Interview with Carlos Makali’i Sosa of Surfcore Fitness Studio

Q & A with Carlos Makali’i Sosa of Surfcore Fitness Studio

Carlos Makali’i Sosa is the Founder of Surfcore Fitness. I met Carlos last year when I took one of his bootcamp classes and loved his workout. Many of his exercises are designed to help you with surfing which is right up my alley. Carlos recently launched his new Surfcore Fitness Studio here in Los Angeles and it is beautiful! I recently caught up with Carlos and got to ask him some questions about the concept behind Surfcore Fitness and the new studio. You can check it out below. Enjoy! -Lindsay

Carlos Makali’i Sosa, Founder of Surfcore Fitness.

Tell us about the Surfcore Fitness Studio and your inspiration for the launch.

As a seasoned Fitness Professional, Surfer, and a Hula Dancer I wanted to bring the surfing lifestyle and the Hawaiian teachings into fitness and create a new workout that approaches fitness with a sense of aloha.

The legendary surfer Duke Kahanamoku “The Grandfather of Surfing” used to say, “The best surfer out there is the one having the most fun.” I wanted our workouts to be fun and something you look forward to that delivers fast results.

A lot of fitness studios and trainers these days measure results only in how lean or thin you will become, but I want my clients’ fitness to go beyond that and to be approached in a more holistic manner – mind, body, and soul.

What is the concept behind the Surfcore fitness method?

Surfcore is a fun, Hawai’i and surfing inspired circuit based 45 minute HIIT (high intensity interval training) class that uses a combination of strength, cardiovascular exercises to sculpt your body and burn up to 1,000 calories in a single session.

This super fun high-energy class welcomes all fitness levels and is divided into several timed stations. The routines are never boring or repetitive, no class is the same so you’ll encounter a variety of exercises and equipment such as kettlebells, dumbbells, custom balance boards, plyometric boxes, skateboards, and plenty of aloha spirit.   A lot of the exercises we use are inspired by surfing and skateboarding moves, and we even throw a little hula into the mix.

We take our clients through a 45-minute HIIT class to DJ curated playlist and wind down the bootcamp with a stretching session to Hawaiian music that ranges from contemporary tunes to ancient chants. The instructors also share and discuss Hawaiian values and traditions that the members can apply to their everyday lives.

You talk a lot about “Fitness with Aloha.” What is this and what does it mean to you? 

Hawaiian people say “Aloha” both when greeting someone and also when saying goodbye. But if we dissect the word “Aloha”, we learn more and dive into the roots of Hawaii: “Alo” means “to share,” “oha” means “to show affection or friendship,” and “hā” means “life, breath.” So basically aloha means to share the breath of life.

How does aloha relate to fitness? Well, it is quite simple. Before you start any fitness program make sure that you are doing it for the right reason. I often tell my clients “workout because you love your body, not because you hate it.” Whether you are a seasoned athlete in top fitness shape, or someone who is just starting and needs to shed some pounds, the approach should be the same. Show love, affection, and compassion for yourself. Make it a new beginning, leave behind the errors of the past, and approach the journey with aloha.

I noticed you also teach hula classes at your studio. Why is that something that is important to you? 

In addition to fitness, Surfcore is committed to preserving and furthering the culture, arts, and traditions of Hawai’i. Surfcore Fitness is honored to share the gift of hula though the keiki (children’s) hula class, where kids will learn coordination, grace, and teamwork through working on both modern and traditional hula under the guidance of renown Kumu Hula (hula teachers). Here is one of my favorite quotes on hula – “Hula is the language of the heart, therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people.” King David Kalakaua

• “Kokua” – to help one another
• “Malama” – care for one another
• “Akahai” – patience with one another
• “Lokahi” – recognize others, be recognized, help others, be helped
• “’Olu’olu” – flexibility and kindness
• “Aloha” – to love and care for one another
• “Kuleana” – to take care of your responsibilities

We share these values with our clients so they can apply them to their everyday life.

In your opinion, what is the best exercise for surfers?

Surfing requires a tremendous amount of upper-body and core strength, as well as cardiovascular endurance and skill. If I had to pick a single exercise that could get you conditioned for surfing I would pick the burpee. A few minutes of burpee conditioning will quickly convince you that your own natural bodyweight provides plenty of resistance for an ass-kicking workout that blasts your stamina and fat loss through the roof. The burpee is a functional full-body movement that works your arms, chest, quads, core, hamstrings and bum all at the same time. It is a very good way to improve conditioning and get fit. On top of all of that the burpee mimics the “pop up” motion needed to stand up on a moving board.

Who is Surfcore Fitness geared towards? Is it just for surfers? 

 Not at all. EVERYBODY is welcome. E como mai!

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The new Surfcore Fitness Studio is located at1756 S La Cienega Blvd, LA CA 90035. To celebrate the grand opening of their studio, they are offering Unlimited Classes for $65. You can also visit Surfcore Fitness online at surfcorefitness.net. Check them out and live the aloha of fitness!

What about you? Have you ever done specific exercises to help with surfing? Do you enjoy high intensity interval workouts? Post in the comments below and let me know.