Read the AUG ISSUE #104 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST Sara Hughes in mag.
In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is with Showtime star of The Chi, Curtiss Cook. We sat down with him to talk about his approach to acting and how he connects to his characters, the success of The Chi, the importance of mental health and why it is important to him, as well as upcoming projects. We also enjoyed spending time with him in Chelsea at Selina Chelsea Hotel as we shot his cover at Creatures at Selina Rooftop and Music For A While listening lounge with key menswear looks for your next outing.
Earlier this month, we headed to Lifetime Fitness for the unveiling of their 7 Pickleball courts as well as to see legendary 8X Grand Slam Winner and 60 ATP Tour wins, Andre Agassi. We enjoyed a fireside chat with him as well as the founder of Lifetime Fitness, Bahram Akradi. We enjoyed hearing him talk about playing as a tennis star and how he has transitioned to enjoying pickleball. In addition, we were able to watch him as well as fellow pickleball stars Anna Bright, Tyson McGuffin, Collin Johns, and Ben Johns play in a series of exhibition games.
This month, we also caught up with 2x Team USA Swimming Medalist Lydia Jacoby ahead of the Summer Games in Paris to talk about her sport, swimming for the University of Texas at Austin, what her average week of training is like, and what the weeks ahead look like as Paris 2024 approaches. .
We enjoyed Season 1 of Outer Range and with Season 2 available on Prime Video, we enjoyed talking with Showrunner and Executive Producer Charles Murray to talk about how he was drawn to storytelling and why he enjoys doing it. We also talk about how he came to this neo-western and the power of secrets. We also connected with actors Tamara Podemski and Isabel Arraiza in this series to find out about their characters from Season 1 and what we can expect from Season 2.
Part of a story and its characters coming together takes place in its costume direction as it says a number of elements that are not necessarily in the script, but round out the picture! Costume Designer Allyson Fanger has been storytelling through costumes in films and television from Wild Things, 10 Things I Hate About You to Grace & Frankie, Shrinking, Apples Never Fall, etc. We caught up with her to find out how she got into the industry, her journey, how she approaches her craft, the difference between styling and costume design, and upcoming projects.
We're back for our 7th year as Media Sponsors for PRIDE NYC which takes place throughout the month of June here in NYC. In advance of this, we wanted to share what you can look forward to this year in our pre-coverage and next month we will have more details on events that we attended.
Bar Convent Brooklyn takes place next month Jun 11- 12 as it's a time for those in the bar/beverage, and hospitality industry to come together to meet new spirit brands and sample launches as well. Ahead of us attending the trade show as well as related events, we wanted to connected with the Event Vice President, Jackie Williams to find out how this event came to be, an overview of its 6 years, and what we can expect this year for attendees and exhibitors in Industry City, Brooklyn. Next month, we'll share our thoughts on what we saw and enjoyed so that you can keep an eye out for new brands and launches.
In an already busy June ahead, Governors Ball will return to Flushing Meadows on Jun 7 - 9! We give an overview on what you can expect and what we look forward to as this music festival kicks off the summer season. Next month, we'll share what we saw and who we interviewed in our JUN ISSUE #102.
This month's The Art of the Snack comes from Heritage Grand Bakery, Heritage Grand and Restaurant and Pizza Bar in Bryant Park. We wanted to know more about this eatery that allows you to have a number of options to go if you're ordering from the bakery for breakfast and lunch and bites in between. We also liked knowing more about the restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and is a great happy hour spot.
This month's Athleisure List comes from The Thinking Traveller, luxury rentals villas in Italy and Greece that are perfect for you to truly enjoy your family with the ability to include premium add-ons to personalize your stay. We also have Hot Bones a Detroit wellness studio that has hot yoga as well as pilates! They are also known for their bone broth that guests can enjoy as well for a full holistic approach.
This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from EDM group Swedish House Mafia and VASSY. This month we have our 9PLAYLIST MULTI from our cover star, Curtiss Cook who shares songs, books and podcasts/TV/films that he is enjoying. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from Costume Designer Allyson Fanger who shares her must-haves in beauty, style, and fitness. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from 2X Team USA Swimming Olympian Lydia Jacoby and actor, Joey Lawrence. This month's THE 9LIST 9CH3FS and THE 9LIST 9B-L-D comes from Chef David Seigal of The Lobster Place, Chef Seadon Shouse of Halifax W Hoboken, and Chef David Rose.
Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag.
As we're less than a year away from Paris 2024, avid readers know that we enjoy chatting with Olympic athletes whether they're still competing or have retired from competing, but are still in the community. We caught up with 3X Olympian (Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016), 2X Team USA Swimming Medalist, and Team US Olympic Team Captain, Elizabeth Beisel. Known for the individual medley as well as the backstroke, we wanted to find out about her Olympic experience, the importance that surfing has as a sport as well as a skill that has served her, how she works with USA Swimming Foundation to ensure that the next generation is able to swim and potentially be able to become athletes in the sport as well! She also talks about the importance of representation and inclusivity in the sport. In addition, we find out what she has been up to, her partnership with Dermasport, embracing her second passion as a violinist, and more.
