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Model, reality show personality and performer and trans rights advocate Carmen Carrera says embracing her fitness journey through her transition was a liberating experience.
“For trans people, going to the gym can be intimidating, but staying active is critical to maintain a healthy transition. Seeing a trans flag or rainbow flag in the gym would have reminded me I belong in a space where I didn’t feel comfortable.”
That is the inspiration for Carrera’s next step into entrepreneurship.
Carrera is perhaps most well-known for appearing in Season 3 of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2011. She began her transition shortly after. Since those early days, Carrera has hosted events at Sundance Film Festival for AT&T, and interviewed out professional athletes including Ryan O’Callaghan and Michael Sam.
Carrera has recently focused her efforts on LGBTQ+ youth and public policy in Latin America, and volunteers her time for the Trevor Project, NYC Department of Health, Equality California, History Unerased, GLAAD, and the Human Rights Campaign.
Now the transgender celebrity is bringing her own colors to the gym. She’s launched a new designer product and is sharing that news with her followers on Instagram.
The Brand is by Vela
Carrera recently partnered with her Greater New York City-based trainer — Raphael Velazquez, CEO of Vela and an NSCA strength and conditioning coach — to launch her first workout resistance band, called CC x Vela.
“My experience in the modeling industry presented new pressures of looking feminine enough and having the right curves. For trans athletes, they are feeling the pressure of the regulations to keep them sidelined. I wanted to introduce concepts of equality and gender neutrality to the fitness realm in hopes to make our community members and allies feel safe.”
Do resistance bands work?
The Lakers’ LeBron James has been known for his resistance band workout, ever since appearing in a 2013 Powerade video on YouTube. LGBTQ ally Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat has his own video featuring resistance bands from 2014.
Earlier this month, certified fitness trainer Charlee Atkins wrote an article in Women’s Health magazine about 22 exercises that women can do to tone their entire body. In that article, she sings the praises of using these flexible exercise tools, calling them “a very simple way to up your at-home or travel workout game with just one tiny tool: a resistance band.”
“These stretchy bands are so versatile, and fun to use, too. They’re good for stabilizing and balancing out muscle imbalances, and building muscle endurance (training your muscles to last longer under strain). Even if you are hitting the weights, they’re a great tool to warm-up your muscles for big movements.”
While Atkins, James and Wade are not in any way endorsing Carrera’s particular brand of bands, the point here is, resistance bands work, and are often recommended by physical therapists and rehab trainers for women and men from all walks of life.
Here’s more from Carrera’s Instagram:
Carrera’s two leg resistance bands, “Unity” and “Fluid” are available in three sizes for a variation of resistance training workouts. Carrera says she designed the Unity band in pink, white and blue because it’s symbolic of the transgender pride flag, but she hopes to see allies using them, too.
“Sports and fitness don’t discriminate against your orientation or gender identity. I’ve used resistance bands to give me my curves since I began transitioning. It doesn’t matter who you are when you’re training, we all feel the same burn.”
Find out more about CC x Vela workout bands by clicking here.
Editor’s Note: Outsports does not endorse nor receive any benefit from the product described above.
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