1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
MB: I took a huge leap of faith when I came to NYC from Romania after I turned 21. I found a job fast and began my love affair with New York. Since coming here, I have become seriously interested in fitness, diet and wellness (just like most New York women!!)
2. How did you end up working at Lucille Roberts?
MB: I started working at the Lucille Roberts Grand Central location in July 2011 as a front desk girl. I really saw how much women struggle with weight loss and dedication. I began to love being part of an encouraging environment, it made me feel good about myself – just sharing a tip about exercise or diet meant a lot to me.
3. What are some personal fitness goals you have and how do you achieve them?
MB: My goals are, obviously, to stay in great shape, keep my body fat really low, work more on my posture and flexibility and become more muscular in my lower body. I try to take at least 2 High Intensity Interval Training classes a week, 1 Pilates session and I try to use weights every time I go to the gym. The muscle I get from doing a little weights each time helps burn off all the chocolate I eat. I’ve also learned that the most valuable piece of equipment is your body weight. I used to hate exercises like push-ups, side-planks, and burpees, but now I’m addicted to these tough exercises. They help you build strength in both upper and lower body while completely toning up these areas. Between these series, for cardio, I jump rope.
4. What is the best thing about Lucille Roberts?
MB: Their classes are diversified and are updated all the time. Lucille Roberts is always on top of the new trends. My favorites are Mat Pilates, Chick Boxing, F.I.T. Boot Camp, and Remix! A 45-minute class gives you a dose of motivation for that day and you know that for that time you’re not cheating your workout plan.
5. What advice do you have for women who are trying to tone up and meet their fitness goals?
MB: If you want to tone up, you should learn how to use all areas of the gym. I like to constantly rotate from machines to floor work to classes. Start with machines like the chest press machine, adductor or inner thigh and leg press machine. Then, find a spot where you can start lifting and kicking hard. Do lunges with bicep curls, plié squats, plank variations, push-ups and tricep dips. For a stronger core, you need more than just regular crunches: do v-ups, bicycle crunches, side plank dips, scissors and hold a plank for 15-20 sec. Your body is something that you can change through lots of exercise and a balanced diet. What you need to meet your fitness goals is lots of challenging exercises and patience!
