[BEHIND THE SCENES] With Rockell Williamson from Xtend Barre.

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Sasha Hartley

Whilst in LA, our co-founders Noa and Bryan caught up with Xtend Barre founder and Vie Active Ambassador Rockell Williamson (namesake of our Rockell compression tights). One of our biggest fitspirations, Rockell shared some of her fit tips whilst shooting a quick photo shoot in the streets of LA.

Rockell began as a dancer and model, performing in Paris at the 'Moulin Rouge'. After years as a professional dancer she wanted to extend her fitness knowledge further and began to study Pilates. After becoming a certified Pilates instructor she thought about fusing her two passions (Dance and Pilates) into one killer workout. In her words, Dance + Pilates = Perfection. Read more about Rockell and her active life on our blog post.

One thing we did want to know is how she maintains a healthy diet with her crazy schedule as well as owning studios in Australia and the US, on top of teaching classes and going to business meetings. Not to mention squeezing in photo shoots for Vie Active.

Rockell definitely agrees it can be a challenge to get food that nourishes and sustains her throughout the day.

What an Xtend Barre instructor eats...

My food philosophy is to eat clean, whole foods. I am always conscious about where food comes from and I also try my best to buy all organic and local as much as I can. For me, I burn so many calories every day that it's important that I eat enough and properly hydrate as well. Also, I find that I eat the same meals often, it is easier for me to stay on track if I keep it simple. I like to think of food as fuel; when I consistently eat clean I see a huge difference in the way I perform my own workouts which then enhances the workouts I give my clients.

Breakfast:

I wake up at 5am most days so my breakfast needs to be something quick but filling (I wake up starving). My favorite meal to eat early morning is a quinoa bowl with peanut butter, almond milk (I cannot live without 365 brand unsweetened almond milk), chia seeds, sliced banana and goji berries. It gives me a ton of energy to prepare me for teaching multiple hours in a row and gives me a nice full tummy. The best thing about quinoa is that I can cook a big pot then have it for a few days. I throw a quick breakfast bowl together and I'm out the door!

Lunch:

Ideally, I have left over dinner from the night before. Usually chicken and a romaine salad.

Snacks:

I don't ever limit myself to snacking. On my heavier cardio days where I teach Spin or Kangoo then have my own workout later on, I'll normally snack more. My favorite snack is a protein shake. Vega brand protein is one of my favorites and I always mix it in my Magic Bullet. My shakes usually consist of protein, almond milk, organic frozen fruit, chia seeds, flaxseed meal and nut butter. Other snacks include fresh vegetable/fruit juices, snack bars (Larabar is my favorite), apples, almonds and hard boiled eggs.

Dinner:

My favorite food to have for dinner is slow cooked Crock Pot mojo chicken. I can easily put the chicken in at some point during the day and when I get home at night it's ready to eat. I always eat something green with dinner; spinach and steamed broccoli are my go-to veggies. Also, I am a sweet potato fanatic so I usually have one with dinner too!

For more on healthy eating, check out Rockell's top pantry tips.

After we caught up with Rockell, we were lucky enough to do a quick photo shoot in LA. Check out the snaps below. Rockell definitely moves like no one we've ever seen before. A mix of graceful, sexy and fit.