Don’t Get Fat, Get Cat! A Balance of Boxing & Ballet
Cat Widdifield. Photo by Chris Montgomery
Have you met Cat Widdifield?! She’s the most amazing trainer I’ve come across. She uses a unique method combining the beauty of dance with the toughness of boxing. She knows which muscles to strengthen without giving the bulky look. She has thorough knowledge of healthy foods and essential vitamins your body needs.
Take her class and you will be physically and mentally enlightened.
Before our interview/training began, Cat emailed me a few questions to understand my body’s history. The questions were simple and fun to answer. It gave me a better perspective and realization of how active I have been as well as how often I stress. Cat combines many different techniques to personalize every session to her clients.
The weather on October 2, 2013 was beautiful. It felt like California weather.
We took advantage of it and moved our entire work out session outdoors near the Hudson River.
The place was full of New Yorkers enjoying the sun while tanning, having picnics and watching a good work out.
Cat’s commitment is strong. She has a few sessions a day and still manages to actively participate with all her clients. She demonstrates each move and assists you when needed.
In our warm-up we did a combination of yoga and athletic stretching. Truly my favorite!
Planking is one of the most essential parts of working out. I suck at this and it hurts, but I pushed my limits.
Cat has a great way of bringing the best out of you!
My personal training sessions and classes are as diverse and varied as my sports background. I take advantage of my professional dance experience by applying ballet based moves that sculpt the legs and butt and create a longer, leaner body. I also utilize the techniques of professional boxers to get upper body cardio and strength (and those awesome Madonna arms)! The workout includes jumping rope, shadow boxing with hand weights, calisthenics, mitt work and stretching to help you achieve more strength, agility, balance, coordination, limberness, musicality and awareness. The boxing/ballet fusion helps you attain a balance between power and grace, speed and control.
Besides the healthy results my body gets, the best part of a hard work out is having fun. Cat brings so much to the table. Her ora can light up the darkest of places. Her voice is calming and reassuring. You never feel judged in her presence.
Have you jumped rope lately?
We did this to increase my heart rate and interesting fact shared by Cat;
10 minutes of jump rope is equal to 30 minutes of jogging.
Saving time, just the way I like it!
Cat has twenty years of professional dance experience, health and fitness. These have been a major component of her life from childhood on.
Trained by some of the dance world’s most elite: Mia Michaels, Suzi Taylor, Finis Jhung, Patric Hinson, Lisa Danias, Joe Lanteri and Dan Karaty, just to name a few- the importance of awareness of the body, strength, control and musicality have been instilled in her from the beginning.
Cat has spent years on stage dancing and in musical theatre, on National Tours, regionally and here in NYC.
Being able to use ballet put a huge smile on my face. I’ve often wished to be a ballerina. I also didn’t know how essential the beauty of this dance is to the way we jump and workout. The study of the human body is fascinating and Cat knows all about it.
Cat warmed me up with and got me ready for the gloves. I was excited, I’ve never done this before. At least not with the whole shebang and gear, which Cat provided. She brought everything, from the yoga mats to the weights and boxing gloves. She even brought foam tubes that were used after our work out to stretch out the muscles we used and helped for any sore feelings I would endure the following days.
When we jumped into the boxing part of the session I was surprised to see how well I adapted. Boxing felt natural to me and I loved using the dance techniques Cat taught me. She did a great job!! She really changed my perspective on ballet and boxing.
I love it!!!
Cat has a fascinating background. She is the type of person who cannot be stopped. Life has put her through the test and she always pulls through!
The importance of keeping herself in top physical condition was made even more vital after a potentially career ending dance injury and a few years later, a hit and run while she was biking. Both incidents only strengthened her commitment to wellness and provided the catalyst for helping others gain strength, flexibility and balance themselves… both physically and mentally. Vipassanna meditation aided in her recovery and has become an important part of her life over the past five years.
With dance as her base, Cat added high level competition in a plethora of other sports including four years of three Varsity sports: cross-country, alpine skiing and track. Skiing competitively with the United States Ski Association, competing in equestrian events nationally with the United States Pony Club and practicing an array of yoga techniques round out her sports repertoire.
In addition, she is an avid bicyclist and is rarely without her two-wheeled companion! Recently, Triathlon has become an interest, with Cat competing in her first race this summer, winning first in her age group. Because Cat excels in such a range of athletics she brings that varied experience, skill and enthusiasm to teaching and training.
Cat has been prepped and trained by the best in her field.
She’s been certified by former champion boxer and international fitness expert Michael Olajide Jr. since 2010. As well as trained with Leila Fazel, a former professional ballet dancer. Her certifications are in Aerobox, Aerobarre, Aero 3, Aerosculpt and One-on-one training.
It’s fascinating to know how much our bodies are our instruments.
CONTACT CAT FOR SESSIONS @ catwiddifield@gmail.com
Her clients range from 20-50 years of age. And you can find her at Remocra Fitness Studios on the Upper East Side of NYC.Click here for their site.
THANK YOU!!
Special thanks to the parents that raised her. She is an amazing and lovely human being.
