Revere co-founder Alexandra Blodgett on nutrition and No Shower Happy Hours

Alexandra Blodgett first gained a foothold in the fitness scene as co-founder of boutique spinning studio Cyc Fitness. With her latest venture, she’s looking to help make sure people get the most out of their workout.

Revere, a monthly subscription service launching July 12, offers personalized, plant-based nutrition that you can take before and after your workout.

“Everyone would ask me every day in the studios, ‘What should I be taking before class? What should I be taking to really unlock the benefits of all this hard work and money and time that I’ve been putting in?’,” Blodgett said. “And it became apparent that people just didn’t know.”

Blodgett founded Revere with friends Matt Scott and Jasper Nathaniel. They brought on Mets strength and conditioning coach Mike Barwis and Dr. Jennifer Sacheck, of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, to develop the company’s three powder formulas — a caffeine-based pre-workout formula and post-workout formulas geared toward cardio or strength training, with ingredients like protein and electrolytes.

amNewYork spoke with Blodgett about her newest launch.

I take it you’ve been using Revere yourself?

I have, it’s been amazing. Our pre-workout [formula] has actually replaced coffee for me, and it gives you a really great boost of energy. I also tend to work out in the morning — for me it’s a double whammy. I also take the post-cardio [formula] — it’s a really yummy vanilla chai flavor. I will have that in the afternoon to hold me over if I’m feeling hungry.

Some argue that food is enough to get your nutrients — why would you say supplements are beneficial?

The power of whole foods is much more effective than anything synthetic or chemical that’s going to promise to get you an eight pack overnight. It was really important to me that we weren’t selling snake oil. I also have to be realistic — myself, I’m a young single woman in New York. I wake up in my teeny tiny apartment, I go to spin class and am waiting in the long shower line that everyone has to wait in. Then I’m heading to the office. Would I love to have a piece of perfectly grilled salmon and vegetable medley on the side in the taxi? That would be amazing, but I unfortunately don’t have that luxury right now. We tried to take all the nutrients you would find in a well-rounded meal and distilled them down into these packages. Also, I absolutely don’t want it to be considered a supplement; I would never want to do anything to replace food. I think of Revere as a bridge to your next meal, because that 30-minute window before and after your workout is really important — you need to get those nutrients into your body to get those results.

When developing the product, how did you land on a powder delivery?

We played with everything. At one point we wanted to do gels, another a ready-to-drink. We just found that if we were going to be able to build something that really seamlessly worked with people’s lifestyles — everyone here in New York is just running around all the time — we had to create something that was super light, super transportable and super durable, from a packaging standpoint; it could just be thrown in their pocket or bag. Powders just ended up being the answer. We found we were able to distill down the whole foods into a powdered form, so you could get those same nutrients, just in an easier-to-take-with-you package.

What is your own workout routine?

Oh my gosh, I do it all. Obviously I’m a big spinner — I’m at Cyc all the time. I’m a big fan of running outside on the Hudson — that’s kind of my happy place. And I can’t go wrong at Y7 Studio; that’s probably my favorite studio in the city. I’ve also been really enjoying Dogpound when I want somebody to just completely kick my ass. … For me it’s also very social. When I’m running I like to run with friends. When I go to class I like to go to class and go to brunch after or get cocktails. I will also go straight from spin class in workout gear to a glass of rosé. [Athletic group] Electric Flight Crew calls them “No Shower Happy Hours.” We’ll all go do an outdoor workout together, something in the park, and then everyone hangs out afterward. It’s a very cool company.

What is your work balance like with Cyc Fitness now?

I am not at Cyc on a day-to-day anymore. I’m still close with everyone there. But that was the first baby, and this is definitely the second baby. I’m totally fixated and committed to making Revere work because I think I can help so many more people, not necessarily in a physical space, but through a product. That’s also the reason I decided to make it so affordable [each packet runs about $2.50 each]. I didn’t want it to feel like you couldn’t get the proper nutrition that you needed if you weren’t in New York City. If you’re from the Midwest, where I’m from, we don’t have all these boutique studios or fancy nutritionists. There should be something simple out there for you so everyone can do it.