Author

Antonia Da Cruz

Train Like A Warrior

Do you have what it takes to be a warrior? Warrior Academy offers a unique range of classes in its 7,000 square foot gym to bring out your inner warrior. Stressing the importance of proper training, nutrition and recovery, Tricia Yap, co-owner of Warrior Academy, gives us some insights on the studio’s holistic approach towards health and fitness.

What inspired you to open Warrior Academy?

We saw that there was a gap in the Hong Kong fitness industry. Many coaches would miss out on fundamentals such as informing their clients of the importance of proper nutrition and recovery.

I like to think of fitness as a triangle with three major points: training, nutrition and recovery. This is essential for achieving maximum performance and results. Here at Warrior Academy our team mentors you on every aspect of fitness.

Training

What differentiates Warrior Academy’s training programs from others studios in Hong Kong?

We offer a variety of unique classes to cater our clients: Muay Thai, WarFIT, Olympic Lifting, Beastmode and the Lean Machine. We also want to make sure our clients have fun while working out. Doing the same workouts day in and out can get boring, and also becomes less effective, so we try to create more variety to suit all fitness enthusiasts.

What are some things to watch out for when it comes to training?

Technique is essential in all aspects of sport and fitness. When we are with our clients we want to know what their goals are so we can help pursue them with realistic expectations. When our clients are pushing for a heavy lift, we will always place emphasis on correct form to prevent injury.

Nutrition

Do you have any tips on staying fit and healthy?

Maintaining a healthy diet can be challenging due to stress and other pressures from city life. The key is to aim for consistency and balance. The dietary changes you make need to be sustainable – if it doesn’t work for you now, it won’t in the long run, so make sure to set yourself realistic, long-term goals.

How does Warrior Academy help members with their nutrition?

Here at Warrior Academy we offer workshops that educate our clients on nutrition, and we also offer nutritional plans where we work closely with them to achieve the best possible results.

Recovery

What is your advice for those recovering from sports injuries?

From a mental perspective – be patient. Do what you can but don’t force yourself to get back too quickly. From a physical perspective, make sure you find a good surgeon, and do your remedial work before you attempt to do anything more than that. It is incredibly important to test yourselves but also make sure that you listen to your body. Your body can only take so much stress. It is definitely important to trust yourself and be patient with your body.

Can you share any personal experiences of injury recovery?

Physiotherapy really helped me when I tore a few ligaments in my knee, allowing me to lift weights and look into competing again. I was still able to do strength training before my surgery, but I always made sure that I worked within my own limits, and never pushed myself into the pain threshold.

Finally, what advice do you have for those just starting off on their fitness journey?

Have a goal – realise what you want to achieve and work hard to pursue it! Everyone has their own goals, and it’s important to set goals that are realistic, otherwise it will be hard to stay consistent.

If you are looking for professional trainers to guide you to achieve your goals of all round fitness, Warrior Academy is for you! Book into a class today!

Go to GuavaPass now

May 17, 2017 0 comment

Hong Kong Look Sweat Working Out

How To Behave At The Gym: Etiquette Tips with Louis Doctrove

written by Antonia Da Cruz

Whether you’re a fitness regular or you’re joining a new gym, there are certain protocols that need to be adhered to when working out in the gym. We speak to Topfit Head Trainer Louis Doctrove who shares his etiquette tips on proper behaviour with us.

On being new…

Honestly, no one is “checking you out” or judging you. If you have the drive to get off your butt and hit the gym, you did the hardest part already. Just do you.

Sharing equipment…

Leave your phone in your bag during peak hours. Space is limited and you need to be quick and efficient. Don’t waste time and hog equipment whilst you take a call or scroll through your phone. Others need to fit in their workouts too! Also, peak hours are not the best times to try and run a circuit style session for yourself, tying up multiple machines/stations that others can’t use.

