
• Keep the covering on your face the entire time you’re in public
• Don’t put the covering around your neck or up on your forehead
• Don’t touch the face covering, and, if you do, clean your hands
FOLLOW EVERYDAY HEALTH HABITS
• Stay at least 6 feet away from others
• Avoid contact with people who are sick
• Wash your hands often, with soap and water, for at least
20 seconds each time
• Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available
PHARMACY
TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTH FACE COVERING CAREFULLY,
WHEN YOU’RE HOME
• Untie the strings behind your head or stretch the ear loops
• Handle only by the ear loops or ties
• Fold outside corners together
• Place covering in the washing machine
• Wash your hands with soap and water
Cloth face coverings are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators, both of which should be saved for
health care workers and other medical first responders.
For instructions on making
a cloth face covering, see:
cdc.gov/coronavirus
CS 316439A 05/18/2020
Symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Know the symptoms of COVID-19, which can include the following:
Cough Fever
Chills Muscle pain
Shortness of breath or
difficulty breathing*
Sore throat
New loss of
taste or smell
Symptoms can range from mild to severe illness, and appear 2-14
days after you are exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19.
*Seek medical care immediately if someone has
emergency warning signs of COVID-19.
• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure
in the chest
• New confusion
• Inability to wake or
stay awake
• Bluish lips or face
STOP THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS:
MAINTAIN SIX FEET
OF DISTANCE
All New Yorkers must wear a face covering when
outside their home if unable to maintain at least
6 feet of distance between themselves and others.
New York State Executive Order No. 202.17.
6 FEET DISTANCE
Text COVID to 692-692 for real-time updates
or visit nyc.gov/coronavirus.
Call 311 to report harassment or discrimination.
Call 888-NYC-WELL, text “WELL” to 65173 or chat online
at nyc.gov/nycwell to connect with a counselor.
*Messages and data rates may apply. Check your wireless provider plan for details.
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 realise
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 customisable
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
lovliest 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 twoyear-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 con-
trolled 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.
@EmilySkyeFit
ATHLEISURE LIST: Streaming
PELETON
We're all familiar with Peleton's classes
that you can take in studio as well
as their bikes and treadmills that can
be in your home or may have been in
other facilities that you have visited.
In this month's issue, we're focused
on Peleton's App which allows you to
take a number of classes across over 10
modalities, whether it is on their equipment
or what you have at home! You
can stream from your home a number
of classes that include: meditation, cycling,
bootcamp, running, strength,
yoga, stretching and outdoor running.
You can also track the goals that you
have as you navigate your options.
With two membership options, you
can have the Peleton All-Access Membership
which allows you and the members
of your your household to to enjoy
the benefits that can be enjoyed on the
bike or treadmill that is available at the
brand.
Another option on the app is a Peleton
Digital Membership that is $12.99/
month and can be done without official
Peleton equipment.
Whatever your schedule involves, you
can access On Demand as well as live
classes through the app that focuses
on flexing, toning, stretching and
strengthening. We like that the app
tracks your progress as well as allows
you to work along others which is definitely
a nice aspect especially as many
of us are #stayingathome. You also
gain achievements which is great for
boosting al the hard work that you
have executed.
When you are ready to take it outside,
this app also incorporates running.
You're able to hit the trail with runs
that are guided via their Peleton instructor
team. Your still on track with
GPS support for pace, splits and eleva-
AthleisureMag.com - 72 - Issue #53 | May 2020
tion metrics on iOS devices so you'll
never lose sight of the road ahead—
or how far you've come. Get your stats
on your Apple Watch. If you have yet
to incorporate this fitness into your
routine, you can enjoy 30 days for free
and access it through your phone, tablet
or TV.
PELETON
140 West 23rd Street
NY, NY 10011
646.277.4497
www.onepeleton.com
@onepeleton
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ATHLEISURE LIST: Subscription Box
PURPLE CARROT
When it comes to a well balanced and
optimal culinary lifestyle, regardless of
your diet, having a plant-based diet for
a portion of your meals is encouraged
whether you have a meat based diet,
are a pescatarian, vegan or vegetarian.
As we are at home creating an array
of dishes, implementing elements
from a subscription box is a great way
to create a meal that give you the necessary
ingredients and directions.
Purple Carrot is a plant-based subscription
meal delivery box that allows
you to become introduced to this style
of eating as well as playing with your
veggies in a positive way! When you
incorporate this into your diet, you decrease
the chance of high blood pressure,
reduce the risk of heart disease
and lower the risk of diabetes.
