Al Kavadlo demonstrates the “L-sit.”This past Saturday, the best of the best from the NYC calisthenics scene met
in the East Village to train at my favorite outdoor gym, Tompkins Square Park — and I was fortunate enough to be a part of the action!
Members of the world-famous Bar-barians, as well as Team Beastmode, Calisthenics Kings and many others all united to train together, share their knowledge and feed off each others’ good energy. Also on hand to represent
NYC’s parkour community was Keith Horan, who dazzled the crowd with his
blend of calisthenics and freerunning.
Over the last several years, the jungle gym at Tompkins Square Parkhas become a mecca for calisthenics and parkourenthusiasts everywhere, with Saturday afternoons being the unofficial time for one and all to come out and strut their stuff.
Throughout the afternoon there was no shortage of pull-ups, muscle-ups and
handstand push-ups — and that was just the tip of the iceberg! In spite of
the intensity of the exercises, the vibe was casual and welcoming. In the
end, we all had a good time and a great workout — my arms are still sore as
I type this!
Al Kavadlo is a personal trainer, freelance writer and author of the book, “We’re Working Out! A Zen Approach to Everyday Fitness” (Muscle-up Publications, 2010). For more information visit www.AlKavadlo.com.
The author executes a human flag pose on a signpost. Warmer weather provides new opportunities to workout on scaffolding and other public spaces.The East Village has so many great places to work out for free – you just have to be creative. For those of you who have a hard time fitting exercise into your day, remember that fitness and life are one in the same. You don’t need a gym to work out when the whole world is a playground.
I’ve got nothing against working out in a gym, but with spring finally blooming after a long, snowy winter, my brother Danny and I couldn’t wait to venture back out to the streets of Manhattan to do another scaffolding workout.
We all have the opportunity to better our bodies every single day. Instead of sitting around waiting for things in your life to magically fall into place, go out and make opportunities for yourself. Learn to improvise with whatever’s in front of you – it’s a helpful skill in the world of fitness, but it’s an even greater asset in everyday life.
Al Kavadlo is a personal trainer, freelance writer and author of the book, “We’re Working Out! A Zen Approach to Everyday Fitness” (Muscle-up Publications, 2010). For more information visit www.AlKavadlo.com.
A Spring Scaffolding Workout
Courtesy of Al Kavadlo The author demonstrates the jungle gym workout technique.With the cold winter weather finally winding down, more and more people are thinking about getting ready for summer. For a lot of East Villagers, this means it’s time to ramp up their exercise regimen. This neighborhood is home to some of the city’s trendiest, most high tech fitness facilities, but sometimes the best things in life are free. Tompkins Square Park has all
the equipment you need to get a great workout, and you don’t need to purchase a bank-breaking membership to use the facilities.
Tompkins has several jungle gyms that were made with children in mind, but near the Northeast corner of the park, there is a jungle gym that seems to have been designed for full-grown adults. The set up there is ideal for parkour training, as well as pull-ups and many other fun exercises. Besides, training outside in the fresh air and feeling the warmth of the sun adds to the enjoyment (though I don’t mind working out out in the snow, either).
I recently got to exercise at Tompkins Square Park with my friend Rick Seedman, another local personal trainer. We had a great time and a great work out without having to spend a penny.
Watch the video below for more:
Al Kavadlo is a personal trainer, freelance writer and author of the book, “We’re Working Out! A Zen Approach to Everyday Fitness” (Muscle-up Publications, 2010). For more information visit www.AlKavadlo.com.