ATHLEISURE MAG: I’m so excited to be able to talk to you as I enjoyed watching you during your Olympic journey and watching you compete and I know our readers are going to love to know more about your passion for the sport, competing, and what you’re up to now!
ELIZABETH BEISEL: Thank you for having me and I just want to say that it’s an honor to talk with you as you’re a bad ass!
AM: Amazing and thank you!
When did you first fall in love with the water?
EB: Honestly, 6 months old! I went to the Mommy and Me classes at the YMCA. I grew up in Rhode Island which is the Ocean State. So luckily, my mom and dad had the means to put me into the YMCA Mommy and Me classes and introduced me to the water at an early age. I swear that I was the only baby there that wasn’t screaming bloody murder! I love the water! I would only sleep if I was in the water that day. Like it became a thing. I think from the beginning, I was in love with the water and that never left me. I did other sports and other activities growing up, but I think that stuff happening in the water was where I was most comfortable and passionate. So, that was pretty much my entire life!
AM: I love hearing that!
EB: It’s great!
AM: You specialized in the backstroke and are known for your individual medley. What was it about these specialties that you wanted to compete in them?
EB: So, a lot of swimming, you don’t necessarily get to choose the event, the event chooses you. What you're good at is what you morph into. For me, I was one of those swimmers with the individual medley which is all 4 strokes in one race (Editors Note: the medley includes the backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle). So I had pretty solid strokes across the board. But backstroke is definitely the one that I excelled in the most. So, since a young age, I kind of always swam all 4 strokes and then I really of honed in on the middle distances which is where my body thrives. I’m not necessarily a long distance swimmer, but I definitely have no sprint fibers in me. Like, I cannot run fast in a sprint, I can’t swim fast, it’s just who I am. I really found that happy medium in the 400m races and it really was just a matter of, “oh wow, I’m really good at these strokes,” in these events compared to everybody else. Why don’t I start focusing on these in practice and swimming on them more in meets. It’s kind of a snowball effect.
AM: I love hearing that as we have interviewed a number of Olympic swimmers and I have never asked how they chose that particular one. But I like that you’re saying that it kind of finds you.
EB: Yeah, trust me, if I had my choice, I’d be swimming a 50 free and be done in 20 seconds, but my body is not made for that!
AM: You’re a 3X Olympian, you have 2 Olympic medals, you’ve served as the Olympic Swimming Captain. What was your Olympic experience like for you and what did you love so much about it?
EB: I think that each Olympic experience was super different and for many different reasons. You know, my first one I was 15 and my last one I was 23. So that’s a completely different human! It was such an honor to be able to reach the pinnacle of the sport that I loved so much and be able to compete in it at that highest level for our country. I remember watching the Olympics when I was 7 years old on TV and having that be the first moment where I really grasped what the Olympics were and how monumental they were in my sport. I knew that I wanted to do that one day. That was my goal and I knew that I was going to make it happen. I’m just a small town kid from Rhode Island, I didn’t grow up in a family of Olympians and swimmers. I’m just like a lot of us where you have a dream. Maybe the fact that I was 7 years old and that kids have that beautiful way of just thinking nothing is impossible, I kind of went for it. I was like, “yeah, why not me? Of course!” It ended up being such an incredible experience and standing up on the podium, winning Olympic medals for your country and doing it alongside your teammates is so special. I have met the best people through my life in the sport of swimming. I think we’re forced to be pretty humble because, well, swimming is not an A-list sport. It’s not football, it’s not soccer, it’s not baseball. So we have once every 4 years to kind of shine at the Olympics and then nobody really cares about what we’re doing. We don’t make any money so it’s really a group of people that do it because they love it. I think that breeds a certain type of person and archetype. It’s just like the blue collar hardworking type of people that are really in it because you love it, not for the money, or the fame, or any thing like that. It’s just, “yeah, we love to swim.” Longwinded answer – Olympics are amazing!
AM: So, we always love knowing how athletes stay fit and obviously, you’re in the water which is a huge part of it. What are the workouts that you do in and out of the water when you’re training or even now when you’re doing what you do?
EB: I try to lift weights twice a week. I know that that doesn’t sound like much. When I was swimming, I was lifting 2-3-4 times a week depending on where we were at in the season. Towards the end of my competitive swimming career, I started implementing yoga and I’m now a certified yoga instructor, I love it that much. What I found while I was an athlete and now, and I still consider myself an athlete even though I am not actively competing, is that I leave yoga feeling so calm and like it’s almost like it’s opened up my body obviously, and my mind as well. I see things clearer, I think clearer, and it’s super relaxing. I’m kind of a 1 million miles a minute type of person so I need an outlet and something to force me. Because I’m not going to do it at home. I know myself. I’m not going to put on the meditation and do it at home. I wish I could. But I need to go somewhere and have somebody leading me and once I discovered yoga, not only did it help me athletically because you need to be stretching and you need to be opening your body and your muscle tissue. It helps with recovery a lot, but my mind too. It helps me slow down and shut off and just give myself that parasympathetic nervous system a break. So I would say yoga, lifting, and then I try to walk. It sounds simple, but I think that walking is good and I like to multitask and if I have calls, I will do it when I’m walking. So just nothing crazy to be honest and I think that’s the thing about Olympians, people probably think that we’re doing this out of the box really fancy stuff and it’s like, “no, we do the exact same thing that you guys do, we just do it 40 hours a week.” Instead of you doing it on the weekend or an hour here or there. But yeah, it’s just taking care of my body or anybody’s body is when you’re going to feel better. So that’s why I move now, because it makes me feel good.