It's worth noting that there are over
20,000 edible plants on the planet!
When you receive your box, you're not
only reducing the carbon footprint
versus going to the grocery store, but
you receive sample surprises, chef tips
and tricks, and contests.
As you build your boxes, you add
in breakfasts, lunches, dinners and
snacks. You can select those meals
that are familiar to you as well as
those that you're excited to try that
you have yet to have. You'll find that
you won't be bored as every week has
a new assortment of menus that your
tastebuds can navigate.
As you select your desired meals, you
can select between 2 and 4 servings,
opt between an array of dietary needs
AthleisureMag.com - 74 - Issue #53 | May 2020
(high-protein, gluten-free, quick &
easy, Chef's Choice or customize your
meal), add flexibility with additional
meal options and should you need to
pause, you can do this as well.
PURPLE CARROT
www.purplecarrot.com
@purplecarrotxo
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Stay connected and follow us across our
social channels on @AthleisureMag!
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MANAGING THE ANXIETY
with Heather Centurioni
We are living in the midst of times that
we couldn't create out of the most vivid
of our imaginations! With so much uncertainty,
we checked in with Heather Centurioni
of CODE RED to talk about how being
an athlete has fueled her career, how
to motivate others to make good choices
as they sustain their fitness goals as well
as their mental health. She shares insightful
tips that are worth noting as we continue
to navigate our new reality.
ATHLEISURE MAG: You grew up as a junior
elite level athlete in downhill skiing
and suffered a horrific downhill ski race
accident - how did that shape your focus
in living a healthy lifestyle?
HEATHER CENTURIONI: As a young athlete,
I could eat whatever I wanted. I
could get away with a lot. We were taught
to carb-load, etc. I don’t think I ever realized
the power of food until I became
over weight and nothing was working. I
wanted to be healthy, but I had no idea
where to start. I knew I was addicted to
sugar and carbs. I knew I didn’t need another
diet. I needed to learn how to eat.
How to fuel my body. How to take care of
myself. I also wanted to feel good again,
like I did as a young athlete.
AM: When did you realize that you wanted
to work in the wellness industry and
become a health and wellness coach?
HC: I always have felt the pull to help
people. I knew it was my calling, but I
struggled for years to figure out what
that meant and what it looked like. I am
a mother hen at heart. I am at my best
when I am lifting others up.
When I began my wellness journey in
June 2017, I saw that I was going to get
healthy and when I could lift others up
who were on the same path, it felt really
good! I saw how a high vibe tribe can
guarantee success.
AM: How important is accountability in
your wellness journey whether you're
looking to stay fit, loose weight or to fo-
other goals that involve transforming your
goals based on your desired need?
HC: Listen, if we all could do it alone, we
would have already done it, right? I was
an elite ski racer, it was me and the clock
on the course. I played tennis and golf. I
tend to lean towards individual things. “I
can do it on my own” type things. In high
school and college, I loathed group projects.
I prefer things my way. That type
A, self centered trait was not serving me
well in my desire to get healthy. I was failing
at every corner. I was ashamed. I managed
to pack on over 200 pounds, which
was far too much for my 5’3” frame. My
prosthetics didn’t fit. I was a fat amputee
and it was depressing. Having an accountability
group was integral to my success.
It required me to open up, to be honest
and to be vulnerable. Sharing your good
days, right along with your bad days is as
important as seeing others do the same.
I came to Code Red feeling very isolated.
I was depressed. I assumed I was the
only one. Being part of a group that understood
my feelings really made a difference.
AM: Tell us about CODE RED and why you
decided to use their program when you
were looking to lose weight?
HC: I was drawn to Code Red for several
reasons. It was simple. I wasn’t going to
have to exercise (for an overweight amputee,
this was key!). My prosthetics were so
ill-fitting, just walking around the house
was painful. I started with an entry level
challenge. I had nothing to lose. I was deflated,
depressed and quite possibly the
lowest spot in all my years. The easy rules,
support and no nonsense approach drew
me in. I also knew that the program had a
maintenance plan. I knew I could get the
weight off, but I had never found program
that taught you how to maintain. Funny
enough, the end and the far future was
most important to me and I knew in my
heart that Code Red would give me the
tools to stay healthy long term. I also
didn’t have to buy crappy shakes, expensive
supplements or prescription drugs. I
was told to drink water, eat from a healthy
food list and sleep! It’s truly that simple.
AM: Because of your success, you became
a Certified Coach with CODE RED, why did
you decide to work with them?
