Metropolis Sport
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METROPOLIS SPORT F I T N E S S + FA S H I O N
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EVAN ALMIGHTY LUKE ROCKHOLD THE ATHLETE STORY TITLE STORY TITLE
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8 STEP GUIDE TO WIN YOUR DAY HOW TO TRAIN IN 2020 EDWARD NARANJO ALAN FILAURO ALEJANDRO TERRAZAS MAX KARP TREVOR FRANKLIN ERICA HOOD
CECE MARIZU MR. AMERICA JIMMY WU
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EDITORIAL
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In 2016 after running Man of Metropolis for a year I was busy. I was completing a home renovation in Miami and simultaneously planning a move to New York. A move and long overdue job change was on the horizon. During that busy transition I had gained nearly 30 lbs. How did I put that much weight on in a year? Simply put, I stopped putting myself first. I stopped setting boundaries, and I stopped loving myself. I was stuck. I was overweight, and I was unhappy. Quite frankly I was angry about a lot of things in my life too. There were weeks I would order pizza nearly 5 day’s a week. I would stop at the bakery and buy 4 brownies and eat them all in one weekend. This wasn’t me. I was an athlete my whole life all the way through college. This behavior came out of nowhere. Some people drink or do drugs to cope with life’s challenges and for the first time in my life at 36 I was feeding my sadness with food. I’m ashamed I am even writing this today. It has taken me nearly 3 years to find myself again. I don’t have all the answers. I’m not a dietician or trainer. What I do know, is you are all you’ve got. You get one body. One life. Be kind to yourself, invest in yourself and never let your health take a backseat to work, projects, or the people in your life that aren’t for YOU. If something in your life is off, and it is causing you to make
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poor choices that effect your health, your happiness and your job — then it is time to turn the page, now! If you have seen me post photos working out, a few shameless shirtless selfies, and wondered why — or even asked why I am doing Metropolis Sport — it is because I have never believed in something more. I thank God for the will to find my way through such a tough chapter in my life and for placing so many amazing human beings in my path along the way. I want to thank my husband for loving me no matter what size I have been and cheering me on through this journey. It’s good to be back. I don’t think there is a finish line in this race of self love and self care. I will continue to listen to my heart and my body and work to grow my knowledge of how to live a more balanced life. I want to thank all the teams and talent who agreed to be part of issue one. This was nearly a year in the making and hundreds of hours of planning and creating which includes my passions of fitness and fashion, together. Welcome to Metropolis Sport!
Seth Travis FOUNDER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND EDITOR -IN- CHIEF
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Trend Report CK Everyone is a genderless scent for today that celebrates the infinite freedom of self-expression. The multifaceted scent is fresh and provocative. Building on the iconic legacy of CK One, this new scent is vegan, made from naturally derived alcohol and infused with ingredients derived from natural origins, making this Calvin Klein's first "clean" fragrance. Organic orange oil layers over a heart of blue tea accord and a musky base of cedarwood, creating a complex, uplifting scent. The glass bottle features an elastic logo band (in homage to classic Calvin Klein underwear) that can be worn and reused. Love every one of you in CK Everyone. The fragrances possesse Notes: of Organic Orange Essential Oil, Ginger with middle notes of Blue Tea Accord, Watery Notes and Bottom Notes of Cedarwood, Patchouli, Amber. MARCH 2020
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Trend Report
Just a few miutes from Manhattan in Williamsburg is a new kind of place for health and wellness for the creative, entrepreneurial and professional leaders of today. GHOST was conceived and created by founder and CEO, Aqib Mamoon and is also the location for our shoot with Luke Rockhold and Erika Hammond seen in Issue one of Metropolis Sport. The space is artfully blended with elements of fitness and leisure. The 6,000 square foot lounge was designed to defy expectations and go beyond convention. GHOST is an architectural playground with unique structures, luxurious finishes and lighting specially created for an immersive experience. GHOST is a members only facilty designed to preserve the intimacy of every client's experience and privacy. Data is very important to the brand by bridging the gap between fitness and technology, by leveraging biometric and musculoskeletal information to develop a revolutionary machine learning platform. Through these proprietary algorithms, GHOST's mission is to deliver physiologically optimized programming and innovative training solutions for Mamoon's clients.
WORDS IMAGES
Seth Travis Aqib Mamoon
We sat down with Aqib to discuss his new venture into health and wellness. MS: Can you tell us where you were or how the idea for GHOST was sparked? AM: GHOST has been many years in ideation, and its truly been a passion project and creative outlet for me. I spent the early days of my career in investment banking and advisory, working with some prominent companies in hospitality and fitness. Equally relevant— I was also a trainer and avid consumer of all things fitness. At the time we were in the midst of a massive wave towards new boutique group fitness concepts, which seemed to be where both consumers and capital flooded. More and more meetings were occurring in the fitness studio vs coffee bar, and SoulCycle just filed their S-1. But having perhaps an unusual perspective on the industry for the time, my thoughts were elsewhere. I knew this categorical attention on mass-market models would eventually leave a serious gap in luxury segment of the market. For me the true value of fitness (outside of our health, of course) was its ability to foster organic social and professional relationships— in a way that even private social clubs could not. Predicting this value would surface in years to come, I decided to create an alternative product. One that solves for this highly discretionary
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consumer who craves exclusive experiences and has perhaps grown weary of the traditional gym. MS: We live in a world where it is all about the product AND experience. What are the 3 things separate GHOST from all the other boutique gyms popping up all over metropolitan areas not just in the U.S. but globally? AM: Perhaps most notable, GHOST is explicitly not a gym. Historically the market has been dominated by two models: the “big-box” gym and, more recently, “boutique” fitness studios (i.e. group fitness). We’ve created a third vertical, a marriage of health and hospitality which we call the Luxury Fitness Lounge. GHOST is an immersive experience in a space designed to connect thought leaders of the world through health and wellness. Simply put, there’s no other company taking our approach— nationally or globally. So what sets us apart from boutique gyms is our willingness to go against the grain, to drive innovation through design and technology, and our vision of building culture around health. MS: GHOST is a luxury fitness lounge. Beyond a member coming to get their workout in during lunch, Tell us more about what the lounge aspect looks like, feels like and sounds like on any given day or night? We describe GHOST as a beautifully-designed space to train, socialize, connect and create. In other words, we function not only as a training facility but also as a social club. While our primary use case is fitness, members also utilize the space to take a meeting, conduct business, or meet similarly inspiring individuals. This amounts to big changes from both a design and operational perspective. We’ve thrown out the old “gym” rulebook, and built a lounge that serves as a cultural hub. In additional to daytime operations, we have a strong curation of cultural programming after-hours— everything from live DJs, to public speakers, discussion panels and, in a word, nightlife.
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Served Natural wants to help people live better, perform better, work better—and eat better. They believe that leading a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be difficult. Founders, Kyle, Jared, and Jennifer met at a group fitness class and out of a spirit of solving a problem with food and nutrition the friends became founders of the new food delivery brand. After getting to know each other, naturally, conversations would revolve around food. They agreed that with so much information on diet and nutrition out there, sometimes it can be overwhelming for people to know what direction to take. Or even, separate the good ingredients from the bad, not to mention figuring out the macros—the proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, just in case you're wondering. Everyone wants healthy nutritious meals without ever compromising on taste or our time, Served Natural was born. The new food delivery brand also caters and offers a wide variety of flavorlful foods. The menu consists of breakfast, lunch, and dinner; for Whole 30, KETO, Vegan and options for kids. Menu items include: Buckwheat Pancakes, Flank Steak with Broccoli, our new favorite the Chicken N Waffles, and more. Visit: servednatural.com to sign up. METROPOLISSPORT.COM
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Making the Case for Holistic Health Darren Tomasso Sinem Yazici
HEALTH & WELLNESS DIRECTOR IMAGES
Your health and wellness is a holistic and interdependent relationship between your eating, fitness, stress, and sleep quality — just to name a few.
get physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually stronger through one collective goal: gaining lifelong health and happiness one day at a time.
them. You’re empowering yourself to feel your best and, throughout the process, you’re bound to be empowering others too.
We often see these components of our health in isolation, and sometimes struggle to address more than the just physical ones. I want to challenge the modern ethos of health and wellness because it is so much more than working out and striving toward goals that are purely aesthetic in nature. It’s an opportunity to bring awareness to the mind and body, to
As you work towards your fitness goal, whatever that may be, you’re also working toward improving the quality of your life, your mental health, and the strength of your intra- and interpersonal relationships. You’re increasing your energy and productivity to do everything you want or need to do. In the process, you’re learning your capabilities and pushing beyond
I want to give you the tools necessary to #WinYourDay so you can help others win their day too.