AM: It’s so funny because I have probably been doing yoga for the last 15/20 years or so and once I went to my 40’s I went from a love/hate relationship to desperately needing it because like you said, it’s calming your mind down and having someone else stopping me and forcing me to do the things that I do. Hot yoga is my jam!
EB: Same! Oh my God! Give me a hot power vinyasa and I’m good!
AM: Same! I get so happy with it, it breaks me down, and I can quiet everything around me and I so appreciate it now versus in my 20’s I was like this is something to do for my mobility and flexibility. Now it’s like, no I need it.
EB: Exactly, this is like water and I need it.
AM: So you partnered with Dermasport. Can you tell me about the brand and why it was synergistic with you to work for them?
EB: Ok. So Dermasport is a skincare brand so it’s face wash, moisturizer, eye cream, and SPF. It’s designed by swimmers for swimmers. Right off the bat, synergy. Throughout my entire swimming career, I was always struggling to find – especially sunscreen, I was swimming at the University of Florida and I ended up swimming there for 8 years.
That’s 8 years of swimming under the sun outside and I really struggled finding a sunscreen that wouldn’t smudge my goggles and I know that that sounds crazy, that would stay on during the entire practice, would protect my skin, and on top of that, the chlorine itself is so bad for your skin. It strips away every good oil and thing that you have on your face. So I was struggling to find a post swim face wash that really felt like it got everything off. Not only the residue of the sunscreen, but also the chlorine that had seeped into my skin. Once Dermasport came out and approached me, and sent me samples for me to try out, I tried it out for a good 2 months indoor and outdoor swimming. I knew that this was the stuff. It was like I was the one going to them asking them that if they wanted me to do anything, to let me know. I think another thing is that element of protecting your skin. I lost my dad to cancer 2 years ago, although it wasn’t skin cancer, it was a huge wake up call for me being like, you’re healthy until you’re not. You’re cancer free until you’re not so what am I actively doing that’s preventative and ways that I can alleviate the possibility that I don’t ever end up having cancer. So sunscreen has been like, it doesn’t matter if it’s a cloudy day, if it’s the dead of winter, it’s part of my morning routine now. So it just really hit a lot of the elements that I am really passionate about in my life and so it was kind of one of those things where I was like the universe just bestowed this upon me and I thought it was beautiful.
Of course, since retiring from competitive swimming, I really started to surf a lot now that I have time in my life to do things. It’s mineral based, the packaging is either recyclable aluminum or post consumer recycled bottles so I feel good about it across the board. It’s the best!
AM: That’s amazing!
What’s your discipline in surfing? What are you doing in surfing? Are you doing wake boarding or looking for the ultimate big wave?
EB: Well, I interviewed Carissa Moore once so you and I have that in common!
AM: Yup!
EB: I’m sure you had the same experience, she was the nicest person in the world!
AM: She was our FEB ISSUE #85 this year and it was on Super Bowl Sunday and we had a huge tie zone difference and she was the loveliest person.
EB: Exactly and I was in Tokyo for the Olympics 2 summers ago and I was working with NBC and of course it was surfing’s first time in the Olympics. Carissa wins and part of my job was interviewing the athletes after they won. Carissa was not in a rush, she never made me feel like I was annoying her and trust me, the amount of press that she did on that day, like she did not need to talk to me. She was just phenomenal and she was beautiful and lovely as a human!
I have been doing it for a few years now and it’s been really awesome because I love learning new things. I took to surfing easily because of my paddle strength and my arms. So I’m getting better I did a surf trip in the Maldives for a month in April and the thing is with anything, if you’re not doing it consistently, you’re not going to be better. Here where I am in Rhode Island, we get Hurricane Season waves in the fall and then nothing for 10 months. So, I’m trying to go on more trips to get better, but the camaraderie, the culture, I just love it! It’s amazing.
AM: Do you think that you’ll go to Nazaré?
EB: Ha! I’ll watch! Listen, I love to live my life and be alive! Like you know what’s even crazier Kimmie? The tow people with the jet ski! They have to be equally trained, if not more! You know, it’s unreal!
AM: HBO's 100 Foot Wave, but you see it and you’re like, holy shit!
EB: I know right?
AM: What does your partnership look like with Dermasport? Are there events coming up or is it just organic integration?
EB: A lot of it is organic. Obviously I have been sent the product as I need to use it in order to talk about it. We’re going to do some appearances at a lot of Masters meets so that is basically older swimmers just because I feel that those are really the people that are tuned into taking care of their skin and their health whereas kids may be a little harder. Mom says use your sunscreen and the kids are like, “but I’m invincible, why do I need that?” And then, just like genuinely and organically posting about it. I’m at the point in my life that if something doesn’t align with me, I don’t give it my time. We have too many things going on in our lives and so this is one of those things like I said earlier where it just hits every pain point in my life that I am genuinely passionate about – swimming, being in the ocean, surfing, and being in the sun. I’m a lifeguard too and I sit in the sun for hours throughout the day. My connection to cancer and so it’s a really genuine partnership. I’m so excited to be involved.