HC: I believed in the owner, Cristy Nickel
and I think she saw my servant heart and
picked up on my keen ability to understand
people. I learned a lot after my ski
racing accident and in the years that followed.
Deciding to have your leg amputated
as an 18 year old, learning to walk
again, finishing high school, living in constant
pain, I learned a ton about myself
and the power of the human spirit. I knew
how to overcome.
I knew Cristy’s no-nonsense, simple approach
worked and she taught me well,
so I was grateful for the opportunity to
learn from her and to work along side her.
I also knew, this was it…my calling! I finally
found it! The opportunity to help people
lose weight, get them healthy and watch
their lives change for the better, to them
overcome, it has been a dream come true.
AM: What is the CODE RED Lifestyle model?
HC: Code Red is a rallying cry for every
person who is fed up with the information
overload, complicated diets, and extreme
exercise programs. We focus on water,
sleep and real food.
AM: We're living in strange times as we
are staying at home to flatten the curve,
our routines have definitely been altered
and anxiety has become a result of these
changes - how can we manage this?
HC: Good gracious, it has been hard, right?
I think there are several things that can
help folks:
* Be grateful and find Grace in the tough
moments and the good ones.
* Stay on track with life via a list and a
plan.
* Take a time out each day to just be. Being
present when you are feeling anxious
really helps.
* If you are fortunate enough to have the
gift of extra time, use it wisely. Spend it
with your family, learn something new,
embrace it. When will we ever have extra
time again?
AM: For those that are focusing on losing
weight during COVID-19 quarantine, what
tips do you suggest?
HC: * Drink water!
* Sleep at least 7 hours!
* Ditch the sugar!
* Plan, prep and schedule meal times.
Don’t leave your kitchen open all day. Having
kitchen hours keeps you from grazing
all day and mindless eating.
* If you find yourself turning to food and
drinks to soothe your soul, make a list of
12 things you can do instead of over indulging.
Maybe you have some chores to
tend too, maybe you have a craft to finish,
maybe you want to learn something new.
DO IT!
AM: Many have found issues in terms of
ordering the food that they need whether
there are shortages in their grocery stores,
delays in deliveries that are coming to
them, etc. How can they reduce their anxieties
on not being able to control these issues
while also staying on their plan?
HC: Keep things simple. Eating well isn’t
complicated. You don’t have to be a kitchen
whiz to make good food and you don’t
have to spend a fortune either. Less is
more. Look for vegetables (fresh, frozen,
even canned), fats and proteins. Avoid
the inner aisles of the grocery stores.
AM: From a mental wellness standpoint,
what are some tips that you have for those
that are looking to reduce the noise of everything
that we've all gone through from
updates on COVID, anxiety over when
there will be concrete information about
re-openings and going back to our routines
etc?
HC: I talk a lot about the back ground
noise in our lives with my clients. It comes
at us from all directions. Currently, it is every
where, all the time. No two reports
are the same, it’s hard to have faith in anything.
I encourage people to cleanup their newsfeeds,
if watching the nightly news is depressing,
STOP watching! Find something
else to do with your time. Don’t buy into
all the hysteria.
If you can eat real food, ditch the sugar,
drink water and get a good night’s rest,
you will feel so much better. How you fuel
your body will help you with deal with the
uncertainty. I know that sounds strange,
but you will have less brain fog and less
anxiety. The healthier you are, the less
likely you are to get sick. Taking care of
yourself now, will keep you healthier no
matter the situation.
@Code_Red_Coach_Heather
PHOTO COURTESY | Heather Centurioni
America’s
kids need
us now.
Millions of children are losing the healthy meals they depend on as the
coronavirus closes schools, but No Kid Hungry has a plan to feed them.
We’re working with school districts, local government and community
groups across the country to ensure kids get the meals they need
during school closures and all year long.
Find out how you can help at NoKidHungry.org
Bingely Books
THAT CHEESE PLATE WILL
CHANGE YOUR LIFE
The Dial Press
Marissa Mullen
One of our favorite Instagram accounts
to follow is @CheeseByNumbers which
walks you through how to create stellar
cheese plates through videos that lay out
what you need for your desired look. Being
that we can never get enough cheese,
we were very excited to hear about Marissa
Mullen's new book that is the next
coffee table book that we will
actually enjoy doing as we have
time on our hands!
What we love about her approach
is that she breaks down
the cheese plate by laying out
what you need in terms of the
cheese, meat, produce, dips,
crunch and garnish.
