HOW TO TRAIN FOR FASHION WEEK

HOW TO TRAIN FOR FASHION WEEK

To prepare for Fashion Week and the Met Gala, Equinox member LaQuan Smith, who was the first designer to host a show at the Empire State Building, trained with Tier X coach Rashaad Moss. Here, some takeaways:

PRACTICE EMOTIONAL REGULATION.

It’s a strategy that can help you to manage stress in the moment, says Minaa B., writer, wellness coach, and licensed therapist. Breathing exercises, movement, and meditation are all useful skills but here’s a lesser-known strategy: Utilize your five senses as a grounding technique. 

You might focus on the things you’re hearing in the room, an object you see, or even a color. “Often, our mind takes us to many different places and the goal [of this exercise] is to center ourselves back to where we are,” she explains. Another trick: Nostalgic cues (a song, picture, or object that triggers specific memories and fills your mind with positive thoughts) engage memories while bringing you back to the present.

FOLLOW THE 1:3 RULE.

Moss implemented a 1:3 work-to-rest ratio (think: a 20-second battle rope interval with 60 seconds of rest) for Smith’s conditioning programming. “During conditioning workouts I expect him to perform with maximum intensity [to] cause his heart rate to elevate within a short amount of time,” Moss says. “Giving him three times the amount of rest versus work allows him to properly recover before performing the next set.”

EAT WITH YOUR HANDS.

Smith focused on a balanced nutrition plan from Moss that included palm-sized portions of protein, cupped handfuls of carbs, fist-sized portions of veggies and thumb-sized portions of fats daily. The numbers will vary depending on your body size and goal, of course, but measuring out macros in this way is a nutrition coach-approved strategy.

“Hand portions is a simple way for people to eat the proper amount of servings without measuring their food,” Moss explains. To determine the ideal macro breakdown for your goal, Moss recommends working with a nutrition coach or researching macronutrient calculators to get personalized numbers.

STEAL HIS WORKOUT.

A full-body strength day for Smith hits on pretty much every muscle group. Check into your club to try it for yourself after a proper warm-up. Just be warned: It’s Tough!

Full Body Strength Training

Rower x 250 meters

Complete 3 rounds:

1A Barbell squat x 8 reps

2A Cable chops x 10 reps

Complete 3 rounds:

1B Trap bar deadlift x 10 reps

2B Medicine ball sit-up to overhead toss x 10 reps

Complete 3 rounds:

3A Supine medicine ball floor toss x 8 reps

3B Dumbbell floor press x 10 reps

3C Resistance band core rotations x 8 reps

Complete 3 rounds:

4A Chest-supported bent-over row x 12 reps

4B Chest-supported hammer curls x 10 reps

Complete 2 rounds:

5A SkiErg x 100 meters

5B Alternating battle rope waves x 15 seconds

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