Eager and excited about my interview with married couple celebrity trainer Clay Burwell and wife Elizabeth Hendrix, I scurried down the New York City blocks anxiously looking for their gym, High Performance. Assuming there was going to be some huge gym sign hanging off a building, my eyes rapidly glanced over every awning, every sign and every billboard that there was in between Fifth and Sixth Avenue. Shortly realizing I had to count on the street numbers, I saw the door to the building across the street and entered.  Taking the elevator up to the fourth floor where the gym is located, I didn’t know what to expect when the elevator doors would open. Was it going to be a lavish gym, was it going to be filled with people, were the trainers going to be too busy to do the interview? All sorts of questions went running through my mind to prepare myself for anything.

As the elevator doors opened, I was a bit confused. I thought I was going to enter the lobby of a gym, where the front desk would greet me and I would explain my reason for being there - but to my surprise there was just a hallway. Walking down the hallway reminded me of being at a doctor’s office, with a whole bunch of doors and suite numbers. I finally came to the suite number with the High Performance sign on the door.  I heard a bunch of laughter and what sounded like to be a good time going on behind closed doors, so I hesitated to knock.  I realized the public relations office was literally right next door, so I went there first since I had coordinated the interview through them.

After a couple of introductions and basic chit-chat with the lovely girls at the PR office, I was brought next door. The door opened and there it was, just a room with one treadmill, a few weight machines, kettle bells and a mat. I was introduced to Clay and his wife Elizabeth (as she was finishing up with a client), and it wasn’t what I expected at all. The social atmosphere was very laid back and relaxed, with a sense of hardcore edge. Elizabeth’s client was working hard while doing walking lunges, medicine ball moves, and some other things that definitely didn’t look easy. Watching her client I wish it was me in the client shoes. I wanted to be the one to be pushed and feel like “Oh I’m definitely going to feel these tomorrow!” It could have been because I love fitness or maybe because I had a hefty breakfast not too long ago. Once Elizabeth’s client left (which was shortly after my arrival) we began the interview.

Clay Burwell has been personal training since 1999, but that’s not when his knowledge or love of fitness began. As a kid, Clay had a stepfather who was a weight lifter, so a healthy lifestyle and old school workout regimens were something that Clay grew up with. Dumbbells and weight machines lied around the house, but that’s not all, the family also ate very healthily - Frosted Flakes were definitely not on the menu for breakfast. A gift for his thirteenth birthday was to change his life--a bench press and a set of weights coupled with a bodybuilding routine laid out for him by his stepfather. He went into the army where he became one of the fittest soldiers of his unit, which he then led his company’s physical program, and then his battalions. Coming from a classic way of training, you can see this influence in the way he trains his clients and in the gym decor. The walls are grey with a bit of red on the equipment, which is what I think gives it that hardcore edge - but it’s definitely not your “loungy,” earth-colored, may I offer you a smoothie type of gym.

Elizabeth Hendrix comes from a dancer’s background, dancing in companies like Lois Greenfield, Saba Dance Theater and Kenny Larson. Dancing is very physical, so she began to combine it with fitness and began doing personal training. She now has eleven years under her belt in Pilates seamlessly integrating it with resistance training to correct posture, strengthen the core and develop flexibility and balance.

Clay and Elizabeth both train high profile clients, which include Matt Damon, Anna Paquin, Sandra Oh, Drea Matteo, Adam Ferrara, Steven Van Zandt (Silvio Dante from Sopranos) and Queen Noor of Jordan. As far as having any jealousy issues, either in a professional and/or personal aspect, these two have it under control. A strong trust was established early on in their relationship, which I guess you have to do when you’re training both beautiful men and women. I asked the two if they ever got star struck or really nervous around one of their high profile clients, but they don’t. Elizabeth said, “You get in the zone” and just do your job.

I asked the two if they had any funny or embarrassing memorable moments while training one of their high profile clients, but neither had any embarrassing moments to share - although they had a few funny ones. Elizabeth giggles and says, “I had stepped out [for food] and when I came back there were my husband and Matt Damon boxing. They were sweaty and one of them had their shirt off…can’t remember who…and I was like [you can’t get better than this].”

Clay’s memorable moment was running with Matt Damon in Boston and a bunch of girls began to run after him. As Clay is telling me this, I pictured in my mind the scene from the movie, “The Bachelor” with Chris O’Donnell running down the street with hundreds of brides chasing after him. Clay continued the story describing the girls chasing them shouting, “wait Matt and bodyguard!” Clay found it funny that they thought he was Matt’s bodyguard, but eventually the girls couldn’t keep up and gave up.

Elizabeth recalled another memorable moment with Sandra Oh. After a training session the two ladies went for lunch. While at lunch a patron went up to Sandra and was like, “Oh my God, are you Sandra Oh?!” Sandra just smiled and nodded her head. A few minutes later another patron came up to the table, and naturally both Sandra and Elizabeth assumed they were going to get the same question, but this time the person said, “Are you Elizabeth Hendrix?!” Elizabeth smiled and nodded, and after the patron left, Sandra and Elizabeth broke out into laughter - Sandra pointed at Elizabeth saying, “You got it too!” 

Besides talking about clients and work, I began to get to know the married couple on a personal level.  Clay and Elizabeth first met when Clay was brought in to do a boxing seminar at Crunch Fitness on Lafayette in NYC; Elizabeth was a personal trainer there at the time. Soon Clay became the manager of personal training at the location and the two became friends, which eventually led to….wedding bells. What seemed to happen all at once, Clay had decided to propose to Elizabeth and open up his own gym, High Performance. Now, just because these two are personal trainers doesn’t mean that they train each other - however, they do activities like running, hiking and rock climbing together. They also occasionally help each other out with exercise regimens, bounce ideas off one another and study research together to keep up with the fitness industry.

I have to honestly say that although the couple has trained some really cool high profile clients, they are amazingly down-to-earth and truly love what they do. Celebrity or not, Clay and Elizabeth’s clients are treated all the same – and that is with your fitness goal as a priority.  If you don’t believe me, just ask Clay about his client who lives on the Upper West Side in Manhattan. Clay told me the story which only happened two weeks ago in the freezing snowing weather. In the morning Clay and his client would normally run and do exercises outside in Central Park, and just because it was a snow storm that morning wouldn’t make it any different. Clay stood at his client’s door and asked, “Are you ready to go?” The woman offered to workout inside, but Clay refused and said we’re continuing everything we’ve been doing. So off they went running through Central Park including some mountain climbers in the snow.

Even if you’re looking to make a small change in your life like playing with your grandchildren, Elizabeth has done just that. She had a 72-year-old client who she helped rehabilitate his knee, and now he’s able to play with his grandchild.  

If it’s Clay style of training you like (fyi, he is no joke!), or Elizabeth (who’s a little bit less intimidating but don’t be fooled!), you are in for a kick butt workout! Clay is hoping to expand his gym and fitness philosophy in opening up two more locations possibly in Los Angeles and Miami. The couple is also looking to continue with their charitable work in care packages for the military and disabled children.

Whether you’re training with Clay or Elizabeth, or one of the independent trainers at the facility who are highly qualified, it’s a community atmosphere. Clients know clients, trainer’s know other trainer’s clients, and trainers know trainers….this is a place where everybody knows your name.  High Performance is recess time and a playground for adults - you’re going to have fun, work up a sweat, and see a difference in your body. A few words of advice from Clay are “Whatever your dream is, make it happen.”

39 West 14th Street, Suite 406New York City, New York 10011between 5th/6th avenues p: 212-675-2777f:212-675-2778

Photo credit on gym flyer: Louis David Taylor