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MAKING WAVES Henry Lou Eleni Moutevelis GROOMING Jessica Diez MODEL Ethan Bodhi Robertson, Chic models PHOTOGR APHER ST YLIST
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OLIVIA (DANCER) Striped Swimsuit (Mint & White): Mikoh Swimwear Shorts: Gooseberry Intimates CHRISTINA (TENNIS)
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ADDITIONAL TEAM CREDITS
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If you don't know who Erika Hammond is, you do now. The former beauty queen from Waco, TX has an impressive resume to say the least. Hammond was known as Veronica Lane on the WWE circuit as a NXT diva. She has taken her 14 years in kickboxing to the brand RUMBLE, where she is a founding trainer. We set up a shoot with the beaitful bad-ass at GHOST Brooklyn and sat down with Erika to talk fitness and life in the first issue of Metropolis Sport. MS: Can you tell us when fitness became second nature for you -- and what was the sport, how old were you when you knew this was your identity? EH: Growing up in the south, I was raised in a family where all my siblings played competitive sports... so you could almost say I was born into it. I started playing tee-ball at the age of four and by age ten I was on two separate competitive softball teams. I eventually stopped playing softball during my teenage years but switched over to cheerleading which I still did at competitive level as well. No matter the sport... I always put all my effort towards the game and achieved to be the best I could. And that is how I knew being an athlete.. being in the fitness world... that it was instilled within my identity.My go-to morning smoothie: Kale, 1/4 cucumber, ginger, chia seed, pea protein, and some essential amino acids (like goji berries or spirulina) MS: Now that we know how it all began, we have to know a bit more about this transition from beauty queen to WWE DIVA and now a founding member of RUMBLE. That is an astounding resume for any person. What was the toughest part of navigating these 3 roles, and can you tell us one thing each experience has taught you? EH: I know all three of these roles seem so different from the other but I truly believe each one of these experiences lead me to the other. Competing in pageants really taught me how to hold my presence in front of a crowd which was key while I was a WWE NXT Diva... in the spotlight, literally, under a spotlight in a ring in front of a crowd of people, haha. Being in the WWE really taught me how tough I was mentally. The wrestling world is a tough world. And you know what? So is moving across the country to NYC without knowing a single person to become a Founding Trainer of RUMBLE. Truly... every experience has prepared me to be doing exactly what I am doing right now. MS: Why do you love fitness today, versus when you first started kick-boxing 15 years ago? EH: When I first started kick-boxing I immediately fell in love with the sport for me... because it made me feel good, it made me feel strong, it made me feel empowered. And fifteen years later... I love fitness and boxing because I am able to share those feelings with others. I am able to help other feel good, feel strong, and feel empowered. MS: What has been the most rewarding part about being a
woman in the "new golden years" of fitness? EH: Showing the world how badass females are! MS: What has been the most challenging part for you? EH: Unfortunately I’ve definitely experienced situations in the industry where because I am a female... I was expected to work harder to prove myself. Excuse my language... but that is some BULLSHIT. It did challenge me though...not to work harder to prove to those people that I was worthy of a job or promotion or gig but to stand my ground and know how worthy I am. And hopefully inspire other females to do the same. MS: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I wonder how many times in our lives we are asked this question....I don’t believe finding the answer gets any easier. I imagine you are asking this question in terms of career and in regards to that, I’m not sure how to answer. I hope I’m still doing something different every day and working with some fun people. Do you have any rituals or personal mantras for managing all the expectations and pressure of this industry? I find it beneficial to have an outlet, to find a way to release any of those struggles. Some people meditate... my form of meditating is hitting a bag, lifting weights, going for a run... fitness is my therapy and it’s where I am able to feel my best and release anything that is weighing my mind down. MS: At this point in your career, we imagine you have met and worked alongside some major people. Is there one person who really demonstrated a way of leading, living or being that helped you identify your path or approach be it style, attitude, or goals? Hmm. That’s a tough one. I definitely am grateful to have met and worked along side so many really incredible people. Honestly, I think that I’ve been able to take a little bit from each person I’ve met along the way and helped to really form into the woman I am today. MS: People were really impacted by Kobe's death. We watched a time capsule of sorts play across every platform about his athleticism and his love for his family the impact he has had on the game and the people all around him. It made us really think about legacy. We live in a very performance-based world, like sports; it is always a point system; followers, VIP clients, side hustles etc. If you strip it all away what is it all about for you right here, right now? EH: It’s about love. Loving others. Loving my family, my friends, my pup, my health (physical and mental). I may be a fighter but I’m a lover too.
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Champion Peter Tamlin Seth Travis GROOMING Sophie Ono - The Brooks Agency MODEL Cory Alexander - Muse Model Management PHOTOGRAPHER
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Pants Michael Kors
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Luke comes from an athletic family. His father was a pro- fessional basketball player and his eldest brother, Matt, is a professional surfer. Luke found his way onto the wrestling mat in the seventh grade, and competed thoughout high school, eventually qualifying for the California State finals. Deciding to forgo college wrestling, he made the decision to focus on jiu-jitsu where he eventually won a Blue Belt World Championship in 2006. Stemming from his affinity for grappling, and his acquired submission skills, he soon discovered his true passion in mixed martial arts (MMA). Luke launched his professional MMA career in 2007 with two fights. Strikeforce, an MMA promotion based on the West Coast, immediately noted his talents and signed him in 2008. Luke proceededon a 9-0 win-streak, which led to his capture of the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship.
LR: Diet is different for everybody depending on their body chemistry. For me when I’m in competition mode I seem to operate best on 5-6 meals a day. 3 mains and 2-3 snacks/ smoothies. Snacks are fruit/veggie smoothies or nuts and carbbased fruit. Breakfast is eggs avocado and sweet potato or oatmeal with butter, egg, nuts, and fruit. Lunch is usually fish/ chicken with complex carb rice/quinoa/potato with greens and avocado. Dinner, fish/chicken/steak with greens and avo or some sauce good fats. Rarely do I incorporate carbs at dinner unless ill up late has the energy to burn. A small source of fats before bed to speed up metabolism dark chocolate or sugarfree macaroons. MM: When you want to indulge what is your go-to takeout or place to eat? What do you actually order?
After two sucessful title defenses, the UFC purchased Strikeforce and moved its best athletes to compete in the Octagon.
LR: I love a good thin-crust pizza or a high-end dinner bacon cheeseburger. In-n-Out is my fast food go to.possible. Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.
In the UFC, Luke became an instant fan favorite. He was known as much for his good looks as his spectacular fighting style and world class striking skills. We sat down with the Luke for at GHOST Brooklyn for issue one of Metropolis Sport.
MM: What sports do you play/enjoy in your leisure in Cali or elsewhere and what do you love about that sport? LR: Golf is good for the soul. Surfing is too. I like to get outside and enjoy life.
MM: Training & Competing are two very different things for a competitive athlete. Can you share what you have learned about:
MM: How would you describe your mentality or personality as an athlete? (Maybe ESPN is doing a piece on you and they open up voiceover with 90 seconds of your training and fighting. What would you want your field of peers, competitors, and media to say about you as a professional fighter and man?
LR: Competition has to be filled with passion and love. Without those ingredients you have no business competing. Training is a way of life. Sharpening and strengthening your body and mind for life’s obstacles. MM: You mentioned that rest has become as important as training. Can you tell us your discovery process for resting? LR: Over the years the understanding of recovery is paramount. As we all know the body doesn’t get any younger. Stressing the body through hot and cold treatments such as sauna and cold plunges to enhance circulation is key. Constricting and expanding the blood vessels forcing the blood to move. Along with proper nutrients to oxygenate body. Some good vasodilators such a pomegranate juice and beets juice I’m a big fan of. MM: What is your rest method now? LR: Sleep has to be the most important role of an athlete in the recovery process. The more we reach REM sleep the more the body will release testosterone. I've noticed I’m best when I get at least 8 hours a night and 30-45 min a day if doing double days.
LR: Hard-working, determined, easy-going, and always trying to enjoy life to the fullest. MM: What was the best book you read this year or favorite podcast where you tap into inspiration? Book--The Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz. Podcast--Stan Grof’s episode on the Tim Ferriss Podcast. Both offer interesting takes on life, friendships, and partnerships. MM: If you could be a professional athlete in any other sport, what would it be and why? LR: I’d have to say golf. Traveling the world; working on the most beautiful landscapes earth has to offer. Also, it's the only sport that has a professional senior league-- getting paid into your 80s!
MM: We gotta know about your diet. You are a big guy. Between lifting, cardio, your travel, and the actual competitions what is your diet like? METROPOLISSPORT.COM
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"Competition has to be filled with passion and love. Without those ingredients you have no business competing."
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The Athlete Hanson Walker Seth Travis GROOMING Joseph Theis-Raiford CASTING DIRECTOR Eric Cano PHOTOGRAPHER
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CeCe Marizu EDITOR RETOUCHER
Seth Travis Hanson Walker
CeCe Marizu comes from an extensive sports background and mindset from her years as a competitive swimmer at the highest collegiate level in the Big Ten. She helped open Equinox's 100th club as the Group Fitness Manager and helped co-create classes on New York's newest monument; The Vessel. Along with managing and group fitness, she’s a NASM certified personal trainer and was formerly a trainer on the digital platform called Daily Burn. She has been interviewed by Shape Magazine for the benefits of a pool
workout, featured in Dr. Oz the Good Life for a no excuses workout, and made appearances on Good Morning America and local NYC stations relating to fitness. Her passion for health comes from the ability to change and grow by the simple choices we make and the idea that we can invest in time. She believes life is like a race... You have to be willing to put yourself out there or you'll never know what it feels like to win. We sat down with Cece at the new Equinox Hudson Yards for Metropolis Sport number one.
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MS: Can you take us back to your first moment as a kid when you felt inside your heart or guts that you were an athlete/competitor; and what was that moment? What sport were you in or activity were you doing? CM: That's going so deep... Hmmmm. I started racing when I was six and I fell in love with competition. I won the Nevada State Championship for swimming when I was 8 (in 8 and under) and from then I was really hooked. Swimming was a release and a good investment of time for my parents who both worked. Swimming was my third parent. The one that taught me that I would have to dedicate time in order to see results beyond a pool. MS: Did you have some heroes growing up as a female in sports. If so, who and why? CM: I've always loved sports because of my dad (I think he wanted a boy... he will never say that though). I was obsessed with the Boise State Broncos where my dad went to college. I would tell people Michael Jordan came to visit me when I was in pre-school on campus (It was Chris Childs who had an impressive career himself). So I guess my first icon was Michael Jordan. However, my first "sports" hero was probably my age group swim coach who was a Chinese Olympian. She won silver in the 200 meter butterfly in the 1992 Olympics. Your coaches play a huge role in your life and you don't realize it till later on. She was the example I needed to see at a young age to know that perseverance pays off. We know swimming is like a religion. Talk to us about the deciation that took to compete through college and the skills the sport equipt you with to lead fitness for Equinox Hudson Yards? CM: Swimming really is nearly a religion for most of us as you know. They say it's one form of meditating since we can actually disconnect from the outside world in a pool. It really was a mental challenge just jumping into the pool every morning before the sun came up in college. You really have to have a deep desire to be great, not just at swimming, but at all aspects in your life. Swimmers to me are the hardest workers I know. We're dedicated, relentless, and approach each day ready to take it on. I still have an internal clock inside of me that gets me up in the morning before the sun too. I'm thankful I learned what time management was all about at a young age thanks to swimming. It's helped a lot in my fitness career. I never have an excuse that there aren't enough hours in the day. We all have 24 hours and make conscious choices on how we spend our time. What is your 1-on-1 message to our readers about personal wellness in 2020? Can you give us a perfect way to approach our workouts this year, or even a "Must Do This" class or exercise?
