
Ines Subashka: Introduce yourself.
Alisa Kovacheva: My name is Alisa Kovacheva and I am 23 years old.
IS: What do you do?
AK: I work in the IT sector, I work out with weights and I dance.
IS: Have you been involved in some kind of sports before you started working out with me and my machines?
AK: Yes. About 3 years climbing, a couple years of swimming and a little bit of volleyball, tennis and martial arts. I have never played professional sports. I worked out once or twice a week.
IS: When did you join my workouts?
AK: A year ago.

IS: How did you understand about my workouts and did you have some worries before you joined us?
AK: Gabriela Subashka was the connection between you and me, as well as your Facebook page. I needed about an year, before I finally decided that I want to work out and until I was brave enough to come. I was constantly reading everything you post and I was hesitating. Finally I made the decision and I’ve never looked back.
IS: What was on your mind, before and after the first workout?
AK: Before the workout I was hoping that Gabby is gonna be there, because I didn’t know anybody else. I remember that when I entered the gym I was really scared and nervous. During the workout and after that I compared myself to everybody else and I was thinking that I was a terrible beginner. Everybody else was performing the exercises so good, and it took me eternity to finish my warm up.
IS: What did you expect from the workouts? Did they meet your expectations?
AK: I expected to lose weight and become more “toned” as people say. And it definitely happened. The workouts even went beyond my expectations.
IS: What did you achieve, since you started working out?
AK: I lost more than 22 pounds. I know have muscles. I became stronger. I learned how to perform daily activities without injuring myself. I got rid of the pain in my lower back and my knees.
IS: What makes you come back to practice every single time?
AK: The atmosphere and the satisfaction from setting new PRs.
IS:Do you follow a nutrition plan? If yes, how do you eat? What hardships did you encounter on the way of turning healthy eating a lifestyle?
AK: My nutrition resembles a high fat- low carb eating. But I am still not limiting anything 100%. I am still learning to balance things, and every now and then I go to some extremes. Some of my relatives can not accept the fact that I don’t eat bread and junk foods, but fortunately my parents are being really supportive.

IS: Do you intend on continuing with the workouts and what would you like to achieve, when it comes to your performance in the gym?
AK: Yes, I will definitely keep on working out. I want to get better at each movement and to be able to perform them alone, without the need of a coach. I want to learn new movements. I want to become more confident at handstands and start practicing handstand walking.
IS:What are your favorite movements?
AK: Handstands, push ups, pull ups, deadlifts, squats, burpee and swings.
IS: What do workouts mean to you? What do they give you and do they take you something?
AK: For me they are a way to stay fit and feel more confident. They are a way to improve my health and my physical culture. One of the things that entertains me, brings me pleasure and energy. They take from me… just one hour!
IS: Have you ever been afraid that workouts with weights will make you too muscular and bulky? What would be your advice to women, who are afraid to work out with weights?
AK: Yes, at the beginning and during the first couple months, I was really nervous that this might happen, This was one of the reasons, which made my decision to start working out with you so hard. But I decided to go ahead and try, when I watched a video on your page– an interview with a beautiful model, who does Crossfit. She shared that she had the same fears and she started with the idea that if she starts getting bulky, she will just quit it. That’s how I made the decision for myself. I would tell other women to try. Muscles don’t just grow in a day. You could always stop, if you decide that what you’ve achieved, is too much muscle for your own taste.


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