W.O.W! Working Out With Kelly Ripa

 
KELLY RIPA, SOS EDITOR CLAUDIA LEBENTHAL, STACEY GRIFFITH
 
PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEOS BY DEBBY HYMOWITZ

 
From daytime television to morning television, Kelly Ripa has been making her presence known on the airwaves since 1990. We first got to know her as Hayley Vaughan on ABC’s “All My Children”, before becoming the co-host of “Live with Regis and Kelly” in 2001. Now the solo host of “Live with Kelly”, Kelly Ripa has proven she’s a force to be reckoned with and not just on the small screen. Packed into a 5’3” frame, this media powerhouse is a whole lot of muscle and endless energy, all of which I’ve witnessed plenty while riding with her over the last few years at SoulCycle.

The bubbly personality we all know and love on television is balanced by a sarcastic wit that fellow riders at SoulCycle experience on a regular basis. There is no diva here; Kelly is just a fresh-faced, funny, and approachable spin mate who didn’t hesitate to say yes when I worked up the nerve to ask if she’d be on Style of Sport. Her only request was that she didn’t have to wear any makeup. ‘How cool’, I thought, ‘How real! How Alicia Keys!’ The daily application of makeup is one part of her job that she is happy to skip when not required.
 

CLICK IMAGE ABOVE TO WATCH US IN ACTION!

 
For this installment of “WOW: Working Out With”, Kelly and I “doubled” at SoulCycle with one of our favorite instructors, Stacey Griffith — a star in her own right whose book, Two Turns from Zero, comes out this March. Anyone who rides with Stacey knows we are a tight knit group. The “double” seems to be a phenomenon unique to SoulCycle where riders just can’t get enough, taking not just one, but two classes in a row.
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The XPT Experience

 

3 DAYS WITH GABBY REECE, LAIRD HAMILTON…

AND KERRI WALSH JENNINGS, TOO!

IT’S THIS SPORTY GIRL’S DREAM COME TRUE!

 

PHOTOGRAPHS & COLLAGES BY KEITH KING

Ever wonder what life is like for Gabrielle Reece and Laird Hamilton? Well, wonder no more. Gabby and Laird, along with Brian MacKenzie, a human performance specialist, have created The XPT Experience, a 3-day turbo-charged immersion into their lives. XPT stands for Extreme Performance Training and for $5000, you get full access to this trio and a roster of the most buzzed about – although you may not have heard about them yet — trainers, coaches, health and wellness experts. The XPT Experience is an action packed program of workouts, lectures, and playtime too, all of which comes from the cutting edge training, nutrition and recovery these professional athletes have integrated into their daily lives.

For those who don’t know this Amazonian beauty, Gabby Reece is a former professional beach volleyball player, model, best-selling author, mother, and world-renowned fitness personality, most recently seen as the host of NBC’s Strong. At 6’3 she is a towering presence, and at 47 years old, as gorgeous and fit as ever, enhanced by a big heart and generosity as large. Husband Laird Hamilton is the world famous big wave surfer, who at 53 defies age and gravity, riding massive walls of water for a living and inventing new water sports for the rest of us to enjoy. He is recognized as the creator of Stand Up Paddleboarding. His rock hard physique and hunky good looks are hard to ignore, along with an engaging stream of dialogue that questions many common assumptions on health and fitness, while offering alternative ways of thinking with the latest discoveries in human performance. Read More

 

W.O.W! Nigel Barker & The DogPound

 
GUN SHOW WITH THE DOGPOUND!
FROM LEFT: DAWIN PENA, NIGEL BARKER, ME, KIRK MYERS, BREY PENA

 
In our WOW (Working Out With) series, yours truly goes head to head with a person of note, in the gym or some other sporting arena, to sweat a bit and talk about what’s up. For this installment, I connected with renowned photographer and fashion television host, Nigel Barker, at Gotham Gym in NYC to work out with his crew, known as the DogPound.

Nigel and I met in 2014 and got to know each other well working on his newest book, Models Of Influence, of which I was the photo editor. Published in February 2015, the book is retrospective of 50 of the most influential models in fashion history and the iconic photographs that defined them. Decade by decade, each chapter spotlights an era, and highlights the “50 Women Who Reset the Course of Fashion.”

Known well for his 17 seasons on “America’s Next Top Model,” Nigel was most recently the host of “The Face,” and is regularly featured on other television shows as the go-to fashion authority. A highly regarded photographer, filmmaker, philanthropist, and author, Nigel is no slouch in the gym either. Six days a week at 5:45 am sharp, he works out with a group of about 15 other guys and 3 very large trainers — Kirk Myers, Dawin Pena, and Brey Pena — aka the DogPound.

 

nigel-wow-1
CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT: HANGING LEGS LIFTS AS THE DOGPOUND KEEPS A WATCHFUL EYE; MORE AB WORK WITH LEG THROW DOWNS; NIGEL AND I GO HEAD TO HEAD WITH PUSH-UPS

 

The group was originally assembled by actor Hugh Jackman, and includes various other captains of industry and a few Olympic athletes as well. The name “DogPound” is an homage to “Dali,” Jackman’s French bulldog, who presides over all workouts. The group meets every morning to “smash it,” their signature expression for crushing everything from weightlifting, high intensity interval training (HIIT), and literally smashing things — boxing, hammer drills, hitting drills, ball slams and throws. I got a taste of it, pushing a 200 lb. tire back and forth with Nigel, along with a sampling of other DogPound favorites. A little stomach bug kept me from going full out, but even a shortened session left my heart pumping and eager for another round with the DogPound! After our workout, we talked fitness, fashion, and Models of Influence.
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