Why This Fitness Star Had To Put Weight Back On To Find Body Confidence

With an infectious say-it-how-it-is, balanced attitude to body shape, Chinae Alexander is the fitness buddy everyone wants on speed dial.
Cheese plate and a glass of Malbec? Hell, yes. Perfecting her kettlebell deadlift and then some the following morning? Bring it. For the 31-year-old New Yorker, life is about going after – and getting – exactly what you want.
The unstoppable force of fun-loving energy she emits is undeniably the reason why 128k people currently follow Chinae’s posts on Instagram, and there’s a podcast and debut book in the works. Well, that and the shots she shares of herself looking badass in figure-hugging athleisure.

THE INSPIRATION

First donning sweat-wicking gear to get active in 2009 to support a friend who was following a new healthy regime, Chinae’s initial foray into fitness led to a somewhat unintentional slimdown – she dropped 70lbs in the process.
‘My mum lifted weights when I was younger so I tried it too - every day my clothes got looser, the compliments became more frequent and my pride grew.’
But while, for many, losing weight equals greater confidence, for Chinae, it proved the opposite. ‘I became more conscious of what I looked like and felt enormous pressure to keep losing. If I missed a workout, my week was destroyed.’

THE JOURNEY

So how do you come back from that? Chinae’s secret: self-love – and pizza. She eased up on her diet plan, ditched the scales and found balance. And, although now Chinae averages around six sessions each week – a mix of lifting weights with her PT and SoulCycle - if it’s less, she doesn’t worry.
‘On one hand, we’re told to love ourselves, on the other, to better ourselves. It’s about learning to do both. I’ve probably gained back 10-15lbs but I’m more positive about my body than I’ve ever been.’
When it comes to her social media success, it was a happy accident. Chinae set up her original @getfitbrooklyn Instagram account a couple of years ago, to have something to talk about at a job interview for ClassPass and turned out people could relate to her

THE LIFE PLAN

‘Women worry about how they’re viewed by other women. I wanted to be this voice that said “You’re safe here. You’re loved.” If I can get up every day and have a bunch of people feel a part of something; that’s my responsibility. It’s a big compliment to receive messages from my followers saying I’m like a friend.’
Before January, Chinae juggled Instagram with the events planning company she set up in 2015. But with hundreds of comments, Snapchats and emails rolling in every day, as well as her new role as an Adidas Ambassador, something had to give.
‘I try to give back to everybody who gets in touch with me,’ she says. ‘Sharing is an opportunity to gain confidence in ourselves and realise we’re more than just a body.’

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