This week we chat with Russ Bateman, then founder of the Skinny Bitch Collective, and find out more about him, his philosophy and what drives him…

What are you up to around the world at the moment?

Having just arrived back from New York were I was running some classes and having meetings I travelled to Verbier to film in the mountains. It was pretty intense in America – from the NY post coverage to meetings with TV channels wanting to film a reality SBC show. There was quite a lot to take in.

The videos we filmed in Verbier for our online service the SBC experience will go live in January. They’ve been featured heavily on vogue and we have one to share with this post too!

What would you say your philosophy is?

Getting as far away from your comfort zone as possible. When it comes to SBC and my classes, I have a saying – “no basics”. It’s for a different ilk of woman in a lot of ways – fitness couture!

You’re going to do things you’ve never done before and that’s the beauty of it. The blueprint exists only in my head so there’s no way to replicate it. I guess that’s why it’s such an in demand concept right now.

I advocate morning sex, sprints, naps, back rubs from your boyfriend and some crazy movements that you can see on my Instagram (@russellsbc)

Where do you run your classes?

Marylebone London. But I’ve recently collaborated with Colette in Paris and in NYC with the Standard Hotel. I’ll be in LA and NYC again next year for some special projects.

Is it difficult to get in?

You can’t get in without an invite or a referral. Very rarely I pick an email at random.

Everyone in your videos looks skinny – is that always the case?

Nope, but you have to be fit already to do the class. There’s a ton of remedial style classes out there for people looking to get fit and lose a bit of weight but for SBC you have to be on a certain level already.

I have very little patience and I will shout and scream at my class until they look like a choreographed army. It’s for their own benefit. I don’t pamper anyone.

I love your films, do you get someone in to film them or do you film them yourself?

We’ve just shot something spectacular with an incredible music video producer but everything else you see is from my iPhone and edited on my iPhone. Filming my clients becomes an organic process and is built to inspire and motivate.

“That’s my job at the end of the day.”

Russ Bateman

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