Best of Manhattan 2014 for Personal Trainers
 
Please Welcome to the
Neighborhood   
 

 

      

Fran Sperling 

Les James

Rondell King

Christine Camerlingo
Chris Teusch

 

   

""We met for an initial consultation and she is going to start training with me on Friday. She will be the second client who found me on Neighborhood Trainers!"- Noelle

jasonShould I Buy Supplements? 
By Jason Greenberg, personal trainer
.

Supplements are worth it!

 

...Well, some of them are.

Regardless of your goal, it's best to save your money when confronted with any kind of "superfood" or "miracle pill." Follow these recommendations about three popular supplements, and you'll be able to choose wisely when working to improve your diet and health. Enjoy the puns!

 

Contrary to common belief, multivitamins may not be the beloved beacon of hope against staving off chronic and fatal diseases. A seminal 2013 editorial in the Annals of Internal Medicine strongly warned against this particular type of supplement, amassing research that showed multivitamins having no consistent positive effect in disease prevention. In fact, while taking a vitamin D supplement may have some benefits, adding a multivitamin to an already balanced diet can result in an overdose (hypervitaminosis), which has toxic effects on the body. As the Mayo Clinic puts it, try changing your diet for the better before considering taking a vitamin.


 

If you don't have a milk allergy, whey protein is probably okay, especially if you are trying to gain lean mass, are very active, and cannot add more food protein sources to your diet. Now, the recommended daily intake of protein for the average adult is about forty-six to fifty-six grams, so if you go a bit above that, it's not a big deal. However, the Mayo Clinic advises against consuming excessive amounts of whey. When taken disregarding the manufacturer's guidelines, this particular protein has the potential to cause a host of deleterious problems, including but not limited to dehydration and even heavy metal toxicity. To sum up, protein powder can be beneficial, but don't take more than is recommended.

 

Amino acid supplements may receive rave reviews, but their usefulness may be overstated. BCAAs (branch-chain amino acids) haven't been shown to have any effect on exercise performance. The only critical and unbiased review I was able to find claims that BCAAs do have a minor benefit, but only when taken in a fasted state. So unless you're an early bird when it comes to working out, save your money for protein powder instead!

 

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heartrateLearn Your Body Mass Index (BMI)  

 

Body Mass Index (BMI) is essentially a height to weight ratio.  Am I a healthy weight for my height.

 

Figure out your BMI now.

Underweight = < 18.5

Normal Weight = 18.5-24.9

Overweight = 25-29.9

Obese- 30 or higher


 

Remember, speak to your doctor before starting a fitness program and then seek out the right personal trainer for correct program design.  Enjoy your workout! 

 

Want more? 
awake

 

"I thought neighborhoodtrainers was a fantastic resource - I'm so glad I stumbled across it in my googling! - and I've already shared the site with several friends."- Marie  

referRefer Your Favorite Fitness Pro



Let new clients find them here. NeighborhoodTrainers is looking for great trainers and instructors in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, & the Bronx.  


Keep track of the miles to go in your run or the reps you have left rather than how many you've already done. This can help make your workout feel shorter.


Or don't count at all.  Find  personal trainers, fitness instructors, and nutritionists  to  create the plan and keep you on it .  If you put in the work, you will reap the reward.

This month Nicki, Michael, Lisa, and Jason have some motivating information for you.  Finally, we paid a visit to Physio Sports Center in Midtown East.
   
Healthy regards,
Glenn
P.S. For daily fitness tips and advice, Like us on Facebook  
jogging-ladies.jpg
michaelb5 Move Beach Body Workout 
mikebuckley
 
  
  1. Walkouts and Pushups. This is a great exercise to warm the body up as, at some point, you will hit every muscle in your body. You are going to start from a standing position, walk your hands out in front of you until you end up in a push up position, give a slight push with your palms and walk your hands back to where you started and return to a standing position. Pushups/ pushup variations. You can even add pushups in combination with your walkouts as the walkout places you in position to perform a perfect pushup. If you can't do a traditional pushup, you can do them from your knees. Don't worry about going all the way down to the sand. The pushup for the Presidential Fitness Test counts a pushup once you form a ninety-degree angle with your elbows. If that's good enough for the leader of the free world, it's good enough for me. Pushup variations and progressions include doing them while raising one leg at a time, putting your legs up on an elevated surface, or if you're in especially good shape one -armed pushups. Changing the positioning of your arms also changes which muscles you are emphasizing.
  2. Burpees. Burpees suck, yes. But burpees suck because they're awesome. Here's how to do one.
  3. Prisoner lunges and twists. Place your hands behind your head without putting pressure on the back of your neck. Make sure your elbows are behind your ears so your chest is wide and your shoulders are flat. Keep your torso long and your core engaged. From this position, take a step forward one foot at a time and lunge toward the foot in front. Before bringing your foot back to return to your starting position, twist your torso toward the knee in front. Alternate sides.
  4. Body weight squats. Start with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, your abs tight and your arms at your side. From that position, keep your torso elongated as your hips move back and your arms move out straight in front of you without letting your traps come up.
  5. Planks. Your elbows are going to get sandy on this one. Facing down, up on your heels, pull your belly button back toward your vertebrae, engage your glutes (squeeze your butt cheeks, in laymen's terms), keep your back flat without rounding the shoulders or arching the back. Hold.

You can build a solid workout based around those five exercises alone, progressing by adding reps and changing the length of your rest periods in between sets. Have fun (and wear sunscreen!)

