Starting March 25, the Rosenbloom OM JCC main entrance will temporarily close as we redesign our front lobby. The new temporary entrance will in the back of the building by the CSA studio. Members and guests will need to follow signs and drive around the right side of the building.View parking map

Shabbat candle lighting: 7:11pm

JCC Blog

JCC Blog

Tag: Personal Training

JCC Members Become Fitness Trainers

Much of the appeal of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore is right there in our name: Community. That’s especially the case for the Fitness Center, where many of our instructors and trainers started out as JCC members. Here are the stories of three of those members who made the jump to the other side of the gym.

Shelly Cohen

Shelly Cohen originally became a JCC member to take advantage of membership discounts on her children’s camps and after-school programs. When Laura Fink, an instructor she was taking several fitness classes with, suggested Shelly become a BODYPUMP™ instructor herself, she initially laughed the idea off. “I thought she...

Revive Your Body, Revive Your Life

A Conversation with J Fitness Trainer Abbie Friedberg

J Fitness Trainer Abbie Friedberg made the decision to “change [her] world” in her early 30’s.

Abbie’s parents both passed away at young ages following  battles with cancer. Her mother fought  for fifteen years, her father for a little over a year.  The two passed just 15 months apart, her mother at 60; her father at 66.

This took a huge toll on Abbie, but it also catapulted her forward, mentally and physically.  Her mother, Abbie recounts, was a true survivor.  For 15 years, her mother stayed focused on attending all the important family milestones.

Abbie explains, “My mother lived from one event to the next....

A Faster Road to Recovery

JCC Member Neil Shaffer Strengthens Two “New Knees” 

Long time JCC Member Neil Shaffer has had four arthroscopic knee surgeries and two total knee replacements in the last 6 years, yet that doesn’t deter him from getting out to the J’s fitness centers four to five times a week.

Neil’s injuries occurred over the course of time, through wear and tear. He’s been determined to get things back as best as he can, knowing his new knees may degenerate as well.

A former runner, basketball and softball player, Neil is thrilled to do his elliptical, ride the bike, and walk the treadmill routine. He gives great credit to his orthopedist, Dr. Jon Koman, and his JCC Personal Trainer, Sivan Fagan, for...

Listening to His Body

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...

Introducing Blake Piesto

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...

Getting Personal About Personal Training

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,...