I always said I would never endorse a product, person, or company I didn’t 100 percent believe in. When Body Space Fitness first approached me about a workout I was hesitant. I like my routine because I know it works, bu the minute I stepped into the large studio with top of the line equipment I knew it would be a good match.
I’m not an easy customer- I have a long line of injuries which means I need to modify in order to prevent injury and be able to workout pain free. To my surprise the workout was custom made just for me. I sat down with Kelvin owner of Body Space Fitness. Not only did he ask me about my past history, but he also did a series of tests to see what I can improve on and what my strengths and weaknesses are. Every exercise had a purpose- was my kind of workout! Not your typical bicep curls and shoulder presses. Everything involved stability in order to engage my core and gluts AKA your running powerhouse. I walked away excited for what is to come and encouraged by how strong I actually was! I lifted weights I didn’t even know I could lift. It was like a perfect cross between Physical Therapy and my own private trainer. We were constantly checking my form and making sure I was engaging all the right muscle groups. In just a couple of hours with Kelvin I saw the passion he has for what he does day in and day out. That is why I am so excited to bring you Kelvin Gary as my next Workout Wednesday feature!
After being in the fitness industry for several years, Kelvin Gary founded Body Space Fitness (BSF) in New York City, a boutique personal training gym that specializes in private and semi-private training, as well as small group fitness classes. The former athlete knew that health and wellness were his true passion, and he wanted to share that passion and his expertise on how to get fit and stay healthy, while maintaining a NYC lifestyle. Kelvin’s aim for BSF was to create a teaching environment, where he and his coaches would be able to deliver real lasting results to clients, using full-body, functional training. He created a training format that delivers workouts specific to each individual using equipment such as kettlebells, TRXs, sleds, and battle ropes, while minimizing the use of typical machines seen in big box gyms.
4:30am – Wake up!
Every day starts pretty much the same way for me, with a toothbrush and a foam roller. Foam rolling is most effective when done first thing in the morning. There’s nothing like working the kinks out before you get moving. Next step is to get a cup of coffee in me for a little kick in the butt while I check emails and review my schedule for the day.
5am – Breakfast
My breakfast is often oatmeal made with almond milk, blueberries, bananas and walnuts. I like to add a small scoop of protein because I’m a pretty big guy and I need the extra love.
5:15am
I’m out the door of my apartment heading over to Body Space Fitness where I’m the owner, head trainer, CEO, CFO, head chef and whatever other titles I’m given for the day. I get in early, usually before any clients or staff. This way, I have time to sit, meditate and visualize the day ahead of me. I’m a firm proponent of visualization, especially in the context of fitness. Planning and setting up your day mentally is the key to navigating the madness and staying on track no matter what happens.
6am – first client!
My first clients are at 6am and are either a semi-private or private training session. Semi-private training involves one coach working with up to three clients at a time. Each person has their own unique program that is specific to them and their goals. This allows us to provide private-like training in a group atmosphere, helping us reduce costs for the client. The training philosophy at Body Space Fitness is full body functional training using a systematic approach of assessing, performing, reassessing and progression. Everything we do goes back to this.
10am
During my first break of the day, I will make a quick protein shake to hold me over until lunch. While I sip, I have an hour to check emails, texts and social media. I also use this time to see if there is anything that my team needs from me. At Body Space Fitness, I have a team of six trainers and seven support staff that may need help or guidance with something. All of which keeps me on my toes!
11am – “self-improvement time”
I read up on training and fitness specific blogs, or, if I’m working on another certification, I’ll spend the hour studying for that exam.
1pm – lunch
After my noon client session, I head to one of my favorite places called Coffee Shoppe in Union Square. I am literally at that place every day. Today, I am having their avocado toast. Yum!
After or during lunch, I’ll spend time with my trainers discussing training, client programs and class plans for the day/week. It’s extremely important for our training philosophy to be executed in everything we do, which takes a lot of communication and coaching on my part. Luckily, I’ve surrounded myself with some really smart trainers, who don’t mind me constantly quizzing them with “nerdy trainer questions.”
2:00pm
Time to head to the Lower East Side to pick up my two and a half year-old daughter, Kayla, from school. With my day’s being as crazy as they are, between being a trainer, business owner, mentor and fitness expert, I have to remember that I also have the job title of husband and Dad. The door man of our building has nicknamed me, “the man of steel.” I admit, sometimes I totally feel like I’m wearing a cape as I fly around the city.
3:30pm
After dropping the little one off at home, I’ll usually take down a Quest Bar (Cookies and Cream for the win!), before I head back to the gym where it’s time for my own workout. Given that my weekday schedule is usually absolute madness, I have to be as efficient as possible and squeeze a whole lot of workout into a small time frame. These workouts almost always involve kettle-bells. The workouts I’ve come up with using these total-body sculpting tools (featured in my signature “Kettle-bell and Core” class) are a great way to get cardio and strength base training in one workout. After I warm-up (the most important part of the workout), I knock out the following workout using one kettle-bell:
- Planks 45 seconds from Elbow
- Kettle-bell Swings (3 sets of 12)
- Kettle-bell Row (3 sets of 12)
- Kettle-bell Goblet Squats (3 sets of 12)
- Kettle-bell Overhead Press (3 sets of 12)
- Kettle-bell Single Legged Deadlifts (3 sets of 12)
I do all moves in this specific order with minimal breaks between each and rest after the last one for 1-2 minutes. I purposely alternate between lower body and upper body moves so I don’t have to rest and can keep my heart rate up during the entire circuit. I generally do 2-4 sets of 10-15 reps of each move. Today, I did 3 sets of 12 reps using a 22 kilo (that’s 49.3 pounds).
4:45pm
After my workout, I scarf down a post-workout snack. It’s really important to refuel shortly after your workout to help the recover and rebuilding process. “Don’t let the sweat dry,” is what I always say. Today, I take a scoop of BCAA’s and help myself to Indie Fresh’s Avocado and Matcha smoothie, which has Aloha protein in it. Good stuff!
5pm
The rest of my day is filled with training clients and teaching classes. I always have to remember why I left my suit and tie job to get in this industry in the first place: the people. I truly enjoy seeing people succeed and grow. There is nothing I love to see more than a client who has dropped two dress sizes or someone who has been coming to class regularly now doing kettle-bell swings with 16kg instead of 10kg. You’re only as good as your clients’ results. Watching people get better helps me know I’m on the right track.
8pm
I usually end the day with something small. Today, it’s a salad to end the day on the right note. You can’t go wrong with turkey meatballs! There is no specific recipe I use for them, just ground turkey, onion, green pepper and one egg.
If I make it home in time to tuck my daughter into bed, we read her favorite book, Brown Bear and then I catch up with my wife, Erin, on our days.
10pm- PLAN!
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Before bed, I plan out all my meals for the next day, my workout and my schedule. Not only that, but I visualize all my sessions for that day.
10:30pm – Goodnight!
I use my Headspace app to meditate and then get into bed. Before I know it, it’s time to do it all over again!
To book a session at Body Space Fitness and learn more check out their website http://bodyspacefitness.com
Be sure to catch the latest on Instagram @bodyspacenyc and Facebook
This was a very insightful, helpful, and inspirational read, thank you!
Love this!!! Inspirational!
Our health insurance simply covers standard health care and
we also have prescribed coverage with expenses
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