When Golden Glove champ and general badass Simon Redmond hires a trainer to teach at his HitFit gyms, you know you've found someone who will put you through your paces. Trishala Poulose fits that description to a T. She may be one of the newer faces around the Sutter and Harrison Street studios, but she's already gaining a following for her TRX Circuit Training and Beginner Boxing classes.

"Lately, I've been loving the fact that sometimes my classes comprise more women than men, and—let me tell you—these women are beasts," she says. "They lift heavy and sometimes even outshine most men. My goal is to change the perception that women are weak. I'm building an army of strong, badass women out here."

I asked this petite powerhouse about her own workout regimen, and one's thing's for sure: it takes a lot of gym time to keep up with Trishala's weekly routine.

Rockyt: How do you prepare for classes?

Trishala: I'm constantly trying new things in my training sessions, which I then apply to my classes. I always tell my class, "I won't put you through something I've not already done". I teach my classes exactly the way I like to train, so it's intense: lots of resistance and cardio. I think about my structure and focus my class around one concept, (e.g., strength, number of reps for the day, particular body parts, etc.) and then build the rest of the workout from there.

Rockyt: How do you cross train?

Trishala: I box, lift heavy weights, and do yoga. Biking and endurance running will make monthly appearances. [I also] use TRX Suspension Trainers and do high intensity circuit training using kettlebells, body weight, [medicine] balls, battle ropes, and TRX.

Rockyt: What are your favorite studios for cross-training?

Trishala: I obviously love training at HitFit. I think it's an amazing full body workout, and boxing is a great way to get your cardio in. I like going to Barry's Bootcamp [because it] forces me to run when I'm really not mentally tough to do on my own, [and] Yoga Tree or Love Story Yoga.

Rockyt: Are you training toward a particular fitness goal right now?

Trishala: My biggest goal is to just feel and look good. Besides that, I am currently contemplating doing a bikini competition in October. I still have a month and a half to commit. I want to go into it with the best mindset and I want to physically be ready to take on 12-16 weeks of hard core dieting and training. I'll have to make a choice by the end of the month, so we'll see.

Rockyt: What's your training regimen?

Trishala: I train a lot for hypertrophy (muscle growth), so I try to get at least two leg sessions [each] week and two upper body sessions with challenging weights. I add in plyometrics to burn out my muscles and get my heart rate going since I don't do a lot of steady state cardio (running, biking etc). The reason is to maintain as much muscle as possible before I start cutting for the show, which would mean being in a caloric deficit and a good amount of cardio in those 12-16 weeks.

Rockyt: Do you take rest days?

Trishala: I definitely do take rest days. They are so important for your body and your mind. Sometimes they will be active rest days where I'll be out on walks, and sometimes I just live life—enjoy time with friends and family.

Want to join Trish for one of her beast mode classes at HitFit? Check out the schedules here. Drop in classes at HitFit are $30. The studios are also bookable on ClassPass and Zenrez.

How HitFit Trainer Trishala Poulose Stays in Fighting Form