Meet Your Tone It Up Trainer Yami

Ever meet a girl and just know you need her in your life? That’s exactly how we felt about the gorgeous Yami, Houston-based health & fitness coach, boss babe entrepreneur, and…your newest Tone It Up trainer! There’s seriously nothing this girl can’t do — from strength training to HIIT to feel-good flows — so get excited for her ALL NEW workouts coming to the Tone It Up App this fall!

Not only is Yami your girl for building strength and knowledge on the mat, expect to leave feeling more confident and empowered than when you started. And if you’re anything like Yami, you will laugh as much as you sweat! So join us in giving a big #TIUteam welcome to your newest trainer Yami (she’s @yamimufdi on IG). Oh, and don’t miss her LIVE on @toneitup this Wednesday 8 am PST for Leg Day Sculpt!

Here’s a little more about your new 🇩🇴 BFF!

Meet Your Tone It Up Trainer Yami

How did you first get into fitness?

How many hours do we have?! In all seriousness, it started because I was super unhappy with my body. I have been a dancer since the age of 3, so I’ve always been super active. But it wasn’t until college, when I auditioned for my dance team, that I felt my body was not accepted. I tried out three times and was told I didn’t make it because I was too fat and my booty was too big! Can you imagine? At the time I was devastated, so I started doing every diet under the sun.

I ended up moving to NYC to pursue my dreams of being a model, and yet again I was told that my body would never allow me to be a working model. It was then that I started working out like crazy (cardio, mostly) and eating less and less. That’s when I developed a really bad relationship with food that would last for years to come.

Eventually, I started experimenting more at the gym and ending up falling in love with strength training. It was around that time that I got my first job as a personal trainer at Equinox in NYC and the rest is history!

When did you first discover Tone It Up?

It must have been 2010 or so when I was too intimidated to step into a gym, so I would do Tone It Up YouTube videos in my tiny New York apartment!! Just thinking about it makes me nostalgic because I’ve grown so much since then, and that cute, little insecure girl has transformed into a strong woman who knows her worth! And now to say the newest TIU Trainer?! Pinch Me!

How would you describe your workout & wellness philosophy?

I used to chase the number on the scale, but now I chase joy! I spent so many years doing what I thought I needed to do to “get skinny,” but now I listen to my body and see what it needs! Whether it is a strength workout, HIIT, or just yoga, I move to feel good!

What can we expect from a Yami workout?

Oh man! You can expect a lot of high-intensity movements paired with strength training. If there’s anything I like to do, it’s combining movements so get ready to get creative! Oh, and lots of laughs, always that!

What was the inspiration behind your brand new strength workouts coming to the TIU App this fall?

I want every single girl to finish my workout and feel empowered and unstoppable but have such a blast during it.

What was it like filming your very first workouts with us remotely earlier this summer?

It. was. so. much. fun! The team is so incredible! But I will say, I can’t wait to get into the studio and meet everyone in person! I bet the energy in the studio is out of this world!

How do you balance work, life, and your busy boss babe schedule as an entrepreneur?

Honestly, it’s still a work in progress! Since I am a one woman show, I’m always doing something: emails, packaging orders, talking to manufacturers, or editing a video. It’s non-stop, but I can’t complain — I feel very blessed to be doing what I’m doing!

I do my best to schedule everything out and leave some room for changes. If I at least have an idea of when and at what time things need to be done, it makes things a whole lot easier! So PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!

What was the inspiration behind your apparel line Levavi?

I used to live in New York City and one day, I was walking with my now-fiance. We kept seeing homeless people along the streets of NYC and my heart just ached for them. I wanted to do something so badly to help but I didn't know what. It was at that moment where #LiftAndBeLifted was born. It was a mantra that my fiance and I came up with because at the time, we were both personal trainers and believed that we can lift others up and still continue to work on ourselves. So we started Lift And Be Lifted — a small tee shirt company where we would donate a portion of the proceeds to Feeding America to help fight hunger in the United States.

Eventually, we rebranded and launched an actual cut & sew line, creating original pieces to make women feel seen. My motivation for Levavi is the community that I have been so lucky to build over the years on social media. I've been fortunate to create such a bond with these women and by sharing my personal stories and journey, I've realized that they are just like me. Someone, somewhere told these women that they weren't enough and they will never be good enough. And my hope is that when they wear Levavi, they feel the complete opposite. I want them to not only feel confident, but worthy.

Fast-forward 3 years, and we’ve had 3 successful launches so far! I’m extremely excited for this next one because we’re introducing LevaviSWIM and shifting our entire model to a more sustainable approach. Moving forward, all our pieces will only be made from sustainably sourced and recycled materials! I know that it’s going to be a game changer in the activewear/swim scene!

My aim with Levavi is to bring people together of all shapes and sizes, colors and races to not only look and feel their best but to be their best. I once heard this quote that said, "We know clothes can't change the world but the women that wear them can." And I thought to myself, "Well, why can't clothes change the world?" and that is what Levavi is determined to do!

What's the one mantra you live by?

For we walk by faith, not by sight. If there’s one thing that keeps me going, it's my faith. I may not understand everything that's going on around me but what I do know is that it’s all working out for my good!

OK, tell us 3 more things we don't know about you!

Haha I love this game! OK, here it goes!

1. I’m Dominican and Arabic. I was born in the Dominican Republic.

2. I was in The Wolf of Wall Street.

3. I cry when I laugh. Which is a lot! 😂😂😂

What would you tell someone new to finding TIU?

Get ready for your life to change in the best way possible!

Besides the TIU App, where can we find you?!

I’m on Instagram @Yamimufdi and YouTube at www.youtube.com/yamimufdi!

Join us in the Tone It Up App completely FREE for the month of September! You’ll get exclusive access to hundreds of at-home workouts, meditations, recipes, and so much more!