Taking a call…

Get up and leave. You might have an important call but others have an important workout to get through.
Working out with others…

Too many people feel pressured to say yes to requests for “working in a set”, as they don’t want to be rude. Give the person asking a quick once over, if he/she looks like they are at a lower level than you and will hinder your workout, don’t be afraid to say no. Having to rack and re-rack weights to complete all your sets just because someone couldn’t wait a few minutes until you’re done makes no sense in the long run. They’ll understand!

In the locker rooms..

Don’t treat the changing room like your personal space. If your locker just so happens to be between two people that are already mid-change, just wait. Don’t try to squeeze in and make it difficult and awkward for everyone.

On hygiene…

Hairdryers are for your hair only! Please don’t use them for anything else! (You know what I mean!)

As for equipment, obviously wipe down anything you use before leaving, especially if you sweat a lot. I would also recommend wearing deodorant. Workouts are hard enough without having to try to do it whilst holding your breath.

Finally, if you’re shaving at the sink, or worse, in the shower, remove any hairs! Nobody wants to see that.

Engaging with personal trainers…

I can’t speak for other trainers, but I personally enjoy it when my clients ask me questions, it shows a willingness to learn and understand why they are doing a particular exercise. The sign of a good trainer is one that listens to you, but doesn’t let you ramble on way over your rest period.

Bumping into people you know…

It shouldn’t be awkward bumping into anyone you know at the gym while you’re sweating buckets. Personally, I think it’s awkward if you’ve been in the gym for a half hour already and you’re not sweating. It probably means you’ve been spending too much time being a chatty patty.

February 7, 2017 0 comment

Faces of GuavaPass Hong Kong Look Sweat Working Out

Just Flaunt It!

written by Antonia Da Cruz

This beautiful, edgy, artistic expression of dance has gained wide popularity as a form of fitness. Not only does it demand significant body strength, flexibility and endurance for the challenging athletic moves entailed; but it promotes self-confidence in many women! We join Tessa and Caryl at their studio Flaunt, and ask them to give us the scoop on techniques behind pole dancing and how it is perceived in Hong Kong.

How did you both decide to open Flaunt?

C: [laughs] We actually met up in a bar and discussed opening a studio over drinks!

T: I didn’t think Caryl was being serious, but we continued the dialogue the next day and here we are today!

What inspired you to open Flaunt?

T: To be honest I Initially did not want the responsibilities of owning a studio, and having to deal with rent and the financial aspects. As a freelance pole-dancing instructor, I knew I couldn’t continue as a freelancer for a long period of time. I wanted stability, so Caryl and I opened Flaunt and hand picked some instructors to offer our clients the best possible experience.

What advice do you have for someone before taking their first pole dancing class?

T: Relax and have fun! The first couple of times will feel weird, as the movements are very unique and it takes some getting use to.

C: Try not to compare yourself to others. A lot of our clients tell us that they didn’t do as well as the others. However I think that it is important to remember that everyone is different and we all have our own strengths and weaknesses!

Why do pole dancers perform in heels?

T: We wear heels because it makes us feel sexy! It also lengthens the legs when we are performing. Nowadays many girls are wearing 8-9 inch heels!

Surely that makes it so much harder?

T: Definitely! But when you put on the heels, you become a completely different person!

Which is more important, technique or strength?

T: A combination of both is incredibly important which separates a good performance from a great. Strength allows us to hold our body weight but when combined with technique makes our movement graceful and beautiful!

How much clothing, or lack thereof is necessary?

T: Skin contact with the pole gives a person better grip allowing us to feel more confident when we are performing!

Do you use any products to help your grip?

T: I don’t personally however some students do find it helpful.

C: I use some grip powder especially during performances for that extra bit of grip which helps with my confidence!

How do you stay fit and healthy?

C: Obviously diet is incredibly important when it comes down to living a healthy lifestyle.

T: Eat cleaner! I drink protein shakes on occasion and I do weight training for lower body strength focusing on glutes and legs. I also do 30 pull-ups a day!

How often do men come to your classes?

C: We do get male participants, but not that often! I guess it must be quite intimidating for a guy to walk into a class full of girls!

T: There are men who do it for the fitness purposes, i.e. build strength in order to lift their body off the ground and do ‘The Flag’ for example.