It's a great way to get creative
and will change all of your future
gatherings as well as create
at home Instagram worthy
moments! You can also enhance
it by adding your favorite beverages
to make it an occassion
whether it's watching a movie,
having a friend swing by or to do
the ultimate self-care solo!
CAMINO WINDS
Doubleday
John Grisham
We have been fans of John Grisham
since his first novel, A Time to
Kill. His ability to take legal situations
and make them into gripping
thrillers that also became
movies includes: The Firm, The
Client and more, means that we
know when he releases another
book, we need to get on it!
Camino Winds takes place at
Camino Island, Florida. Bruce's
Cable Bay Books is preparing for
bestselling author Mercer Mann.
In addition to this arrival, Hurrican
Leo decides to also head to
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BUTTERMILK KITCHEN
Gibbs Smith
Suzanne Vizethann
This cookbook has 100 farm-to-table
redefined breakfast, brunch, lunch,
and dinner recipes with a modern
Southern sensibility. Recipes utilize
traditional cooking techniques, healthier
comfort foods and farm-fresh ingredients,
regional favorites, as well
as pantry and refrigerator staples like
granola, preserves, pickles, pastry
recipes, beverages, vegan, vegetarian
options a leftovers chapter and other
condiments.
Suzanne trained in several kitchens
with “Top Chef” winner Richard Blais.
She won the Chopped competition on
the Food Network competition show,
owned the small restaurant The Hungry
Peach, and now is the chef and
owner of the award-winning Buttermilk
Kitchen.
the island. As the governor decrees a
mandatory evacuation and residents
board their homes and head to the
mainland, Bruce decides to ride out the
storm.
We're introduced to an eclectic assortment
of mystery and crime authors
- some which are felons who discover
that Nelson Kerr, a friend of Bruce's
and an author of thrillers has been murdered!
Who would want him killed?
As officials are focused on the storm
and its aftermath, this assembled group
decides that they will solve the murder
on their own. They all learn that the plot
twists are even more dangerous than
his novels.
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Bingely Streaming
HOLLYWOOD
Netflix
Netflix Originals
Ryan Murphy's Hollywood takes place
during the Golden Age in a Post WWII era
with a cast of characters that are making
efforts to make their dreams come true as
they navigate the culture around them. We
are introduced to actors, filmmakers
and writers who are focused
on rising to the top in the film industry
no matter what the cost is.
As we follow each character's
journey, we learn more about
the industry from the power that
happens in the rooms where decision
are made, the challenges that
take place and biases that are still
apart of the mechanisms that exist
in this industry to this day. The
show makes a case for what would
have happened if these systemic
had been erradicated. To this day,
what took place during the Golden
Age are still being navigated in
the current day.
SELENA A STAR DIES
IN TEXAS
Vault Studios
Spotify
This six-part series chronicles the
life and legacy of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez.
The podcast details the
senseless murder to this Tejano
star who was quickly becoming
a crossover artist after enjoying
a meteoric rise to to fame by the
hands of a superfan that broke
the hearts of millions of her fans.
Throughout the podcast, listeners
are privy to rare and never
before heard audio that details
various components of her murder
as well as those that weighed
in on what was going on during
the star's life. We also learn about
those that were involved in her
daily life and how they impacted a
number of events that took place.
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WIND OF CHANGE
Crooked Media
Spotify
Patrick looks to find the truth by interviewing
former operatives, rockers and more
from Ohio, Moscow and Kiev! This show
focuses on spies, propoganda and government
secrets in this eight-part series.
What would you say if a popular
song by a heavy metal West German
band known as the Scorpions was
released after the fall of Berlin Wall
and the collapse of the Soviet Union?
The power ballad "Wind of Change"
became the essence to a peaceful
revolution that was sweeping across
Europe. This song also became the
biggest rock single ever and many
fans felt that this song also ended
the Cold War!
Many decades later, NewYorker
writer and host of Wind of Change
Podcast, Patrick Radden Keefe and
Pineapple Street and Crooked Media
heard a rumor that this song wasn't
written by this band and was actually
created by the CIA!
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LET THE GAMES BEGIN
with Brooke Ence
We had a great time chatting with International
CrossFit Star and actress, Brooke
Ence who took her love of dance, fitness
and being a natural athlete to another
level. She shared the road to the CrossFit
Games. We have enjoyed watching her in
Wonder Woman as well as Justice League
as well as in her new show where she plays
a Resident Tagger in FOX's Ultimate Tag
which takes the game to another level
with an array of courses. She talks about
her journey, the importance of timing, sacrifice
and being ina team of people that are
focused on her success. We also talk about
her new app that she recently launched
that allows us to stay fit and embrace a
community that supports the efforts that
she believes in.
