Author: Sebastien Lagree
No matter what phase of life you’re in, it’s never too late to start your fitness journey! Whether you’ve been active since childhood, or you’re now just discovering the importance of physical activity, Ashley Borden is here to help.
Ashley is a fitness and lifestyle consultant to the stars, and has more than 40,000 hours of personal training experience under her belt.
Her VIP clients include the likes of Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling, Mandy Moore, Taio Cruz, Taraji P. Henson, Mischa Barton, and dozens more who swear by her dynamic methods, enlightening philosophy, and refreshing honesty to meet their desired goals.
Her expertise even landed her a spot-on Khloe Kardashian’s show Revenge Body, where she shares her A-list advice with individuals looking to kick-start their fitness journeys through the highly challenging, expedited program.
The internationally-renowned workout guru spoke exclusively to GLAMOUR South Africa about why celebrities trust her program, how she’s been staying fit during the lockdown, and why it’s crucial to seek out fitness advice from professional, verified trainers, as opposed to Instagram models with large followings.
What sparked your passion for fitness and living a healthy lifestyle? Was this always important to you, or did a certain instance in your life inspire it?
I grew up in and around health and fitness. My mother owned a health food store called “Borden’s Vitamin Bee” and my father owned athletic stores called “The Complete Athlete.” My mother was an avid runner and we would always watch her races and join her at the track. My dad was obsessed with bodybuilding and got me a Rachel McLish Bodybuilding book when I was 8 years old (?!). I was just fascinated by weights and dance. I spent the first 16 years of my life thinking I wanted to be a professional dancer.
What is your current fitness regimen, and your nutrition plan you use to stay in shape?
I am consistent with my training because I am always using one of my AB Fit APP programs so I have an actual plan. (ashleyborden.com/collections/hot-at-home) My boyfriend and I are currently doing my Hot At Home 3.0 program that is 3x a week of strength training and it’s super challenging! (only dumbbells and a bench are necessary for this 4 part program) I also teach my body weight only, virtual class,The Body Foundation Live every Tuesday and Thursday 9am pst/ 12pm EST. I love it especially during these times of less options for training.
TBF live class gives me the motivation to stay consistent and motivated, and I love seeing my students feel the same way. The live interaction of TBF class is so invigorating and inspiring as it's a community that trains together and stays consistent and together.
What one thing do you never skip in your workout?
I would never skip core work in a workout.
How would you describe your philosophy on health and fitness, and how has it evolved?
My philosophy is, “It's never too late.” Quit focusing on what you think you “should be” and become the best version of YOU.
Who or what gives you the most inspiration and motivation to achieve your fitness goals?
Lately I have been super inspired by JLo embracing her age and looking like such a fierce hot 50-year-old! I’m motivated by my JiuJitsu and how it's a never ending learning process for me. That's super motivating to have a goal that will not end, and I'm only a blue belt!
What specific fitness goal are you currently focused on?
Right now my goal is to get 10 strict pulls up. I’m at 5 currently.
What's the best way for someone to motivate herself to get fit?
Follow a program that has been created by professionals that have worked with humans.
An IG model with millions of followers is great, to look at, but successful physique transformations happen when you understand how to train a variety of people with proper programming, progression and intensity.
All of my AB Fit APP programs are written for the true beginner to an advanced athlete.
We don’t use my Verified platform of followers as testing grounds to see if a program works or not. Every program has been run in real life, with multiple clients who give real life feedback and produce real life results. I am very proud of our programs and the transformations!
One of the key elements for staying consistent with working out is accountability. Who keeps you accountable for working out consistently?
My Hot At Home, AB Fit APP sends daily emails with your workout embedded in the email. Even if I don't feel like it, I am always happy to get the reminder, and I immediately see the workout for that day. It makes it that much easier to get it done, no excuse!
You’ve trained numerous celebrities such as Ryan Gosling, Christina Aguilera, and Mischa Barton, why do you think celebrities trust you for fitness help?
Celebs and rock stars, royalty, etc. work with me because I want to help them, not be them. I am not intimidated by their lifestyle or career choice.
I am hired because I know what I am doing, I listen and how to guide the way to the goal at hand. I also have great empathic ability to read a room well, be a team player and look at the bigger picture, always.
I respect anyone’s job or career as long as they give the same mutual respect. I look at everyone as human, and I love to help, so I’m sure that’s my most front and forward energy, along with my 40,000 hours of training all types of people and personalities and net worth.
You were also a featured trainer on E!’s Revenge Body with Khloé Kardashian, did that experience influence the way that you approach fitness and staying healthy? What does your dynamic training program consist of and what inspired you to use this method to help people get in shape?
I approached my Revenge Body participants the way I work with any client. Except we fast forward to getting to know each other and what the expectations are for the 12 weeks we have together.
They are immediately introduced to my SOS FOOD PLAN, we have a heart to heart about my job as their coach, and their job as a participant on the show. Nobody is ready for the amount of work that it takes to lose 40-50lbs of fat in 12-16 weeks.
But we do it with no injuries, some tears and a huge focus on strength training and fueling the body correctly based on their caloric output and our goals.
What's something most people may not know about you?
Something you may not know about me is I am an introverted/Extrovert ;)
