Fitness And Fashion
Happy New Year! It’s time to make those New Year’s resolutions, and for many it’s often a wish to be in better health, to be more active and maybe even lose a few pounds.
To get you motivated, we caught up with some of the fittest people on our island to chat about their fashion style, including what they like to wear in and out of the gym. From the best bodybuilding shorts that can be worn for any type of workout to Louis Vuitton loafers and dress shirts, all bases have been covered. As well as sharing their most-loved clothing items, they also share their favorite exercises and offer some fitness tips.
Wishing you a wonderful year filled with love, laughter and fun, as well as good health and, yes, nice clothes, too!
Chris and Debbie Faildo
IFBB pro bodybuilder and certified personal trainer Chris Faildo hasn’t competed since 2007, but says his goal for 2014 is to get back on the stage. A former Mr. USA, he and wife Debbie recently became the exclusive Hawaii distributor of X2X Hawaii, a clothing line specializing in workout/training gear. They’re pictured here wearing tops (and shorts on Chris) from X2X, which represents “from one X-treme workout 2 the next X-treme workout.” Debbie, owner of Abs’solute Results, is a fitness champion and has a black belt in kajukenbo. She has retired from competing, and now trains many of the girls entering fitness competitions. The couple also have two children – 16-year-old Phoenix and 4-year-old Flexx.
CHRIS FAILDO
Favorite workout gear: X2X, and Nike shoes in general, but when he’s training, he wears shoes by Otomix. He mostly shops online at sites such as X2X.com and hotbodz.com, and occasionally goes to Sports Authority.
What he wears outside of the gym: “I’m a jeans, Louis Vuitton loafer with a nice dress shirt kind-of-guy,” he says. “I don’t like wearing any cutoff shirts. I don’t like tank tops. I don’t like anything to reveal the body. In the gym, I’m covered up in hoodies and sweat-pants – that’s my style.” Favorite stores/brands: Lucky Brand jeans, Louis Vuitton and Le Lotus Bleu for clothes by Affliction.
Favorite workout accessory: “My Cardillo lifting belt. That’s all I use – my lifting belt and my towel.”
Health tip: “Definitely for beginners, go slow and easy at the beginning, and search out a good trainer.”
Favorite exercise: “Everything. I just simply love working out. It’s my time to get crazy. If you walk in that gym when I’m training, you’re gonna know I’m in there. I’m loud, and for one hour, it’s intense and insane.”
A common mistake you see in the gym: “Incorrect form and going too heavy. So cutting back on poundages, making sure you have the correct form and breathing.
DEBBIE FAILDO
Favorite workout gear: X2X and the X2X Hawaii line (available through the Faildos at their office located in World Gym), which she says is super comfortable and affordable. She also shops online at various sites that pop up by typing in a search for Brazilian workout wear.
What she wears outside of the gym: Jeans, heels, a nice shirt and her Louis Vuitton bag.
Favorite stores/brands: Bebe, Guess, Macy’s and Louis Vuitton.
Favorite workout accessory: “I’ve been into kickboxing, so my boxing gloves.”
Health tip: “Just get moving, get exercising and eat clean – stay away from fast foods, processed foods, sugar, high fats, regular sodas and juices. Eat things that are more natural and lower in fat.”
A common mistake you see in the gym: “People going way too heavy and half reps. Cut down the weight and do the form right – that’s the key.”
Gilad Janklowicz
Gilad Janklowicz was born and raised in Israel and moved to Hawaii in 1981. He lives in Waikiki, and recently finished filming the 30th anniversary shows of his fitness programs Bodies in Motion and Total Body Sculpt with Gilad, which are airing now on Discovery Fit & Health daily.
Favorite workout clothes (pictured here): “It’s from an activewear company out of Europe called Falke. I wear it for my TV show. It has a very contoured look – hugging the body without being overly exposed. The pants are by MPG.”
Favorite brand of shoes: “I like to wear Puma for my workouts. They hug my feet really well. They’re light and they don’t have too much heel, so I can move in it.”
What he wears when he’s not working out: “Jeans (his favorite pair is by True Religion) and a button-down shirt. No slippers, I don’t wear slippers. Usually I wear shoes (but not sneakers). My sunglasses are Maui Jim, and I wear my Tag Heur watch every day.”
Health tip: “Fitness is a relationship between you and your body, so you have to take care of it. For longevity, the best two things you can do are healthy eating and exercising well.” Favorite food: “Olive Tree Café in Kahala. Usually I order fish souvlaki. They have really good hummus and tabouli salad.” Common mistake you see people do when they workout: “Correct form. In the long run, that can be a problem. People try to push and reach those incredible goals, and they just go for it without paying attention to their form or their abilities, and they push sometimes too hard. So, to me, it’s better to do fewer reps, fewer miles, but be in total control of your posture than to push to the point where you can no longer control your posture. If you do feel pain, there are solutions, like the Kunto Elbow Brace for Fitness, that can help support your joints and keep you going at your full capability.”
New year’s resolution: “To wake up earlier in the morning and come out here to Ala Moana Beach Park and look at the beautiful rainbows (such as on the day the above photo was taken). Unlike what everybody thinks, that if you’re into fitness you’re up at 6 o’clock in the morning and you’re out there running in the mountains, I’m not a morning person at all. So my New Year’s resolution is to get up earlier in the morning and enjoy this beautiful morning breeze in Hawaii and check out the rainbows.”
