(This is Tony. He’s amazing.)

Ahhh, finally!! It looks like this loooong winter is finally over. The sun is coming out to play, and you know what that means: summer -AKA bikini season- is right around the corner.

If you’re like us, you’re probably thinking that it’s time to get your ass in shape, so we were thrilled when Tony from  Body Space Fitness  reached out to offer us a few simple lessons in how to kick-start a new fitness regime.

I’ll precedent this article with the following: Tony was probably the nicest person that we’ve ever met. Incredibly genuine and enthusiastic, he put great effort into creating a fun and effective workout. Phil and I talked about him for days afterwards- and have since put many of his health and fitness theories into effect. While the orginal intent of the article was highlight Body Space Fitness as a whole, we couldn’t help but focus on The Man, The Myth, & The Legend: Tony Vacharasanee.

Q. What’s your background and your specific approach to health/fitness/nutrition?

A. My background is an interesting one that provides me with a nice perspective on things.  When I was 15, I was diagnosed with Leukemia. I spent my adolescence in and out of hospitals, and when it came time to enter the real world and find a job, working for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center was the most logical choice. I spent 7 years in various capacities trying to find my way and see how I could make a living while also doing what I could to give back to other cancer patients. I found that sitting behind a desk wasn’t what I was meant to do. I have always loved martial arts and fitness so looking into becoming a personal trainer was an easy choice. Some of my coaches at my fight gym pointed me in the right direction, to getting my first certification and by introducing me to Kelvin Gary, owner and founder of Body Space Fitness. While training and working at BSF, I have learned to take training with a functional approach.  That is to say: to train the whole body in a deliberate way that still pushes specific prime movers (chest, back, quadriceps, hamstrings).  No muscle, joint, or limb truly moves in isolation is real life. Your body needs to learn how to move as a whole unit if you’re going to be both strong and safe.

Q. We spoke a lot about balance during our session- both physical balance and the challenge of living a balanced life. What do you  personally do to achieve balance?

A. In terms of physical balance, I try to make sure I get in no less than 4 hours of exercise in a week, although 3 will be enough for most people to continually make progress.  Of those workouts, I make sure to have one day dedicated to strength and one day metabolic. On my strength days, I cover the major movement patterns – Knee Dominant (squats), Hip Dominant (Deadlifts), Horizontal Pushing (Pushups), Horizontal Pulling (Cable Rows), Vertical Pulling (Pull-ups), and Vertical Pushing (Overhead Press).  Whatever movement I’m doing, I try to make sure my core is also involved in some kind of anti-rotation or stabilization capacity. On these days, I load myself up with weight. With regard to my metabolic days, I usually go through a Training For Warriors Hurricane (sprints combined with strength exercises) or run Speed, Agility, Quickness Drills with some other modalities (Agility Ladders, Box Jumps, Agility Cube, Cone Shuffles, Sleds, Ropes).  On these days, I look to jack up my heart and breathing rate as much as possible. My passion will always lie with martial arts and combat sports , so anything I do in the gym is a supplement to that. In terms of living a balanced life, I try to make sure that I dedicate as much time to my family and friends as I can. Working 6 days a week and during times when the general population is out of work makes it a little challenging to find the balance. I’m still working on it, and have been getting a lot better.

Q. Bikini (or mankini, if you’re Phil) season is right around the corner. What are 3 things you would recommend to anyone looking to get in shape this spring?

A. LOL awesome visual!  The top three thing I would recommend is nothing new or surprising. 1. Feed appropriately – shop the perimeter of your supermarket and only drink water. Visualize what you what to feel and look like. Imagine every scenario that you go through right now in your day to day, and then put your ideal version of yourself in it. Let your goals be stronger than the temptations. It’s difficult, but it reaps a lot of benefits. If you need guiding principles, Precision Nutrition and Food Babe are great blogs that I always read. 2. Lift heavy – you need strength days to build muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn while you’re resting. Besides, when you become stronger, the looks will follow. 3.  Move fast – the final piece of the trifecta is a metabolic session. Move fast, and sweat a lot. Whether it’s going through a TFW Hurricane, spinning at Fly Wheel, running intervals in the park, or doing animal crawls – keep moving.

To read the full article, go to: http://bigcitylittleblog.com/get-shape-summer-body-space-fitness/

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