She may be known for training Hollywood’s A-list, but Tracy Anderson is shockingly down to earth and unpretentious. (Case in point, her most treasured piece of clothing is a flannel.) And while she doesn’t think you should look at your workout as something that should be rewarded by a treat, she knows the value of a good cheat day (ahem). Here’s a look at some other surprising things we learned from our January guest editor.
- When I wake up in the morning I think… go go go go go.
- When I’m planning out a class I’m about to teach, I always… focus on exactly what I want the end result of that class to be and what my approach is going to be to make the most of that hour; not just to help the people right in front of me, but how can that material I create right there in that hour help people everywhere. (Tracy Anderson is now livestreaming her classes.)
- I never work out without my… music.
- A favorite track from my current playlist is… “Live Forever” by Travis Barker.
- I fuel my workouts with… the feeling of connection to myself.
- Post workout, it’s important to… own it and not feel like you accomplished something that deserves a “treat.” I also feel that after a really productive workout, you should find 10 to 20 minutes to brain dump anything and everything that came into your brain space during that time. The better you get at connecting to yourself during the workout, the sharper your mind becomes. Try not to become distracted; trust that you are in a focused environment and those thoughts will present themselves again.
- My workout beauty essentials include… Tata Harper Aromatic Irritability Treatment, Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser, Elemental Herbology Cell Food, Claudio Riaz Concealer and Charlotte Tilbury Lip Gloss.
- You’d never catch me wearing… body-restraining workout wear.
- My favorite fitness apparel brands include… GoodhYOUman T-shirts, Aviator Nation sweats, Onzie, Teeki, UnderArmor, All Things Fabulous and Xirena bras.
- When I’m not working out, I love to wear… jeans and cashmere sweaters or vintage T-shirts and overalls. I also am obsessed with great sweats. I do love a beautiful dress for anything worth dressing up for. I am a huge Victoria Beckham fan!
- The most treasured item in my closet is… a James Perse flannel.
- When I’m feeling unmotivated to work out I… eat chocolate
- My guilty food pleasure is… haha just let that one go… see above! But might I add my love for the perfect french fries, mashed potatoes or McClure’s Bloody Mary Potato chips.
- When it comes to healthy snacks… I don’t snack because something is “healthy.” Too many calories is unhealthy and I try and really eat a lot of nutritious foods during my meals. So IF I snack, it’s because my body or brain is craving something. What I do is try and choose the healthiest version of it. Meaning, if I am craving Doritos, I’ll eat Nacho Cheese Garden of Eatin chips instead.
- When I’m not teaching I… am with my kids or working on all of the back-end things that make the classes what they are for everyone. I also love dinners with friends and lots of family and kids around everywhere.
- On a typical Saturday night I’m… with my kids watching a movie or doing some kind of wild creative play or with friends at dinner with a glass of red wine. I also love supporting friends, so if there is a birthday or an event or a cause, I always try to be value added and celebrate! It’s really important to show up for the meaningful moments in people’s lives I think.
- My favorite thing to do when I want to relax is… peaceful contemplation…seriously I love to be in my PJs and reading brain pickings or reading, period. Or watching Girls on repeat.
- The celebrity I’d most like to train is… Tina Turner. I’m the biggest fan. I will say, however, that I love anyone that brings something open and great to the table. People that come to the session wanting to really become a stronger person from deep inside. I’ve had people, celebrities included, that come in and have a fixed mindset that they know more about fitness and I always think how unfortunate that is.
- If there was one moment where I knew “I made it” it would be… probably about about a decade ago when I didn’t have to rely on the measurements as much anymore. I used to have to obsessively measure the small muscle changes in my clients to even see where to go next and I got so good at it I could tell you in a week by eyeballing someone how much weight they changed and where to go next with them. I was just so good at creating their movements even my jaw dropped at the changes in their bodies. I was so proud of the result of my focus that it literally was tear-jerking for me. I don’t think people realize how much work it took to do the research behind my method.
- When I’m teaching, I’m most impressed by a student who… shows up for me and for themselves, is all in and not judgmental.
- I always tell people who are intimidated by the Tracy Anderson Method… that I created it FOR them and, above it all, I am a nurturer and a teacher. All great teachers can teach anyone who is just simply willing to learn.