AM: So tell me about Block Cancer. Why did you want to launch this, what is this lifestyle brand, and what can we expect to see from it?
EB: I’m so excited! It launched July 19th. So I’ll give a quick backstory. When my dad was going through his diagnosis and treatment, I was going through all of the books and cancer had never touched my family. I didn’t know what to do and I was super green in that world and all the things I read said to give something to your loved ones to look forward to. So I thought that I had this amazing swimming platform and there’s an island off the coast of Rhode Island, that only 2 people have ever swum to and no female had ever done it. So I was like, “this could be something cool.” I could share my updates with dad and we called it Block Cancer because the island is called Block Island. It’s like a play on words.
Unfortunately, I did the swim, but my dad passed away before I could complete the swim. I know that he knows that I did it because I fully believe that he was there that day. But after the swim, we were like we had this modest and humble goal of raising $5,000-$10,000 and we raised $665,000 all going to in lab cancer research. That was my thing.
I didn’t want to be funding the renaming of a hospital wing, that’s not my jam. If there's no funding there's no research, no research, there’s no cure. So how can I bridge the gap between the oncologist and the researchers and actually making some progress. So after completing the swim, sitting on it for a little bit, digesting what had happened with my dad and all that stuff – I was really looking to relaunch it and I didn’t really know what that looked like. What it turned into being organically was this collaboration of creatives all designing really cool designs for Block Cancer and selling the merch and donating 90% of the net profits to a non-profit that I have worked with my entire life that funds lab research. It is 100% going to in lab research and I get to be apart of the vetting process and the grant writing process so it’s really really awesome. It’s not just hoodies, hats, and bracelets, but it’s also chemo hats, scarves, port shirts, and cancer care packages. I wanted to do something that really put the cancer patient first. I have also compiled resources like cancer diagnosis resources, grief resources, and when you get a cancer diagnosis, what the hell do you do? What questions do you ask, who do you go to and what do you do when you lose somebody?
For the past year and a half, I’ve been compiling all of that, putting it together and it’s just been this real passion project. It’s never felt like work. It’s a way for me to stay connected to my dad. Actually, Dermasport to bring it back in, we’ve been in talks to have the sunscreen be sold on Block Cancer and maybe a portion of the net-profits go to the Block Cancer Fund. It makes sense right? You use sunscreen and it protects you in skin cancer. Again, Dermasport fit in seamlessly to this beautiful passion project that I am working on and it felt like this beautiful symbiotic relationship. It’s all good stuff and I’m so excited! I have literally, my eyes are all over the place the place – I’m not a website builder, but I have done all this work myself because I don’t have an investor. I don’t have 15 grand to pay for a website developer. So it’s been actually great because I have learned a ton. I've learned skills that I otherwise wouldn't have had.
AM: That’s great, because when you do all of the stuff, as you bring people on, you know exactly how long it takes, what it is – because when you can do it yourself, the person who you bring on who definitely has the skills to be able to do that should be above and beyond what you can do.
EB: Of course! Yes, absolutely. I think that the website came along great.
AM: What other projects are you working on beyond Dermasport and Block Cancer? Are there other things that we should keep an eye out for?
EB: Actually, super exciting news! So I mentioned earlier that I did other activities growing up. So I grew up playing the violin. That was actually my equal love to swimming. But it always had to take a backseat to swimming because I would always choose swimming. So violin is beautiful because it is something that you can always do for the rest of your life. So I’m in a band called Laden Valley and we’re developmental, super early in our stages. But we got asked to play Newport Folk Fest – we’re a folk band.
AM: That’s huge!
EB: Yeah! Huge like Brandi Carlile, Paul Simon, we’re the opener on Fri of Newport Folk Fest and this is like – if this goes well, in the folk world if you’re playing Folk Fest in Newport, you’re doing well!
AM: Oh I’m well aware, that’s why I perked up!
EB: Yeah and we’re very excited, I got all of my outfits planned and I’m like, what are we wearing? So it’s me and 3 other guys and so I’m picking the outfits and the color scheme and they all have can match me.
AM: That is so exciting congratulations!
EB: Yeah and it’s one of those things where this – I don’t want to jinx it. But I truly believe that maybe it could be something, but we will see! It’s by far the biggest crowd that anyone of us have performed in front of. I think it’s 8,000-10,000 people, but for us, it’s like huge and it’s so exciting!
AM: That’s exciting! The Newport Folk Festival is amazing and I knew what it was as soon as you said it as they don’t let just anyone play it. This year it’s Lana Del Rey, Jon Batiste, Maggie Rogers, that’s amazing.
You do so much! How do you give back to the sport that you originated in and how do you give back to the youth that is coming up?
