Kendall Baisden's guide to training
From an early age, athlete Kendall Baisden was wired differently. Now, she’s rewiring her mindset, making holistic training her big picture.
Words by Ellen Ling.
Specializing in the 400m dash, American track and field athlete Kendall Baisden is used to life in the fast lane. Known for her high energy, Baisden’s commitment to go (and stay) all-in has taken her from track to catwalk. Shifting between talents, this sprinter is turning to low-impact practices like yoga, barre and Pilates to help maximize her potential.
“I'm learning about different training and I'm steadfast in creating that platform and foundation for myself. I stop, take time to investigate, research or ask for help to recalibrate and heal.”
Baisden commits to growth, as well as greatness. Like her careers, the two co-exist – neither feeling like work, both like freedom.
Beginning on the tennis court at eight, her innate speed soon caught the eye of track and field coaches. Embracing this switch set a precedent Baisden would repeat throughout her athletic career, and life. After enrolling at the University of Texas, Austin, she soon became a track star on the Longhorns collegiate team, with first medals in both the Pan American Junior Championships and Pan American Games not far behind. Then, fifteen years into “mastering the art of sprinting”, another opportunity to switch things up emerged. She made the move from Austin to New York, and from running to runway.
“I thrive in modeling because it's a type of art. It's an intuition. You adapt, it’s quick, but there's an element of patience.”
Baisden pursues progress in the midst of the new. So, when it comes to training, she demands workouts that feed her many facets. She’s found support for her duality through Pilates, yoga and swimming; and new power at an unfamiliar pace.
“Training is a way to honor and respect the body. You're only given one, and building the discipline to continue with [slower] practices is a way I’m able to nurture it in the gentlest of ways. I don't have to be a hardcore yoga or Pilates practitioner, but being able to understand those foundations has given me the confidence to find that balance of being flexible and not trying to push in a way that's detrimental to me in the long run.”
Baisden’s training looks different week on week, depending where she is in her athletic season (and what surprises her coach has in store). In training periods, she’s getting cardio, endurance and technical runs in consistently and hitting the weight room three times a week to build strength. By competition season, her week features five track workouts and two lifting sessions to keep her nervous system fired up. During the off season and modeling projects, Pilates and yoga become her weekly ritual, as foundational building blocks that keep her body engaged. But whichever season you find her in, one thing looks the same: consistency.
“Consistency provides results. I try to follow a consistent workout schedule, but I know sometimes I don't have the space or resources to do exactly what I want to do. I tell myself as long as the number of days I'm doing a week is consistent, that provides results as well.”
What does Baisden’s perfect workout week look like?
- Monday – I would love to do a long run in the park, wherever I am for 20 minutes. New York or Paris are my favorite places to run.
- Tuesday – Either a Pilates or a yoga class focused on full-body strength.
- Wednesday – Just be in the pool, getting very, very slow laps in to help open up the body and relax.
- Thursday – That's a day off.
Friday – A hill workout to really just put it all out there. By the end of the week you'll see all the work you’ve put in and if it's translated to that final boss workout.
Weekend – Something not too crazy, just fun. Long walks or I’d love to play a leisure tennis game.
“Holistically, I'm learning how to calm my system.”
Baisden doesn’t see her newfound love of the yoga studio as cheating on running. In her eyes, running, weight training and low-intensity activities aren’t so much separate disciplines, but one ecosystem giving rise to more strength on the track.
“As a runner, when you’re able to master technique, there's a level of euphoria you can't find anywhere else. To get to that point, you need a connection between your mind and body. Yoga taught me that."
“Having the balance between low and high impact is very important. No one's body is built just to be intense.”
While Baisden is happily embracing the fruits of a gentler focus, her current mindset wasn’t always a choice. Unexpected setbacks forced her to take stock at times. It was injury that kept Baisden from her goal of reaching the world stage in 2024, though as a self-professed "dreamer’" she was quick to redirect her energy.
“When the opportunity to realize a dream is deferred, don’t let go of it," she explains. "Take the time to reacquaint yourself with the original purpose of chasing that dream, and commit to the ride.”
For the Michigan-born athlete, her calling comes in the form of being “a person passionate about what they're doing so they can be of service to others.” So, what’s her guide for other runners curious to complement cardio with a slower burn?
“Yoga is about slow movements, breath work and learning how to extend through your body in a way that's not rushed or imbalanced. Allowing yourself that time to do a supplementary workout, it builds the love for running even more. You give your body enough time to come down and then come right back up. Having the balance between low and high impact is very important. No one's body is built just to be intense.”
Baisden made it to Paris under the banner of a different dream; Fashion Week. Still, she doesn’t let traveling as a model get in the way of workouts. Whether she’s looking up videos to do on the go or tapping into local studios, Baisden is never far from the mat. I’m curious how many sets of workout clothes she actually has, and which are her favorite pieces for yoga and Pilates.
“When it comes to workout clothing, you have to understand what type of support your body needs. For yoga and Pilates I love to wear the movement bra and the movement 3/4 tights. I like my arms to be out, and to feel less restricted in my torso. Having that feeling of freedom is very important to extend through my neck or my arms, and if I'm trying to curve my back I don’t want anything restricting. The compression of the tights is interesting because it helps me feel where I'm cueing movements from.”
From meets to meditation, shows to yoga poses, Baisden flexes between parallel lives and movement practices. This blend is most present in her approach to building a workout wardrobe. “I gravitate towards things that allow me to be versatile. Clothes that can be worn many ways. A workout basic, but also a stylistic basic.” She confesses she’s “obsessed with anything that has interesting technology”, though her perspective on how apparel can support others in their training journey isn’t purely technical.
“There should be a balance of challenging your body out of its comfort zone and being able to enjoy it. That's why I'm still able to run”.
Baisden first began merging competitor mode with personal style back in 2021, taking to the track in uniforms altered to better express her identity. As well as her eye for race-day looks, she’s often asked her advice on the perfect daily workout. Her answer is simple; find the joy.
“ There are trickle-down effects of what you're doing in movement that improve your well-being.”
Shop Kendall Baisden’s edit for versatile workout apparel to unlock the joy of training.
