Train like a ninja warrior while you gain strength at Obstacle Athletics
DEER PARK, New York -- A Long Island gym is helping people get fit by embracing their inner ninja warrior, one obstacle at a time.
At Obstacle Athletics in Deer Park, they are welcoming people of all ages and fitness levels to try a one-of-a-kind workout that might just be familiar to fans of "American Ninja Warrior."
Athletes tackle obstacles of all kinds to boost their abilities to climb and balance, with challenges including warped walls, monkey bars, walls, rope climbs, a double salmon ladder, and a devil staircase.
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"Our tagline is overcome anything," said Kevin LaPlatney, owner of Obstacle Athletics. "From Day One, something that we meant literally and figuratively. Sure, you can get over these obstacles, but overcoming whatever you know might have set you back in your fitness and your health. There is no ego here."
LaPlatney opened the gym with a few friends who shared a love for this particular style of fitness.
He wanted to have a facility where he could train all year, not just when he signed up for Spartan or Tough Mudder races.
After a spike in interest in the TV show "American Ninja Warrior," he figured he would incorporate similar obstacles into the offerings at his gym.
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Athletes are feeling the fear and doing it anyway.
"I was very scared to do a lot of things," Camryn Gabel said. "Like balance I wasn't good at, but now I get everything. Like not falling off the balance course."
LaPlatney points out you don't have to be a strong athlete to benefit from the workouts at his fitness playground.
Obstacle Athletics has a selection of programs, including their Mini Warriors class for children ages 5 and 6, which teaches the little ones about teamwork and following directions.
Another popular program is Ninja Skills, designed for ages 7 and up and is dedicated to focusing on progressions and techniques for each obstacle course.
You can even host your own birthday party, schedule an out-of-the-office team bonding experience, or orchestrate a bachelor/bachelorette outing.
"Everyone is supportive of whoever you are coming in to take a class," LaPlatney said. "Little by little you'll get better and get more comfortable. Probably get better at the obstacles or the movements and everything that we do there."
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Contact Community Journalist Alex Ciccarone
