Paterson Gyms and Fitness

Xtreme Couture MMA at Tightan Gym empowers clients to reach fitness goals with two stories of cardio and resistance equipment, group fitness classes, and a 2,500-square-foot studio dedicated to MMA training, all of which aided the studio in earning the U.S. Commerce Association's Best of Queens 2011 and 2012 awards in fitness. With an emphasis on personal training, the gym guides clients past fitness stagnation and kick-starts new routines with trainers who pride themselves on remembering first names, stage names, and superhero aliases. Cardio equipment such as treadmills and ellipticals occupy an entire floor alongside weight machines and walls lined with dumbbells. Meanwhile, fighters square off in a full boxing ring and half cage to build the skills necessary for competing in MMA matches or dominating boardroom arguments, then unwind battered muscles at the onsite massage center.

Having shed 115 pounds through his own fitness regimen, Syncere "Syn" Martinez became a CrossFit devotee driven to help others discover their dream physiques. His tenacity has propelled him to complete several triathlons and earn certifications in disciplines such as running, Olympic weightlifting, and kettlebell training. Along with his CrossFit Harlem copilot Shanon "Wreck" Morris—a certified level one CrossFit coach and New York state nutritionist—he fosters a competitive atmosphere in their trademark Brutality course, in which he motivates patrons in intense functional training and furious bouts of Battleship. In this course, he pushes patrons to reach their peak endurance, strength, and agility with running, free-weight lifting, and gymnastics maneuvers. Encouraging patrons of all backgrounds, their Afro Brutality line of clothing and CrossFit team celebrate diversity among their client base.

Syn and Shanon ascribe to CrossFit's ever-shifting workout-of-the-day program, and emphasize the development of sound technique to better execute the intensely challenging workouts. Tailored Brutality classes may aim for weight loss, strength, or stamina, and Brutality camp charts a custom fat-burning plan of exercise, nutritional guidance, and really, really hoping. The universal scalability of CrossFit maneuvers ensures that dedicated guests of all experience levels can enlist in CrossFit Harlem's class series.

Co-owner and chief fitness strategist Raymond Wallace's passion lies in designing high-intensity fitness curriculums and training patrons of all fitness levels to increase their muscle mass and annihilate fat at Pedal NYC. His gym—named for his cycling expertise—incorporates classes from many other disciplines of exercise, including TRX suspension training, and yoga, for a total of 40 classes per week. Within the always-buzzing facility, purple-painted cinderblocks peek from above the full-length mirrors that span every room, contrasting with the fiery orange sunlight that streams through floor-to-ceiling windows. Rows upon rows of stationary cycles whirr beneath riders, who draw motivation from upbeat music, the certified instructors' infectious enthusiasm, or imagining pedaling away from a monstrous fanged cupcake.

In his early teens, Mario Godiva Green was overweight. At school, kids bullied him daily, and he was tired of their incessant mockery. At 16, his mother died, providing the catalyst to the dramatic life change that Mario was about to embark on. Over the next 11 years, his rise to prominence in the fitness circles of New York and Chicago was nothing short of meteoric. From modeling for Calvin Klein to pioneering Kangoo workouts in the United States, Mario has been at the forefront of physical fitness.

Today he jet-sets around the world to promote and teach Kangoo to throngs of eager exercisers and underachieving kangaroos, and his Kangoo classes have become one of the trendiest, most exclusive workouts in the city. A firm believer in having fun while exercising, his hip-hop classes are half performance art, half aerobics class, and he also leads hoppers throughout Manhattan during outdoor boot camps and jogs. The springy shoes reduce the impact on the joints and spine, harnessing the 33 health benefits associated with rebounding without danger to joint cartilage.

During 10 years in the fitness industry, 6 of those spent as a personal trainer, Wally Oldham amassed sufficient knowledge and skill to open Titan Fitness Studios with the confidence necessary for such an endeavor. He designed the personal-training gym himself, and it houses the free weights, ropes and resistance bands, and cardio equipment necessary to challenge guests to diverse workouts. Wally and his trainers incorporate modern techniques into classic, time-tested programs as free of frills as a limo whose leather seats have been replaced with wood benches. They spread out appointments so clients have plenty of room to work toward improved physiques, a pursuit that may involve sprints and agility work atop an indoor turf field or heaving kettlebells.

In addition to custom exercise regimens, the gym keeps a nutritionist on staff to assist clients in creating grocery lists and meal plans. An online system aids the assault on pudge by enabling clients to track their exercise progress, weight, and daily caloric intake. Instead of stuffing their car keys and business suits in their gym socks, clients can stow their belongings in a locker room as they sweat off inches with trainers.:m]]

At NY Sportek, athletes hone basketball skills, pick up the latest dance moves, and cruise stationary bikes. Up-tempo rhythms fill the air during Zumba classes, which typically feature Latin-inspired tunes. In contrast, club-dancing classes get their beats from top 40 lists, club remixes, and Snoop Dogg's voicemail. Total-body fitness classes provide aspiring athletes with full-body strength conditioning. As a complement to adult classes, veteran sports instructors Dov Medina and John Rodgers beef up kids' basketball abilities with speed training and ball-handling exercises.