Rey and Pebblz Ronquilio
Rey Ronquilio is the founder/owner of the Stingrey Classic, a national qualifier for bodybuilding, physique, figure and bikini contests. A 1977 graduate of Radford High School, he was the 2003 Mr. USA Lightweight champion, and the 2002 National Lightweight champion. His wife, Sharlene “Pebblz” Ronquilio, was Mrs. Hawaii in 2006 and a Paradise Cup masters winner in 2008. She works as a human resources manager at International In-Flight Catering Company, and as a pageant coach. She also discovered a passion for roller derby seven years ago and now skates with the Hulagans. The next Stingrey Classic is April 18 at the Sheraton Waikiki, and Juniors Stingrey for 8- to 19-year-olds June 14.
REY RONQUILIO
What he’s wearing: “Better Bodies. I like the quality and it’s very comfortable.”
Favorite places to shop for workout gear: Online (websites include amazon.com, sportsauthority.com, nike.com and newbalance.com).
What he wears when he’s not in the gym: “Jeans, something comfortable, and mostly this kind of clothes (workout clothes), and sneakers (his favorite brands are New Balance and Nike).” He also likes to color coordinate, notes wife Pebblz.
Favorite places to shop: Macy’s, Nordstrom Rack and Amazon.
Favorite exercise: “Kettle bells. It’s fast moving, and a different kind of a workout than a typical bodybuilder type of work-out.”
Fitness tip: “Foam rolling. Everybody should foam roll, whether you’re an athlete or sedentary. It helps with sore muscles.”
New Year’s resolution: “To start exercising more. I train so many people that I hardly get exercise for myself now.”
SHARLENE “PEBBLZ” RONQUILIO
What she’s wearing: Roller Derby attire by Derby Skins. Favorite workout gear: Under Armour and lululemon, and clothes that wick away moisture.
What she wears when she’s not working out: “Tank tops, skorts, and slippers with the heel and rhinestones on the strap for a girly touch.” Favorite stores: Sports Authority, Macy’s, Nordstrom Rack and Victoria’s Secret online.
Favorite exercise: “I like the Stairmaster. It really pushes you to the limit, and I love to see my sweat drop. That’s one machine that will make me sweat.”
Fitness tip: “Don’t forget about your core.”
New year’s resolution: “To be better at roller derby, and to do more upper-body workouts in the gym.”
Egan and Marcia Inoue
Fitness trainers Egan and Marcia Inoue recently celebrated the opening of their relocated Manoa gym, Egan’s Training Center at 2700 S. King St. near Hawaiian Humane Society. Marcia, 39, was born in Vietnam, raised in Peru and moved to Hawaii 15 years ago. The couple has five children (1-and-a-half-year-old Jett, 4-year-old Keani, 10-year-old Tegan, 15-year-old Tia and 17-year-old Nika), and they also own/operate Egan’s Fit Body Bootcamp and Grappling Unlimited, an MMA school with programs for men, women and children. Egan, 48, was born and raised in Manoa and graduated from University Laboratory School in 1983. A black belt third-degree in jiujitsu, five-time MMA world champion and two-time Brazilian jiujitsu world champion, Egan also has launched an online site called fighterfitness.com, featuring a blog and free high-interval training workouts.
EGAN INOUE
Favorite workout clothes (pictured here): “The top and pants are from lululemon. It’s super comfortable, light and dries quickly. For me, function is most important, and they’ve got nice dark colors. “Sometimes, when we teach class after class, we don’t have a chance to change shirts, so this one dries quick and it has that Silverescent (which, according to lululemon, helps inhibit the growth of odor-causing bacteria in the garment).”
Favorite places to shop for training gear: lululemon for clothes, and online for equipment. For gis, he uses Howard Combat Kimonos.
What he wears when he’s not training: “Maybe jeans and a lululemon T-shirt. Or I’m in my O’Neil surf shorts – and always slippers, Quiksilver rubber slippers.”
Favorite stores/brands: Macy’s and Nordstrom.
Favorite workout accessory/gadget: “A Gymboss timer. Whenever I teach classes, everything is timed, every movement is timed, rounds are timed. All of my training is interval training, so this thing is the best.”
Health tip: “Try to balance your carbohydrates and protein ratio. That’s what I do for myself. Try to keep it as even as possible, so like a 50/50.” Training tip: “Always try to do a high-intensity interval (HIT) workout. The benefit of that is short-time workout, high after-burn, so that means higher burning of calories throughout the day, and that’s exactly what I do.”
New Year’s resolution: “To get back into a strict schedule of sleep early, wake up early and putting back my (workout) regiment in the morning. I feel like I haven’t been as productive this past year as normal.”
MARCIA INOUE
Favorite workout clothes (pictured here): “It’s from lululemon. I love the tights because they are breathable and you can wear them anywhere. And I like this top because I like to work out in more-fitted tops, so I don’t get caught in loose clothing.”
Favorite places to shop for workout gear: lululemon, Sports Authority and Gap for its GapFit line.
What she wears when she’s not training: “Jeans, tank top and slippers. I love Hudson jeans – they’re the best, and make your butt look good.” Favorite places to shop: Eden in Love, Nordstrom and online. Favorite workout accessory/gadget: “This Vestal watch. It’ll do your training mode, timer, your heart rate, and it has big numbers so you can see it.”
Health tip: “Drink lots of water. A lot of times people interpret dehydration for hunger, and if you are well hydrated, your body functions better and you have more energy.”
Fitness tip: “Because we do those HIT (high-interval training) workouts, people think they have to pace, but if you push yourself to exhaustion, it’s OK to take a break and come back to it. Your body will see bigger gains and rewards.” New Year’s resolution: “To be more focused on being grateful for what I have, and maximizing my work time, so when I’m home with our five kids to be more present with them instead of being on my computer or my phone while I’m trying to be with my children. So trying to separate those two.”
