By Chris Granville

I’ve trained as an athlete and couldn’t wait to check out a workout at Velocity Sports Performance NYC, a gym well-known for training top college, high school and youth athletes, as well as adults looking for a challenging workout. The years of agility and speed drills I practiced as a hockey player helped condition me to compete at my best, and I hoped that Velocity Sports wouldn’t pull their punches with me just because I’m a little older, a little slower, and not earning a paycheck with my body these days. As it turned out, they didn’t. In fact, when I thanked my coach for the evening, Eugene, I had to refrain from mentioning that the last set of sprints he had me do nearly made me lose my lunch.

Velocity Sports has many locations throughout the country, but the one in Manhattan has the look and feel of a private gym. Clients range from elite athletes to people who are just looking to get into better shape. Velocity’s approach, however, is sports-specific, and if you opt for a class they will run you through the same drills whether you are a starting tight end on an NFL team or an accountant getting ready for swimsuit season. They are fully equipped with everything you would expect to find, from clean locker rooms to free weights, benches, prowlers, sleds, Pilates.  However,   they also offer some unusual features, including a sprint track, Olympic weight training, and an Astroturf area.  

While Velocity also offers private sessions, I opted for a class on my visit. They keep the classes small at Velocity, six to eight people maximum. This allows for the trainer to give everyone personal attention and encourages a sense of camaraderie within the group.

We started with a dynamic warm-up on the 35-yard sprint track that incorporated some dynamic-based movements, running, grapevining, and a series of agility drills. We then did some sprints and a couple of drills straight out of an NFL training program. In one particularly fun drill, I sat on the track facing my opponent, standing six yards away. His goal to tag me once the whistle blew. My goal was to stand up, turn around, and outrun him. We all had fun crashing into the padded wall at full speed at the end of the track trying desperately to avoid the tag.

An ab circuit with a 25-pound plate, cone drills, and some weighted pushups found their way into the session as well. We finished up with a two-person relay race, pushing 45-pound plates on sleds the full length of the track. The competition had everyone digging deeper as the fatigue of the session began to take hold. I recall the sense of determination to push through the exhaustion I felt in my legs as I looked over my shoulder and realized I was on course to win my race. But afterward, win or lose, everyone gathered for fist bumps, high fives, and encouraging words. It felt exactly the way it did when I was part of a hockey team. 

Velocity offers a unique setting for anyone who wants to train like a professional athlete or who is looking for something new and different in their exercise program. Their Manhattan location is set up for a full range of agility, speed, and strength training workouts. I had a lot of fun in the class I attended and can easily see why people love to train here.

Chris Granville is an ACSM certified personal trainer. A former NCAA Division 1 and professional athlete, he’s a managing editor in book publishing and lives in New York City.

By Harold Torres

You want to get into better shape, to drop the fat and to increase your tone and strength.

Join the club…most people are actively working toward an elusive fitness goal.

So what separates those who end up achieving their goals from the rest of the masses who are trapped in a fruitless struggle?

Winston Churchill hit the nail on the head when he said, “Never, never, never, never give up.”

The bottom line is that it is possible to achieve any fitness goal when you lock on to it and strive towards it every day. Unfortunately distractions are everywhere, making it easy to fall off track.

This brings us to the classic Henry Ford quote, “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”

In order to stay the course it is vital that you keep your eyes on the goal.

Here’s how to get to your goal in 5 Steps:

Step One: Only One At A Time
When you’re feeling motivated, and decide to set a goal, it’s tempting to become over-ambitious by setting multiple goals. While it’s great that you want to improve many things about yourself, the pressure of trying to achieve more than one goal at once will cause you to drop all the goals and go back to status quo.

Focus in on the one goal that you really want to achieve first, and focus all of your efforts onto this goal with laser-like force. There will be plenty of time in the future to see to your other goals, but for now see your number one goal all the way through to completion.

Step Two: Start Slow
Another pitfall that often results in dropped goals is the act of starting out too fast and too strong. If your goal in fitness is to drop 6 pant sizes and to exercise 5 times a week, do not (I repeat, DO NOT) go out and hit the gym hard for the next 5 days in a row. You’ll be so sore that I guarantee you’ll stop all progress the following week and your goal will be put back on a shelf.

Take a deep breath and remember that this isn’t a race. This is your life, and it’s you against yourself. Start out slow and steady and gradually build as you progress toward your goal. Don’t allow self-induced fatigue to get in your way.

Step Three: Know Your Reasons Why
Why is this goal so important to you? There are probably many reasons, and you should know every single one of them. Write down each and every possible reason you can come up with as to why your goal needs to be met.

Intimately get to know the ‘reasons why’ this goal is so important to you. You should have them memorized and should recite them every single day. Remember what Ford said – when you take your eyes of your goal you’ll see loads and loads of obstacles. Keep your eyes locked onto that goal by filling your mind with all of the ‘reasons why’ you’re going to see this thing through.

