Island high school athletes improve their performances with functional training

8functional1.jpgMoore Catholic student Tyler Rivera of New Springville, Farrell student Nicholas Otey of Castleton Corners, and Farrell student Michael DeMarco of New Springville perform an exercise drill at MRG Fitness.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Michael DeMarco of New Springville was looking to step up his soccer game. As a goalie and team captain at Monsignor Farrell High School, he wanted to lose weight and gain muscle, be able to jump higher and move quicker.

For Tyler Rivera, a member of Moore Catholic High School’s baseball team, it was about gaining an edge over the competition. The shortstop/second baseman from New Springville hopes to play on the college level next year and wanted to make sure his hitting power and reaction time were up to par.

The two high school seniors turned to Mike Marchese, owner of the MRG Fitness studio in Richmond, for guidance. The trainer uses functional fitness to help his clients — who range in age from teens to 50s — reach their fitness and sports goals.

“I definitely push functional fitness as an important exercise component. It has an essential role in being able to go about daily activities,” said Marchese, a 21-year-old St. John’s University student. “It’s using the body the way it’s supposed to be used through the six planes of motion.”

Those planes include forward and backward motions, movements from side to side, as well diagonal rotations.

During personal and group training sessions, Marchese mixes functional fitness with body-building techniques to give clients the toned look they want with the performance they need. Unlike body building which isolates muscles, functional fitness works muscle groups together to train them for real life situations, like blocking a soccer ball or swinging a baseball bat.

It can also be beneficial in the workplace, i.e., for a delivery man who needs to lift heavy packages, or a nanny who spends her days picking up toddlers.

Since starting his business in 2008, Marchese has worked with student athletes from across the Island. Each sport requires different movements, he noted, so training sessions differ depending on the athlete and their position.

For soccer players like DeMarco and his co-captain Nicholas Otey of Castleton Corners, Marchese focuses on creating power in their legs, including quadricep and calf muscles, as well as their knees so they’re less prone to injury. Since DeMarco is a goalie, he also works on plyometrics, which helps him jump higher to capture soccer balls entering the net.

“He has to be a bit more acrobatic and agile,” explained Marchese, who gradually had DeMarco jump on plyometric boxes ranging from 12 to 36 inches during their workouts.

For Otey, who plays defense, Marchese focuses more on speed and strengthening leg muscles with exercises like squats and lunges. He also works on core strength and upper body conditioning with his clients. Each exercise session differs, he noted, since muscle confusion leads to muscle development.

During their sessions, baseball player Rivera does grip work to strengthen his hands along with exercises that aid with forearm strength and shoulder dexterity for batting. Since he’s a shortstop and has to pivot his body at a moment’s notice, they also work on his knees, hips and core.

“I’ve always been fast, always skinny. Now I’m trying to get bigger hits,” the infielder said. One piece of equipment they use is a T-bar, which closely simulates the moves Rivera makes on the field and works his shoulders, lower back, hips and knees.

The players say they’ve noticed a big change in their game since working with Marchese. Otey’s strength has increased, while DeMarco lost more than 30 pounds of fat and gained muscle. He’s also jumping higher and making saves he previously couldn’t.

“I’m more aggressive [on the field],” DeMarco said. “My confidence is up. I know I’m in my best shape.”

The students aren’t the only ones noticing a change. Farrell’s head varsity soccer coach Mike Leyden has seen a “tremendous difference” in his players, especially DeMarco, who was more reserved in seasons past. His speed within the area of the goal has improved and his confidence is showing on the field, the coach said.

Leyden said that he recommends his players receive extra training, especially during off-season when they can become de-conditioned. The one-on-one aspect of personal training can also be a big help.

“It’s always good to get a different perspective,” Leyden added. “They should learn as much as they can.”

Marchese, who always had an interest in the strength and conditioning of athletes, began his own fitness journey during his early teen years. An overweight kid, he wanted to lose weight and boost his confidence so he started going to a local gym. He began training others as a hobby, which fueled his passion for a fitness career.

He received certification by W.I.T.S. (World Instructor Training Schools) and worked at New York Sports Club in Travis before opening MRG Fitness two years ago. After graduating college in May with a degree in communications and advertising and a minor in business, he plans to continue and expand MRG Fitness.

“The gym became a place for me to get rid of some stress, build my body up and grow as a person,” Marchese said. “I’m the person I am today because of the things I learned in the gym.”

For more information on MRG Fitness, visit www.mrgfitness.com.

Real-life functional fitness

While body-building exercises tend to isolate muscles, functional fitness trains the body’s muscle groups together to handle real-life situations.

Who can benefit?

Athletes looking to reach their performance goals.

Construction workers or deliverymen who do a lot of heavy lifting using leg, back and arm muscles.

Nurses or caregivers who need to transfer patients from their bed or reposition them.

A parent or grandparent who wants to pick up a child or needs to bend down to pick up toys without feeling pain.

A person who goes food shopping and carries multiple bags, then puts their groceries away on hard-to-reach shelves.

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