ATHLEISURE MAG: We know you have a
dance background and that you have been
in the fitness industry for some time, when
did you know that you wanted to work in
this industry?
BROOKE ENCE: I never really knew that I
wanted to be in fitness. As far as in dance
and performance, since I was like 3. I really
found CrossFit in preparation for an
audition that I had for a show in Las Vegas
called Le Rêve which is a Cirque du Soleil
show. It really started as me training in
CrossFit to compete against an individual
athlete in 2013. I was doing it before hand
while still going to school. I was a fulltime
Dance Major at the University of Utah.
I was one of stronger girls in the gym, I
was on the team and I didn’t decide that
I wanted to compete and do it as an individual
until 2013 CrossFit Games when
I was spectating. I didn’t expect other
opportunities that came across and happened.
The opportunities that came were
byproducts of what I was doing. Now everything
that I do, health, fitness, performance,
dance, training, competing or just
to have a voice and influence on people
to live a happier and healthier life, I know
that this is where I’m definitely meant to
be. I still like to do other things like dabbling
in movies and films.
AM: What is it about CrossFit that you enjoy?
We know of a number of our followers
and listeners that started it a few months
ago and they’re just obsessed with it. Can
you tell us what CrossFit is and what is it
that people embrace about it?
BE: CrossFit as a sport is very different
then CrossFit as a training methodology.
The goal for training is to keep you doing
the things that you love. You use it as a
means to get better at doing other things
that you do a sport or an activity. Beyond
that, it’s about keeping people functional
as long as they are living. Keeping them to
do a series of basic functions and tasks so
that they feel that they can do better and
to be able to do things for yourself. It’s
just about living a happy, healthy lifestyle
that you can maintain forever.
As we get older, some things will be different,
but the biggest goal is to keep you in
whatever time that you’re on in your life
journey as healthy as possible. I think that
what people are really drawn to – people
who come from an athletic background or
played sports, at a certain age, if a professional
athletic career wasn’t in the books
for you, it’s a great opportunity for people
to kind of do this and it feels satisfying
to give them another chance to be really
good at something competitive for that
want and that drive. A lot of people maybe
never were as they didn’t play sports
and weren’t on team sports or anything
competitive like that. It transfers over to
how you work in your family, your business
and it’s a community.
When it comes to fitness, when you’re
thinking of truly having a better lifestyle,
that’s how we create health and fitness
longevity. You have to adjust your lifestyle.
Being able to connect to a community
where everyone is doing the same
thing, you have these things that you can
really connect with and relate to. It feels
so amazing when you are able to do something
that you have never done before
and it becomes very addicting. It’s the opportunity
and experience to become better,
accomplish goals and to see yourself
do things that you couldn’t do before. It's
very motivating and you see yourself getting
better. When you have a group of
people doing it with you, you have the
better chance of sticking with it longterm
and making the lifestyle changes.
AM: What is involved? We’re definitely excited
to hear from a World CrossFit Champion
on what that is!
BE: Right! Just to clarify, I didn’t win the
CrossFit Games, but I was the Champion
of the California Regional and in my Rookie
appearance, I took 2 first place finishes
and I finished 14 in the world! When
you want to get better at anything. You
have to be willing to sacrifice, time, how
bad you want it and when do you want
it. Fitness isn’t free and the work that
you’re going to put it in it is what you are
going to get out of it. People are in training
mode - they’re in that schedule all the
time. It becomes like the most important
thing. Everyone that is part of their team,
everyone is thinking about that person’s
training. You have to be super consistent.
You’re training has to be really balanced.
Your coach whether they are at your
CrossFit gym or someone that is just for
you. It’s this big road map that you have
to think about in terms of looking at the
big picture. You can’t take a week, it’s
months and years of being really consistent.
The better you get, the stronger you
get, the harder it is for you to have adaptations
and the longer it takes for you to
get stronger – it takes time. The only way
to do that and to reach those goals and
get better is that you have to constantly
push the limit so that your body can adapt
to what you’re doing. It’s a full time job!
AM: In addition to that, you crossed over
to Hollywood by being in Wonder Woman
and Justice League. We enjoyed both of
those movies. How is that to go into this
part of your career and how did it take
place?
BE: I always wanted to be in a movie growing
up. I really wanted to be on Broadway!
