FITNESS IS ABOUT so much more than executing a perfect lunge, logging an hour in the gym or getting that heart rate up to its max: A good workout leaves you feeling confident and ready to take on the world! And when entering an exercise class or training session, we know the instructor can definitely make or break your experience. We’ve scoured the scene for our favorite fitness pros and asked them to fill us in on their secrets for sweat-proof success!
Shonda Bradford has created a customized training program at The Bradford Method utilizing a cutting-edge, comprehensive system equipped with springs, pulleys, bands and – nope, your eyes are not deceiving you – trampolines to sculpt a long and lean body. Her classes and personal sessions are a unique combo of pilates, cardio, barre and trampoline that have you not only breaking a sweat but loving the body you’re in. We picked Shonda’s brain about her gym bag essentials, her secret weapon and her healthiest obsessions – and are now officially craving our next workout!
Class In Session With Shonda Bradford Of The Bradford Method
Studio:
Bradford Method in East Hampton, NY
My specialty:
Sculpting lean, sexy and vibrant bodies through routines that I customize for each individual client.
Favorite class to teach:
Trampoline Barre! It’s the best way to burn calories without injury and you can’t help but smile the entire time you’re jumping!
Favorite class to take:
Ballet class is where my heart is. I spent my entire life training in the ballet studio, so returning for class feels like coming home.
Moment I fell in love with fitness:
I fell in love with fitness when I started to see major changes in my clients’ bodies through my method. I realized that my exercises were truly making a difference in their fitness and well being!
When you leave my class you feel...
Open, energized and confident.
My secret weapon:
Dynamic movement sequences on the 12-foot-by-8-foot Garuda Apparatus. Named after the Garuda bird in Indian mythology, the Garuda is a one-of-a-kind fitness machine, as it changes its form to meet its multiple functions. It transforms from Pilates Reformer, to Wunda Chair, to Trapeze Table and everything in between.
Go-to workout gear:
Loose tanks and colorful, patterned leggings. My favorite brand is Onzie!
In my gym bag:
Extra tanks and leggings, Burt’s Bees Facial Wipes, elastic hair ties, Emergen-C, my iPad and at least five pairs of sticky socks in all different colors.
Favorite workout move:
While holding a band in hands and feet in wide second position, bend your knees until your seat is level with your knees. With straight arms, pull the band to your chest, arms out to the side. Straighten arms and knees and repeat 20 times.
Biggest inspiration:
The amazing, exquisite New York City Ballet dancers
When I'm not in the studio, I'm:
At home or at the playground with my 13-month old son.
Favorite post-workout fuel:
I usually miss breakfast since I’m in the studio teaching all morning, so when I get home I love having an omelette with tons of veggies.
Favorite way to hydrate:
I love fresh cold-pressed juices. They’re nutritious, yummy and a great way to replenish my body post-workout.
Fave quick workout outside the studio:
I’m a huge fan of walking. When I’m in NYC I’ll walk around the Jackie Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in Central Park in the morning. It’s nice to get some fresh air and be out in nature after spending so much time inside.
Latest healthy obsession:
My husband buys boxes of fresh coconuts from Chinatown in NYC. They are so much more delicious than the store-bought ones.
Current mantra:
“One day at a time.”
