The Exhilaration of Strength and Conditioning
Music blasts at 135 beats per minute, fluorescent green light illuminates the studio and the look of pure exhaustion succumbs to every person’s face.
Conditioning goes way beyond simple cardio. The full body must be exercised in order for one to stay in shape. Favoring specific body parts is good for those being worked, but can be detrimental for the ones being neglected.
“For somebody who may only do cardio, you’re burning calories, you’re losing weight, but you’re also losing muscle and that can be balanced with a little bit of strength training,” fitness instructor Brittney Polikoff said.
Polikoff runs an array of different fitness classes at All Sport Health & Fitness in Fishkill, NY. She has taught as many as 25 classes in a week, however it is her attitude during these sessions that makes her stand out as an instructor.
“I like the way she utilizes all the body parts. She does not just focus on arms or just legs; everything comes together,” Ruby Nascimento said, a student originally from Brazil.
This strength and conditioning class is formatted quite differently than most traditional classes of this nature. It consists of three separate workout blocks, with four moves per block. A clock is always running: 45 seconds of work, then 20 seconds of rest. With the exercises being so rapid-fire, 45 seconds allows for a strong workout without overly exhausting her students, while the rest period is just enough time for them to catch their breath and prepare for the next exercise.
The workout is a burnout, though it is as much about mental endurance as it is about physical.
“My favorite term to use in that class is discipline. When you’re working with heavier weights, or working with more repetition, you start to become fatigued,” Polikoff said. “When I say discipline, you’re training yourself mentally to push yourself a little bit longer through those times of fatigue.”
There is a reason all her students admire her methods. She brings her students to their limit without going too far and turns a fairly generic exercise practice into an event.
“I take this class to build muscle, though the best part of this class is definitely Brittney and the energy she brings each time,” Karen Glusker said, an All Sport member for over 30 years.
Originally, this class was more cardio-based, but All Sport and Polikoff insisted they incorporate more weight training, as balancing out the two benefits everyone more. People do not realize the weakness in certain muscles until they are challenged to work it out.
“It’s a little more than ordinary weight training and cardio, and it helps to round out my exercise routine,” Darrin Dyle said, a regular student at All Sport.
Polikoff specifically chooses music that is at least 120 BPM to invigorate her class. She always has a microphone on to constantly encourage her students. She creates an atmosphere people can feel safe in, while also pushing them further than they knew was possible. She is the heart and soul of these weekly classes and helps to make exercising fun for all.
Strength and conditioning at All Sport is not a chore people loathe, it is an experience with one of the best fitness instructors in Dutchess County.