I spent most of my time doing dancing,
singing and doing musical theater. Musical
theater is much more theatrical. It was
crazy to me to get a call out of the blue to
read for a movie and I was just focused on
my training in 2015 when they called me. I
was on my way to the CrossFit Games and
I almost turned it down!
AM: Wait what – it’s Wonder Woman, we
love that movie.
BE: I found out that when they called me
and I got the part, I thought it was cool
and a great opportunity. I thought that we
would be filming in Hollywood so I could
continue to train in the gyms down there
so I could keep up my schedule. I was
worried that I would do this and what if I
didn’t make it back to the CrossFit Games
and it disrupts my training so much that I
would let them down.
AM: Now on May 20th, you will be one of
the Resident Taggers in FOX’s new show,
Ultimate Tag which is hosted by NFL brother’s
JJ, TJ and Derek Watt. Can you tell us
more about this show and why you wanted
to be apart of it?
BE: It is Ultimate Tag! It is the adult athlete
version of a flag football version of
tag and awesome. It’s high intensity, really
fun – like most games we played as kids.
You get beat up! I got beat up! I didn't
know anything know anything beyond
that when they called me. I was brought
in extremely last minute.
It’s a brand new show and I wanted to try
something new, do something exciting
and be around people where we would
have a really positive experience.
It’s so much more than what you think it
would be and I think that they have done
a really good job in showcasing that in the
way that it is filmed too. Fingers crossed
that they have a second season and that
they can get even better at being able to
show the best way that an audience and
the people at home can experience this!
You’ll feel the intensity on the floor.
AM: As a Resident Tagger, will you be on
the show every season?
BE: No so, we have a pretty big tagger
team. Not every tagger plays every game.
We sub taggers in and out. You don’t want
one tagger being out there and taking too
much time taking out one person. It’s so
intense out there as you’re going from
0-100 that we play our teams the smartest
way possible. We think about the
strengths of the taggers to put the best
person in based on their abilities.
AM: You must have been really tiring after
filming each episode with so much energy
and physicality going into it!
BE: For me, the other taggers were
there when I went down to tryout. They
had been there. Fun Fact: Every time we
played, it was my first time seeing the
game and doing it! Every time I was like
wow – my played, it was my first time seeing
the game and doing it! Every time I was
like wow – my nerves were very high and
coming from a very athletic background
and playing a lot of sports growing up,
even with CrossFit and the practive of
adapting to things and learning on the fly
and learning quickly. That helped me.
AM: That is insane! Many of us during this
time have figured out how we can continue
to keep our workouts going. What are
some tips that you have that we can share
that people should think about in terms of
their fitness as well as items they can buy
to aid their fitness goals?
BE: Of course, I’m going to just plug myself
as I 100% stand behind this program – it’s
called Naked Training App. We launched
2 at home programs. One is with body
weight and one is with dumbbells. If you
need some kind of equipment at your
house, I would say that a couple pairs of
dumbbells is great. We have all the videos
to show you how to do things. What’s
cool with what you’re trying to do when
you’re working out, it’s so much easier
when someone is there to show you what
to do. It’s like, “what am I doing – oh that?
Ok let me do that.” Not only do that, but
my team creates the road map because we
know we’re all here to get fit and strong.
Our team does the work of programming
it for you with the big picture in mind If
you want to get fitter, stronger etc you
do have to adapt with the times and your
circumstances and to be realistic about it.
You have to do more then just something.
If you’re looking for minimal equipment
and the goal in mind when programming
is to get you closer to being a stronger,
healthier more fit person – while the programmer
understands where we are in
our situation right now, you have a better
chance of sticking to your goal while
not sacrificing too much as we can’t really
leave our house too much!
AM: For the Naked Training App, do you
have nutrition in there as well as a sense of
community?
BE: We do have nutrition. We have a Facebook
Group. We have an ebook available
to get you started and we do talk about
nutrition through our Facebook Live and
we're in the process of launching our own
nutrition along with coaching. It will become
much more than just hearing this
information to get started – but then it
would be in the person’s hands and a lot
more 1-on-1 coaching and following. We
didn't want to run too fast into nutrition
without having the team behind it.
@BrookeEnce
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 121 + 126
Brooke Ence | PG 118 + 127 FOX | 122 Michael
Becker/FOX |
Hear from CrossFit Star and FOX's Ultimate
Tag Brooke Ence on our show, Bungalow
SK - 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,
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Issue #53 | May 2020
- 133 - AthleisureMag.com
AthleisureMag.com - 134 - Issue #53 | May 2020