Yaakov Bar Am Sculpts the Perfect Physique
JCC Fitness Center Trainer and Bodybuilder Yaakov Bar Am looks cut in a tight yellow training jersey despite the fact that he recently completed what he terms the “Baltimore Food Crawl” with Fitness Center colleagues Denard Smith and Alek Groopman.
...
Antoine Griffin Goes After His Health and Fitness Goals
Antoine Griffin is coming off an “exceptional workout”: after going at it for nearly three hours he’s feeling a mix of energized and exhausted, and pumped.
Antoine works out with the J’s very own Harold Harris on Mondays and Wednesdays, but today, a Friday, he worked out on his own. (He typically works out six days a week, including a long distance swim).
Since April of 2015, when he first joined the J, Antoine has dropped from a 44” waist to a 34” waist. He originally weighed 269 pounds then dropped 76lbs. to his current weight of 193. He is 8lbs. shy of his goal weight of 185.
A Baltimore native, Antoine joined the J after a co-worker...
JCC Member Toni Greenberg’s Journey to Better Health
It began on March 7, 1987. I was getting dressed to attend my friend's wedding. I hadn't worn anything fancy in a year or two. Nothing in my closet fit. I was furious — at myself, at my clothes, at my weight. I had to ask a neighbor to borrow a dress.
All through my childhood, teen years and for most of my 20's, I was thin. I didn't realize just how much weight I had gained in the past two or three years.
The next morning, I drove to Pikesville and attended my first Weight Watchers meeting. Ina Bronfein was the leader of the class. She saw how unhappy I looked and spent...
J Fitness Team Member Muscles 407lbs off the Ground
J Fitness Team Member Blake Piesto has been coming to the JCC of Greater Baltimore since the age of five. In many ways, he is your classic J Kid. He attended preschool here, Kids Center after school, and every summer, he attended J Camps.
The difference between Piesto then and Piesto now is incredible. For starters, he’s stronger.
At 26 years of age and holding in the 130lb. weight class, Piesto recently deadlifted 407 lbs. to become a USA Powerlifting Champion.
407 lbs. is a lot of weight!
The thrill of winning the championship Piesto describes as “awesome, a rush, and totally exhilarating.”
In his earlier J days, Piesto was into...
with Fitness trainer Yaakov Bar Am
J Fitness trainer Yaakov Bar Am specializes in working with men and women over 40. He is a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). He is also a Certified Personal Trainer and a Team Beachbody Coach.
Yaakov was also chosen as the Fitness Team Member of the Month in Park Heights for his drive and dedication towards motivating/helping our members and fellow employees. We've all seen the inspirational and quite often funny drawings that have become customary for a Yaakov shift. These drawings have been attention grabbing and great conversation starters. Yaakov is also a valuable advisor to newer trainers on our staff, while also focusing on learning more about personal training so that he can continue to hone his craft.
In this video, Yaakov teaches us...
With tips from Dr. Ali Tabrizchi and Lisa Sawyer
Did you know that more women die from heart disease than from all forms of cancer, Alzheimer’s and lower respiratory disease combined? On February 3, 2016, Dr. Ali Tabrizchi, interventional cardiologist from LifeBridge Health Cardiovascular Institute gave a presentation about how heart disease affects women and how their symptoms and risk are different from men at our well attended “Go Red for Women – A Ladies Night Out” event.
Risk Factors
Dr. Tabrizchi discussed ways to modify your risk for developing heart disease. There are two risk factors you cannot control: your age and your family...
Did you know a 145lb. person can burn 400 calories during just one hour of shoveling? Shoveling can be an excellent workout, but also a quick route to injury if you are not careful and don’t use proper shoveling techniques.
Here are my tips to prevent injury and get the most out of shoveling:
Along with health insurance and regular doctor visits, personal training can be one of the best investments you can make in your health. Personal trainers can help you reach your fitness goals efficiently and safely. They can also be the uplifting source of motivation you need to hold you accountable for working out.
Still, many are hesitant to take the step and hire a personal trainer. And even once they do, how can they be sure they are getting the most out of their sessions? Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about personal training.
I’ve thought about getting a personal trainer, but I get really intimidated by the “drill sergeant” personal trainers. Are there other types of trainers?
At the J, we have over 20 personal trainers on our staff with a wide variety of personalities, training styles,...
Brought to you by some the J’s very own wellness experts.
Amy Scwartz’s Tips
Raychel Setless’s Tips