Questions for Our Trainers

We talked with we some of the best trainers out there and asked them the questions we really wanted answers to. Here's what they had to say.

Troy Manandic: CorePower Yoga Honolulu

Troy has been a CorePower Yoga Instructor since 2015. He was born and raised on the island of O'ahu. Troy loves to travel and keeps a very active and healthy lifestyle whether out surfing or on his yoga mat. His passion for health and fitness has helped him to be a positive influence in this world.

What’s your favorite workout move and why?

My favorite workout move is push-ups. I like that you use your own body weight for resistance and can do push-ups anywhere without any gym equipment. It’s a great full body workout especially for your core upper body (arms, chest & back)

What’s your go-to healthy meal?

I love pasta! Being a vegan, I love using zucchini noodles. It’s easy to make and tastes amazing with marinara sauce or pesto

(Side note: The Oars + Alps team tried this zucchini noodles recipe.Tastes great and it’s easy to make. Give it a try!)

Dan Castillo: Barry’s Bootcamp NYC Instructor

Dan has been a Barry’s Bootcamp instructor since 2017. He left corporate finance and marketing several years ago to become a Personal Trainer and certified Cross-Fit instructor because he wanted to help others push beyond their personal limits in a safe, exhilarating way.

What’s your favorite workout move and why?

One of my favorite workout moves is the Snatch, whether it's with a barbell, kettlebell or dumbbell. It is one of the most technical and full-body movements that you can integrate in a strength or metabolic conditioning workout. It requires every single muscle group in the body. It takes a lot of focus, persistence, and practice to get right.

Barbell Snatch

Kettlebell Snatch

What’s your go-to healthy meal?

One of my favorite healthy meals is breakfast. I love making a sweet potato hash with fresh garlic, onions, red and green bell peppers. Put those ingredients in a food processor so that they are chopped finely. Coat a griddle pan with olive oil and cook up those ingredients with any seasonings of your choice. To top it all off, I love cooking 2-3 eggs over easy and placing on top of the hash. An amazing meal that hits all of your macros and can be cooked in less than 10 minutes any time of the day.

Paul Rahn: Founder + Head Coach at Sweat Fitness Studios

Paul started SWEAT Fitness in 2013 and has lead its expansion to 6 locations. His passion for fitness is driven by wanting to help others push their limit and reach their full potential all while cultivating a community.

What’s your favorite workout move and why?

This is SO hard to nail down just one movement, but total body movement called the man maker (go figure!). It’s a dumbbell movement where you start by doing a dumbbell push-up, a plank row on the right, then one on the left, then you jump your feet up to a squat position, curl the dumbbells while you stand up, then finish with a press overhead! I once did an entire 15 minute workout with just this movement and it’s so hard.

Man Maker

What’s your go-to healthy meal?

I eat a TON but my go-to is always been a homemade salad (Make sure you use a salad chopper. It’s a MUST folks.) that includes spinach, red onion, green pepper, diced tomatoes, grilled chicken breast, diced cucumbers, chopped walnuts, a little dash of gorgonzola cheese (I know, I know, I know it’s dairy but…) and some red wine vinaigrette! Is your mouth watering yet?!