It’s that time again, gang!  The member of the month is one of our most enjoyable awards to present each month because it represents an individuals true, and often quiet under the radar hard work.  Most of the folks at P360 come in, go about their business and don’t get much recognition because well, it’s impossible to get to everyone (but we try our best).  The member of the month award is not about strength, it’s not about speed, and it’s not about athleticism.  It’s about pushing yourself to achieve what is great for you, bringing a great attitude in the process and really embracing good old fashioned hard work.

April brings us yet another month of extremely hard work.  Both of these winners were an easy selection for our staff and we are proud to present them to you.

Ricardo Medina

Ricardo has always been a very hard worker and an incredibly positive presence in the gym.  He asks questions and is clearly dedicated to getting better, always wanting to know if there are ways he can improve his form and improve his ability.  Ricardo is a regular attender of P360 social events and always the center of a good time when he is there.  Most recently, he set a PR in his mile time and ran a blazing fast 5:19!  Congratulations to Ricardo!

Get to Know Ricardo

How old are you and where are you from?

26, I’m from Chihuahua, Chihuahua MEX (yes… like the dog)

What do you do for work?

I’m a Mechanical Engineer (B.S. from NMSU & M.S. UCSD) at Hunter Industries where we manufacture irrigation systems for commercial and residential applications. I’m heavily involved in the design of new products/components as well as constant support to the manufacturing lines.

What do you do for fun?

I’ve found myself really enjoying clean n jerk.

What are your favorite and least favorite exercises?

My least favorite would definitely be burpees; they might be good for you but, they just suck…

What is your most proud achievement at P360?

So far, my recent 5:19 mile (it will get better)

What kind of P360 workouts do you most enjoy?

Any time we have a combination of a “complex” and heavy move (clean, snatch, squads) combined with a muscle focused exercise plus some cardio; so, most of the workouts!

What workouts make you utter curse words to yourself when you see them on the schedule?

What’s an embarrassing fact most people don’t know about you?

At a summer internship at Stanford I was living at their dorms and I got locked out of my room after coming out of the shower on the first day of work. I had to look for the resident admin to get my room open; important thing to mention, I was butt naked with a very small towel, and bump into all my new co-workers. Heck of a first impression!

What’s a hidden talent most people don’t know?

I can dance to a lot of different music genres. Bro, do you even dance?

What is your favorite cheat meal around town?

A big fat burger with avocado, bacon and fires (lots of them)

What’s the biggest overall improvement you have made since joining? 

Everything! I’ve never been in this good shape in my life.

Who is a famous person with whom you’d like to have a drink and what would you buy them?

It would be with my ultimate crush, Shakira and I would buy her a mojito.

You have one song on a desert island.  What is it?

Three little birds – Bob Marley (happiest song ever)

What is your biggest goal for the rest of 2014?

I just want to keep improving in every aspect and keep challenging myself at the gym and out.

Lauren Faison

This one is kind of a no brainer.  When you have a women who is past seven months pregnant and is still training, taking care of her health, regularly attending yoga and maintaining a level of fitness all with a baby due shortly, you definitely end up with a member of the month award!  Lauren has been a member for well over a year and has always been a regular, positive addition to the morning classes (her husband even made our first order of T-shirts!)  Prior to her pregnancy, she was one of the hardest workers in the gym, and although we have helped her scale that back safely, she still finds herself able to maintain and work hard. Congratulations to Lauren!

Get to Know Lauren

How old are you and where are you from?

I am 33 and grew up right outside of Boston.

What do you do for work?

I am a college publishing sales rep.

What do you do for fun?

Surf, boats, skateboards, watch a lot of sports, play with my dog and hang out with my husband.

What are your favorite and least favorite exercises?

My favorite exercise would be push-ups or thrusters, and least favorite is planking of any kind.  Kind of hard with a baby on the way!

What is your most proud achievement at P360?

Too many!  Last year’s Olympics was a huge achievement for me and I was genuinely surprised that I placed.  Also, working out while carrying an internal med ball makes me pretty proud, too :)

What kind of P360 workouts do you most enjoy?

Deck of cards! I get really pumped up to do those workouts because I like that it feels like a game.

What workouts make you utter curse words to yourself when you see them on the schedule?

I get pretty upset when I have to hold a plank longer than 30 seconds or if reverse plank of any duration is written on the board.

What’s an embarrassing fact most people don’t know about you?

I have three watches that I wear and I can’t tell time on any of them!  I am pretty sure they are not even set to PST.  To be fair, there aren’t any numbers on them.

What’s a hidden talent most people don’t know?

Um, I am not sure that I have one!  Maybe running an 8 minute mile at 8 months preggers??

What is your favorite cheat meal around town?

Rubicon Deli

What’s the biggest overall improvement you have made since joining? 

I am much more confident in my strength.  I never thought I would be able to do a pull-up or lift anything close to 200 pounds and now both are easy.  I have a much better understanding of food and nutrition.

Who is a famous person with whom you’d like to have a drink and what would you buy them?

Bill Belichick.  I would have a beer and I would buy that man any drink he wants so long as he wears the hoodies and agrees to talk to me more than the media.

You have one song on a desert island.  What is it?

Can I pick an album?  A Tribe Called Quest.  The Movement.

What is your biggest goal for the rest of 2014?

Continue to work out as long as my big belly lets me.  After baby, come back to the gym when I am ready and work on getting my body back, and resetting my PRs!

What has been your biggest motivation in staying active during your pregnancy?

Initially, I wanted towork out for selfish reasons (getting body back quickly after baby), but continuing to exercise has really helped to maintain my sanity and ensure that I have a healthy body AND a healthy baby. Exercise has been a huge part of my life for so long that I couldn’t imagine cutting it out because I was pregnant.

How has your training experience been, for those expecting moms out there!

I realize how lucky I have been to be able to exercise throughout my pregnancy. I attribute a lot of this to the shape I was in before getting pregnant. I was definitely in the best shape of my life! Since I was somehow able to dodge the dreaded morning sickness early on, I never stopped coming to the gym. My doc keeps giving me the green light to come to P360 so I keep coming! Also, I think the types of exercises we do really elevate my energy up and minimize a lot of pregnancy symptoms. Keeping up my regular routine has also allowed me to get sleep each night and not feel the least bit guilty when I eat ice cream or pizza :)

If you have to teach lil’ baby Faison one exercise, what would it be?

We really want a baby boy to surf but he also has to love pushups as much as his momma :)

Any names or secret info you can share with P360?

We are going to call our son Graham, but on paper his name will be Vernon Gordon Faison IV, which I agreed to on our 2nd date.  Pretty happy to call him Graham :)

Congratulations to Ricardo and Lauren!  Make sure to pat ’em on the back next time you see them around the gym.