What are you thoughts on pole dancing for fitness being associated with ‘Stripping’ and ‘Erotic Dance’ styles. Do you feel that some people may feel offended?

T: Of course. A lot of people get offended and I think it’s because they just don’t understand it. Pole dancing is appreciated by those with an open mind. It is a form of art, a way of expression that empowers women, building their self confidence and making them feel sexy whilst doing it.

We have trouble finding places to perform in because a lot of venues don’t want to be associated with pole dancing as they feel that it reflects badly on them.

I understand that there are different types of poles, such as the Static and Spin pole, can you explain what the differences are and how they are used?

T: They are used in different ways, but it really depends on what the choreographer wants to show. If you are a beginner, start off on the static pole first, then progress onto the spin pole and learn to perform different tricks!

Lastly, you recently held a performance with your students at Lightstage. How did that go?

T: The show was a huge success! We brought all our own equipment, pole and lights. We had about 40 people perform and it took about 10 weeks to put the choreography together, but it all paid off in the end because I feel it legitimised pole dancing for those who watched!

That’s wonderful, congratulations! Thank you for your time.

If you are a pole dancing enthusiast or even if you’ve never tried pole dancing you’re in for a treat! Make sure you check out Flaunt Studio for an great unorthodox workout!

February 1, 2017 0 comment

Hong Kong Sweat Working Out

Maximise Your TORQ!

written by Antonia Da Cruz

Having established themselves as a leading indoor cycling studio in Hong Kong, Torq Cycle has recently undergone a new and exciting transformation. Torq now incorporates spinning and functional training into their programmes in order to challenge their clients and enable them to achieve more out of their workouts. We speak to owners Margaret and June about what to expect at their new studio!

What inspired you to open Torq Cycle and how is it evolved into Torq today?

M: We noticed that there weren’t any boutique studios which offered high quality service and online booking. Coming from the US, Hong Kong seemed to be a bit behind on studios with professional trainers and premium customer support service, so I decided to open Torq Cycle which incorporated these ideals into it!

How do you differ from your competitors?

M: A lot of our competitors focus their whole workout on the bike, for example doing push ups and other various upper body exercises on the bike. However our trainers do not believe in this since doing upper body work on a bike would not be as efficient when aiming to build lean muscle mass. We therefore incorporated upper body work off the bike into the workouts. Our members generally love this idea, and this is what distinguishes us.

We noticed you have upgraded your bikes to Stages Cycling SC Series bikes. Can you tell us a bit more about this and how it differs from the Schwinn bikes?

M: The Stages Cycling SC series bikes are the most premium bikes on the market; much better than our previous Schwinn bikes. Many of our clients who are professional cyclists are very excited about this since it allows them to practice indoor. They are also much easier to set up!

What new exciting classes will you be adding?

M: We have added two great classes to the schedule: TorqSwitch and TorqRelease!

TorqSwitch incorporates 25 minutes of functional training  off bike and 25 minutes of spinning for a high and intense cardio session. This class focuses on both essential training techniques in order to work on your cardiovascular system and build lean muscle mass!

We also added TorqRelease because we found that our members were only doing 5 minutes of stretching after a spin class and this is definitely not enough for those who train three or four times a week! We find it essential to add stretching, Pilates and yoga into our workouts and so TorqRelease will focus on stretching that will pinpoint releasing stress in various muscle groups.

Which is your favourite class to take or recommend?

M: [laughs] We love them all!

In displaying members’ performance up on the screen, do you feel that this helps with motivation?

M: Oh this definitely helps with motivation, but we feel that it is more important for our clients to achieve their personal best. We display our member’s performance on the board for our trainers to moderate, however for our more competitive members this motivates them to challenge themselves. It also helps our professional clients track their own progress!

What are the biggest challenges whilst teaching a class?

J: We encounter many challenges in a class and I think the biggest challenge whilst teaching is communication. Many clients are very focused on their own workout, which means sacrificing essential new techniques that are included in these new classes that I’m teaching. So it’s important to pay attention to our clients needs and make sure they are not missing the new challenging workouts!