EB: Yeah, so I’m an ambassador for the USA Swimming Foundation and that’s the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming so what we are trying to do is save lives and impact communities. Saving lives is – ok we know that swimming is a fun sport and we get to win Olympic medals and stuff, but at the end of the day, nobody gets into the sport of swimming to become an Olympian. They get into the sport because it’s purely a skill. It’s a life saving skill, but if you come from a socioeconomic background, culture, or city where swimming isn’t really a part of your life or the people that you’re surrounded with – you’re not going to learn. Formal swimming lessons reduce the risk of drowning by 88%.
So it’s like, I don’t know if you heard the story of the quarterback a couple of weeks ago that drowned in the NFL. But what I try to tell people is listen, the water does not discriminate, it doesn’t care if you’re an Olympian, it doesn’t care if you’re an NFL quarterback, it doesn’t care if you’re a 5-year-old. You can drown. So what we do is basically go around the country on a tour and it’s every May. We provide grants to local Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA’s and we’re like, “here’s $15,000. We ask that in the next year you provide transportation to kids that cannot afford swimming lessons. You bring them from school to the YMCA or the Boys & Girls Club whatever it is and you get them in the water and you teach them how to swim.” I kind of call myself the out of town hero right? We go there and it’s inner city kids in Detroit or in Chicago. They have never seen a pool before, we make it all shiny and fun for them, but it’s like there’s some follow up here. We’re kind of the catalyst and you just have to continue it. So that’s been really rewarding to give back to the sport. At the end of the day, those Mommy and Me Classes that I took with my mom, they’re weren’t about me winning medals. Not at all! They were for me to learn how to swim and to be safer around the water.
That's been the way that I have given back in the past few years since being done.
It’s awesome because it’s also a diversity thing. You watch the Olympics, there is 1 Black person on the Olympic Swim Team. There’s 1.
AM: Yup.
EB: Like, what a microcosm of society right? Because that is what swimming looks like. So, it’s like, we’re trying to come in and we have Cullen Jones – have you ever met Cullen Jones (2G, 2S)?
AM: No, I have not, but I want to!
EB: He was literally my first friend on the National Team. He’s my big brother. I cannot say enough good things about him. Cullen, the first Black person to win an Olympic Gold medal in swimming, to break a world record, the first of everything! He’s kind of like the face of this tour. To be able to do this on the road with him and to watch, because I can say something, but I’m white. It’s not going to resonate as much as when he does it. Watching I get chills, watching him talk to an entire auditorium of kids who honestly may not even know what the Olympics are, but he gets through to them because he can relate to them and they go into a pool and they’re inspired to learn how to swim. That’s what it’s all about. It’s so incredible! So, I mean that this is a 100 year project!
AM: Oh yeah! That’s why representation is so important you have to have what needs to be reflected and if you have 1 maybe you get 4 and then 10. Like you said, it’s going to be 100 years for sure.
EB: Yeah, it’s always safer around the water. It’s never completely safe as I said earlier, you, me – no one is completely safe. Being around and having that impact on the sport and who it is accessible to is like – that is way more than any Olympic medal – it’s saving lives.
AM: Can you tell me about the Lead Sports Summit and what your involvement is with them?
EB: So Lead Sports Summit was founded by one of my best friends on the Olympic Swim Team, Kara Lynn Joyce (4S). She saw a need for a summit for just women and female young teenage athletes. So 13-18 and she gets the all-star team from the Olympic Team. The heavy hitter names that you watch on NBC at the Olympics come to Lead Sport Summit and we have breakout groups, we have panels, we have really open and honest discussions and we give these teenage girls a safe place to talk about stuff that maybe they are dealing with on their team, in school, with relationships at home, it’s a judgement free zone. It’s cool because I think there is an element of humanizing Olympians and what we do. Maybe it’s inspiring because of what we do. It’s like, “oh wow, I was putting Katie Ledecky (7G, 3S) on this pedestal and I thought that she was untouchable, but now that I have met her, spent time with her, and I know she has dealt with the same issues that I have dealt with – now this scary thing that felt impossible is possible! It is something that I say to Kara all the time that she needs to have one just for adults because I would go. I tell her too that by the end of the weekend, I have cried 48 times and I feel that I have gotten more out of it then the actual teenage girls did! Also, I’m not in the social media world that they are in. You and I did not grow up with those same pressures.
AM: Exactly.
EB: So it’s super eye opening to hear them talk openly about the pressures that they feel from social media and society. It gives me chills and makes me say, how can we help? It’s an incredible event and it’s over Labor Day Weekend every single year. Kara is opening it up to other sports now and it’s taking on a life of its own which is really beautiful and I will be at the one in DC which is over Labor Day Weekend this year.
AM: That's fantastic!
EB: Yeah and I think that it’s sold out. Which doesn’t surprise me as it’s done that every single year. It really is worth every single penny. It’s the best!
AM: I love that when people empower and infuse people. Even if something is for a lower age group, I always say that I feel like we’re adulting while we are dealing with our own traumas that are unresolved.
EB: Yes! There’s some stuff that happened to me 15 years ago that I should probably figure out!
AM: Without a doubt!
IG @ebeisel34
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Elizabeth Beisel
Read the AUG ISSUE #92 of Athleisure Mag and see THE SKILL OF IT ALL | Elizabeth Beisel in mag.
