While continuing our spotlight on fitness and health in Vietnam, we asked our friends at 8020Fit to introduce us to Ezio Rosa. From Italy, Ezio has been living in Vietnam for the past 10 years. An active fitness specialist, Ezio is now leading the expansion of the DreamFit brand in Southeast Asia. His team is leveraging a new technology called EMS, short for electro muscle stimulation. Based in Ho Chi Minh City, he’s built up a core of customers that are in love with his company’s new technology. And they keep coming back. But why? We decided to try it out ourselves.
We were able to meet and train with Ezio for one afternoon to see what his perspective is on health and fitness in Vietnam. We also learn about his background in Vietnamese martial arts and what he misses about Italy while living in Vietnam for the past 10 years.
So…what is EMS Technology exactly?
This special technology called EMS, electro muscle stimulation, helps you perform a fast and effective training regimen for 20 minutes a day. It helps you save time and energy. For only 20 minutes, two times per week, it brings you rapid results and provides a wide range of benefits for regular users. If you’re a couch potato and want to try a new workout, DreamFit can be a good solution. There are famous athletes like Karim Benzema from Real Madrid that use the technology regularly to recover from multiple match fatigue or injury. During EMS, impulses are transmitted through electrodes on the skin close to the muscles in order to stimulate them. These impulses cause involuntary contractions of the muscles, essentially creating the same reaction that traditional training techniques would stimulate. In a significantly shorter amount of time and with less physical risk since there are no weights involved.
What are the basics of the machine that we should know?
This type of fitness involves free weights, so there’s no risk of injuries since you’re not using weights. At it’s simplest, it’s a 20 minute workout. After trying it for the first time, wait three to four days to see how your muscles react. The machine helps to rebalance your muscles, so for first-time users it will most likely be a significant physical post-exercise change from your typical exercising habits.
Tell us one memorable story from your experience training your clients in Vietnam.
All of our clients have made significant lifestyle changes. Some of them hope to reduce fat whiles want to build strength. Many of our clients are office workers with little physical activity. Many started training regularly and are now able to make lifestyle changes like bicycling everyday to get to the office instead of taking the car. Others get a better understanding of eating healthy in relation to working out. The results are out there and it only takes a few sessions to make it happen.
We loved our training session. How long does it take for someone to train with your team and what sort of consistency do you need for them to invest?
Ideally twice a week for a minimum of three months to see the first batch of results. If you want to maintain your fitness, keep training with us for as long as you’d like.
Thanks for the rundown on EMS and the training session! We loved it and will be coming back. Moving out to a few fun questions that our readers have about your life here in Vietnam…
What’s your favorite activity in Vietnam? Where can somebody find you doing it?
My favorite sport is kiteboarding. Right now the place to go do it is in Phan Rang. There’s quite a large community for this niche sport. Ho Tram is another place to go. If you’re a slightly more advanced level, you can’t beat Phan Rang. The winds are higher and the water is more flat. The conditions are more ideal for the advanced kiteboarder. Kitesurfing in Vietnam is gaining in popularity and it’s starting to involve public figures such as Luong Bang Quang, a famous music producer who started the Saigon Kitesurfing Group a while ago.
What do you miss here in Vietnam as an Italian?
I can find almost everything I like here. What’s missing is the tradition specifically. Aperitifs, home parties, typical Italian habits. The lifestyle of going to somebody’s house for dinner or a party. You can bring your friends and have a good time at home instead of going out. In Asia, this happens less regularly.
After living here nearly 10 years now, there are two things that I’m beginning to notice more: the pollution and the fact that you don’t have a lot of outdoor places to go. For example, if I wanted to go mountain biking, I’d have to wake up early and take a trip outside of the city. I miss the accessibility of the mountains and lakes in Italy, where I can reach everything in a short amount of time. There are also activities like music and art that are unrivaled in Italy, modern or ancient.
When was your first visit to Vietnam? What was the reason?
My first visit to Vietnam was in 2005. At the time I loved martial arts. In fact, I have a traditional Vietnamese martial arts black belt. I’ve been practicing it for 17 years. It’s a life passion and it’s one of the main reasons why I traveled to Vietnam in the first place. I got into the art when I met a Vietnamese master in traditional martial arts, Bao Lan. I studied with Bao for a few years in Italy. He’s still in Italy, in a city called Padova near Venice. When I moved to the United Kingdom, I practiced by myself for a few years. During this time I told Bao that I would travel to Vietnam to learn the art. The second time I visited Vietnam was on a one-way ticket in 2008. I was moving directly from the UK. I was intentionally looking for a job opportunity here and that’s when I got it. I wanted to explore Asia, and Vietnam was on the top of the list given my interest in Vietnamese martial arts.
Do you plan on staying here in Vietnam?
I’ve been here for 9.5 years now, so it’s hard to say. With that said, I would love to grow this business more regionally with Vietnam being the base since my wife is here. That goal will involve traveling more. The business has seen me go to Taiwan and China more, where I’ve acted as an educator for other studio instructors. Wherever there are other instructions using the technology, I’ll head over to help set up methods, implementations, and best practices.
Who should we speak with next?
Going back to the original reason why I visited Vietnam, it’d be fun to speak with my original Vietnamese martial arts master and instructor, Bao Lan. He has his own Wikipedia page, so he’s definitely worth speaking to.