“Being physically fit helps us do more as we juggle many roles. We hardly get sick even if we usually work late into the night,” says Che Ramos-Cosio.

Her husband and fellow actor, Chrome Cosio, agrees. “There are many benefits to being physically fit. You have more energy, you don’t tire easily. You have better endurance to do a wider range of different things.”

Ramos adds, “Especially now as parents of an also active two-year-old girl, we still have enough energy to work, take care of her, and have fun as a family.”

Ramos was last seen in Red Turnip Theater’s “Rabbit Hole,” while Cosio was in Philippine Educational Theater Association’s “D’Wonder Twins of Boac” (an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”). Both are familiar faces in the annual Virgin Labfest, and both have either been cited or nominated for their performances in Gawad Buhay!, the performing arts awards by Philstage.

Theater

Cosio and Ramos have been acting since their college days. Ramos started doing theater at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños while Cosio was with Centro Escolar University’s Dramatic Guild.

Both ended up auditioning for, and getting into, Tanghalang Pilipino productions. Ramos’ first play for TP was “Oraciones,” while Cosio was cast in “R’meo luvs Dew-lhiett.”

“We had seen each other around,” says Ramos, smiling. “It was when we worked together in TP’s ‘Tatlong Mariya’ (an adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s ‘Three Sisters’) that we started going out. We were together for two years before we got married. We are now on third year of
marriage.”

Working out

Cosio became conscious of his body when he was in his early 20s.

“I decided to go to the gym. I only went to a bakal-bakal gym, meaning a low-end neighborhood gym,” he says, laughing.

“The thing is, in those kinds of gyms, no one gives you good advice. So my brother and I researched online for different types of workout techniques. We realized that fitness is something you can maintain anywhere and anytime, no excuses.”

He does half an hour of jogging on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, followed by 45 minutes of weight training, focusing on a different muscle group each day: back muscles one day, chest on another, shoulders and legs on Fridays.

Two years ago, Cosio tried out a free Muay Thai class. “I wanted to experience a different and new level of pain,” he says, laughing.

“Muay Thai,” or “Thai boxing,” calls itself “the science/art of eight limbs,” meaning the hands, elbows, shins and knees are all used extensively.

“After that first intensive training, I fell in love with it,”  says Cosio. Now he trains two hours a day, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, under Johnwin ‘Makata’ Sarmiento. He will also begin teaching the martial arts this year.

Plana Forma

Ramos had been a varsity athlete most of her school life since grade school.

“I did volleyball, track and field and table tennis. My dad is also big on doing sports every summer,” she says. “In college I fell in love with jazz dance. I joined Douglas Nierras’ Powerdance and became a professional dancer for a few years.”

“Unfortunately, I also started smoking cigarettes. I was doing almost two packs a day. By 2009, I was all bad habits! My weight was yoyo-ing, I’d be super thin one week then chubby the next,” she adds.

She quit smoking when Cosio asked her to.

“It was super difficult; I would be extremely short-tempered and say the meanest things, but I did it. Afterwards, I’d started getting fat because I’d munch on food. I had to get back into shape. So dancing found me again. My Powerdance teacher Julie Alagde-Carretas was head trainer at Plana Forma and got me into it.”

“Forma combines ballet, barre and Pilates in a circuit workout,” explains Cosio. “It aims to work the muscles to the point of exhaustion, then there are quick stretches in between to create long lean muscles minus the bulk.”

Ramos now teaches Plana Forma and is also a freelance Zumba instructor.

“I teach about three to four Forma classes and about three Zumba classes a week. I take a minimum of two Forma classes weekly and as much Zumba as I can. Otherwise, I do a bit of yoga stretching at home and chase after my two-year-old,” she says, laughing.

“In short, all bad habits are gone, and I am in better shape than I have ever been.”
Plana Forma is taught in Quezon City (7099174, 0917-5838022) and Bonifacio Global City (5530870, 0917-8094392). Visit www.forma-asia.com, like on Facebook (PlanaFORMA) and follow on Twitter (PlanaFORMA).

Conqueror’s Gym is at 2/F Jongco Building, Mikesell Compound, Marcos Ave., Las Piñas. Contact 0917-8968210, 0917-8319739 or 0906-2079829. Like on Facebook (conquerorsboxing).