Sometimes you have to do things you don't love... I tell people they should have fun when they workout (and I really do believe that), but you should incorporate functional moves into your routine. Never deadlift? Why? Try it and if you don't know how, then ask someone for help. I hear women all the time tell me they don't want to lift because they are afraid of being "big" and in my head I wonder if they are afraid of osteoporosis too. I have faith people will see the value in workouts beyond the mirror. I also hope people know it's not just about physical health, it can also be about mental health. Get uncomfortable and be willing to try new things. Approach your workout as a health routine. Beyond an apple a day, grab a weight and and be great to keep the doctor away. The health & wellness industry is a massive industry and we have a buffet of options, but maybe our reader can't afford all the organic food, a group fitness class, and all the new tech clothes. What do say to them? The quote, "health is wealth" is really true. I think sometimes it's hard to see the value in investing in something like organic food or a gym membership, but it might be worth it in the long run. I always look for things I can cut out that I don't really need. I'm not a big partier, but when I do go out sometimes I can't believe I get a drink that costs over $15. I could have bought two servings of wild salmon for about the same price at the store. Want and need are two different things and sometimes that is hard for people to separate. I would also say make your nutrition your priority. That is the hardest part to master. Then think of your fitness routine. For instance, walking is free... Walk more when you have the chance. Once you've decided you need more than just walking, add push-ups in. Then just keep asking yourself what more you can do. Then you might end up at an Equinox one day and realize it's not just fitness, it truly is life. It is so clear the kindness and generosity that you exude at Equinox. Do you have a favorite author, podcast, or place where you find the personal motivation that influences your leadership style? I tend to look at coaches when it comes to motivation and leadership. Tony Dungy is a coach I have admired for many years. His book Mentor Leader was a book that I was thankful I read when I was in college. It went beyond servant leadership. He talked about humility and making sure each individual did their own growing. I also have always used Coach John Wooden's messages and his pyramid to success. You have to create a foundation, a base. The last coach who left an imprint on my mindset was Jimmy V. I'm reminded that you should think, laugh, and cry every single day. Life can be short, but it can also be really full. Words to live by? Love and gratitude are all you need. Truly.
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Mr. America EDITOR RETOUCHER
Seth Travis Hanson Walker
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Stanislav Kravchenko was raised in the city of Lviv, Ukraine. At just 5 years old, Stanislav started his career in gymnastics, marking the beginning of his lifelong interest in sports and health. As a young person, Stan pursued a variety of sports, including skiing, basketball, soccer and tennis. In 2009, he was invited to take part in a bodybuilding competition. In 2010, Stanislav moved to the United States. His first job ever in the US was at a McDonalds in Maryland where he continued to work on his English skills. After a short period of time, he managed to save his money and relocate to the city of endless opportunity: New York. Upon arriving, Stan worked a number of odd jobs including construction, security, busing tables and at a moving company. Most were physically tolling, which inevitably led him back to his passion for fitness and strength -- he decided to compete in Men's Physique. During this time, Stan decided to fully commit to his interests in strength and wellness. He started to study to become a personal trainer and was soon certified by the National Academy Sports of Medicine (NASM). Based in Brooklyn at the time, his training career started small. He took on several private clients in the area before interviewing at Equinox in 2014. He was green and slightly unaware of just how prominent the luxury fitness club was. Nevertheless, this made him even more endearing and he received an offer to work there full time at the Greenwhich location. With such a strong presence (and impossible to miss physique) Stan quickly became a high- demand trainer. While he continued to grow his clientele at Equinox, he also started working for Wilhemina Modeling Agency and was published in Men's Fitness magazine. His professional life was really formulating and though he was happy with the progress he had made, he still knew there was more opportunity. After 5 years at Equinox, Stan decided to leave the company to pursue a private practice. Throughout all this new success, Stan also had become a US citizen, further inspiring and motivating him to focus on his own business. Stan noticed there was a gap in the fitness world. Working with high-end clientele and celebrities, he realized their schedules, often demanding and full of travel, left little room for consistency. He wanted to be able to support a larger audience and provide a convenient way for them to continue to track their success and train with him -- wherever or whenever! So he created just that; in 2018 he founded ONEFIT, an on-demand wellness platform. From personal strength training to nutrition, ONEFIT helps it's users get connected to a team of experts who custom create a body solution for the individual and then deliver results through 1v1 coaching. The platform allows users to record all of their goals and training history, making it incredibly easy to stay on
track regardless of your hectic schedule or location. Not to mention, ONEFIT also has a team of trainers across NYC that will workout with you anytime, anywhere. The company, still in early stages continues to evolve and grow. As he tested new formulas and ideas, he was introduced to a company called NEOU, an on-demand platform that grants streaming access to 1,400+ fitness classes on any device. ONEFIT now collaborates with NEOU to bring Stan's workouts into the users home across America! It's been an incredible opportunity to reach a larger audience for Stan. Grateful for where he's come from and what he's built, he somehow still knows there is so much more to come. MS: Tell us more about your role at NEOU. How did it come about and what types of classes do you teach? SK: At NEOU, I program, create and instruct primarily strength classes that anyone can take literally at anytime, anywhere. It’s really great because you have so much autonomy as a fitness professional to truly create the class as you wish. For me, I’ll always lean towards strength given my body building background, but on NEOU I wanted to be able to teach proper form, technique and ensure anyone can learn to lift – safely. I do also incorporate HIIT routines and toning exercises so that the user can get a variety of fitness routines. I started in the fall after learning of the organization through Andy Cohen. The concept really resonated with me, but I had never taught class routines and found the new challenge interesting, but to be frank, a bit intimidating at first since it was outside my comfort zone. I had to kick the idea around in my head a bit before committing. After chatting through it with people I trust and trialing some new routines for myself, I decided to take the audition. The rest is history! MS: You also do private training, how does that work exactly do you go to their home gym or studio or meet at a local gym in NYC? Totally! Primarily, I do private training one on one. This is my expertise. I mostly train my clients at a gym location in NYC that I work from, but through ONEFIT I also have the ability to train any of my clients at their preferred location – if that be a home gym, studio or hotel they are staying at; it’s up to them! MS: We know you train Andy Cohen, how do you handle high profile clients? What is the best part and what is the most challenging? That’s an interesting question because it’s the same – but different. All of my clients receive top tier service and training. It’s important to me that quality is always consistent, regardless of the client's popularity. However, with high profile clients, privacy does take priority. Andy is very open that I train him, and that’s great! But not everyone is as open to sharing their fitness routines or strategies and I always need to respect their
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comfort level and ensure trust is #1. The best part is that these types of clients always keep me on my toes! I feel a need to be more creative since they tend to get bored more easily. I’m constantly creating new workouts or exercises and movements to try with them. The most challenging part would likely be the high-demand scheduling of these types of clients. I very rarely will say no to them if they request a specific time which can make it difficult. Especially since the timing is constantly changing due to their own demanding schedule. Either way, we find a way to make it work! MS: You seem to form a personal bond with your clients. Why do you think that is, and what has been the most rewarding thing about those 1 on 1 relationship?
from the gym? SK: Yes. 100%. It’s a hustle and I am constantly working to find balance within. My life away from the gym used to not exist, but I’ve worked hard over the last year to really find a way to honor the balance of it all. There are things that have changed for me. I realized life is so much more and happiness can be found in a lot of other places outside the gym. I value my loved ones and quality time with them is so important. I’ve worked really hard to try and make this a priority. Though it can be tough, I try to remind myself when I need to: take a vacation, spend meaningful time with people I love, relax... breathe. It’s made me a more organized professional and overall, a happier, calmer person. MS: How does it feel to be an American Citizen?
SK: I appreciate that! Honestly, I really value all of my clients. I enjoy my time with them. During training sessions, you really do become a therapist almost. People are there to work and to blow off steam most of the time; their everyday life kind of gets intertwined. Fitness allows you to vent. That physical movement also allows your mind to move and flow more clearly and it just turns out, I’m always the one right there with them working through it. I like to think I’m a rather easy going guy and I can talk about a lot of things, but mostly in these sessions I am listening and that is so important when you are building a meaningful relationship. I’d be lying if I said they didn’t do the same for me too! My clients give me advice too, when I need it. They’re like my family. I’m not from here, so all of the connections I have built are really important to me and I take a lot of pride in. They are authentic relationships I value. I think that’s what transcends and what has led to these meaningful bonds that other trainers don’t typically build. MS: Let's talk about ONEFIT. We know you have been working on this brand for over 2 years. Can you tell us the original idea and how it evolved? SK: ONEFIT’s concept continues to evolve and I’m proud of that. It originated as an on-demand service providing trainers to clients anywhere in NYC – think UBER, but for fitness. We’ve since incorporated full wellness programming and team guidance into the platform, but at it’s core it remains a way to deliver fitness to anyone, anywhere (in NYC), at any time. The goal is to make fitness and wellness a priority in your life and the best way to do that is to find a way to make it as convenient as possible, but that also will ensure delivered results. From training sessions to nutrition, ONEFIT allows you to book and schedule wellness services 100% on your clock with a team dedicated to helping you achieve your goals. Because of it’s functionality and “on-demand” core, NEOU made total sense to me. I loved that the brand refers to itself as “the Netflix of fitness.” It was easy to incorporate the ONEFIT brand into NEOU production and would give me the ability to reach people outside of NYC that I could not. MS: Are you always fighting for balance in your life away
SK: It feels amazing. This has been a dream of mine. I came here with this dream, and the first time I got to travel with my American passport, it really made me proud. It’s something that is hard to explain without sounding cheesy in a way, but I feel like I have constantly been chasing the American dream and when I became a Citizen it was just another way to validate I am doing this. Super proud. When you were growing up, what American Athletes, Celebrities, or Personalities did you admire and why? SK: Dwayne “the rock” Johnson, Vin Diesel & Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was easy to admire them given my interest in body building and all of their weight lifting expertise. I aspired to be like them physically, but also I loved how motivating and disciplined they all were. To me, they were truly successful people who were determined and motivated and strong. They embody everything I love about the fitness industry – that what you learn in the gym transcends. That success you find in the gym, and how you achieve it, can be applied to all aspects of life and can cultivate and further grow your successes in life OUTSIDE the gym. I think each are rooted in self-discipline and built such a strong foundation that carried their achievements in many various directions. So cool and really admirable. MS: You have spent nearly your entire life in fitness and wellness. What are the 3 things you have learned in your personal journey thus far? 1. Discipline. 2. To work outside of your comfort zone. Push your limits and challenge yourself to be uncomfortable. It’s where growth is at. 3. Rest and balance are essential. Your body AND mind need rest days. MS: Words to live by? Be your authentic self, always – own your brand and who you are. Don’t alter who you are at your core to fit a mold that isn’t you. Break it and build a new one.