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You may be familiar with the Skillrun Treadmill which is part of Technogym’s Skill Line, created in collaboration with Olympic athletes and built for high-intensity athletic performance. The Skillrun available at the Rumble Training studios features a custom interface along with arcade-style joysticks to adjust the speed and incline on either side of the screen. Aside from the unique features exclusive to Rumble Training, the Skillrun offers a wide variety of training programs such as bootcamp, sled training, parachute training, speed shifts, etc.
Other equipment you may be familiar with is the Run Personal + Kinesis Personal. This is the top of the range Technogym design line. Designed by the acclaimed designer Antonio Citterio combines Technogym premium training technology with elegant design and aesthetic. This is ideal for design lovers and people willing to train in an elegant and stylish atmosphere. You don’t need to have an entire room to dedicate to home gym, since personal line equipment are considered real pieces of furniture and they can be perfectly integrated in living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. The personal line includes treadmill, bike, elliptical and Kinesis. Kinesis is Technogym’s unique design training solution allowing a single machine over 200 exercises for strength, balance and flexibility.
The SkillRun - Skill Line is Technogym’s ultimate Line for athletic training performance, designed thanks to Technogym’s experience as official supplier to the last 8 Olympic Games. It includes treadmill, bike, rower and Skillmill curved treadmill. This is ideal for sport lovers and for people willing to train to improve their sport performance: runners, cyclists, triathletes, etc.
The Artis Elliptical - Artis is Technogym’s premium professional line for fitness clubs. It is available also at home for people willing to create a real professional gym at home. It includes a complete range of cardio and strength equipment and it is ideal if you have an entire space to dedicate to your personal gym.
As the official supplier of fitness equipment and digital technologies for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Technogym provides the equipment for the athletes to train on in the Olympic Village to ensure they’re in top shape for competition. This is the eighth time that they have been a part of the Olympic experience, having been a part of Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Turin 2006, Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Pyeongchang 2018.
Each piece of Technogym equipment goes through extensive testing to ensure the maximum benefits for you and your training goals. Whether you’re looking to tone up, lose weight, enhance your athletic ability, or simply keep moving amidst the hustle of daily life, Technogym has a machine for you.
TECHNOGYM
IG @Technogym
Read the March Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List | Technogym in mag.
Known for its innovative and body-redefining method, ChaiseFitness was designed and founded by mother-daughter duo Lauren Piskin, a former gold medalist figure skater, and Rachel Piskin, a former ballerina with the New York City Ballet. Their energy and decades of professional experience is the driving force behind the unique hybrid workouts at ChaiseFitness, which blends the sculpting and strengthening methods of Pilates, ballet, cardio and strength training. As a long-time professional Pilates instructor, Lauren always wanted to “get Pilates off of its back and bring it into the modern upbeat vibe of New York City,” but it wasn’t until Rachel’s ballet career came to an end that she started developing a way to make that happen. Rachel was struggling to maintain the healthy lifestyle she always had from dance, so she and Lauren began to experiment and create a new type of workout that eventually gave her an even stronger and healthier physique. ChaiseFitness and the Reinvention Method were born from Lauren’s professional experience was refined by Rachel’s personal journey to help everyone create long lean muscles, increase flexibility, and transform their bodies.
What makes ChaiseFitness stand out is the unique patented system designed with an overhead bungee system and a state-of-the-art fitness chair. This system provides the framework in which new programming is continually developed (right now there are 10 types of classes) fusing together Pilates, ballet, strength training and aerobics. Focusing on building long, lean, and sculpted muscles, clients improve their posture, spinal health, core stability and strength due to the overhead bungee system and use of resistance bands. ChaiseFitness is still a family business, that lends itself in creating a strong sense of community, which is why it is important that it always has small class sizes to ensure all clients get hands on corrections, connect with the instructor, and most importantly learn how to work in proper form.
With celebs such as Vanessa Hudgens, supermodels Anne V and Jessica Hart who have been trained in the method, it is for everyone. The college student, the working professional, young moms as well as clients in their 60’s and 70’s. The method is low impact with a focus on building long, lean strong muscles, improved core strength, enhanced posture and spinal health. Classes can be done at all the different phases of one’s life: wedding, pregnancy, post natal, rehabbing an injury and of course, just the daily work out to keep you in amazing shape all year long.
ChaiseFitness launched in 2012 with locations in the UES and Flatiron. They expanded their franchise model in Madison, NJ and plan to open of a studio in Maplewood, NJ in early 2019.
At the Flatiron studio, all of the signature classes with intimate class sizes (max 12 per class) as well as private sessions. There are over 10 types of class offerings which include: Chaise Reinvention; a signature class incorporating the fitness chair and overhead bungee system, ChaiseCardio uses the same equipment with the addition of cardio aerobic intervals, and one of the most popular classes BandSculpt using various resistance bands to sculpt and strengthen the body. At the Upper East Side location you can still experience intimate group classes, and have a full traditional Pilates floor dedicated to offering private sessions and small reformer classes. Unique to the UES location is the ability to take private sessions in all the various modalities - an hour session can include working on a reformer, TRX, and wrap with the chair and bungee system.