Step Four: Think About It
Along with thinking about your reasons for accomplishing your goal, it’s also helpful to focus your mind on how you’ll feel once you’ve done it. Dedicate some time each day to picture your new post-goal life.

How awesome are you going to feel when you’ve accomplished this goal that’s been on your mind for so long? Pretty amazing. Fill your mind with that feeling of accomplishment well before you’ve finished the work. The more you feel connected to the end of the race, the more likely it is that you’ll make it through.

Step Five: Put It All On The Line
It’s time to put your money where your mouth is. Invest in something that will help propel you toward your goal. When you shell out some of your hard earned money to aide in your progress, then you are going to take this process that much more seriously.

It’s time to seriously commit yourself to seeing this goal to completion. If your goal is to lose weight and to get into amazing shape then invest in one of my proven fitness programs.

My clients see results. My clients achieve their goals.

It’s time that you become one of my clients.

By Joshua Margolis
Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Instructor

Before we became prisoners of four gray walls at the gym with monotonous cardio machines, we got our exercise from being outside.  Before we became adults, we got our exercise running around playgrounds and climbing trees.  Here’s a chance to return to that place, where the mind and body can appreciate the natural surroundings: birds, bees, flowers, trees. The wind, sun, camaraderie, and most importantly fun.

If one decides to take the leap and work out outdoors, as mother nature intended, here are some simple items you’ll need:

1. bottled water
2. loose comfortable clothing
3. jump rope
4. Sunscreen
5. Hat/sunglasses
6. The Weather Channel.

By Phillip Tomlinson

The real thing?

Coke is it, right?  You know, the real thing.

I can almost guarantee that, even if you don’t know when or where, you’ve heard that jingle in one form or another.  Heck, you may not have even been walking this earth when “the real thing” first exploded into public consciousness.

But you’ve heard it.

On the slim chance you haven’t, you can check it out here – that echo of a theme that seduced generations and became a marketing phenomenon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDSnjjdGh5M&feature=related

It was brilliant.  In fact, perhaps no ad has been as wholesome as that “Hilltop” scene with a multicultural collection of teenagers singing, “I’d like to buy the world a coke and keep it company…”

And now with those hot summer days fast approaching, it won’t be long before we too – seduced by thirst – may be keeping company with the likes of Coke or the litany of sugar blasters that hide behind “natural” labels.

Yup, it’s time again to exercise extra caution and familiarize ourselves with some pretty alarming details, especially if we are to avoid significant physical impairment.

For starters, those sugary beverages masquerading as the “real thing” can cause us to lose serious amounts of water from our body’s reserve.  Not exactly a good thing, considering that our muscles are composed of about 80 percent water which is second only to air in the thing most needed for physical survival.

As for air, it is possible to loose a pint of liquid each day by simply exhaling.  In short, we need water to breathe because our lungs must be moist to take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide.

To put it into perspective, we are able to survive without food for almost two months, but only a few days without water which, in short supply can impair every aspect of our physiology

Now, that’s the “real thing.”  And without it, we’d be poisoned by our own waste which, if not removed effectively could cause kidney stones.

Of course, let’s not forget that it’s also true that part of feeling good is looking good and if we are not adequately irrigated we’ll also be a sight for sore eyes with excess fat and poor muscle tone.

So, go on reach for the “real thing.”  About eight glasses a day will do.

By Will Wright

Can’t get rid of the Food Cravings? Well, Cravings are all mental. It simply means that your body has its signals all mixed up. When sad, bored or tired your brain tells you that you need a Pick Me Up. My clients tell me all the time if they could get a handle on cravings they would Look, Feel and Perform much better. The problem is, some people just can’t stop giving in to their food cravings and most often Choose Poorly.

We all know nothing satisfies our food cravings more than the Four Deadly Ingredients, as I like to call them. That’s Sugar, Salt, Dairy and Oil. We tend to choose foods loaded with these ingredients. Why? Because they taste so damn good, duh! The truth is your Consistency of Consumption is off. This simply means what you consistently eat is feeding your cravings.  Let me explain more. While trying to quit foods loaded with the Four Deadly Ingredients we try and go Cold Turkey. If you think going from consuming these foods on a consistent basis to eating salads and dry chicken wraps will work, sorry, you’re not going to make it. So don’t do it to yourself. No good changes ever happen overnight.

Ease yourself off Unhealthy Food Cravings. Start by trying to Clean Up how much of these ingredients you consume with Portion Control and adding better ingredients. Next time you want pizza, only have a slice and add a side order of fruit or veggies with it. I call this the Healthy Addition. Also Maintain a high level of water Hydration throughout your day. These tips will work because the more water we drink and healthy foods that we consistently consume, the more our body begins to crave them on a consistent basis.

