Gym works on Starting Points and solutions
Fitness Solutions offers various health programs; open house Feb. 20
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer

JEFF GRANIT staff Michael Rizk works with his brother, Chris, on the True Stretch apparatus at Fitness Solutions on Livingston Avenue in North Brunswick. The gym offers weight management, injury management, free weights, nutrition counseling, self-defense courses and integrated massage therapy.

NORTHBRUNSWICK- Michael Rizk said he has exercising down to a science.

As the owner of Fitness Solutions, located at 1014 LivingstonAvenue, he focuses on precision when creating a wellness program for a person looking to get into shape or enhance their performance.

"Two people can come in here with the same goal,wanting to lose the same amount of weight, having the same [injury] and they'll have two different programs," he said.

The 1,500-square-foot facility is more "intimate" than a gym, according to Rizk, and allows for more personal interactions between the trainers and the clients. He said every program is customized to the individual, beginning with the person's Starting Point.

The Starting Point is the place where you can condition your body safely and effectively and can expect to see progressive and consistent results, according to Rizk. He saidmost patrons come to the gymwith no knowledge, no starting point and no plan, so "we've really taken what's a science - exercise - and simplified it for people."

Forweightmanagement, personal training is offered semi-private, with three trainees to a trainer, or as a one-on-one private session.

For a cardio workout, the gym offers a treadmill, elliptical, stepper, bike and rower. There is metabolism testing, which measureswhat the body burns naturally, and the VO2 Max test, which tells how many calories are burned, how fit you are on a scientific scale, and what heart rate should be achieved at what intensity.

For strength training, there are free weights, dumbbells, medicine balls, steppers, kettlebells, resistance bands, stability balls, balance equipment and agility equipment. TheDualAdjustable Cable Crossmachine has full vertical and rotational adjustments using a cable strap to transform into 100 different movements.

"There is nothing here that will put somebody in a compromising position. The body will always follow the path of least resistance. Why? Because it's the easiest," Rizk said.

Instead of just increasing exercise intensity through added weights, Rizk said there are ninemethods of "tweakology" that can enhance a workout, such as altering the speed, range of motion and limb support during an exercise.

"The main goal behind all of our programs is to enhance function," Rizk said.

Rizk said the facility also offers a customized plan to follow at home, withmobility, cardio and strength exercises using bands, medicine balls, stability balls and dumbbells.

Nutrition counseling is available with Dr. John Berardi of Precision Nutrition, who speaks of what to eat, when to eat it, and how it affects the body. Small group classes seemto bemoreworthwhile than individual counseling because "a group allows people to open up to each other and give mutual support," Rizk said.

For pain and injurymanagement,Active Release Techniques (ART) are soft tissue therapies for people who want to be more active, focusing on themuscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and fascia. Rizk said amassage therapist can be certified in ART, which uses biomechanical analysis to monitor how muscles and joints move in order to find the cause of pain, instead of just compensations or symptoms.

The treatment uses motion to help the injury using hands-on pressure treatment and patient motion. Rizk said the body is looked at three-dimensionally on different planes of motion, such as front-to-back, side-to-side or rotationally. Therefore, the management systemcan be used to resolve back pain, knee pain, headaches, plantar fascitis, shin splints, carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica shoulder pain or tennis elbow.

"With 400 joints and complex muscles, there are a number of movements of the body," he said.

Fitness Solutions also offers sport-specific training programs and integratedmassage therapy.

A new service is a bimonthly support group, accompanied by a bimonthly newsletter written by the trainers. On Feb. 20, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., a private chef will serve a healthy recipe while discussions are conducted about exercise and the importance of mobility. Coinciding will be the launching of their newWeb site, www.AFit- Solution.com.

Fitness Solutions also partners with a gastric bypass support group on a monthly basis.

For more information, visit www.AFit- Solution.com or call (732) 249-9000.