Margaret, you’ve recently given birth to a beautiful daughter and June, as you are currently expecting – how has that affected your training? Can you give us some pre and post natal tips?

M: No impact exercises or any exercises that will put pressure on the lower back because a tear in the muscle can be very harmful. I recommend stretching and releasing stress on the various muscle groups which is definitely great for pre and post natal care!

J: I suggest using foam rollers as there is a lot of stress to the knees and joints especially for a woman who is pregnant. It is incredibly important to keep exercising and stretching however limit the stress since you are still carrying for two!

Make sure to go to Torq’s new studio and book into their new classes TorqSwitch and TorqRelease to challenge yourself and release after a long stressful day!

January 18, 2017 0 comment

Hong Kong Live Play Sweat Working Out

Leg Exercises To Prime You For Ski Season

written by Antonia Da Cruz

Hitting the slopes this year? Whether you are an experienced or novice skier / snowboarder, you would be wise to make sure you are in adequate shape to prevent any injuries. Priming your leg muscles will prep you for the intense quad and hamstring workouts you will endure; hence the reason we’ve asked Tricia Yap, co-founder of Warrior Academy to share with us three leg workouts to gear us up for ski season! Happy holidays!

1. Split Squat

The split squat targets several muscle groups in your leg to include your hamstrings, glutes and calf muscles. It also works the VMO (Vastus Medialis) which is a knee stabiliser. Your starting position is similar to that of a lunge, with your front foot on the elevated platform, and back foot raised. The reason we elevate the front foot is so that it shortens the range of motion, making it easier for those who have mobility or flexibility issues. If you can achieve the full range of motion correctly, then bring the front foot onto the floor.

Don’t be afraid to drive your front knee forward past your toes (the concept that this is dangerous to the knee joint is a myth in lower body training apparently!) whilst you lower your body down to the floor. Your hamstring needs to touch your calf in order to achieve the full range of motion. Keep your shoulders retracted so your back is straight and chest is up. Repeat on each leg. To begin with, always go with bodyweight first before loading!

2. Front Step Up (or Russian Step Up)

This is another exercise that works the VMO and assists in preventing ACL injuries. The key is to put all your weight onto the working foot which is the one that is on the box. Tilt your hip slightly to ensure the placing of your bodyweight on the front leg, and just let your back leg hang off the box. Start with your front leg in extension, then bend at the knee to ensure that it is tracking in line with the toe. Take your knee over the toe and return to starting position.

We would suggest doing 15-20 reps per leg if you are just using your own bodyweight. To make this harder, you can also adjust the height of the box so a larger range of motion needs to be moved across with, or add weights to make it heavier.

3. Barbell Heel Elevated Back Squat

When you change direction going down the slopes there can be a lot of pressure on your quads and the front of your knees. This exercise ensures that you maintain stability in this position. Whilst the back squat works the glutes, hamstrings, lower back (i.e. posterior chain) and core; elevating the heels helps isolate the quads more.

Place a barbell on your upper back and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart on two weight plates. The set up position will vary between each person as it is largely dependent on flexibility, torso length and hip/leg anatomy, but we would recommend that the stance (how far apart) should be based on comfort. Lower your hips and bend your knees so you are sitting into a squat. Allow your knees to go over toes, pause for a second and then explode back up to starting position pushing through your heels.

A couple of things to note: make sure your neck is in line with your body (don’t look up to the ceiling), keep your body upright, and do the full range of motion (which is literally “ass to grass!”). The last one being of the utmost importance otherwise you won’t reap the full benefits from the movement and it won’t be good for your joints either.

December 14, 2016 0 comment

Hong Kong Sweat Working Out

4 Core Exercises Using a BOSU Ball

written by Antonia Da Cruz

Have you always seen this device in the gym but had no idea what purpose it served? The BOSU ball has been coined as such because you can use it “BOth Sides Up”. The rounded dome side can be used faced down or up, offering a great degree of flexibility to the different types of exercises that can be performed. Due to the unstable surface, utilising this device requires balance and coordination and will really engage your core! Try some of these simple exercises below.

