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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AM: How do you stay engaged with your community?

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

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

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

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

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

AM: What philanthropies are you involved in?

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

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

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

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

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

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

IG @JillianMichaels

PHOTOS COURTESY | Jillian Michaels