 

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May all your beach dreams come true this summer. 
Get bikini ready.  Contact Mike today!
nickiThe Art of Listening: 3 Steps Towards a Healthier Physical Lifestyle
  by Nicki Miller, personal trainer and aerialist

You want to "get in shape." You set a compromise for yourself. You agree to 60 minutes of physical activity for a somewhat arbitrarily prescribed number of days per week, but the other 23 hours a day can be filled with whatever you want. Inevitably, somewhere in one of those 23 hours, you do something careless and your body revolts: a muscle spasm, a sticky joint, a nagging mystery pain. Now you can't do the workout plan you had scheduled! Foiled! Now what?

  1. Stop Compartmentalizing Your Body Awareness

It just doesn't work. The body is with you 24 hours a day, even when you're not officially "exercising." When you work out, are you paying extra attention to how your body feels? Try paying this kind of attention walking down the street with a heavy bag, running after your child, when your shoulders seize up with tension during a stressful conversation. Notice how just being more "in your body" during your day makes your body more interested in feeling good and moving well.

2. Set Goals Based on What Your Body Tells You It Needs

Last week you decided Tuesday was the day you'd do the Big Run. Tuesday rolls around and your stomach aches and your hips feel really, really tight. "BUT I SAID I'D DO THE BIG RUN ON TUESDAY SO I MUST DO THE BIG RUN TODAY!!!" What does your body say? Maybe it's best to wait just one more day and do the run when your body is eager to go running after a needed rest day. Your mental schedule and your physical schedule are different. Allow yourself to be flexible when your body wants something different than your mind.

3. Show Up

Even when you don't feel 100%, show up for your body. Even if that means spending 60 minutes of a sick-ish day on a foam roller or doing gentle stretching since you can't make it through the High Intensity Interval Training you had scheduled. If you have created 60 minutes in your day for your body, show up and do what your body needs that day. Even if you can't push crazy hard, don't cancel on yourself. Life requires us to move in different ways in times of intensity, times of moderation and times of ease. Practice all of these in your workout time depending on what feels best to you.

Your body will only work for you as long as you are good to it. Just like any relationship, the best results come from listening. Start paying attention. The real goal of training is finding a sustainable relationship with your body that allows you to stay healthy and active. The journey is an ongoing and fulfilling one- enjoy it!

 

Nicki Miller is an NASM certified personal trainer, Fit For Birth Pre/Post Natal Specialist and aerial acrobat. In addition to physical education she teaches aerial fabric and rope classes and is Co-Founding Artistic Director of Only Child, an aerial theatre company. www.nickimiller.com.

 

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lisa

Healthy Indoor Summer BBQ
 
By Lisa Snow, personal trainer

No grill?  Living in an apartment?  No problem!  This yummy high-protein recipe has zero cholesterol and just 2 simple ingredients.  A great post-workout meal.  It's free from common allergens like soy protein isolate, gluten, dairy, shellfish, tree nuts, and peanuts.

1) Tempeh, either plain or 5 grain (SoyBoy brand works great, and they're the only brand that makes a 5 grain tempeh that's truly gluten-free.  Most brands of plain tempeh are gluten-free, but be sure to check the label if you have food allergies.)  

For 1-2 people, use 1 package of tempeh.  For 3-4 people, use 2 packages.  

 

2)  Organic BBQ sauce (I love OrganicVille brand, but any BBQ sauce made without high fructose corn syrup could be good)

Chop tempeh into 1 x 1 squares, and coat with BBQ sauce.  Place in a covered casserole dish.  If you don't have one, put it in a glass baking dish (such as an 8 x 8 cake pan or a 9 pie pan), and cover with aluminum foil.  

 

Bake at 350 degrees (F) for approximately 30-45 min, until BBQ sauce gets thick.

 

Serve plain, over boiled quinoa or brown rice, or with your favorite stir-fried or grilled veggies.


  
glenn Exploring NYC's Personal Training Gyms: Physio Sports Center
 

Few New York City images are more iconic than the Empire State Building. On a recent afternoon, I visited independent training gym Physio Sports Center, which affords a trainer and client combo the opportunity to hold a session a stone's throw away.

 

If there is one area of New York City that I am most asked about when it comes to finding a training gym, it's Midtown East.  Dawn Utstein's Physio Sports Center is right on the edge located in the mid 30's and is definitely a welcome answer to this question. Dawn, a practicing physical therapist, opened the 5,000 square foot facility in 1989.  A renovation was completed in December 2014.  Being on the corner, the space provides great light, and views, as mentioned before, of King Kong's climbing toy.

 

The gym is very trainer and client friendly, offering showers and lockers, and even a trainer lounge for in between sessions.  As Dawn puts it very succinctly, the layout and offerings help promote great trainer chemistry.  This is how she wants it.  "Everyone is here for a reason.  Everyone gets along."

 

Fitness professionals of all kinds can use the facility, as it offers areas for personal training and physical therapy, along with separate rooms for massage and Pilates.  Along with an array of larger pieces of equipment, you'll also find an assortment of boards, bands, and boxing gloves. The Pilates room includes a reformer, too.

 

Next time you are in the area, stop in and check it out!

Leave a comment. Let us know if you've been there.

chrisExploring NYC's Personal Training Gyms:

 

By Chris Granville


 

Fitness Results
Steel Gym

Titan Fitness 

Atomic Total Fitness 

Core Fitness 

As1Fitness 

Tribeca Health & Fitness 

Velocity Sports NYC
Fit Factory  

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. 

 "Thanks to your website, I'm starting to get back into a healthier live style. Sincerely, Joe"