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Jimmy Wu EDITOR RETOUCHER
Seth Travis Hanson Walker
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Jimmy Wu is a strength and conditioning specialist with vast experience that ranges from improving athletic performance in teenagers to helping the elderly move better. His passion for health and fitness comes from discovering the empowerment that it brings and inspired him to share it with others. As someone who led an inactive lifestyle and struggled with self-confidence while growing up, he finds that training is a way to identify opportunities to become better than before. He believes those incremental improvements over weeks, months and years will change lifestyles for the better. When he's not training clients, he's striving to learn more and improve in Olympic weightlifting. MS: Did you play any sports growing up? If so what did you play and did you compete at the high school or college level? JW: Weightlifting never really permeated into the fitness world because of how difficult and rarely programmed outside of Olympic Games training it is. I discovered weightlifting as Crossfit started to popularize it and was amazed by the massive amounts of weight that athletes are able to put over their heads. MS: What was it about weightlifting that hooked you? JW: I’ve tried just about every exercise under the sun and the technical refinement that weightlifting requires to execute successfully is what got me hooked. I find it to be very challenging (imagine trying to propel a barbell off the floor to become airborne briefly and then catching it) and it’ll constantly push me to become better. MS: How would you describe your style of training with athletes and young professionals? JW: I would say that I stick with what works and I don’t try reinventing the wheel when it comes to athletes and young professionals. The best ability is availability for this demographic since it wouldn’t matter if you have the fastest horse in the race if you can’t put the horse out there. We have a finite amount of energy and what generally works well is prioritizing improving power output first like in a broad jump, for example. Then focusing on maintaining strength, if not improving it, with secondary movements like a hex bar deadlift, overhead press, etc. Finally, choosing accessory exercises that are specific to the person that would range from single legged work to rotational stability caps off the workout nicely. MS: How do you tailor training to other clients like older men and women and the elderly?
still include exercises like heavy deadlift variations and single legged squat variations. MS: You spend a lot of time at private gyms. How do you manage the space or lack of space and equipment variations? JW: There’s nothing quite like rush hour in NYC and gyms are just as packed at its peak hours. It can be frustrating to be packed like a can of sardines with so many people sweating and having to coach over all the noise but I think it’s important to be courteous to not just my own clients but other trainers’ clients as well. My experience has taught me variations, regressions and progressions of exercises. So if I’m at a private apartment gym with limited equipment, I’d probably lean towards bodyweight movements like squats, pullups and pushups and use. MS: What kinds of training trends are you discovering and how do you incorporate that with your clients? JW: I am actually hesitant to jump on new trends as there seems to be a new one everyday in the fitness industry. My clients trust me with their bodies and health and I have to be responsible for making sure what I administer to them is tried and true. I do like the trend of a holistic approach to fitness since sleep and nutrition are just as important as training. I incorporate it with my clients by creating conversations around it instead of being authoritative with instruction because what could work best for me might not for my clients. MS: Continuing education must be constant. With technology, science, and new routines and trends, how do you keep up with it all? JW: Fortunately there’s an abundance of resources with the technology we have today. There are many great pages on Instagram and incredible minds on podcasts. I like to listen to podcasts and set aside time to be a sponge and absorb the information. Some of my favorites include Muscle Intelligence, Bar Bend, RX’d Radio, and Squat University. MS: What personal challenge have you set for yourself and can you share it with us? JW: In the gym, I’m aiming to set personal records of 220lbs in the snatch and 275lbs in the clean and jerk. I’d also like to create more fitness content to share and pay forward since I’ve been fortunate enough to be in the position I’m in. MM: Words to live by?
JW: For this demographic, I’d still aim to reach for their highest ceiling while scaling workloads considerably compared to an athlete’s. I’d exclude things like box jumps or any pylometrics because the risk would be too high for a reward but would
JW: Random workouts will yield random results. Passive approaches will yield passive results. Make sure your most valuable commodities, time and sweat, are yielding dividends.
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8 Step Guide to Win Your Day WORDS IMAGES
Darren Tomasso Dylan Johnston
Goals are important, but the reasons we set them and the processes we implement to reach them are paramount. If we want to “get in shape,” for instance, we can’t simply say we are going to go to the gym more and eat more salads. This plan is too broad and it isn’t tailored to our specific needs and desires based on the holistic picture of our current health. Instead, we
need to break this goal down into its specific component parts: our why’s and how’s. If we can adopt an outsider’s perspective on our status quo and how we desire to enhance it, we can gain the clarity and perspective needed to reach our goals more effectively.
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1. Take a bird’s eye view of your health and what you want to achieve. The first step in any goal acquisition is to take a step back and make a concerted effort to reflect on your current health and habits. Ask yourself: What do I think I’m currently missing in my health and wellness? What does a typical day of eating look like? When am I eating? What types of foods do I enjoy? Do I understand the difference between not feeling full and actually being hungry? Am I getting enough sleep? Are my sleep habits consistent? Do I feel rested in the morning? Do I effectively cope with stress and react appropriately to stressful situations? Am I working out consistently? Do I spend my time in the gym effectively? What other lifestyle factors are influencing my health and wellness?
3. …Goals fail; systems don’t. We have a goal problem. You’re not alone if you’ve previously set goals that haven’t come to fruition. Most people think about the long-term picture without thinking about the short-term steps involved. The goals we make are often too vague and futureoriented.
Ask yourself these questions and more — without judgment. Gaining clarity on the holistic picture of your current health will help you identify what you think is missing or needs improvement. Getting comfortable with yourself in this way is an instrumental building block toward assessing and implementing the change you desire.
4. Treat your health like a science experiment. Health is highly individualized and looks different for everyone. What works for one person may not work for you — and with that same idea, what worked for you previously may not work for you now. It’s human nature to want to look for the easy, cookie-cutter, fix-all solution but I find that approach sets people up for unrealistic expectations, and ultimately, more losses than wins.
Next, determine what it is you want to achieve and why. Want to become faster? Why? Want to lose weight? Why? Be open with yourself and connect with the emotional drive behind your goals. 2. Then, reverse engineer your goal. Now that you see your health in a more nuanced way, work backwards and determine the specific elements needed to keep you on track to achieve that big W. For example, if your goal is to get stronger and change your body composition, are you eating enough high-quality food? Is your programming focused on multi-joint full-body exercises? Are you using weights that are challenging enough? Do you have mobility restrictions affecting your movement quality? Are you giving yourself adequate rest and recovery between training sessions? Do you have a base level of aerobic fitness? Some elements may actually be distracting you from your desired goal. So take note of those too. For example, if your goal is to experience less knee soreness when you run, then spending 30% of your workout doing ab exercises intended to chisel out a six pack would not be the best use of your time. Instead, you’ll need to identify where and when you experience pain, foam roll and mobilize those tight tissues (usually hamstrings, quads, IT band, thoracic spine), activate your core stabilizers and glutes (ie. planks, side planks, band walks), improve running mechanics and gait, and incorporate unilateral plyometrics and strength exercises (ie. single leg hops and bounds, lunges, glute bridges). Reverse engineering your goals helps you design systems because…
Instead, I like to think of goals as the outcome and systems as the processes you follow to get there. Systems take those reverse engineered elements you identified and gives you a structure to follow — a repeatable set of actions you can start incorporating at any time. With systems in place, you’ll feel yourself doing something every day to get better. That, in turn, will sustain your momentum and motivation.
Instead, use trial and error to see what works for you, and more importantly, how you feel. Take careful notes when you introduce new habits or routines. Reflect. Reset. Refocus. Reorganize. Repeat. 5. Buy in and commit to something. Too many people are on the consistent search for the “secret sauce” they think they are missing (read “procrastination”). Hate to break it to you: the best workout or diet regimen doesn’t exist. The best regimens are ones that you can commit to and incorporate as a consistent part of your lifestyle. And typically, we just don’t commit to something for enough time to see the results. 6. …And focus on what really matters. Yes, that juice cleanse, new superfood, or magic titanium energy bracelet may be all the hubbub right now, but are you getting the basics down? Don’t fall victim to trends before you nail the basics (and realize you don’t need to be wealthy to be healthy despite health and wellness becoming a $4.2 trillion industry). Trends are trends because of the novelty behind them. They are usually driven by new research studies taken out of context and capitalism doing its thing. First things first. Follow the steadfast, unwavering fundamentals that are the difference-makers in your health and wellness. As a baseline, eat more fruits and vegetables. Limit added sugar and don’t shy away from quality fats. Don’t eat too close to bedtime. Drink more water. Set consistent sleep routines. Sleep longer.
