I've been a Coco fan for quite some time. She's famously known for being Ice-T's wife and for looking like this...
I adore Coco. She's in your face voluptious, booty-ful and eccentric but deep down she's just a sweet girl from New Mexico who grew up loving fitness. In pictures, Coco surely comes across as more vixen than sweetheart. I assure you she's 100% sweetheart. I wouldn't be writing this article unless I had an amazing heart-to-heart with her, which I did. What ensues are excerpts from a long conversation I had with Coco. Just like YOU, she's one-of-a-kind. And she wants more women to embrace their zaniness and get the hell outta their shell!
How did you get into fitness and bodybuilding?
"One of my 1st jobs from when I was 16 to 18 was at a sports and wellness center. I really liked being in a healthy atmosphere. Through working there I ended up entering a fitness contest at 18 in Mexico called the Miss Ujena fitness competition. It’s a week long fitness contest that includes volleyball, swimming and a ton of activities. If you win it, it means you’re really in shape. I was told I had no chance of winning because it was my first year competing but I just wanted to be part of the whole experience. And what do you know, I did it and actually won the freakin’ thing! It was the hardest thing I ever did—mentally and physically. I’m more in shape now than I was at 18 so maybe I’ll do another competition one day. But I just haven’t had the balls to do it yet!"
I’m very excited about your new app (Coco’s Workout World) so let's tell Mizzfit readers about it!
"I didn’t want to do a regular aerobics workout. That’s not who I am. I wanted to capture the actual moves I do at the gym—stretching, dance moves and bodybuilding. A lot of girls want to be slender, cut fat and be petite through fitness but I’m kind of the opposite. If you want to have nice curves and work with what you got, then you should follow my fitness app."
How on earth do you weight-lift in heels, girl? I've seen the pics and I know you do this in the app too.
"Your body gets used to doing squats in sneakers so what I do is change things up with doing them in heels. When you put the heels on, it works a totally different part of both your leg muscles and booty. It’s a great way to trick your body into working harder and I figured people would get a kick out of it. Start with a low heel and work your way up. All you want is your calf to be raised. You don’t have to wear stripper heels. I also teach girls how to twerk on my app. Twerking is an exercise than can work both your core and legs."
What’s the secret to a sexy booty?
"In order to build a booty you have to be willing to lift weight and heavy weight. That’s what builds the muscle. And then on top of that muscle you have to have a little fat. You don’t want to be at 0% body fat. You wanna have a little bit of cush. That’s what makes curves curves. I have a little cellulite going on but I am OK with that."
You wear jaw-dropping high heels. What do you do to keep your feet from hating you?
"I’m in heels all the time. I do a scrub and exfoliate my heels and toes. The secret is also to opt for open-toed shoes that give your toes some room to move and breath. I also use these heart-shaped foot petals that pad my heels to make them more comfortable. They really help especially when I’m at the airport in heels."
So when it comes to shoes, what’s your favorite brand?
"I have an outrageous collection of Louboutin heels. I have them in pretty much every color. I just choose the pair that matches my outfit the best. I have a huge collection of sneakers too. I’m not as brand loyal with them as I am with my heels. It’s just about what matches my outfit the best."
Do you think a healthy fitness lifestyle leads to a healthy sex life?
Yes! That’s part of the reason I created my Cocolicious line because I think more people need to come out of their shell in terms of their sex life. My entire sex toy line is designed to throw in your purse 'n go. When you're going to the gym and trying hard to look good for yourself, it helps your sex life. It makes you want to show off your results. The gym definitely helps you with that...and not be so shy.
You’re so empowered, Coco. You're always YOU and don't apologize for it. What’s your best tip for women to build up their confidence?
I tell people: screw everyone around them. Everybody’s always so cautious and worried about what other people might think that they really don’t come out of their shell. I’m all about coming out of your shell. Fear pulls you back from success. Especially the fear of rejection. Get through your fear. Look it in the eyes. It’s the year of the women. I like to motivate girls to be strong and fearless. It’s why I came out with many of my product lines—they’re basically my secrets aimed at helping women feel good.
Is that why you teamed up with Quarterly Co, too?
Yes! I give each one of my Quarterly boxes a theme to empower girls. The box that just went out is about glamour. I literally pour my purse out while planning each box and share the things that I can’t live without. I also include items that people frequently ask me about on Twitter, like when they want to know what I use. I always get asked about my favorite lip gloss so that, of course, went inside. I don’t just lend my name out to Quarterly, I am a part of the entire process from day 1. It totally represents me.
There you go, peeps. That's the Coco I love.
While talking to Coco, I was kind of going through a little funk and her advice about looking fear in the eyes helped me reconnect with my strong self. Coco's a book you don't want to judge by her "cover". She may be a hot tamale but she's full of incredibly sweet chapters. Send her a tweet and tell her you read this article. Coco does her own social media and tweets back to her fans a lot. Sign up for Coco's Quarterly Box HERE!
Are you a Coco convert? Comment below please!