Look I know it’s not Mentally Healthy to always think you must have a perfect diet. It’s about living a Healthy Lifestyle. Planning an all out cheat day once in a while will not derail your goals. The idea is to “Eat Clean and Train Dirty” not “Eat Boring and Live Sad.” One meal didn’t make you Fat so one meal can’t make you Skinny. We are all product of our Consistent Behaviors and the body craves what we feed it!
Get it!!!

Will

By Bill Trimble
Personal Trainer

First write down a realistic goal and a time frame.  The more detailed you are, the better your chance for success.

Example- I want to lose 15 pounds in 8 weeks.

Next commit one hour a day to exercise in the morning or after work. Pick a time of day that you are most likely to follow.

Keep a food journal and track each meal , time you eat and portion size. This gives you specific information that you can review each day.

The idea is to be consistent, not diet or to have unrealistic expectations.

This will make you accountable for yourself and help you stick to the goal plan.

Also, write down your daily workout plan before each week begins.

You can hire a trainer, even short term to help you get started and stay on track.

I recommend 30 minutes of full body resistance exercises and 30 min of aerobics -jogging, biking, or taking a high intensity class. Take a dance class or go hiking as well.

The combination of training will help you increase lean body mass and burn fat much faster.

Lastly, make the workouts fun.

Go outdoors and bring a friend with you. Having a training partner is a great way to keep each other on track. Especially on days that may be a little tougher to get motivated.

You will feel better about yourself, your energy will improve and this will carry over into other parts of your life.

Please contact me if you have any other questions or comments.

BTfitnessrescue.com

Good Luck!

Bill Trimble B.S., CSCS

Tribeca Health & Fitness
105 Chambers Street
New York, NY 10007
(212) 732-9466

By Chris Granville

It’s not often I get downtown these days, and when I made the trip to Chambers Street to meet Mike Sperber, manager of Tribeca Health and Fitness, I was reminded of how chaotic the narrow streets are in this part of the city. Upon arrival I discovered a calm oasis of a gym amidst all the crowds, construction, and bustle just outside.

Occupying three floors, the gym feels large and spacious. A full juice bar greets you as you enter by the front desk, while downstairs two floors house the equipment. Over 50 pieces of cardio equipment make up the bulk of the upper floor, which also houses a tanning room, a group fitness studio, and a massage room. A fully licensed massage therapist is on staff and available to members.

A wide range of classes are offered in the studio space, which is available to trainers at an hourly rate. Krav maga, yoga, zumba, kung fu, and even Pee Wee tennis are just some of the regularly scheduled classes.

On the lower floor is weight training equipment, which is composed of an extensive collection of free weights, machines, and cables.

The gym is open to independent trainers as well as members. On my visit I bumped into my former trainer, a one-timeIFBB figure pro and one of the city’s top trainers; the fact that she chooses to train out of Tribeca Health and Fitness speaks volumes about the quality of the gym.

Mike began as manager at Tribeca Health and Fitness when it opened five years ago. He expects professionalism from the trainers who work out of the space and in turn offers an outstanding facility for them to train their clients.

With an Equinox and a NYSC within a few blocks, Mike has had to work hard to make the gym competitive and appealing. And to his credit, he’s done a great job. It’s not often that you find such a large and well-equipped private gym, and it’s easy to see why many of the most successful trainers in New York have chosen to base their businesses out of Tribeca Health and Fitness.

The foundation of my training is bringing together both Eastern and Western perspectives integrating martial arts, yoga, progressive resistance exercise (training with weights, cables, bodyweight, etc.) and dance.  No matter what discipline or tradition you are “involved in” they all have the same basic common starting point.  The same for people with disabilities, physical and mental, etc.

 I, myself, believe in doing my work within the context of compassion, support, and encouragement for all.

That which I allude to is the BREATH of life.  Breathing is an unconscious function.  Imagine having to be always thinking of breathing.

Good fortune is on our side.  It is a autonomic function,  however,  breathing “consciously” is a way to live in balance.  One needs to experience this.

When I worked as a deputy U.S marshal (federal law enforcement} I remained calm and centered in tense situations.  Men and women in law enforcement are considered “peace officers,” being calm and respectful goes a long way.    

Many of us have heard of the runners high, a series of chemical reactions that produce a uplifting surge of feeling in the zone.

It is the coming together to a of a unique combination of the aspects of life, being in the moment both unconsciously (autonomic/automatic) and consciously.

 Your physical training will affect all of you in ways that may surprise you.

I educate when I teach, you will absorb with awareness, the rest just sneaks in without you having to do anything.

I am open to all inquiries, questions, and special needs.

I do workshops weekly (1 and 1/ half hours) for people with mood disorders (bipolar/depression and anxiety)  this is a time to be creative and fun:  communication skills, music, movement, breathing, storytelling, games, laughter,  live drumming, writing, lessons from the wisdom of generations, parables, fables and more.  Becoming a Warrior of the Heart  917.607.6009

I, also, enjoy working with people with physical disabilities and open all other possibilities that you may suggest.

