Now this was crazy. I was invited to work out with Serena Williams last Thursday night and being the fitness junkie that I am I couldn't believe I had the opportunity to train with such an iconic athlete. It wasn't just a meet and greet, it was a half hour circuit training session and then an interview at 24 Hour Fitness in midtown to try out a new product she's endorsing from her Mission line of athletic products called EnduraCool. PS: I also scored a video of her kicking butt too!
I have to be completely honest, I thought the class was going to be a BS fitness class, because after all it was a beauty editor event and I didn't think we'd be getting down and dirty. Well I was wrong. Serena is no joke (obvi) and the class was for fitness beasts! Could I have kept up? Yes, but instead I opted to "glisten" instead of sweat and take some pics and video. I was going straight out afterwards and my dry shampoo would have done my hair no justice if I actually did the entire thing.
The EnduraCool Instant Cooling Towel proved it's magic mid workout. It's an innovative workout towel that cools once it's wet. We all soaked it with water and when the water came in contact with the fabric it instantly cooled and stayed cold throughout the rest of the workout. "The hottest I've ever been on the court was in Australia. It was 142 degrees and we wrapped towels in ice with tape," Williams commented. "The last thing I need is for my dress to be wet and weighed down when I'm running, because it's already is with sweat and it's not a good look."
After Serena sweat it out and I slightly glistened, I got to chat with her for a few minutes. Check out my interview and the video of her working out below!
What are your gym bag must haves?
"In the Florida sun, where I live, this (EnduraCool) is so important especially in the summer! I love my wrist bands since I sweat so much and I can't have sweaty hands in my sport, rackets, a hat and SPF. Mission has a really good SPF that I worked really hard on. I also always wear a hat so I can avoid wrinkles."
Favorite beauty products?
New eyeliner that my friend gave to me that's supposedly waterproof and it never bleeds. It's super cheap, from the drugstore but I'm not sure what it is. My mom introduced me to Lancome mascara.
How do you keep your natural hair tamed and frizz free, especially after a workout?
I don't do anything to my hair. I just wash it, comb it out and then when I get out of the shower I throw conditioner on it, a Tresemme cream. It's unbelievable and everyone's always giving me compliments on how good my hair smells and looks. I've tried all of the stuff, absolutely everything and it's my go-to.
Do you have any rituals before hitting the court?
I have to wash my hands before hitting the court. I'm always applying SPF a lot, but I don't think that's the reason, but I always have to. I don't know if it's a superstitious thing, but I have to do it.
What's your biggest guilty pleasure?
Apple pie, cherry pie, but I never say no to a peanut butter cookie. I can say no to anything else, but you rarely see peanut butter cookies.
