WHEN DOES ONE HIT ENLIGHTENMENT?
If you’ve come to one of our lunch time classes, then Monica’s friendly face and encouraging personality won’t be foreign to you. “Made in Bogota, Colombia and assembled in New York City”, Monica is not new to Hong Kong having called the 852 home for the last 11+ years. Finding a fitness home at Pherform though has been a much more recent journey.
Trained in classical ballet, with its gruelling hours and blistered feet, movement has always been a part of her life and something she would seek out. Dabbling in aerial silks in NYC was a first foray in actively training in strength, but the next few years were spent more focused on yoga and general group fitness classes. After taking a break during her pregnancy with her first child (which she now wishes she hadn’t), like a lot of new moms, finding that new balance proved really tricky.
It was only after attending a mental well-being session that stressed the importance of deliberately taking time to prioritize yourself that she had a real ‘Aha!’ moment: “I constantly give so much to my work and my family, it was finally time to give something to myself. I had heard of Pherform many years ago, but it was my colleagues who encouraged me to try the 3 class pass, raving about the effectiveness of their program in short, 45 minute workouts that could be done during lunch hour.”
“Once I tried it, it stuck. Keeping it up was a no brainer – the short classes fit into my hectic schedule; the group atmosphere makes it fun, and a way to learn from each other; the programming keeps me challenged and never bored; and the super coaches make sure I’m getting stronger (and not injured) every time.”
In my mind, Pherform is a standout gym for two main reasons:
The coaches are just so good at what they do. They don’t take a passive role, and actively guide to each member to help them reach their potential. Their programming takes the planning part out of my training – I have the privilege of showing up and all the planning and programming is done, so I just have to put my best foot forward and do my part. They hold you accountable and also keep things fun.
The culture. While gyms generally come with a supportive culture, Pherform’s commitment to their members is stand out. During the lock downs earlier this year, we received constant encouragement through emails, and the gym provided workout kits or weights for people to rent so they could keep moving from home. The group classes (when we could have them) were fun, and everyone was happy to see each other despite the stress HK was putting people through. The gym goes above and beyond – I’ll never forget the day I forgot to pack my pants and Steph opened up all sorts of hidden cabinets to try to find something just so I didn’t have an excuse to miss class!”
A lot of people may think of Monica as high energy (she brings such light and bounce into our classes) but the reality, she tells us, is that with a 2 and 4 year old at home she’s most often really tired. In managing family life, work commitments and ‘me time’ she has learnt to let go and trust other people. “There is no I in team. I’d say it’s about finding a pace that works for you, identifying the ‘opportunity cost’ of things so I can prioritize what really matters, and trying to forgive myself for things that aren’t done/don’t go perfectly. Everyone has different priorities, and that’s okay, since it’s really about finding what I am/am not willing to budge on at each point in time. I have also managed to turn my ‘me’ time into gym time, which knocks two birds with one stone! I work hard at this – I block my calendar so I can make it to the gym, but that also means logging on to work from home most nights after the kids are asleep.” She wishes she could do it all, but has made peace with setting certain hobbies aside for now knowing there will be time in the future to pursue these again when her kids are older.
She did however, make the time recently to do 100 Burpees A Day For 1 Month in raising money and awareness for InspiringHK Sports Foundation – a Hong Kong non-profit that aims to empower the youth of HK through sport. “The company could’ve chosen any physical activity and used that as a way to raise funds (like a leisurely hike, or a jog around a track), but for whatever reason they committed to 100 burpees each day for the month of July. My coworkers are crazy! We successfully raised 60K (exceeding our 50K goal).”
We were particularly impressed that Monica would be doing her burpees after a Pherform sweat session, and this really speaks volumes for her tenacity and commitment. Burpees have also led to one of Pherform owner, Stephanie’s, favourite conversations with Monica when she asked “when do you reach enlightenment” as the burpee tally rose. We posed this question back to Monica and her answer itself may be the enlightenment:
“I think I’ve finally started to accept that there is no ‘enlightenment’ but that Pherform classes and lifting weights are a journey. It’s term thrown around daily in yoga, but really can be adapted to any process that involves growth. Pherform classes are hard, which means there is always a path of lesser resistance. It’s much easier not to pick up the heavier weight. And then when you do, it’s easy to wonder why? What’s the point of picking up the heavier weight, of trying the harder variation, of coming to class?”
“Maybe realizing that there’s no answer to that other than to stop looking for the finish line and appreciating what you are capable of, where you are, is enlightenment. Instead of wondering when it will end, it’s a matter of looking back and thinking how far I’ve come. That’s when I appreciate what I’ve accomplished and it makes me want to try for more. I remember the first time one of the coaches told me I could sumo deadlift 40 kgs at a PowerHer class – an impossible task! First I laughed, and then shocked myself when the weight lifted the ground. Since then, I just try for more – even if I go slower or need to back off. Just keep trying new things until I’ve “unlocked” a new skill, range of motion, weight, or ability. And then trying to focus on those wins, no matter how small…is that enlightenment?”