One Legged Mountain Climbers

We’ve all done mountain climbers before but to take it one step further try this one legged variation. Flip the ball onto the dome side and grip both sides of the platform. Your starting point is in plank position. Bend one knee to your chest slowly, and then pivot it at a right angle out to the side, return to your chest and then lower again so you are back in plank. Repeat with your other leg. If this is too hard, just stick with regular mountain climbers first.Bodyweight Squats With Weights

Balancing on a BOSU ball can already be tough especially if the dome is on the floor. But who’s ready for a challenge? Step onto the platform, legs hip width apart and distribute your weight evenly to balance. Select an appropriate weight for your barbells, and with one in each hand do a simple bodyweight squat whilst simultaneously also doing a shoulder press. Crunches With A Medicine Ball

Sit on the BOSU ball dome side facing up. With one hand holding a medicine ball (it doesn’t have to be too heavy) and you can place your other hand on your hip, lean back and then crunch upwards with your opposite leg extended up. Do a few repetitions on one side before switching over and repeating on the other.

Balance Deadlift Without Weights

This is a great exercise for not only your hamstring and glutes, but also your core and stabilizers of your ankles. With the dome side facing down, carefully step onto the platform. Transfer all your weight to one leg centred in the middle of the ball and tip your torso forward. As you do this, extend your back leg at a ninety-degree angle to the floor. Outstretch both your arms so that you are in a “T” shape. Hold for as long as you can before switching legs. (If you practice yoga, this is basically a Warrior III pose on a BOSU).

November 23, 2016 0 comment

Hong Kong Live Sweat Working Out

Achieving The Perfect Wheel Pose

written by Antonia Da Cruz

If you happen to spend a great deal of time in the office at your computer, backbends are a highly beneficial exercise that should be incorporated into your day to day life. Not only will it counteract the damage of bad posture by realigning and strengthening your vertebrae, it will also help to open up the chest and shoulders. If you suffer from a bad or stiff back it might be worth using a device known as the Dharma Yoga Wheel (you may have seen this all over social media in the last year or so!), to help you achieve that perfect wheel pose.

Start off by warming up your back. Sitting on the floor with your legs outstretched in front of you; your shoulders should be resting on the top of the wheel. Use both hands to grip the wheel just below your head on both sides.

Take it one step further and lift your bum and legs up by rolling your upper body further back so that your forearms are resting on the floor and the top of your head is placed on the floor. Your feet should still be on the floor.

Once you feel comfortable here, you can try going into a full wheel pose without the aid of the yoga wheel. Lie flat on the floor with both knees bent in front of you (you should be able to touch your feet). Place your hands in alignment with your ears with your fingers facing towards your feet. Slowly press down into the ground as you lift your pelvis and your extend your arms straight.

Hold for a few breaths and then lower by tucking your chin first before rolling down from the top. With practice over time, try to hold this pose for longer i.e. one to three minutes.

November 9, 2016 0 comment

Live Play

Why We Close Our Eyes When We Kiss

written by Antonia Da Cruz

A study in the UK tried to understand why people closed their eyes when they kissed or sneezed. Whilst it is a common belief that this is done automatically, this is not usually always the case. What they found is that the brain struggles to do more than one thing at once when the senses are engaged. An interesting theory and one that can definitely be applied to fitness and training in practice to get results quicker!

People close their eyes when they are intimate, because they are in essence doing things that require more than the eye sense and so are not 100% focusing on the tactile, touch sense. The theory is that when eyes are engaged, it weakens the response from the other senses. Therefore by closing your eyes when you kiss, it makes people more engaged, and you potentially, kiss more!

This applies to fitness, because it is found that when you close your eyes and disengage that visual sense; you train harder, better and for quicker results! PilatesAthlete founder Jason Clarke experienced this first hand when he had to train for a project that required him to get results quicker. He did all his training with his eyes closed and found it easier to focus on that particular exercise movement.

