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NBA Star C.J. McCollum on barre3, balance, and overcoming injuries
With rigorous training regimens and one of the most demanding game schedules in pro sports, NBA players are among the fittest athletes in the world. So when a league star finds a workout that challenges him, I pay attention—and when that workout is barre3? I interview him.
Read on for my conversation with C.J. McCollum, starter for the Portland Trailblazers, NBA Most Improved Player of the Year.
Sadie: I love that you wear the number 3 and that your nickname is 3J McCollum. The number 3 is close to my heart for obvious reasons. I’m curious, what does it mean to you?
C.J.: It’s been a significant number to me since I was a child—probably 7 or 8 years old. I grew up watching Allen Iverson play basketball, and he wore #3. He was the underdog, just this guy with cornrows, and it was so fun for me to see him have success. I always looked up to him. My brother wore #3, too. So for almost as long as I can remember, it’s been a big number for me.
Sadie: We put the 3 in our company’s name because it represents balance, which has always been our north star at barre3. I noticed in a recent Instagram post that you mentioned balance is key. How do you find balance?
C.J.: It’s hard to stay balanced! Being a professional athlete means I’m on the go all the time, and I’m not around family as much as I’d like. I have to work on my craft constantly and make sure I stay sharp. But at the same time, I need to have hobbies outside of basketball. I’ll make sure I’ll read a book, even just relax and watch TV, go on a vacation. It’s crucial that you have something outside your career.
Sadie: Can you tell me how you found us?
C.J.: My girlfriend, Elise, is obsessed with barre3! I had been wanting to try it, but I just wasn’t sure I wanted to do it at 9am, like she does—especially during my off-season! But one day I went with her, and it was hard. I’ve been doing basketball workouts forever, but this was a rare workout. It works every part of your body. I do a lot of high-impact training, so being able to find that low-impact workout that challenges me is crucial.
Sadie: Was there anything that surprised you about the workout?
C.J.: Sometimes I had a hard time going down that extra inch. I was watching how strong some of the other people in class were. My legs were shaking, and I was looking around wondering, how are they doing this?
Sadie: It’s humbling! When Chris and I designed the barre3 workout, we did it with men and women in mind. I know your friend Leigh Ellis is also a fan. What advice would you give to men who are thinking about trying barre3?
C.J.: I really believe you have to be uncomfortable to get comfortable. We all have our comfortable workouts, things we’ve been doing forever, but barre3 is a unique challenge. You get a good sweat and a good burn, and you feel accomplished afterward because you’ve pushed yourself. Also, don’t be afraid to use the lighter weights! As guys we feel like we need to go straight to the heaviest weights to show how strong we are, but go for the one- or two-pounders—this workout is hard!
Sadie: Your career is based on being physical, but injuries are a fact of life. How do you handle injury?
C.J.: I’ve been hurt a fair amount in my career. It’s devastating, it crushes you. If you’re an athlete, it takes everything away from you. And it’s not just physical—an injury tests you mentally, too. It makes you look at your priorities: What matters the most to you? For me, it’s a reminder that there’s more to life than sports. It gives me a better appreciation for simple things. I really think you have to learn from injury. Overcoming it is the biggest thing—you don’t let it own you. When you know that other things can make you happy, then you’re not afraid of it.
Sadie: As a pro basketball player under constant pressure to perform, you have to find calm in the chaos—something we emphasize at barre3. How do you stay focused and centered?
C.J.: Being on the court is my happy place. I’m comfortable there because I’ve practiced so much. I’m prepared, I’m confident, and I’m not afraid to fail. I’ve failed before, and I’ll fail again. When we accept that we can fail, that’s when our confidence rises.
Thank you so much, C.J., and here’s to another stellar season with the Blazers! And be sure to check out this video clip of C.J.’s shout out to barre3 during an interview with co-host of The Starters, Leigh Ellis!
With rigorous training regimens and one of the most demanding game schedules in pro sports, NBA players are among the fittest athletes in the world. So when a league star finds a workout that challenges him, I pay attention—and when that workout is barre3? I interview him.
Read on for my conversation with C.J. McCollum, starter for the Portland Trailblazers, NBA Most Improved Player of the Year.
Sadie: I love that you wear the number 3 and that your nickname is 3J McCollum. The number 3 is close to my heart for obvious reasons. I’m curious, what does it mean to you?
C.J.: It’s been a significant number to me since I was a child—probably 7 or 8 years old. I grew up watching Allen Iverson play basketball, and he wore #3. He was the underdog, just this guy with cornrows, and it was so fun for me to see him have success. I always looked up to him. My brother wore #3, too. So for almost as long as I can remember, it’s been a big number for me.
Sadie: We put the 3 in our company’s name because it represents balance, which has always been our north star at barre3. I noticed in a recent Instagram post that you mentioned balance is key. How do you find balance?
C.J.: It’s hard to stay balanced! Being a professional athlete means I’m on the go all the time, and I’m not around family as much as I’d like. I have to work on my craft constantly and make sure I stay sharp. But at the same time, I need to have hobbies outside of basketball. I’ll make sure I’ll read a book, even just relax and watch TV, go on a vacation. It’s crucial that you have something outside your career.
Sadie: Can you tell me how you found us?
C.J.: My girlfriend, Elise, is obsessed with barre3! I had been wanting to try it, but I just wasn’t sure I wanted to do it at 9am, like she does—especially during my off-season! But one day I went with her, and it was hard. I’ve been doing basketball workouts forever, but this was a rare workout. It works every part of your body. I do a lot of high-impact training, so being able to find that low-impact workout that challenges me is crucial.
Sadie: Was there anything that surprised you about the workout?
C.J.: Sometimes I had a hard time going down that extra inch. I was watching how strong some of the other people in class were. My legs were shaking, and I was looking around wondering, how are they doing this?
Sadie: It’s humbling! When Chris and I designed the barre3 workout, we did it with men and women in mind. I know your friend Leigh Ellis is also a fan. What advice would you give to men who are thinking about trying barre3?
C.J.: I really believe you have to be uncomfortable to get comfortable. We all have our comfortable workouts, things we’ve been doing forever, but barre3 is a unique challenge. You get a good sweat and a good burn, and you feel accomplished afterward because you’ve pushed yourself. Also, don’t be afraid to use the lighter weights! As guys we feel like we need to go straight to the heaviest weights to show how strong we are, but go for the one- or two-pounders—this workout is hard!
Sadie: Your career is based on being physical, but injuries are a fact of life. How do you handle injury?
C.J.: I’ve been hurt a fair amount in my career. It’s devastating, it crushes you. If you’re an athlete, it takes everything away from you. And it’s not just physical—an injury tests you mentally, too. It makes you look at your priorities: What matters the most to you? For me, it’s a reminder that there’s more to life than sports. It gives me a better appreciation for simple things. I really think you have to learn from injury. Overcoming it is the biggest thing—you don’t let it own you. When you know that other things can make you happy, then you’re not afraid of it.
Sadie: As a pro basketball player under constant pressure to perform, you have to find calm in the chaos—something we emphasize at barre3. How do you stay focused and centered?
C.J.: Being on the court is my happy place. I’m comfortable there because I’ve practiced so much. I’m prepared, I’m confident, and I’m not afraid to fail. I’ve failed before, and I’ll fail again. When we accept that we can fail, that’s when our confidence rises.
Thank you so much, C.J., and here’s to another stellar season with the Blazers! And be sure to check out this video clip of C.J.’s shout out to barre3 during an interview with co-host of The Starters, Leigh Ellis!
