WE’RE past January’s midpoint, and if you made a New Year’s Resolution to be fit this year, Variety wants to help.
We know that by this time of the month, many people who start out their new year fitness journey with energy and motivation are slowly falling back into bad habits. By one report from the Baylor College of Medicine, 88% of people who set New Year’s resolutions fail before the end of January. Don’t let that be you!
We spoke to two Gold’s Gym personal trainers, Ella Dela Cruz and JP Camacho, whose passion for fitness is contagious. They talked about the benefits of the group classes they teach at Gold’s Gym and how they can help you stay on track with your fitness goals.
Meet Ella
Ella Dela Cruz is a NASM certified personal trainer/ nutrition coach, and exercise group class instructor.
She has training certifications on NASM Nutrition Coaching, Anatomy and Movement Principles, Balanced Body Mat 1, 2, 3 and Reformer 1, Body Pump of Les Mills and TRX Suspension.
She teaches classes on individual personal training, and group classes like tone & sculpt, Pilates, functional fitness, suspension training, boot camp.
MV: Please highlight one of your classes. Why did you decide to teach this class?
Ella: Actually, I love all the classes that I am teaching. My two favorites are tone & sculpt, and Mat Pilates that I have been teaching since December 2013. They’re my favorite because of the amazing benefits and results I see in myself and our members: For tone & sculpt it increases strength and endurance, builds tone and leaner muscles, and improves bone health. With Pilates it increases core strength, improves mobility and flexibility, body awareness, posture, balance, stability and coordination, improves sleep, and reduces risk of injury.
MV: What makes this class enjoyable?
Ella: Attending these two classes back to back is like a complete package! Tone & sculpt is a full body work out that targets all your muscles in the lower and upper extremities including our core with the use of light weights and music! We exhaust our muscles with high repetitions and low weights to develop or gain lean muscles. Pilates is strength training that targets our deep/inner muscles combining flexibility or lengthening. It reduces stress and muscle tension.
MV: What are the benefits of group exercise?
Ella: It improves fitness levels, mental health, social skills, and reduces stress.
MV: What movements or activities do you lead your class through?
Ella: Tone & sculpt class has different varieties of movements that target your whole body like squats, lunges, chest presses, chest fly, chest push-ups, RDL (Romanian deadlift), clean & press, dead rows, triceps dips, triceps overhead extension, and so much more. We follow that with joint mobility/dynamic flexibility. Afterwards we do exercises that target our inner and outer unit of the core. Examples of Inner unit core exercises are: abdominal crunches, planking in different position, pelvic floor contractions, hip or glute bridge. Examples of outer unit core exercises: rotational or twisting moves, side crunches, planking, sit-ups, back extensions, leg raises, etc. Static stretching follow after core exercises.
MV: How long is this class?
Ella: Tone & Sculpt — 55-60 minutes, Pilates — 45-60 minutes.
MV: On what days does it occur?
Ella: Tone & sculpt is every Tuesday from 8:30-9:30 a.m. and every Saturday at 8-9 a.m. Pilates is every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30-10:30 am.
MV: How many people can you accommodate?
Ella: Up to 20 persons.
MV: How challenging is this class for a beginner?
Ella: Tone & sculpt is high intensity and very challenging, but, beginners don’t have to finish the whole class, members have an option to observe the instructor first, then do the exercises. Pilates is low to moderate impact, which is a great start and perfect for beginners!
Say hello to JP
JP Camacho is a fitness instructor with aerobics and spin training certifications.
MV: Why did you decide to teach this class?
JP: I decided to instruct both spin and step to give people variety when it comes to cardio: step aerobics for those who like to groove to the beat and spin for those who prefer to pedal to their own rhythm. Or both. It’s all about variety — one day you’re stepping it up to the music, the next you’re cycling through it, so no two workouts ever feel boring or the same.
MV: What makes this class enjoyable?
JP: The energy. It’s most definitely the energy — the kind that’s so contagious, you can’t help but get caught up in it and keep pushing yourself to the very end. It’s insane and something everyone should experience at least once.
MV: What are the benefits of group exercise?
JP: It’s all about motivation, accountability, and energy! You get a supportive community, the extra push from others, and the fun of sharing a workout experience or “suffering together” — plus, the social aspect makes it way more enjoyable than working out alone.
MV: What movements or activities do you lead your class through?
JP: In my step aerobics and spin classes, we flow through rhythmic, beat-driven movements that keep everyone engaged and energized. While the focus is on aerobic (endurance) activity, I love sneaking in a bit of anaerobic challenge (mountain climbers or sprints) to spice things up and keep muscles guessing!
MV: How long is this class?
JP: An hour.
MV: On what days does it occur?
JP: Step — Mon and Wednesday at 9:30 a.m., Friday at 5 p.m. Spin — Tuesday at 5 p.m.
MV; How many people can you accommodate?
JP: Step, 25; Spin, 15.
MV: How challenging is this class for a beginner?
JP: They’re both pretty challenging, however, they are also pretty manageable! I would usually give alternative movements to those who cannot do certain activities.
MV: What are your tips for someone who wants to be consistent about exercise? How do they stay committed?
JP: 1) Start small and make it non-negotiable, like brushing your teeth or making your bed — consistency builds from there. Set a schedule, track your progress, and remember: the hardest part is often showing up, so once you do, the rest falls into place. 2) Develop a “choose your hard” mentality. Exercise is hard. But so is having poor health. Consistency becomes easier when you realize there are only two paths to everything, but one leads to growth. At the end of the day, it is you who have to decide what kind of life you want to pursue.
Ella Dela Cruz, left, JP Camacho.
The Gold’s Gym staff can help you decide how to stay fit throughout the year. From left, Michelle Masga, JP Camacho, and Angela Barbo.
Fitness trainer Ella Dela Cruz conducts one of her classes at Gold’s Gym.
JP Camacho says his spin class has a “contagious” energy.
JP Camacho conducts a spin class.