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Exercise and get moving more. Give yourself time to relax and recover. 7. Have a championship mentality. Your goal is the championship. What you do on a daily basis are the routines and systems that prepare you for that moment. You can’t approach the start of the season already thinking about the championship because you’ll lose touch with what you need to do right now to get there (each game and practice, sharpening your skill set, your nutrition and recovery, etc.). Keep your goal in mind, but remain focused on the routines and habits (your systems) that you start acting upon right now to bring you closer to success. While not every athlete or team wins the championship, or even gets there in the first place, the great thing is, your health and wellness is ‘you against you.’ You determine the qualifier for success, whether it is to lose 10lbs or run your first 5K. You don’t have to feel pressured to stick to a certain goal either. If you entered the season playing baseball, you can take a timeout, and you can finish the season running track — just reflect and edit your systems accordingly. “Practice? We’re talking about practice!” In a controversial 2002 interview, basketball star Allen Iverson passionately ridiculed the media for obsessing over him missing practice. Despite the backlash he received, to an extent, AI had a point we can all relate to. Practice is just practice; it’s a routine — like your daily 10 minutes of meditation, or your homemade salad. These moments don’t have to be monumental and done with the same vigor as the championship. They are systems designed to make your goal attainable that, over time, will become effortless and become a part of what makes you, you. But in order to get into this coveted “zone” of routine and habit you have to… 8. … Just get started and just start small. It may sound counterintuitive at first, but more often than not, giving 80% effort is better than trying to give 110% and burning out or becoming frustrated. The common adages “go big or go home” and “give it 110%” sound amazing in theory — especially if you have someone shouting at you during a workout class. In reality, however, putting forth the absolute maximum amount of effort or energy isn’t sustainable in the long run. Less is definitely more. You’ve already thought through your systems, so now is the time to focus on building tangible and actionable habits. Results come later. Start by committing to small routines and habits. Before you can run, you need to know how to walk, right? And, before you can hit the gym every day, you just need to get moving every day. Once you find those small 10 minute pockets of exercise during your day, it will be easier to expand
from there. (Note: you can get moving with or without a gym). I suggest taking some time before the start of your week to put your game plan together. Write down what you plan on implementing: “I will meditate for 5 minutes every morning when I wake up.” “I will prepare my own lunch for each work day.” “I will workout Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week at 6pm for 30 minutes.“ I will go to bed no later than 11pm SundayThursday.” Assess your success at the end of the week. Did you hit all of your micro-goals? What challenges or limitations did you face? What could you have done differently? Answer those questions and adjust your game plan accordingly for the following week. Make strides in the right direction and you are bound to be successful.
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How To Train In 2020 Methods and Exercises WORDS IMAGES
Darren Tomasso Dylan Johnston
Hindsight is 20/20, but that doesn’t mean 2020 needs to be in the rearview mirror before you ditch last year’s moves in the gym. It’s a new decade — time for your workout routine to refresh and evolve. These concepts and the exercises that follow will not only boost your productivity in the gym, but make your workouts more fun and interesting. Try them out and make 2020 your year:
Compound movements allow you to recruit more muscle fibers because more joints are involved in moving the weight. Exercises that utilize more muscles and joints elevate the heart rate and require more oxygen, so they increase your net energy expenditure. These are great additions because you can work more of your body in less time, which gives you more bang for your buck. Compound movements are also great for building strength since you have more muscle fibers and joints working in tandem to coordinate and aid in moving weight.
Less in Isolation, More in Integration If you are looking to optimize your training and be more productive in the gym, then leave isolated, single-joint exercises in 2019. I’m looking at you, bicep curls and machine leg extensions. Not to say these exercises don’t have a place within your training program - they just shouldn’t be the focal point. At the heart of any training program should be full-body, multijoint movements that get your body moving as an integrated unit. These exercises are also known as compound movements.
Playbook: Squat, Deadlift, Barbell Glute Bridge, Push-up, Pullup, Bent-over Row. Image: Squat to Overhead Press Prehab Your warm-up routine is probably lacking (or non-existent), but exercise-related pains and injuries are not. If this sounds like you, then it’s time to upgrade your warm-up and focus on the
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Introducing “prehab.” Think of prehab as rehab, but before you get injured. It’s injury prevention and reduction intended to mobilize tight or overactive joints and tissues and to strengthen other muscles to make sure they are firing during your workout. A couple of areas prone to injury and exercise-related pain are the knees, lower back, and shoulders. A solid prehab routine should focus on mobilizing and strengthening tissues around those joints. For example, lower back and knee pain are strongly linked to tight hip flexors (front of your thigh) and weak or inactive glutes and core. Take some time before your warmup to foam roll, dynamically stretch your hips, and activate your core and glutes to get the most out of every single lower body movement — whether that’s running, cycling, or squatting.
You have three planes of motion: 1. Sagittal: forward and back movement 2. Frontal: side to side movement 3. Transverse: rotational movement Diversifying your movement patterns to different planes of motion will help you gain strength and stability more globally throughout your body (as opposed to working the same joints and muscles over and over again in the same direction.) Being able to create, resist, and transfer force in all planes of motion will help reduce injuries, too. You need to be able to resist rotational forces on your knees when you’re running or squatting and land without twisting your ankle after going up for a lay-up on the basketball court.
Playbook: Glute Band Walks, Single Leg Glute Bridges, Bird Dogs, Low and Side Planks. Another area prone to injury are the shoulders — usually attributed to rounded shoulder posture and usually characterized by shoulder clicking since there is less space around the shoulder joint to move freely. I call this “cell-phone posture.” The anterior (front) part of your shoulder tends to be relied upon too heavily during push exercises (where your chest should be doing most of the work) and pull exercises (where your upper back should be doing most of the work.) In this case, you’ll want to mobilize the anterior part of your shoulder. Mobilize these tissues by lying face down with a lacrosse ball located where your chest meets your shoulder to release the muscle. Once you find a spot on your upper chest that is particularly tender, hold and take 5-10 deep breaths filling your lungs with as much air as possible. Try to relax in this position. If this is too much pressure, you can also perform this standing against a wall. Once you mobilize, strengthen your upper and mid-back (lats, mid and lower traps, and rhomboids) with pulling exercises. Playbook: Soft tissue rolling with a lacrosse ball, Bent-over Rows. Image: Suspension Strap Y’s and T’s. Pro-Tip: Think about lengthening your spine, creating a proud chest, and pulling with your elbows (not your shoulders) and squeezing a pencil between your shoulder blades (aka your scapula). Multi-Planar Movements Despite the human body and the world around us being threedimensional, a lot of training and traditional exercises tend to focus on only one dimension (think forward and backward movements like running, squatting, lunging.)
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Playbook: -Frontal Plane: Side lunges, Walking Push-up Planks, Lateral Band Walks. -Transverse Plane: MB Rotational Throws, Rotation Lunges (starting with your feet together and facing towards a 12 o’clock position, lift your right leg and rotate clockwise to a 5 o’clock position, sit your hips back towards your heel, and rotate back to 12 o’clock) Add these for 10-12 reps to complement your sagittal plane movements. Unilateral Strength Do you ever catch yourself leaning more of your weight on one leg while standing? Do you feel your weight shift while you’re performing certain exercises like squats or deadlifts? Maybe on bench press, one arm fatigues while the other could easily bang out a few more reps? This is common, but it’s even more common for gym-goers not to do anything about it. Injuries also tend to occur when one side of the body (muscle or joint) repeatedly takes more impact, pressure and force than the other — and gives out. No matter the training goal, incorporating unilateral work (single-limb exercises) will work both sides of your body equally to correct muscular imbalances and avoid overtraining or overusing your dominant side. You’ll get stronger on your bilateral exercises too since both sides of your body will start working together a bit more evenly and effectively. Playbook: -Lower Body: Step-ups, Pistol Squats, Lunges -Upper Body: Single Arm Bench Presses, Overhead Presses, and Row -My go to: Single Leg Squat Hold with Single Arm Dumbbell Row Aim for 3-4 sets of 12 reps on each side. METROPOLISSPORT.COM
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Core Training > Ab Training One of the most popular fallacies of gym-goers is that having visible abs is an indicator of a strong core. Yes, your abs make up a portion of your core but that is missing the bigger picture. Train for the core’s function, not just for purely aesthetic purposes. You won’t be able to crunch or side bend your way to visible abs. Only with proper core training and, more importantly, diet and a reduction in body fat percentage, will you be able to see changes in your ab wall.
Try incorporating some of these movements to your warm-up prehab routine to activate your core before your workout, as well. Plyometrics and Strength Contrasting Plyometric training is an important modality meant to increase power production (strength and speed). These include hops, skips, bounds, throws, and jumps.
