Manhattan Fitness Blog

 Perhaps New York City is a bubble, at least I think of it that way at times, I wonder if the struggles with food and lifestyle are the same in the rest of the country. Being a NYC personal trainer and owner of Fixed Gear Fitness i’ve trainer hundreds of people over the last 8 years and there are quite a few stumbling blocks to becoming fit, but the one I’m addressing today seems to be a common one. It’s the balance between enjoying what you are eating and maintaining balance. 

 I should really speak for myself as this is a major problem for me in maintaining my weight, it’s important to me because I just feel better being on the leaner side of things and it is of course my business, I am essentially a walking advertisement. I’m a person that cannot just have “a little bit” or a “taste” when it comes to certain foods. I literally feel as if my body chemistry has been altered and find I cannot stop eating, the two big ones for me are pizza and ice cream. Ok, so I know this about myself, then what should I do? Not eat pizza and ice cream? If I want to achieve certain physical goals this may be what I have to do, I know this may sound simple to most, but for those who find simplicity in maintaining balanced eating they may not view food as the comforting sedative that I do, the escape. 

 The main thing that I’m trying to get at here is that it’s ok not to eat certain foods if you feel they will put your balance in jeopardy. If you’re like me, you can’t have just one bite. I’m learning it’s ok to not eat certain foods for awhile and have come to accept that this is how I’m wired and is a challenge that I face.I also know  that nothing is forever and I’ll certainly be eating ice cream and pizza again, but if I can lay off for awhile these treats will taste even sweeter the next time.

 To me Labor day represents a new beginning, not an ending. It’s a time to hunker down and immerse myself in fitness regimen that will carry me through to the warm days of an upcoming summer many months away. No distractions, the warm weathers not calling me out to the beach, I just feel the ability to be more regimented. Being a NYC personal trainer in the winter means I work on weekends which at the very least gets me to the facility. I like to make it my morning, start with a healthy meal, train a few clients and then get in a work out for myself, It’s a great way to stay focused on the weekend. Getting into this kind of habit is lso an effective way to stay on track through ‘the big three’, thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. This year be an inspiration to those around you as they fight to lose those xtra 10-15lbs and you’re already there.

I’ve been using the GTS (gravity training system) for the past 3 years as an effective tool to facilitate maximum healthy weight loss. By combining plyometrics (as seen in the video) and other techniques that I’ve developed exclusively for the gravity and my clients, we can achieve fantastic results, improve coordination and increase lean muscle. This video is Part 1 in a series of circuits on the Gravity created to achieve the maximum caloric loss in a 30 minute to 1 hour session. All exercises can be modifies depending on the client.

After yesterdays yoga with instructor Kim Albano (who you can contact for private instruction at kalbano@nyc.rr.com) I was feeling refreshed and inspired. I’ve been training on the GTS, created by EFI sports medicine for the last 4 years, I use this machine exclusively at the NYPT studios in chelsea. Todays workout combined gravity jumps (throwing a medicine ball while doing jump squats)

Dead lifts while standing on the angled gravity platform

leg presses combined with crunches that really targets your core.

These are just a few of the movements I’ve created to burn calories and build lean muscle. Come on down to the NYC Strength Training studio and I’ll show you how.