Personal trainer Charlie Levine says his classes are all about moving objects (like dumb bells) through space or moving yourself through space. Many times fitness programs are too targeted, working only abdominals for example, and yield disappointing results.
“I teach people how to move and, through that, to get results,” Levine says.
Levine’s classes include an early morning boot camp and a pilates fusion class. He says both emphasize the importance of stretching and building strength through some very traditional exercises.
Squats, push ups and pull ups — often modified to the individual’s abilities — are among the familiar exercises he teaches students to perform correctly. That’s key, he says, because many people don’t move the way they’re supposed to; rounded shoulders, narrow stances and locked legs prevent people from getting the most out of a fitness routine. And he says nautilus-style machines that many people gravitate toward at the gym are just too limiting.
“The most effective way to train is by moving your body through space – pushups, pull-ups or to move a weight through space,” Levine says. “These are movements where you engage your entire body.”
So it’s not that you can’t build muscle with an exercise machine, he says — it’s just that you’re not likely to do so because the machine is boring and working out while on your feet is the muscular equivalent to multitasking.
“It’s more fun to get up and move,” he says. “We sit too much anyway.”
To contact Charlie Levine, go to www.513fit.com or call 513-470-7507.