For most populations, some form of power training is great for joint and connective tissue health and to improve the ability to generate force as efficiently as possible. Utilizing plyometric ex1. The outer or superficial layer (rectus abdominis) a.k.a. “six ercises in your warm-up is a great way to prime the body before you workout since these movements enhance the recruitment pack abs” rate of muscle fibers. 2. The inner layer (transverse abdominis and internal obliques) You can also incorporate them within your workout using a a.k.a. your deep stabilizers. method called “contrasting.” For contrast training, you pair a moderately heavy strength exercise (like squats, deadlift, bench Your deep core stabilizers are involved in practically everything you do and when they’re strong, they can aid in injury reduction. press for 5 sets of 4-8 reps) with a complementary power From deadlifting, to reaching overhead, to walking up the stairs, exercise of a similar movement pattern (ie. squats with squat your functional core is there to stabilize. Your superficial layer is jumps, deadlifts with medicine ball slams, bench press with explosive push-ups). Remember, the goal with these plyometric more about creating motion (ie. sit-ups, crunches, side bends, exercises is peak power, speed, and explosiveness in shorter back extensions.) So train your core for its primary function: stability and prevention of motion. When your core is strong and bouts of work— not high volume conditioning— so aim for 4-6 high quality reps when performing them and rest for 2 minutes properly activated, it will be engaged throughout each exercise after each set. of your workout and you’ll get more out of each rep. This will benefit you far more than tacking on a 5 minute mat ab routine Contrast training is a solid way to improve your overall perforto the end of your training session. mance and strength, whether you are looking to put on muscle, drop body fat, or hit a new running PR. Extra bonus: it also Playbook: For a holistic core program, utilize isometric stabilmaximizes your time in the gym since power movements are ity (exercises with very little movement) and dynamic stability quicker, faster tempo! (where your core has to stabilize your moving body), and train your core in all three planes of motion: Playbook: Squat Jumps, Box Jumps, Tuck Jumps, Medicine Ball Slam, Explosive Push-ups, Medicine Ball Rotational Throws, 1. Anti-Extension: (sagittal plane): Core’s ability to prevent Single Leg Lateral Bounds excess lower back extension a. Isometric: Low and High Plank, Deadbugs b. Dynamic: Suspension Strap Fallouts Your core musculature is really made up of two parts:
2. Anit-Lateral Flexion: (frontal plane): Core’s ability to prevent excess side-bending a. Isometric: Side Plank b. Dynamic: Single Arm Farmer’s Carry, DB Single Arm Overhead Press 3. Anti-Rotation: (transverse plane): Core’s ability to prevent excess rotation a. Isometric: Pallof Press b. Dynamic: Offset Racked Squat (kettlebell or dumb bell racked only on one side of your body while you squat), Renegade Row
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Conditioning A dreaded word to some. But if you want to experience results you need a well-rounded routine that incorporates some kind of mobility, strength, and yes, conditioning. Just a quick distinction between conditioning and cardio: both are methods to improve cardiovascular health, but cardio sessions are typically longer with steady, continuous effort. Conditioning, on the other hand, utilizes structured patterns of work and rest to elicit a desired response from the body. Conditioning is all about giving you a solid base of endurance to train and prepare your body for greater volume, work, and intensity — while improving your ability to recover after a bout of exercise. Think of these benefits outside the context of working out, too. More endurance means greater productivity, energy, and focus to do the things you need to do on a daily basis. Playbook: Prowler Pushes, Assault Bike, Jump Rope, Battle Ropes, Deadmill Sprints (a solid alternative to prowler pushes where the treadmill is turned off and you have to push your hands on the top handles and drive through your legs to move the treads) Here are a few conditioning circuits to try out: 1. 20 second prowler or deadmill sprint, 40 battle rope slams, 60 fast pace jump rope hops. Repeat x 10 rounds. 2. 10 second Assault Bike sprint, 20 second slow recovery. Repeat for 10 minutes and increase by 5 minutes every couple of weeks until you’re able to reach 25 minutes. Now that you have these methods and exercises in your toolbox, you can stop scrolling through the explore page on Instagram and get to work!
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Edward Naranjo was born and raised in Brownsville, Tx. He grew up with a love for sports and athletic training. He studied at the University of Texas at Austin, received his NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) and NCCPT (National Council for Certified Personal Trainers) certification, and moved to Los Angeles, CA to pursue his passion within the fitness industry. Edward has an extensive background in sports and athletic training, which helps with incorporating fun, integrated training protocols catered towards every one of his clients. With over 15 years of experience in Football and Track & Field, Edward can also integrate an athletic sports training program for the sports enthusiast. Edward currently lives in Los Angeles, Ca. MS: It sounds like you have been an athlete all your life. Did Football come first? When did you know you loved the game? EN: That’s a good question, football definitely came first, i was introduced to it when i was 8 years old by my uncle. We would toss the ball around and that’s what introduced me to football and sports in general; I fell in love with it ever since. MS: What parts of track & field did you compete in, what was your best specialty/race? EN: I competed in numerous events, such as the 100 meter, 200 meter, the triple jump, long jump, and the relays. If i had to pick my best event it would have to be the 200 meter sprint. It was the perfect combination of power, speed and endurance wrapped in one. It also happened to be my best event with a personal record of 21.5 seconds. MS: How do sport and competition prepare you for life? EN: I believe sports does an excellent job in teaching important values of life, such as patience, integrity, and ambition to name a few. I was able to develop a strong work ethic due to my competitive nature in sports. Life is filled with challenges and adversity; because I'm able to overcome it in my sport, it reflects very well with my personal hardships.
training programs really helped me develop a better relationship with my clients. There are a lot of personal trainers out there that are really only interested in training their clients, but not developing a relationship with them, and that’s what I feel separates the saturation of the market. MS: A lot of former athletes become trainers, fitness experts and even launch their own brands or boutique gyms. What is your personal vision or pathway in this industry and what gets you excited about the future of fitness? EN: I love all forms of physical fitness. Whether it be sports, martial arts, yoga etc - my ultimate goal is to open up my own gym in Los Angeles, and provide a great diversity of training. I would also love for my gym to be strongly associated with martial arts. I believe that having this style of gym will give me the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and develop a quality & personable community. MS: Do you have an athlete or fitness icon you admire who has inspired you and the way you live and work in the field? EN: Kobe Bryant and Justin Gatlin are definitely my top 2 favorite athletes. Their passion and extraordinary drive to be the absolute best in their craft really pushed me to carry the same mindset. It's incredibly difficult at times to stay on track with your goals, but seeing your icon do it at in elite level definitely helps push back the road blocks! MS: What do you do for fun, when you are not hitting the gym, training clients, or modeling? EN: I love hiking and camping! I'll sometimes set up a camping weekend in the mountains at Angeles National Forest, or in the desert at the Valley of Fire in Nevada. I also love skateboarding on my free time, so I'll visit the skate park often to grind on rails, jump off stair sets, and have a good time.
MS: Words to live by? EN: Gratitude. Appreciate what you have right now, before time forces you to appreciate what you once had.
MS: How do sport and competition prepare you for being a fitness trainer/expert in today's saturated market? EN: Being able to implement quality, personable factors into my
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Born in NY & raised in South Salem, NY. My fitness journey began while playing Division 1 baseball at West Virginia University, after which a spinal injury forced me to turn down an offer to play for the Milwaukee Brewers. My road to recovery is where my passion for health and fitness was born. I have now been working in the fitness industry for 6 years, teaching group fitness, 1 on 1 personal training, online coaching & a fitness professional consultant for The W hotels. I believe living a healthy lifestyle begins with maintaining a strong and fit body & letting go of all the fads we get caught up with (there are no shortcuts). My aim is to help you identify your fitness goals, design an exercise program that fits your needs and guide you through every exercise, every workout. My holistic approach to fitness and health will have you feeling great and seeing results in no time.. My philosophy is work hard, lift properly, and have a damn good time doing it with people you enjoy being around.
Bench - it was during that time when I had over 500lbs on my back with my team directly behind me yelling my name. On my path back up my hips shot back & I should’ve dropped it but with my team right there I was able to bring it up, adrenaline was going and I thought I was fine until I woke the next day with 3 herniated discs and an injury that still makes me cringe when I hear it “SCIATICA!” The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time because it was my senior year, too late to take a redshirt and I had to go on to play my final season with those bulging discs. During the season, I looked up to my coach & my Mom for strength. It was not easy, constantly putting myself in pain to then jump into an ice bath right after practice or a game. Overall, I had a good season - was one of the Johnny Bench award finalists but when Milwaukee Brewers offered me practically a plane ticket and hot dog to sign, I had to quickly deny because I was not physically and mentally in a good place. This is where my passion for fitness came about on my road back to recovery.
MS:Did you start out with the right habits as a kid from training to diet, to the lifestyle? How or Why not?
MS: You mentioned your philosophy earlier. Is there someone in your life that taught you the 'way of life' so to speak? If so what was it, and who was it?
AF: Unfortunately, I like to refer to my childhood as the frozen burrito x XBOX era. My parents did a really good job keeping myself and my 3 other siblings active but you can’t blame them for buying those frozen foods or a quick stop to McDonalds to feed the entire family for $20. When it came to training when I was younger I never really had a role model to teach me the proper way to lift, it was a very masculine environment in high school because all everybody wanted to know was “how much do you lift?” Fitness has changed for the better in the past 10 years and I am grateful to have gone on to play D1 baseball at WVU where I was coached the proper way to lift and we had our own personal nutritionist who would come to the grocery store with us, the one Mountain Dew a day quickly changed. Looking back, it was some really hard habits that I had to break but it made me such a better athlete and I take pride in teaching my clients how to kick those bad habits. MS: As a competitive athlete, your mentality must have changed after that injury? What kind of mental breakthroughs / emotional journey did you have to overcome? Follow-up was there a moment, a person, a book that helped you launch into a new chapter of your life as a health and wellness expert? AF: It was the day before Christmas Break where each individual position player would max out their Squat, Deadlift &
AF: My philosophy came about on my own when I was in my adolescence, indirectly taught by my father who had a mental breakdown when I was in the 6th grade. At that time, he quit his job and isolated himself in my home for the rest of my high school & college career. The doctors were quick to diagnose him with mental disorders and throw a quick script at him, I did not learn this until I got to college but from 6th to freshman year I remember telling myself as I would watch my father “how cool is it, when you get older you can stay up all night & eat ice cream,” thinking my father was some superhero wearing a cape but as I went through high school I knew something wasn’t right. When I got to college I quickly declared my major in Psychology because I wanted to learn more about my father and why he made these life decisions. To sum it up, I believe in a holistic approach to health and wellness. My father was on some much medication, he never had the chance to make his own decisions because he was a prisoner to a pill. I don’t know any human-being that is able to eat tubs of ice cream at 12am & plan to be productive the next day. My Psychology degree taught me the truth, my father isn’t a superhero wearing a cape and he should’ve been advised to get back to a structured life - a job - healthy eating - and most importantly focus on your sleep. Today, I coach everyone on balance, that moderation is the key to life, never be dependent on any drug, meditate & meditate often, get out in the world by pushing your limits &
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and challenging yourself as we are capable of such amazing feats. MS: You work 1-on-1 with clients. What is the best advice to a person who is willing to set aside a significant amount of time and money to "rehab" or "reset" their mind and body through fitness and diet? AF: I would first applaud that person for making the investment in themselves. In this day in age, we have so much stimulation of technology & factors that lead us to stress that you should set some money aside and give it to someone who is going to make your life easier while you can take care of your job, family, relationships, all external factors that make us whole. I would advise that person to open up, be ready to break down barriers of their weaknesses to only build them up - my goal is to expand your mind of what is capable of your body but also coaching that less is more when it comes to nutrition most importantly. We all want a quick fix and I get it, but good things take time and we are going to have to change one habit at a time to reach an overall goal. Set the bar low, take time to celebrate your small victories and in the end they will add up to something special.