Both locations offer clients towels, a filtered water station, digital lockers, and select hair and face products so guests can refresh post-sweat session.
In February 2018 Chaise On Demand's platform debuted. Clients can access all of the content through the desktop or the ChaiseFitness app, which offers pre-recorded fitness videos such as 7min ab blast or a 20 min full body chair workout. Clients also get access to live streamed studio classes. The content is updated monthly so clients are constantly challenging themselves from the convenience of their homes.
CHAISEFITNESS
Flatiron
40 E 23rd St 3rd Fl
NY, NY 10010
UES
1204 Lexington Ave
NY, NY 10028
www.chaisefitness.com
IG @chaisefitness
Read more from the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List ChaiseFitness in mag.
We’re always down for a little love for Olympic style and Christopher Lowman’s NYFW SS19 show showcased an array of looks within it’s theme of The Glorious Olympics which pays homage to the 80’s - complete with rolled up socks.
See the latest issue of Athleisure Mag
We've talked about Obstacle Course Races (OCR) before and in this month's fitness focused issue, we sat down with Hunter McIntyre to talk about his upcoming Tough Mudder X Championship presented by KILL CLIFF race taking place on July 28th and airing on CBS. We wanted to know how he got into this sport, how he trains for it and why he enjoys doing them.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your athletic background as we know you were a cross country runner and champion wrestler in high school.
HUNTER MCINTYRE: My grandfather was an Olympic athlete and he really helped me believe that I could become a great athlete myself. He would constantly tell me that I was really fast and encouraged me to run track and field. My ability to run quickly and my experience with wrestling has really translated into my training now.
AM: How did you get into the world of Tough Mudder and other OCR competitions?
HM: While living with my friends in Malibu, my one friend challenged me to compete in an OCR race. At that point, I hadn’t been training for an obstacle race, just body building. In the short time I had to train for that race, I would run up and down my driveway for hours and I ended up finishing 6th place out of around 10,000 participants. I was all-in after that.
AM: What is it about OCR in general that you enjoy?
HM: The best thing is, the opportunity is what you make of it. It’s a sport that you can train for anywhere and everywhere. I can go for a run in Central Park, go to the gym to lift and I can mix in some rock climbing with my friends to train. Most of all, I just love being outdoors.
AM: How do you train for OCR versus just maintaining your workout?
HM: When training for a Tough Mudder, I’ll run once or twice per day, six days per week. It also depends on the distance and location of the event. For World’s Toughest Mudder, I’ll spend 2-4 hours per day training in the woods. When I’m not training for a race, I just like to get in the gym and challenge myself to get as strong as I can. That’s when my friends and I put a big emphasis on strength training.
AM: What are your go to foods that you eat when you're maintaining your body and what 3 splurge foods do you enjoy?
HM: I stick to a high carbohydrate diet. I eat a lot of pancakes and Honey Nut Cheerios. There are some days when I’ll eat 10 apples per day. For two months leading up to the Tough Mudder X Championship I ate a 14oz or 16oz ribeye steak every single night. That steak every night became my sleeping pill and I always feel rejuvenated the next morning. I do splurge on Ben & Jerry’s ice cream from time to time.
AM: Where did your name, "The Sheriff" come from?
HM: One of my friends called me “The Sheriff” one day and it really just stuck with me from then on.
AM: With such an intense schedule how do you take time for yourself?
HM: When I’m not training or I’ve just finished an event, I really like to just chill and relax at my place in Malibu. Since I’m on the road a lot, I enjoy that time at home when I can.
AM: How important is travel to you and what are 3 of your favorite places that you enjoy going to?
HM: It’s important to disconnect work travel and travel for pleasure. I’m always traveling for events, but my top vacation spots would be St. Barts, Telluride, Colorado and Big Sur.
AM: On Sat July 28th, you will be defending your title in the finale of the Tough Mudder X Championship presented by Kill Cliff airing on CBS - how have you prepared for this competition physically and mentally?
HM: Preparing for the TMX Championship, I put myself in tough training situations. This year, I trained extremely hard in the mountains of Park City, Utah.
AM: What has it been like to compete alongside athletes that are comprised of Navy Seals, UFC Fighters, CrossFit, American Ninja Warriors?
HM: It’s great because you learn to respect and understand the ways these other athletes train and the way they approach the same events, differently. I really enjoy learning and picking up some tools from each of them.
Read more from the July Issue of Athleisure Mag and see One on One with the Sheriff in mag.
It seems like snow has been an interesting challenge over the past few weeks and this month, Athleisure Mag editors decided to take a roadtrip to Vermont courtesy of our friends at BUICK to try out the BUICK Regal TourX, a crossover that has the dynamics of a car while having the versatility of a SUV.
The 5 hour drive to Woodstock, Vermont allowed us to enjoy a number of luxury amenities that included OnStar access, OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot (essential for doing laptop work and
keeping our phones connected when we started to get into spotty coverage areas), plenty of USB ports, SiriusXM Radio (we loved Lithium, the Pearl Jam and Beatles channels), and navigation that kept us aware of accident areas and re-routing us as needed.