I am available to come to you , small groups , as well.

Most of us commit to becoming more active for vanity’s sake.  We want to stand taller, look slimmer, and feel brighter.  Some of us hope to ward off the side effects that are all too typical of our western industrialized lifestyles.  Regular aerobic exercise has been proven to lessen the presence of triglycerides and glucose in the bloodstream while strengthening the heart and lungs.  Strength training improves bone mass, connective tissue integrity, and muscle mass.  Flexibility, agility, and core strength enable us to move with more freedom and less joint pain. But how does regular physical activity affect our brains?  The benefits of improving and maintaining a healthy fitness level have been proven to go above the jawline.  Exercise has been shown to increase neurogenesis, improve synaptic plasticity, and assist in synaptic strength in the hippocampus region of the brain.  This post will describe in simple terms the meaning of these attributes and how an active lifestyle improves on them.  

Neurogenesis is the production of neurons, which are the cells that process and transmit information via a series of chemical and electrical impulses to create our central nervous system.  Neurogenesis is at it’s most active in utero as our brains are rapidly developing.  Throughout life, the generation of  “newborn” cells is essential for learning, memory and mood regulation.  As with most functions of the body, neurogenesis slows with age.  Dementia, and Alzheimer’s, or what was once known as “senility” are sometimes considered to be the extreme example of a slowed or halted ability of the brain to create new cells.  However, studies used with aging lab mice have shown that periods of exercise increase the presence of these newborn cells in the hippocampus.  Further research suggests that exercise, specifically voluntary aerobic exercise stimulates the growth of new cells in adult humans.  Of course, age related diseases such as those mentioned above have many more components to them, known and unknown.  Exercise is not a cure for Alzheimer’s, but among healthy older adults, it’s a great way to keep the mind functioning optimally.

Synaptic plasticity is the term used to describe how neurons communicate with one another to collect, organize, and store information in the central nervous system.  Synaptic strength is the integrity of the cells.  The aging brain tends to have slower currents for the neurons to work with, essentially weakening the cells and leading to degeneration of brain tissue.  Once again, voluntary physical aerobic activity has been shown to increase synaptic plasticity and assist in maintaining the strength of the cells.  

         Adversely, a sedentary lifestyle has been linked with a lack of neurogenesis and compromised synaptic plasticity and strength. Anyone caring for an older adult whose mental facilities have declined can probably create a graph of decreasing cognition with decreasing mobility and activity.  

So it would seem that what’s good for the body, is also good for the mind. Specifically, what’s good for our heart and waistline is also good for our hippocampus.  As our longevity increases, it’s essential that we know how to keep our cognitive skills and memories sharp as we progress through our years.  Fitness of the body might just be one of the keys to maintaining and/ or improving memory and the ability to learn new tasks.  It’s also comforting to realize that it’s never too late to begin an exercise prescription.  It’s never too late to enjoy the benefits of exercise throughout the body and within the mind.  

Spring reminds some of us to try to get in shape for swimsuit season, while others look forward to running in the park.  But before you hire a trainer or join a class, be sure you’re picking the right fitness professional for your goals and personality.

First, get clear about your number one goal.  Are you trying to lose weight?  Gain muscle?  Prepare for a race?  Be camera ready for a wedding?  Get back to sports or life after an injury?  Magazines may tell you that you can build muscle and burn fat at the same time, but the truth is that clients who focus on only ONE goal get the best results.

Second, consider your personality.  I like to know the how and why of everything, so I prefer trainers who are first and foremost educators.  However, some clients aren’t interested in technical information and just want someone to encourage them (“cheerleaders”), while other clients want tough love (“drill sergeants”).  One style of training isn’t better than another, but it’s critical to pick a trainer who is on your wavelength.  If you wanted a drill sergeant, for example, a trainer like me who has more of an educator personality would not be a good fit.

Third, ask questions.  In addition to just reading the Neighborhood Trainer profiles of the trainers you’re considering, it helps to actually email several trainers.  If they can’t give references when you ask, it’s definitely time to try a different trainer!  If they do send you references, actually call those people or email them.  I’m amazed how rarely people do this!  Clients often assume that just because the trainer gave references, they must be good, so they don’t bother to call.  But the references can tell you all kinds of things about the trainer’s personality and character that you might not find on a profile page.  Did the trainer help that client through a difficult experience like a divorce or job loss?  Did the trainer find the client books, websites, and other resources they wouldn’t have found on their own?  Are they especially patient and skilled at working with beginner exercisers?

Lisa Snow offers 1-on-1 personal training and small group personal training in Manhattan, specializing in older adult fitness and post-rehab for all ages.