interviews

Q.Where are you two from? You both seem like true Cali girls.
A.
Karena: I’m from Indiana and Katrina’s from New Hampshire! I think it’s hard for anyone to live in California and not get a little sea salt in their hair and wear flip flops every day.

Q.How’d you two meet? What spurred Tone It Up once you became friends?
A.
Karena: We met at Equinox! I was training for a triathlon and had a shoot coming up. Katrina was a trainer and asked me for my number to train me. We realized we were neighbors and started hanging out. It was like we knew each other our whole lives. 

Almost immediately we started Tone It Up. We wanted it to be a blog where girls like us could come support one another to be fit and healthy.

Q.Is having a sexy beach body the core concept of Tone It Up?
A.
Katrina: When Karena and I first started TIU we didn’t really know what it would turn into. We wanted to promote healthy living, balance and fun, so when we started doing videos...

I'VE WORSHIPPED KATHY SMITH FOR AGES

She's one of the godmothers of fitness as I know it. She's incredible because she's kept herself in top shape throughout the years, and by no means through sacrifice. Kathy loves hiking, skiing, strength training, dancing...and eating! She can't workout without her favorite energy boosting smoothie. She truly defines "fun" healthy living, and I've always wanted to be just like her.

I've traveled across the country to work out with her (at IdeaFIT) and then begged Acacia Fitness for an interview with her. I nearly stalked Kathy Smith to bring you her story and point of view, so you better read it!

CLICK HERE FOR MY CELEBRITY SWEAT INTERVIEW WITH KATHY SMITH

Find out why perfection isn't a priority for Kathy...and why "balance" is a part of her whole fitness shtick. Even the moves in her 2 newest workout DVDs incorporate balancing. You'd be surprised how hard these exercises are!

CLICK HERE FOR MY CELEBRITY SWEAT...

Q.Kathy, women all over the world own your DVDs. How has fitness stardom affected your life?
A.

I like to think that I have the best of both worlds. I've had enough
"celebrity" to get the opportunity to meet some amazing people, from
the President  of the United States to Ken Cooper (the doctor who started the whole aerobic movement). I have met countless celebrities in all fields from Jay Leno to Deepak Chopra, Tom Cruise to Barbara Streisand.

But I'm also not so famous that it impacts my day-to-day life, so I don't have to worry too much about anonymity, and I don't feel pressure to uphold some unrealistic image, the way that some big stars might.

Q.At what point in your life did you become interested in pursuing a career in fitness?
A.
When I first moved to LA, I started taking a class called BodyDesign by Gilda. It was amazing - any given day, I'd have Barbra Streisand on one side of me in the class, and Jane Fonda on the other. But it was all...

Q.Cherie, you're blowing up on the music scene! How do you balance your time between fitness and performing on stage?
A.
Fitness is an integral part of my life and mission. I want to inspire the world to move through my music, which is why I created HOUSEROBICS. When I’m touring and on the road, I may not be able to teach my regular schedule of classes in NYC, but I drop in at gyms around the world and teach special classes.

Q.Can you give us the “Houserobics for Dummies” breakdown?
A.
Houserobics is a genre to describe the music I create, which blends together my two greatest passions, fitness and music! Houserobics is hot, original dance music, created to inspire people around the world to move their bodies and get sweaty!

Q.Sounds like a workout to me...
A.
Each one of my songs IS a workout. There’s a movement, an attitude, and feeling that comes out of each song that hopefully encourages people around the world to release their inhibitions and move!

Q.Your...

Q.Amanda, how did you become a fitness entrepreneur? Obviously there's no set path but how did you start down yours?
A.
My career has been an evolution that has lead me to the fitness world. It was during my career as a trendforecaster that I identified the rise of wellconsciousness among women my age and in particular, my own interest in the area. I left that job to start Vital Juice, the wellness focused daily email (like DailyCandy without the cavities) that I ran until last month*. And it was frequent trips to LA throughout my career that lead me to finding SLT and SLT Yoga.

*Vital Juice has shifted gears and is now Tasting Table's Good Taste

Q.What are you most proud of when you think about Vital Juice and STL, as I'm sure they were both labors of love.
A.
I love that Vital Juice inspired people to make healthier choices…and we’d get amazing reader feedback on its impact.

I love my interactions with our SLT clients…I love seeing results the workout...

So here's what went down...

I saw a picture of Norma Kamali sporting a fitness getup from her collection for Opening Ceremony that I wasn't digging.

I made a comment about it on the MizzFIT Facebook page. Lo and behold, the next day there's an email from her in my inbox. Ahhh, F*@K me! It took me a solid hour to bolster up the courage to open up it. Was she pissed? Would she blackball me from all her stores? Would she summon her fashionista squad to stone me to death...or worse, ban me from wearing her clothes?

I finally opened it (with my eyes closed).

In her email, Norma acknowledged my comments about the functionality of her garb, but backed it up by saying that she designs for the modern woman who likes to express herself in creative, comfortable and cost effective ways. She said she's proud of her designs and wanted me to look at her transitional fitness apparel in a different way...keeping in mind her mission.

Norma had me at "hello, I'm taking the...