Summer Fit With Will Torres

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/73546503 w=900&h=600]

Indulged a little too much over the summer? Will Torres, founder of Willspace and trainer to today’s best bodies, knows the solution. From home exercises, one-on-one training, to nutrition tips, here’s how you can get back in shape.

What makes Willspace different from other training studios?

In many ways Willspace feels like an extension of your home. It is very private, very clean and designed with ease and effectiveness in mind.  Our disciple is precision.  It encompasses everything that we do. It’s not about doing 25 reps of something or just going through the motions. At Willspace we focus on performing each movement accurately to ensure the most effective and efficient session and most importantly, measurable results.

When a client works with you on a one-on-one basis, how do you go about achieving his or her goals?

I take each person through their first session so that I can understand where each their strengths are and what areas need more focus. I take a look at strength, endurance, flexibility and balance. Once we begin, the focus is on developing a strong core. However, our approach is not just strengthening the abdominals. We also focus on developing a strong back, butt and hamstrings, which are all apart of the core. The next step is strengthening all of the major muscles in the body without bulking. To do this we combine our lifting moves with our cardio movements, like boxing, jumping rope, rowing or running, to shed fat and ignite the metabolism.

Can you tell us about the Willspace group classes?

Our group classes are seasonal. In the summers we take clients through our signature endurance workout, STEALTH. During this bootcamp style class we combine running with body weight exercises, agility drills and plyometrics. In the fall we are introducing a class that is designed to reduce stress, increase energy and improve performance all without breaking a sweat. Our secret new class will be revealed November 2013.

In terms of nutrition, what kinds of food do you recommend, and what should we avoid?

When it comes to nutrition it’s important to stay away from processed foods. Mostly anything that is packaged, chips, cookies, granola bars and fruit juices. As a rule of thumb, organic and gluten free only means that the ingredients are better than some other packaged foods. It doesn’t mean that they will help you lose weight. I strongly recommend cooking in as much as possible. Take out and restaurant food can have a lot of added ingredients that can keep your body from losing weight. Cut out or reduce the amount of red meat and increase the amount of greens, fruits and vegetables that you are eating.

For those of us who work out at home, what are your go-to moves for the abs, butt, arms, legs, and back?

When you are working out at home you want the workouts to be quick, intense and effective. Two approaches that work really well are:

Turbo Sequence – Select 4-5 exercises and a rep range and try to complete as many as possible for a set amount of time. For example, complete as many rounds as possible of this sequence in 15 minutes.

1. 1.   15 Air Squat
2. 2.   15 Shoulder Bridges
3. 3.   15 Pushups
4. 4.   15 Sit-ups
5. 5.   50 Jump Rope

Tabata Intervals – Tabata is a type of interval in which you do an exercise, as quickly as possible, for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds in total.  For example, set your stop clock and start with the first exercise. Complete 8 rounds of this move, 20 seconds on and 10 second off.  Take 1-2 minutes rest and than begin the second move with the same interval.  Continue until all moves are complete.  This routine should last 28 minutes max.

1. 1.   Burpee
2. 2.   Alternating Reverse Lunges
3. 3.   Chair Dips
4. 4.   Jump Squats
5. 5.   Super (wo)mans

We realize it’s best to go about weight loss post-pregnancy without any rush, but what are your tricks for those who are looking to get back in shape in a shorter amount of time?

Any time you want to create the best results in the shortest amount of time what you need to do is be as active as possible.  A lot of our moms have been able to bounce back to their pre-baby weight by training 4 times a week with us. Two of the days focus on kickboxing and two of the days focus on lifting. In addition accumulate as many activity points as possible by going for a light jog, cycling or taking long walks with the baby.  Most women focus only on cardio, but lifting is so important not only to make you strong, but to boost your metabolism and tone your body. The misconception is that women try and lose the weight first by focusing on cardio and than trying to tone after getting to a certain weight. In my experience when you focus on both cardio and lifting together the results happen faster.

Willspace is located at 254 West 10th Street, Suite B, New York. For more information visit www.willspace.com

Filmed and edited by David Sabshon