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Editorial Review
One of New York’s premier private training facilities, Peak Performance boasts a sun-drenched 10,000 square foot loft that’s dedicated to helping you become leaner, stronger, faster, and more confident. Floor to ceiling windows add to the airy feel of the place, which already has plenty of open space, ensuring that each client has plenty of room to achieve their optimal training session. The locker rooms are immaculate, and the private showers are actually way bigger, nicer, and cleaner than my apartment’s. It was kind of a treat showering there, like staying in a posh hotel.
More important than space and amenities is the fact that Peak Performance only employs trainers at the top of their field. Each trainer must have a minimum of 1,000 hours of practical experience and hold at least one certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the National Academy of Sports Medicine, or the International Sports Science Association. So, unlike the big chain fitness centers, you won’t find any trainers at Peak this week that were towel boys last week. There’s nothing but serious career trainers here.
With celebrity trainers and co-owners Joe Dowdell and Jay Wright emphasizing quality over quantity, it’s no wonder that the facility’s standards are set so high. If Peak has to live up to their resumes, you can always be sure of quality.
Joe Dowdell has trained everyone from Claire Danes to Victoria Secret models. He’s a regular contributor to numerous national publications and serves on the advisory boards of Fitness and Muscle & Fitness magazines. He also recently authored a chapter for the book Secrets of Celebrity Fitness Trainers, and is working on an upcoming television series, Fit To Travel, which brings you and your workout to exotic destinations.
Jay Wright is one of the nation’s top strength and conditioning coaches, bringing over 20 years of experience to the table. He has been featured as one of the country’s top fitness trainers by Shape, Allure, and Self magazines, and brings his empowering attitudes to each of his client’s workouts.
In addition to top-notch trainers backed by the ultimate fitness visionaries, Peak Performance also has all the modern equipment you could want. Of course, you’ll be working these traditional strength and cardio exercises into your routines, but what separates Peak’s techniques from the typical training facility is that these exercises only supplement other methods that allow you to tap into your body’s natural strength and speed. The whole philosophy at Peak Performance is to break fitness down to its simplest form—reconnecting with the movements our bodies were designed to do: run, jump, climb, and lift.
When it comes to training, especially in weight training, we always hear that you should try to isolate movement. Now, that certainly has its merits when it comes to weight lifting, but our bodies were not designed to strap into fancy machines and lift metal plates through a complex series of pulleys. We were made to perform real motions found in nature—moving real weights through real space. That’s why Peak Performance makes sure to utilize a number of unorthodox devices such as sleds, kettlebells, sand bags, plyo boxes, and scorpion Swiss ball benches.
Scared yet? There’s no need to be. These devices are all designed to work with your body’s natural movements. In fact, these are the techniques that professional athletes use to achieve real strength and speed in real motions. An NFL lineman isn’t worried about isolating his biceps, because the very angry 300 lb. man on the other side of the line isn’t just pulling on his biceps. They train by moving awkward dead weights like sleds and sand bags that incorporate and coordinate multiple muscle groups into each motion. And that’s Peak’s company philosophy: You don’t have to be a professional athlete to train like one.
The only drawback is that because Peak Performance isn’t really a fitness center so much as a private training facility, it can be pricey. Each training session is about $100 depending on the number of sessions purchased, and that can add up quickly.
But consider the old Chinese proverb. “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Now, pretend I’m not crazy and bear with me. You might have to pay for that 6-week training session, but they’re not just training you, they’re teaching you how to train. And knowledge as valuable as that is certainly worth the price. |
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Fitness Center Information
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Lockers
Personal Training
Showers
Sports Training
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Member Reviews -- Sorted by
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Showing: 1 of 1 | | User Rating: Below Average | Disgusting Staff Posted by fitnessgirl on 12/13/08 | Went here for a trial to check out the space. I was recommended to it by a colleague. Within the first 20 minutes of being there, one of the trainers slapped my bottom as hard as it has ever been slapped and then continued to be condescending until I walked out on my free session. The unprofessionalism of some people! Gross!
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Peak Performance Fitness Center
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