AGE:  40

PROFESSION:  Managing Director in a commercial real estate investment firm

HOMETOWN:  Simi Valley, CA   

COLLEGE:  Harvard University (BA and MBA)

FAVORITE FOOD:  Things that are spicy (Mexican, Indian, or Thai)

FAVORITE PLACE VISITED:  I studied abroad in Brazil and worked there after college. I still love going back to São Paulo to see my host family every other year. My other favorite places are Hawaii and Italy.

PLACE YOU WANT TO VISIT:  Japan is next on the list.

FAVORITE MOVIE:  Inception, but Argo is a close second.

FAVORITE SINGER:  Jay-Z

HOBBIES:  I speak Spanish and Portuguese, so I love to travel to South America. I’m trying to pick up a new language, Urdu, which is my wife’s first language.

BACKGROUND:  I heard about Sonki Fitness from a couple of friends who live in Santa Monica and learned that there were classes in Playa Vista as well. I signed up in early 2017 to get into better shape for my wedding. After losing some weight and getting quicker and stronger within a couple of weeks after starting the program, I got hooked on seeing and feeling the results of the effort.

What is your current routine?  Sonki Fitness on MWF at 6:30AM in Playa Vista. Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, I do 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weights at the gym.

What is your motivation to stay in shape?  I started to work out at the gym in junior high school as part of the football team. Since then I’ve tried to exercise 3 to 4 times a week. If I don’t work out frequently, I feel more sluggish and less energetic.  Feeling good emotionally and physically keep me motivated.

What is your greatest challenge to staying in shape?  Last year, my wife and I had our first child. These last 10 months definitely have been the toughest of my life in terms of making the time to work out consistently. Our kid’s sleep schedule is getting better, so I’ve been able to get back into the 3 boot camps a week and look forward to getting back into the gym for cardio and weights on the off days.     

What is your key to success?  Even before having my first kid, I found that one of the most critical things for my physical fitness is to get good sleep. Getting enough quality sleep helps makes me get to those early morning workouts and helps with recovery.

What do you like about Sonki Fitness and how has it affected your life?  My Sonki Fitness trainer Gabe has been awesome. The Sonki Fitness program makes sure our exercises are varied and that we are efficient in our workouts. I started to see results in terms of weight loss and increased strength and stamina within a few weeks after starting up in the program.  Also, having the early morning session option frees up the rest of the day, after you get back from a tough day at work and the fight through LA traffic.

What advice would you give to others about fitness?  To me, fitness is not just critical to my physical well-being, but it directly affects my emotional state. Working out consistently keeps my mind sharper, and I feel more positive to overcome the day to day challenges that come up.