The past two weeks, I took Gabbi Garcia and Sanya Lopez out for a different challenge each and they both got to try something they haven’t done before. If you haven’t caught up with the “Woman We Love” series I’ve started here on the blog, check out the articles I wrote featuring Gabbi and Sanya.
This week is all about my bonding session with Kylie Padilla, and how WE both got to try something new.
Although it has been around for quite a few months, I haven’t gotten around to trying Saddle Row‘s Rowing Class.
Kylie and I worked out with Pio Luz one afternoon and we finally got to try it together!
Kylie has to be one of the most inspiring girls I’ve met, not only because she turned out to be stronger than she told us she was, but also because she’s a role model for most girls out there who are struggling with self issues.
FEARLESSLY FEMININE
Kylie has such a unique personality. One that makes her proud to be exactly who she is. In fact, if you check out her Instagram account, you’ll see her posting artistic photos and captioning them with poetry she writes herself. 😉
Growing up, she faced issues about her boyish personality. She was raised an athlete, training for Muay Thai competitions way before everyone got into it for fitness. She’s always been into wearing cool shirts and being active. “I like the challenge, I like physical activity”, she says.
However, things aren’t always very clear to us when we’re young. Kids her age started wondering why she was so boyish and athletic that Kylie decided to stop training just so she can be more “girly” and be a “normal kid”.
Boyish on the outside, but truly a young girl on the inside, Kylie wanted her femininity to stand out. When she finally overcame her struggle as to how most people defined what a girl should look like and how she should act, Kylie happily went back to the gym and sweat her ass off.
A few years back, she went through body issues, wanting to be skinny. Sad truth is, this is what the media and our society has instilled in most girls’ minds. I went through that, Kylie has gone through that but we got over it *pats self on back*. “Just be yourself. If you feel like you’re a strong girl, don’t be embarrassed about it. It’s attractive for a girl to be independent.”, Kylie says.
BORN A FIGHTER
Today, she’s more focused on Kali/Arnis. Coincidentally, she’s been into it since 2008, right after she trained for Muay Thai. In preparation for her role as Sang’gre Amihan on the upcoming remake of GMA Network’s Encantadia, all Kylie had to do was re-learn a few things and everything else came easy. “It’s in my muscles already, thanks to my dad.”
Her only weakness? “Malalim na Tagalog”. “I’m starting to speak more of it.” She says a lot of the dialogues in Encantadia are a challenge to understand and pronounce. Kylie says, “I really don’t want to have a distracting accent because people are not gonna take you seriously even if you’re giving the best performance”.
DRESSING THE PART
Just like Gabbi and Sanya, Kylie wants to fit well in her costume as Sang’gre Amihan, keeper of the wind gem. “I thought I was thin enough because I didn’t want to be so skinny. I want to set a good example for girls.” But, we all know how the television could add a few more pounds to our weight, not to mention Kylie’s ultra fair skin makes it more challenging to have a slimmer silhouette.
To find a balance between a bod that’ll rock Amihan’s costume but still be fit and healthy, Kylie watches what she eats. Just for the duration of the series, Kylie has significantly reduced food consumption in the evening (after 6PM), keeping it easy on her gut and giving her body enough time to digest everything else she ate in the day–SWEETS included because we both high five’d to cheating in your diet every now and then to be able to stick to it long term. Finally found another girl with a sweet tooth. <3
When she’s not out sparring, Kylie trains alone in the gym.
Here’s a sample workout (similar to what she does) you can also try at home.
Go through all the five exercises below and then repeat three times:
- 1min Plank
- 30 Donkey Kicks (for the butt!)
- 30 Lateral Raises with dumbells
- 30 Supermans
- 30 Side Plank Dips
As a finisher, get out and run for 30 minutes. Alternate between brisk walking, jogging and sprinting to maximize your workout.
I adore Kylie for being so real. She believes becoming healthy is a lifestyle and not something you do just to lose weight. “Take care of yourself, not just for the comments of other people. After while, [crash diets] will have a huge impact on your health.”
Here’s a sneak peek of our workouts on my Instagram. Follow me there, if you haven’t yet to see more of these:
Watch out for Kylie Padilla aka Sang’gre Amihan on Encantadia, airing in July 2016! Follow her on Instagram, @kylienicolepadilla to know more about one of the fiercest girls I know.
Photos shot at Saddle Row 2F Serendra Piazza, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Find them on Facebook or Follow them on Instagram to know more about their class offerings and check their weekly schedule.