So for example if you are doing side raises for your shoulders (and you can use a lighter weight than usual for this), when you close your eyes, you find that your mind is thinking about the individual muscle, bringing more awareness to its movements. When you lift the weight, you can feel and sense what the muscle is doing. You can feel if the muscles working correctly, if you’re lifting the weight too high or low, and if your muscle hurts because you are doing this exercise incorrectly.

Often you’re just watching yourself in the mirror so are not even thinking about the exercise but simply executing the motion because it looks good. When you close your eyes, you work the muscle more effectively because you’re doing the full range of movement and you are also more likely to do the exercise correctly without causing yourself injury.

In some countries, people are actually opening up gyms where there is less visual distraction, i.e. no TVs, sound systems etc. so you can really focus your senses onto what you’re there for and the training at hand. There truly is logic to the theory because I’m sure you’ll all find that when you’re in the gym, in between a set of exercises, your mind starts to wander and you get distracted and end up looking around. It is normal for the visual queue to be working all the time. But if you simply shut it off, then the focus has to go to other areas of your body.

This content has been reproduced with the kind permission of Jason Clarke, founder of PilateAthlete, Movement Specialist and Artist. Jason has previously performed with the American Ballet Theatre and the widely acclaimed Bolshoi Ballet to name a few. In addition to teaching, Jason currently also hosts a regular wellness segment on RTHK.

October 26, 2016 0 comment

Hong Kong Live Sweat Working Out

Studio Spotlight on HIT45

written by Antonia Da Cruz

A recent new addition to the GuavaPass family and new to the Hong Kong fitness scene, HIT45 gives you an intense workout designed to burn fat, build muscle strength as well as improve overall fitness all in just a 45 minute session. We speak to founder Shayna Nanik who tells us more about what to expect.

Tell us about your fitness journey.

I used to be really scared about going to the gym. Fitness was just never part of my daily lifestyle growing up. I felt very intimidated being surrounded by very fit looking people constantly! That all changed when I started going to City Athletic in London. The trainers were all super friendly and so lovely that I started to relax and feel more comfortable.

How did you come up with the idea for HIT45?

I love Barry’s Bootcamp in London and realised that there was nothing like that here in Hong Kong. Given personal training can be very expensive, my main focus was to create something affordable with strength training and cardio benefits.

Describe a typical 45 minute session.

We start off with a warm up and some dynamic stretching. We then do 5 minutes on the treadmill which consists of interval running, a combination of both sprinting and jogging at different resistance levels (which your trainer will guide you through). The next 5 minutes consists of floor work which is focused on more on slow tempo work as well as higher reps, isometric holds and pulsing. We do three rounds of this and then finish off with some static stretching at the end.

How many different types of classes are there and which is your favourite?

I would have to say, hit your full body because as the name suggests, it targets every single muscle group in one go! We also have arms and abs which focuses on your upper body, legs and booty which all the girls love, and hit your core which is also very popular.

How is this different from other HIIT classes?

A lot of HIIT classes don’t have the added benefit from running and generally there might not be enough cardio in other classes. There’s also a common misconception that you shouldn’t do it all together. It actually does more harm to your body because you don’t need to be over training and splitting your workout up into one hour of cardio and one hour of strength training. If you can get this all done in a 45 minute workout it is far more beneficial because you are working at 100%!

What’s so special about these Green Jog treadmills.

The treadmills are eco friendly and are not connected to a power outlet so you have to use your own body weight to power the machine. They are also better for your joints as it puts less pressure on them, and you will use more muscle groups. It also burns 30% more calories! You can also adjust the resistance so you mix it up – go for a hard sprint, or an easy jog. This makes it easy for you to control.

What other treats do you have for us?

We make our own shakes and coffees and sell protein bars. It’s important to fuel up after this kind of high intensity workout and I would suggest refuelling within 20 mins after a workout. Berries and cream is our most popular flavour – it sells like crazy, and now we are now out of berries!

What are you waiting for Guavas? Book your class now!

September 6, 2016 0 comment

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