MS: You must live at the gym so to speak. What are weekly, monthly or annual things you do to keep it all fresh for your own fitness routine? Any big 2020 activities planned? ex: Marathon etc. AF: It is easy to get bored with your training when it comes to yourself or training with clients. This is why I am all about goal setting, and have a purpose in what you’re doing. I use my own personal data base where clients can set up goals, check them off when we accomplish them, set up a new one and always keep the flame of internal progression. The goals can be whatever the client wants to achieve but that goal is specific to that one client. I am a big advocate for taking care of # 1, if I am able to keep myself 100% healthy then i will be able to the best version for my family, clients & friends. That being said, I always pamper myself when I find the time. At least 2 30 minute back massages a week, 2 Cyro-Therapy sessions a month, optimize sleep with CBD, Magnesium & Melatonin, and plan to escape the city for a weekend or a week once a month. For goals, last year I decided to run my first half marathon under 2 hours. I am not much of a long distance runner but I achieved it & yeah I might have broken my foot during the run but happy to be able to finish under 2 hours. This year, I have set a goal to compete in a non-profit boxing match in November. This will be a fun event as I have zero boxing experience but I take pride in doing things I am bad at. MS: What is your go-to breakfast? Follow-up do you have a weekly cheat meal ritual? AF: I am up usually at 530am every morning and my body never wants to eat at that time nor do I have the time to cook anything. Before I go to bed I make a protein shake and put it in the fridge. That shake consists of all natural protein, beets powder, lion's mane mushroom powder & MCT oil or also referred to as brain fuel. This usually sets me up until 10 am where I crush an all plant breakfast where my protein is mainly tofu & egg whites. MS: What is in your gym bag right now? AF: My gym bag right now is a Yeti backpack. I have been through so many bags in the past, they usually last for 3 months before it rips or just time to switch it up. The real NY trainer knows how important that backpack is so as long as it serves its purpose I will wear it. MS: Words to live by? AF: You will never always be motivated, so you must learn to be disciplined. AF: Make the best of every moment, be thankful, open up more & inspire others to live their best lives.
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Born and raised in Bolivia, I came to USA ‘98 with the purpose to meet my father for the first time. Played soccer and any other sport that had to do with a team mindset as I was the only child, but never really took fitness seriously at all. I dedicated most of my life finding the one thing that I could be passionate about. Became a Coach 2010 as a hobby or extra job, later discovered that training is my passion with the mindset to help others discover their unique potential. Created UnleashFIT with the sole purpose to help anyone be themselves and master their skills with work, focus, dedication, consistency through Pride (teamwork) and help then lead without a title. While working on my own brand I have discovered other gyms with my same mindset, TS Fitness and Exceed Physical Culture. Working at TS and being coached by Coach Noam Tamir has allowed me to dramatically increase my knowledge and mindset. Exceed, their goal is also about lifestyle and overall well being which also allows me to expand my knowledge even more. Two different companies same mission. MS: You started playing soccer growing up, what other team sports did you play and what were 2-3 team mindset takeaways you learned growing up? AT: While being in Bolivia I did play for my school and little soccer league, but when I came to USA I realized I was more attracted to Football and Boxing. The major mindset I have learned with at least football and soccer is been Teamwork, then passion with Soccer and Discipline with Football, as for Boxing’s mindset never give up and avoid getting hit. MS: In 2010 you started to coach and then fell into training. Can you tell us more about how you got started building a client list, working at a gym, etc? AT: Once I realized that Coaching was my purpose I needed to improve my knowledge and skills.my biggest obstacle was language having English as a second language it was a huge challenge for me to approach clients into promoting my services. At the time while working in New York Sports Club my manager would be kind enough to give me a few clients but in order for me to build it on my own I had to find a way without speaking so what I would do is actually workout really hard, with intensity, consistency not a typical bodybuilding workout but an effective one with balance. Once I was done people would see me with my uniform and actually approach me with”I didn’t know you were a coach” so my clientele was built on the work
I put on the gym floor more than speaking. Once I came to TS Fitness and Exceed, it is all about the culture, the drive, passion and the ability to help people achieve their goals that made my following grow as also my direction. MS: We see you up early with clients. What does a day in the life of Alejandro look like? AT: For quiet some time I have developing the mindset of waking up at 4:30am even if I do not have a client. Gives me the chance to work on my day and go over my daily tasks, I pray, at my first meal at 5am and say affirmations to myself to motivate my mindset. First client/class is usually at 6am till 9am on the upper east side then eat second meal, I wait about 30 mins before working out at New York Sports Club in Grand Central for 90mins then I have a client in Chelsea at noon, then third meal. After I have a three hour window where I work on my projects my client’s programs, research, read, watch videos and sometimes I do let my mind free by watching what I like anime. After, I train one more client and eat my 4th meal before teaching my classes at TS from 5:30-7:30pm In between classes I’ll have my 5th meal which is usually a fruit and a protein shake. After all is done I head home I pick up dinner usually a whole rotisserie chicken with veggies and whit rice or two burgers with fries, eat dinner and set all my meals for the next day be in bed by 9:30 if I have finished my tasks if not I’m in bed by 11pm, wake up and do it all over again Sunday- Friday. MS: Do you have a day off every week? AT: Yes I do usually Friday late afternoons and Saturday. I do still wake up fairly early between 6-7am. I do laundry and clean my home, I love to cook so what I will do is invest time on cooking home recipes from my country like peanut soup. For the rest of the day I usually stay in rest as much as I can and invest my time for myself if it’s playing video games, spending time with my half brother or actually socializing with friends. MS: Do you have a hero or mentor in the industry, if so who is it? Why are they your hero or mentor? AT: I do have a person I was inspired to become who I’m in the industry, Coach Todd Durkin. But mainly has been my grandparents. Coach Todd Durkin is one f the great ones in terms of motivating and inspiring others to master themselves and that is what I respect. In terms of my grandparents, I grew up with them and seeing their work ethics and their willing to never quit in order to have food on the table and a roof over our head.
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MS: How do you stay up to date on fitness trends, best practices, movements and apply those to your clients workouts? AT: I take many classes from other great instructors, I learn from their programming and I first apply them to myself to see if it can fit the demographics of my clientele. I do countless research on articles and vide on new fitness trends and lifestyle discoveries. Each coach has a unique approach based on their background, experience, fitness culture and more, so I learn from them as much as I can with supporting them and asking questions. If I do apply their program to mine I always give credit on them. MS: What is the most challenging thing about your job, and how do you overcome it? AT: Consistency, it is a very lonely and competitive career, you are always on call, always looking for clients and finding new ways to be unique or stand out on the fitness industry. The travel and the constant awareness of speaking to people at all times. Over the years I have been trying to fit in or copy what other coaches were successful on, but I have royally failed at them because it was not part of me. The only way to overcome that challenge has been to be transparent and be truthful about myself, showing my personality and passion to others is what makes me unique and that helps me be consistent and work with a flow instead of forcibly being someone I’m not. MS: Words to live by? AT: Lead Without Title, always give 100% effort even if it’s not something you are not meant to do, be the best at what you do and great things will come from that, effort cannot be judged.
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PHOTOGR APHER
Sinem Yazici RETOUCHER
Rafael Sochakov
MARCH 2020
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Max Karp is a self proclamed jersey boy, former college baseball player, and currently a personal trainer and group instructor at GRIT BXNG in NYC.
MS: Clearly you like to compete, hence the Triathlons. Can you describe the difference between playing college baseball and now competing more for yourself?
He attended Tulane University and Indiana University, completing his undergrad Magna Cum Laude in three years from IU and immediately moved to NYC. He worked for Lululemon and dabbled in modeling, but athletics was always the one constant in his life. He found resolve through an active lifestyle and the community that encompasses it, and has continued to test his limits over the years. Today, he's a big runner and recently-turned triathlete, having completed several half-marathons and his first Ironman 70.3 this past September.
JW: Yes! I’m incredibly competitive, and despite being recently introduced to triathlon, I’m absolutely obsessed with the sport. College baseball was an incredible experience and it has many parallels to triathlon (at a competitive level). Baseball is a team sport that depends on the individual effort of those playing. We won together and we lost together, but we technically played independently. If i had a bad day on the mound, the entire team suffered. Triathlon is quite the opposite. It’s an individual sport (with the exception of relays) and I’m always competing for me. When i succeed, I get the recognition for my efforts; if things go poorly, I know who’s to blame. However, I am part of a sponsored triathlon team — Team Zoot — and join other triathletes across the globe in representing the team and the brand. What I love most about this is that it takes the idea of working and competing independently, but offers a sense of camaraderie and support for one another whether at races or in training. Ultimately, triathlon is my place to show what I, Max Karp, am capable of.
As one of the younger trainers in the NYC fitness community at 24; Max says he is incredibly lucky to be where he is and to work alongside such intelligent and talented people. As a NASM certified personal trainer and RRCA run coach, he strives to challenge clients to reach their fullest potential and see all that they are truly capable of. MS:When you were a kid, can you pinpoint the moment you felt like an athlete, (that you loved sports)? MK: Growing up, I was always obsessed with sports. I was introduced to baseball at an early age as my family’s sport — all the men on my dad’s side not only played the sport, but they excelled at it. So as I got older, I started to focus on it more and more. You could say I always felt like an athlete since sports was a year-round activity for me; however, it wasn’t until I reached middle school that my potential in athletics, specifically baseball, started to show.
