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| photo credit: Latina |
Certified personal
trainer Massy "MankoFit" Arias, known on Instagram
as "the strong chick who does crazy stuff." Her upbeat
daily exercise posts as well as wellness and mental health have earned her almost 2
million followers on Instagram
Massy has a super-toned physique but the Dominican
Republic-born wasn't always so fit. Her body type has always been very
skinny and wasn't born with the typical Latina body. The fitness star only got
into fitness as a way to deal with deep depression. In her early 20s, the
combination of an abusive relationship, facing trauma of a brother down with
cancer, and a genetic predisposition to the condition sent her in a downward
spiral. She went
down to 114 pounds on her 5’8” frame.
At the suggestion
of a psychotherapist, Massy began exercising and experimenting with herbal
medicine. Gradually, a new Massy began to surface: stronger and more confident
on many levels.
It became like a
healthy addiction. Turned to exercise as an outlet, she realized
that exercise was making her happier and started sharing her fitness
journey on Instagram — to tell people about her feelings, progress, her self-taught weight-training
regimen and other exercise routines.
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| photo credit: instagram |
Massy
had no background in fitness and began going to the library to research the
best ways to get fit as well as to be
able provide answers to her followers. Her body came to look like a DC superhero—abs more
ripped, arms more defined, thighs so toned, a butt that looked like it could
crack nuts in a single contraction.
Not only did her focus on fitness improve her physical health, but her mental health as well. Massy has made a complete 180-degree turn from where she began. Though she had no background in training or sports and wasn't athletic, today it's a different story. She didn't know that she was going to be able to do all the things that she’s doing now; she never knew she had the potential to be this athletic. This spurred her passion for fitness training and decided to pursue a career in personal training with various certificates as well as lots of other achievements.
Massy still shares her journey hopes and wishes for people to live the lifestyle that's worked for her “Every day I get emails from people who I helped through hard times, or who tell me how my story has inspired them to beat depression or use exercise as a way to feel better about themselves.” She tells Latina magazine in an interview.
Massy’s
focus at present is continuing her 30-Day programs, which include workout
regimens and meal plans, through her site, massyarias.com
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