AGE:  Genevieve (25), Ruby (27)

PROFESSION:
Genevieve:  Administrative Assistant, US Renewables Group
Ruby:  Construction Project Manager for a high rise building

HOMETOWN:  Los Angeles, CA (both)

COLLEGE:  UCLA (both)

FAVORITE FOOD:
Genevieve:  Is this a trick question? If I had to choose, it would be my grandma’s “picadillo” burritos.
Ruby:  Tacos

FAVORITE PLACE VISITED:
Genevieve:  Italy
Ruby:  London…I have a thing for the British

PLACE YOU WANT TO VISIT:
Genevieve:  Thailand
Ruby:  Three way tie between a full British Isles trip, Africa and Tahiti

FAVORITE MOVIE:
Genevieve:  Ever? Oooh this is hard.  My favorite movie lately is Harry Potter 7, Part 1.
Ruby:  BBC’s Pride & Prejudice

FAVORITE SINGER:
Genevieve:  Lady Gaga, Adele, Florence and the Machine. Strong women singers apparently is my thing…
Ruby:  U2

HOBBIES:
Genevieve:  Singing (not well), drinking and general merriment.
Ruby:  I’m practically a professional reader I read so much and really it’s my past time go to.

GENEVIEVE

BACKGROUND:  Before I joined Sonki Fitness, I thought the word “exercise” was a bad word.  I never did it, unless you count putting on a pair of heels and going out dancing.  About a year after taking an office job and seeing the pounds pile on largely due to an office kitchen stocked with every soda/cookie/donut you could think of, I realized that I needed to get active.  I had no energy and my clothes were too tight!  I’ve never surprised myself so much as when I completed that first 5-week session.  At my very first fitness assessment, I was running an 11 minute mile, could do less than 10 modified push-ups and ZERO sit-ups.  In 5 weeks, I shaved 1:45 off my mile time, tripled my push-ups and did 11 whole sit-ups (this is highly impressive when at my best pre-Sonki, I was probably able to do 1).  This is the best and most fit I have felt in my life.  My energy level is up, I feel strong and I know I’ve lost somewhere between 15-20 pounds.  And my clothes are practically falling off me (in a good way)!!!

What is your current exercise routine?  Sonki Fitness Boot Camp on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays after work! And any kind of physical activity I can squeeze in on the weekend which typically involves chasing my little cousins around or shopping with my aunt, which should be considered an Olympic sport.

What is your motivation to stay in shape?  The sense of accomplishment I get after one of Sonki’s classes is priceless.  Seeing and FEELING the results is my motivation.  I’ve met some amazing friends, fellow Sonki Warriors, at these bootcamps.  We help to hold each other accountable or cheer each other on.  Also, I recently hung out with my roommate from college who has always been ridiculously fit and generally amazing and I beat her at arm wrestling!  So that was pretty motivational.

What is your greatest challenge to staying in shape?  I would say I let work get in the way a bit too much.  I’ve been known to stress a little and feel like working longer hours on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday will make things better.  It doesn’t.  A Sonki Fitness Boot Camp class does.

What is your key to success?  To always challenge myself! Whether it’s to try to do the modified, harder version of any given exercise or to try to keep up with any fellow Sonki Warrior who I know is faster or stronger than I am (thanks guys!).

What do you like about Sonki Fitness Boot Camp and how has it affected your life?  Aside from giving me a potential side-career in arm wrestling, I would say that joining Sonki Fitness Boot Camp has changed me for the better.  It has motivated me to eat healthier and take better care of myself.  I mentioned earlier that I get a feeling of accomplishment after a class that is incredibly addictive, and it makes me feel like I can do anything I put my mind to.  It’s made me more comfortable with my appearance, and I also think people (namely, my coworkers) would agree I’m a much nicer person while I attend Sonki’s classes regularly.   🙂

What advice would you give to others about fitness?  I would say that your commitment to fitness is a long term one.  It should be considered a new way of life rather than what you’ll stick to until you look good for beach season and then forget about.  Find something you love doing instead of something you dread and can easily talk yourself
out of doing.  I dread the gym, so for me it was being outdoors and doing creative workouts with great people, and I couldn’t be happier!

Any other comments?  Hands down, joining Sonki Fitness is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself!

RUBY

BACKGROUND:  After maintaining my weight throughout college without working out regularly, I started to steadily put on weight after graduation.  After awhile, I knew I had to take control, so I joined a gym.  But I couldn’t get motivated and found it boring, and to make matters worse I wasn’t losing a thing.  With my wedding a year out I wanted to get really serious, and that’s when my friend Genevieve told me about how much she loved Sonki Fitness.  So I joined.  Well, I’m so glad I did because it totally changed my perception about working out.  It was fun, never boring, and always made me feel great after.  And I made a significant progress.  With Sonki Fitness and proper diet, my weight finally started to come off.  When I first joined Sonki Fitness, I did 6 push-ups and 7 sit-ups on my first fitness assessment.  Now I can do about 40 push-ups and 40 sit ups.  But best of all, I’ve lost 25 pounds in 9 months, back to my best college weight!  For me, doing Sonki Fitness started off as just something I had to do to lose weight quickly for the wedding, but it now has changed to something I want to do even after my wedding is over.

What is your current exercise routine?  Doing Sonki Fitness Boot Camp 3 times a week.

What is your motivation to stay in shape?  It started off as losing weight for my upcoming wedding after seeing pictures of myself that I didn’t like.  But now I remember how good it feels to look your best, and keeping that feeling will I hope motivate me even after the wedding.

What is your greatest challenge to staying in shape?  I love food, especially bad food, so keeping what I eat to a minimum is my biggest challenge.

What is your key to success?  Watching what I eat and working out the same time. A simple concept that really works!