We're all about storage as we had a bit of equipment with us from camera gear, outfits for the slopes, snacks and more. The cargo space was quite substantial and as we drove into the night,
the illumination of key areas on the dashboard was a great way to keep areas lit.
While in Vermont, we stayed at the Woodstock Inn + Resort, which was a quaint resort that provides easy access to Woodstock Inn Nordic Center (we took the opportunity to go Snowshoeing), as well as a number of other mountain resorts such as Killington Ski Resort. Our room had a fireplace, as well which was a homey touch and there were attendants available to
start the fire if needed. In our downtime, we took advantage of our stay at the Woodstock Inn enjoying fine dining at the properties' Red Rooster and Richardson's Tavern, which had a
number of savory comfort foods and well-made cocktails. We also enjoyed our fill of basketball games as we're in the midst of March Madness!
There were a number of common areas with fireplaces that continued the woodsy vibe of this resort from the lobby, cozy nooks as well as a library that gave guests a number of places to connect with friends, family and other guests. We dove into chapters of Re-Engineering Humanity over hot toddies.
We explored the town of Woodstock, which had a number of churches, historical sites and covered bridges that highlighted the New England town.
When we added the trip to our calendar, we knew that we wanted to explore a few areas and decided to make a pit stop on our way home. Interestingly enough when we crossed Vermont's state line into Massachusetts, we saw the exit for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. With March being the month of one of college's biggest tournament's, NCAA March Madness we decided that we had to make a stop here.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is in honor of Dr. James Naismith, a physical educator who invented the game at the age of 30 in 1891. He wrote the original basketball rule book and founded the University of Kansas basketball program. He was the first Kansas Jayhawks' Coach (1898 - 1907) as well as the school's Athletic Director (1919 - 1937). Prior to his death, he saw the game become an official Olympic event in the summer games of 1936, the birth of the National Invitation Tournament (1938) and the NCAA Tournament (1939). At his tenure at Kansas, he would coach Phog Allen who later became the coach for Kansas for 39 seasons. He would also coach Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith.
This building is home to more than 300 inductees and has over 40,000 square feet of basketball history from NCAA teams, NBA, interactive exhibits and live clinics. Visitors can see signed memorabilia, sneakers, plaques, uniforms and more that have a place in Hardwood History.
It was a great weekend checking out the car, snow sports and paying homage to the inception and heritage of basketball.
Read more from the Mar Issue and On the Road with Buick in mag.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Paul Farkas
When you think about the Olympics, a number of sports come to mind. In the list of classic sports during these games, rowing is at the top of our list. It's a sport that creates images of collegiate athletes, country clubs, and symphony in motion. Known as the oldest contested
collegiate sport, the first race was between the Harvard-Yale regatte in 1852! Back in the 20's and 30's, collegiate crew received the type of press that baseball gets and it seems like there is a resurgence that has taken place. We had the opportunity to know more about the sport, how it has a lot of commonalities with studio rowing as well as understanding why there is an increased focus in making this sport accessible to more people.
We found ourselves at the members only, Saugatuck Rowing Club in Westport, Connecticut - owned by Howard Winklevoss (this is one of 3 rowing clubs in the Winklevoss umbrella), learning about the fundamentals of rowing from an elite team of trainers from RowAmerica
(their focus is to support, promote and expand the sport of rowing), and the Co-Founders of ROW HOUSE NYC who have indoor rowing studios in NYC.
Howard's awareness of the sport came through his sons (Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss who competed throughout their academic career as well as placing 6th during the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing - they are also known as crypto currency internet entrepreneurs) and their love of training at this particular rowing club that encouraged him to not only buy this boathouse, but additional facilities as a means to garner increased interest of the sport and to preserve it as well.
To create an interest in the sport, a partnership between Saugatuck Rowing Club and ROW HOUSE NYC was created to allow members of the rowing studio to have the opportunity to row on the water. Many of the skills utilized in studio become building blocks when on the
water working as a team.
In addition, this boathouse is internationally recognized as a premier boatclub that has produced annual national and Olympic champions. Members can enjoy an array of rowing programs whether they're a novice or Olympic bound. Additional offerings include a number of workout methods that are offered from yoga, spinning, body sculpting, access to a state of the art gym as well as a lounge and restaurant.
Prior to our day on the water, we had rowed in studio at ROW HOUSE NYC. It's a total body workout that is low impact but has a lot of energy. In studio, it feels like an individual sport where you compete with yourself. While at the boathouse, we warmed up rowing as you
would in studio but transitioning into actually rowing on the water, there is a lot of discipline and connection in order to truly flow on the water!
To have our team of rowers work in sync whether we were going forward, backing up and even getting the boat in the water - taking direction is key. In addition, you learn that each person is needed for the smoothest ride! After a few hours on the water, we hit our stride and working the oars and gaining co-ordination became much easier.
To find out more about indoor rowing, visit ROW HOUSE NYC to find your nearest location. Once you begin working out at their facility, you can find out more about introducing yourself to rowing on water at Saugatuck Rowing Club.
Read more from the Aug Issue and see With the Crew in mag.
