The #gymlife hashtag gives people a way to connect, share their fitness journeys and advice, and find inspiration and motivation within the fitness community.
We asked elite Evox-sponsored athlete Gabi Braun to share her #gymlife insights to help you find the motivation to finally hit the gym or take your training to the next level.
READ MORE | Evox Athlete Gabs Braun Is Hung Up On Calisthenics
Gabriella Braun is a passionate and talented competitive calisthenics athlete who recently placed second in the advanced freestyle calisthenics category at the ICJ Competition.
Personal stats
- Age: 21
- Lives: Johannesburg
- IG: gabs.braun
- Facebook: Gabriella Braun
- Trains? Virgin Active
- Favourite music to train to? I got through stages but currently it is alternative rock.
- What’s in your gym bag? Chalk, resistance bands, an emergency rip kit, water bottles, small parallettes.
How has the gym changed your life?
Gym is a place where I can go to learn more about myself. Although it is ironic because the gym environment is very busy, it is somewhere I can go to be alone with myself. For me, gym is a place of self-discovery and an outlet for any emotions that could possibly interrupt my life.
Her 2024 goals
- Achieving a back lever
- Completing a 100-day handstand challenge with her followers on Instagram and Facebook.
- Unlocking a Swing360 freestyle calisthenics move.
- Making an overall improvement in her sport.
How does strength and muscle make you better at life?
“These attributes make all my daily life tasks effortless and efficient. Being able to move with ease brings me a sense of freedom and relief. As a personal trainer, I see how few people actually feel good in their bodies, not just with how they look but how their body feels and moves while completing simple tasks like getting up or climbing stairs without struggling.”
Her training approach
Gabi’s training programme usually changes every 6–12 weeks to avoid plateaus. She always begins workouts with a 5-10 minute treadmill walk to get into the right headspace, and she ends off with 15-20 minutes of flexibility training. She usually trains 2-3 hours a day.
- Monday: Lower body
- Tuesday: Freestyle calisthenics
- Wednesday: Handstand conditioning, core and flexibility training
- Thursday: Freestyle calisthenics
- Friday: Lower body
- Saturday: Calisthenics conditioning
- Sunday: Rest day
How she eats
Gabi follows a high-carbohydrate, high-protein diet with a lower ratio of fats. “My body responds well to carbohydrates as an energy source and protein is essential for efficient muscle growth and repair.”
Her Evox supplement plan
- Evox Iso-Frost 100% Pure Whey Isolate protein in the mornings.
- Evox Maxilean Low Carb Bar as an on-the-go snack.
- Evox Creatine Overload and Evox Pre-Surge Extreme pre-workout before training.
- Evox Night Time Casein Protein after training and just before bed.
Quick-fire questions
- How else do you stay fit and active? I’m on my feet all day as a personal trainer. On an average work day, I get anywhere between 15,000-20,000 steps.
- What do you wish you knew before you started weight training? To periodise my training properly to avoid plateaus, and to progress in a more efficient manner.
- What is the most important lesson you’ve learnt on your journey? Keep learning. The science of training is constantly changing as we discover new and more efficient techniques.
