A Man in a Woman’s World: Kristof Ladislau

Interview with Kristof Ladislau

Kristof Ladislau is a specialized life coach in sports, nutrition, meditation, and fine dining. He is a former high-performance athlete in kayaking, rugby, and handball. He describes himself as an authentic person, not necessarily a diplomat or a gourmet, but rather someone who believes in competence gained through personal experience and education. He is passionate about cycling and sports in general.

In his own belief, sports is a science. The multiple licenses he has obtained over time recommend him as a person with vast experience in the field of sports. He obtained a Bodybuilding License in 1985, a Les Miles License in 1997 in Germany, a Spinning License in 1994, and a TRX License in 2010.

He attended sommelier school in Romania and WSET, the most renowned wine education school in the world.

Throughout the years, he has been involved in various projects with multinational companies, including coaching fashion, dress code, events, and the remodeling of the high-end sector in the field of gastronomy and wines. He also collaborates with various restaurants to create menus and recommend wines.

Your personal and business life takes place between two continents, namely Romania, Germany, and the USA. What ties you to each of these places?

Most of my business activities take place in Romania. My daughter, who is the most important person in my life, lives in Miami, and my family is in Germany.

To strongly believe in a principle, in energy, in good and evil, are things that give you the mental power to progress in life, to “move forward.” How have you found the balance that gives you this energy?

In 1994, I discovered Buddhism. This philosophy of life attracted me precisely because of the freedom it offers through respecting the principle of life itself. This philosophy presents life as consisting of karma and the principle of action and reaction, respecting the free will of others, all combined with the assumption of one’s own actions. The world is composed of light and energy. I believe in the power of the universe, in reincarnation, in the energy that each individual possesses, and in meditation. It is very important to meditate.

Buddhism has helped me differentiate between personality and ego. The ego always pushes you to compare yourself with others. I believe that we have lessons to learn from all these principles. As I have already stated, I believe in reincarnation.

When you start comparing yourself to others, you will never be truly happy because each person has their own structure and their own challenges imposed by their own life. We must strive to become better compared to ourselves, not in comparison to others.

Attachments are also important elements in life. I have always wondered how it is possible not to have attachments or expectations towards the people close to you. Regardless of the initial expectations, the people close to you will offer you satisfaction, but over time, personal interpretation comes into play. That is why I am totally against the act of “judging.” When we engage in the action of “judging,” we express things perceived through our own filters, our own interpretations. We rely on the information we possess, which is not necessarily always correct, and we rely on our life experience, so we analyze things through our own filters. The majority of judgments issued represent personal dissatisfaction and are our own frustrations projected outward to give ourselves satisfaction because we are not satisfied with ourselves, and it makes us feel better at that moment.

Sport is an integral part of your life. You were a high-performance athlete in kayaking, rugby, and handball, activities that you mostly pursued outside Romania. How do you perceive the idea of being fit through nutrition alone, eliminating physical activity/sport, and what is your opinion about diets? Do you recommend them?

I don’t believe in diets! Diets yield results for a limited period of time. You can’t live a constant life of deprivation indefinitely. The only promoter of a certain type of diet that I believe in is Montignac. He promotes the dissociated diet, which involves consuming a wide variety of foods.

We must consider the fact that “where you get your calories from” is important. If you consume 1000 calories per day and those calories consist of unhealthy choices, or if you consume 1500 calories per day provided to your body through healthy food choices, the 1000 calories will surely add extra weight to your body. It is important to maintain a balance in your diet! From my own experience, I can say that for a harmonious body appearance, nutrition accounts for 70% of importance, and around 20-30% is represented by physical activity/sport.

In the presented situation, I would ask myself, “Do you want to look good or do you want to feel good? Do you want a body composed of skin, bones, and adipose tissue, or do you want to develop your muscles to give yourself a different tone?”

You are an indoor cycling instructor, among other things, and the classes you lead transmit a unique vibe, starting from the music, rhythm, and the way you instill the desire to complete the challenging hour. At the same time, there are females who are afraid of this type of training, citing the argument “it will develop my thighs too much.” What is your opinion about this fear, and how would you explain the opposite?

There are two types of muscles: white muscle and red muscle. White muscle is responsible for hypertrophy, while red muscle is well-vascularized and responsible for endurance.

Any effort lasting more than 40-50 seconds is sustained by white muscle, and an effort lasting more than a minute involves red muscle. Cycling takes place over tens of minutes, so it trains red muscle, which is the long-living, well-vascularized muscle that does not increase in volume.

Consider the difference in physical appearance between an athlete trained for a 100m sprint and an athlete trained for an 800m run. The 100m sprinters have the physique of a bodybuilder and use white muscle, which provides explosion and power, while those who run 800m or marathon runners train their red muscle.

You travel extensively to different parts of the world. How do you balance travel with sports?

It all depends on how you prioritize things. It is important to find time to exercise; you don’t necessarily have to go to the gym. You can do your workout in a hotel room or go for a brisk walk in nature with fresh air. When using the excuse “I’m tired!” which actually reveals mental fatigue, the best remedy is exercise, adapted to your state at that particular moment.

Doctors recommend consuming one or two glasses of wine per day. Do you follow this rule? What is your opinion on this matter?

Excess in anything is not good! Wine is healthy. Ideally, the consumption of 1-2 glasses per day, never on an empty stomach, is recommended

to achieve the anti-aging benefits of red wine. Some people go to the pharmacy to buy resveratrol, one of the most powerful anti-aging products. So, it is advisable to obtain these vitamins “directly from the source.” This applies to other vitamins as well.

It is recommended to provide your body with the necessary vitamins in their pure form. The important thing is to find and maintain a balance in life!