MS: Lululemon is an awesome brand, they had a very strong Q4 in 2019. You must be in fitness clothes/gym clothes a lot. Do you have a go-to outfit you wear, or maybe you have multiple shirts, shorts of a brand? Maybe color? MK: Lululemon is an awesome brand that I will always love. But, today there are so many established brands and emerging brands offering high quality and technical athletic apparel. I’m a proud New Yorker in that I almost always wear black on black and can typically be spotted wearing either Nike, Wolaco, Rhone, or (of course) Lululemon.
MS: What was the sport, and what did you love about it? MK: If you can’t already guess, baseball was my sport of choice. Like i mentioned, it was more or less our family sport. And moreover, it was the sport my dad was in love with. He played a huge role in my development as an athlete — coaching my youth teams, never missing a game, and traveling the country with me as I went through the college recruiting process. Yes, I love baseball as a sport. I was a pitcher, and there’s just something special about having all the control in your hands. But, I loved baseball because my dad loved baseball. It was our thing, to put it simply. My dad had huge goals with the sport when he was a kid, and in many ways, I was in pursuit of the dreams he didn’t reach.
MS: Follow-up: You mentioned you like to paint shoes. That is a really unique thing for a guy punching a bag at the gym. Kind breaks stereotypes, right?!. Can you tell us how you got into that? MK: Everyone is always so surprised when I mention painting shoes! I’ve always been artistic and love to experiment with different mediums (drawing, painting, crafting, spray painting, etc.). When the shoe market shifted to limited-releases and absurd resale prices, I knew there had to be a better way to get cool looking shoes without giving an arm and a leg for them. So, I decided to make them! I was getting ready for the Brooklyn Half Marathon and needed new shoes so I bought a
Max Karp METROPOLISSPORT.COM
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pair of white Adidas Ultraboost, found a dye made for shoes, and got to painting. The first pair went so well that I kept at it, and it’s been no looking back. We have seen and experienced first-hand GRIT! If you were on a subway train for 1 stop, and you had to explain what separates GRIT from other boutique places what would you say? Simple: the workout, the facilities, and the bar. It’s a high-intensity workout that is guaranteed to have you (very) sweaty by the end. The studio has an incredible lights and sound system that offers a fun, club-like vibe. And, we’re the first and only bar in the US with a full liquor bar! First we workout, then we hang out — with or without the liquor. Words to live by? “Everything happens for a reason” ... whether good or bad, there’s a purpose behind everything. We may not notice or understand it in the moment, but there will come a point where you look back and can see that evolution. It’s a reminder to always ‘do you,’ to follow your gut, and more than anything to trust yourself.
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PHOTOGR APHER
Sinem Yazici RETOUCHER
Rafael Sochakov
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Trevor Franklin is a certified group fitness instructor and personal trainer in New York City. He specializes in functional, athletic style training , as well as heart rate based training designed to burn more calories per workout. Trevor has been in fitness for 4 years with two of them being spent in the New York market. He began his journey at Orangetheory Fitness and rose to become a regional educator for the brand. Currently, Trevor is a founding group instructor and also a one on one trainer at Performix House in New York City. MS: What got your start into the fitness industry? TF: Playing sports growing up was the biggest factor. It developed my competitive edge and drive to be better. Once high school ended I naturally turned to fitness to continue my competitive edge to be better than yesterday. MS: Is there one or two, three things about instructing and training that keep you satisfied? What are they? TF: The biggest factor is helping others. Everyone in the fitness industry wants to help people in some form or fashion, and being able to help others push they limits, develop more self confidence, and see their true potential is seriously incredible. The second factor is the ability to live out my passion day in and day out. I wasn’t born to sit at a desk or work a 9-5. MS: What has been a surprising benefit of working in the New York area as a fitness expert? TF: The amount of connections and relationships developed. The fitness community in NYC is both large and small. Its been a true pleasure meeting individuals that I now consider lifelong friends. MS: What kinds of personal goals do you set for yourself after joining a brand and respected gym/brand like Performix?
TF: I like to do workouts that aren’t in my wheelhouse. My initial goal of 2020 has been to become more skilled at boxing. So once a week I take private boxing lessons. It’s something I’m not used to or have any foundation in, a great way to step out of my comfort zone. MS: Who do you admire right now in your community/industry and why? TF: I've always admired Steve cook. I think he strikes a good balance of fitness and business, while being open on most fitness topics and likable. He is someone who has definitely capitalized off his talents and gifts and I hope to follow that same path. MS: If you can give anyone who wants to look and feel their best, 1 piece of advice to "stop doing this, eating donuts" and 1 piece of advice "start doing this 5xs a week" what would they be? TF: I think my biggest points come on the mental aspect of fitness. So stop comparing your journey to others. Your chapter 1 wont look like someone else’s chapter 100. My biggest advice is take it one day at a time. Fitness goals aren’t accomplished overnight. Find someone to hold you accountable and affirm each other on a daily basis. MS: Who makes the best pizza in New York, do not say dominos. TF: hahahahaha this is a tough one.... Dominos is always my go to. BUT if I had to pick another, I’m a big fan of Detroit pizza. Love the deep dish style they have. MS: Words to live by? TF: Work hard, Stay humble.
TF: My initial goal is to become ingrained in the Performix community and team. Whatever company I’m with I like to be totally bought in to help develop the culture. Anything on top of that would be to help the brand grow and increase brand awareness. MS: What is one thing every week you do for yourself that scares you, gets you out of your comfort zone?
Trevor Franklin METROPOLISSPORT.COM
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Cedric Terrell
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Erica Hood is an LA-based celebrity trainer and fitness model who has been working with Hollywood’s elite for the past eight years. With a background in professional dance, Erica focuses on energy, rhythm, and choreographed precision to deliver effective workouts that connect body and soul. This method – combined with her unrivaled positivity – has made Erica a favorite among celebrities such as Rosie Huntington Whiteley, Julianne Hough, Camilla Belle, Rashida Jones, Ashley Madekwe, and others. Erica’s dance career began early on and flourished at California State University Long Beach where she was a member of the award-winning collegiate dance team. Erica has worked at Disneyland as a professional dancer, and she has been featured in Dance Spirit Magazine for the Future Star Award. Erica’s dance expertise allowed her to segue into fitness where she quickly caught the attention of the industry’s most prominent boutique fitness studios. Erica is fueled by her passion for movement and her desire to see every client reach their full potential. Erica founded her own fitness company, HoodFit. A combination of live and online classes, personal and group training sessions. HoodFit is headquartered in Los Angeles and a proud partner of The Dream Hotel in Hollywood. In addition to managing HoodFit and training clients, Erica continues to have an active modeling career. She has collaborated with Adidas, Carbon38, Tory Sport, and other exclusive activewear brands. Erica is NASM and AFAA certified and represented by The Movement Talent Agency. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from California State University, Long Beach. MS: What do you think is the one thing our readers need to be aware of to get going, and be their best selves by summer? EH: I think the number one thing to focus on is consistency. You start seeing results when you develop a routine that fits with your lifestyle. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy that turns your life upside down. It just has to be something you can commit to and stick with. For example, we recently did a HoodFit challenge which encouraged people to walk, jog, or run a mile day. It wasn’t complicated, but it developed a habit of consistency. And we soon saw people logging way more than one mile –– like three to six miles on a daily basis. This is a good reminder that, oftentimes, the hardest part is just getting started. Because once you get moving and those positive
endorphins start flowing, who really wants to stop? MS: Dance is a big part of your background. Is there a sport, or type of training that would benefit from dance? EH: I would say that most people could benefit from dance because it challenges the mind as well as the body. It helps with balance, posture, coordination, and deep core connection. As far as particular sports go, I think football, basketball, and tennis could all be complemented by dance. These sports require athletes to be light on their feet as they move quickly in numerous directions, both horizontal and vertical, and dance provides precise training in these fundamental skills. Dance also develops a strong core as the center of movement, something which is important for athletes relying on rapid reflexes. MS: The standard for all women and even men today can take a toll. How do you combat those unrealistic goals with cients? EH: Great question! First, I assess my client’s daily schedule and develop a personalized workout program that is efficient, effective, and fun. Most of my clients have stressful careers, and I urge them to think of exercise as a form of self-care. This shifts the focus away from being “red carpet ready” and instead gets us back to the true purpose of movement: to feel our best. I love watching my clients grow in confidence and discipline as exercise becomes a daily habit. The physical results follow, but only after the non-physical motivation has become clear.sions and progressions of exercises. So if I’m at a private apartment gym with limited equipment, I’d probably lean towards bodyweight movements like squats, pullups and pushups and use. MS: Tell us someone you admire, who inspires you to push yourself, always grow and get out of your comfort zone. EH: Most definitely my husband! Successful people aren’t fearless; they just know how to deal with fear. And my husband always knows how to push me past my comfort zone when it’s time for that next level of personal or professional growth. He’s my biggest supporter, and he always has my back. He inspires me to live life to the fullest, and I thank my lucky stars for him every day. MS: Words to live by? EH: "Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become." - Steve Jobs.
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EDITORIAL FOUNDER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR & EDITOR -IN- CHIEF
Seth Travis Darren Tomasso ART DIRECTOR Matthew Schneider FASHION DIRECTOR Seth Travis RETOUCHING Web Future Studio CASTING DIRECTOR Eric Cano GRAPHIC DESIGNER Carlos Pérez FASHION ST YLIST Dylan Wayne ST YLE EDITOR Renata Gar ST YLE EDITOR Dylan Joel ST YLE EDITOR Constanze Han
HEALTH & WELLNESS DIRECTORT
PHOTOGRAPHERS Ryan Slack Tory Rust Mark Grgurich Henry Lou Victor Low Peter Tamlin Hanson Walker Cedric Terrell Sinem Yazici Dylan Johnston
SPECIAL THANKS Gregory Kress Aqib Mamoon Hanson Walker WeWork RISE
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