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“I hear it every single day,’’ said Klyman when asked if people worry that weightlifting will add bulk to their frame. “It drives me up a wall.”
Klyman opened Underground Training at 20 Chestnut St. in Tenafly in December 2013 along with Gerard Bochese. Klyman, a personal trainer and nutritionist, works with people of all levels, from beginners to highly accomplished athletes. He shoots down the idea that people should not be lifting weights.
“Parents tell me they’ve heard that lifting can stunt a child’s growth,’’ said Klyman, who lives in Englewood. “That’s based off a faulty study from the 1950s. Children are lifting 40-pound backpacks every day at school, but they shouldn’t be lifting a 5-pound dumbbell? It doesn’t make any sense.”
Many people also are concerned weightlifting will create a muscular appearance, but Klyman said that’s not usually the case.
“Lifting will increase muscle mass and burn more calories,’’ Klyman said. “It’s going to create a more aesthetic, lean, sexy sculpted body. A lot of men like to think lifting will look good in the mirror, but it’s complete crap. If you want to look good and feel good, you have to stimulate your entire body. Nobody who is fit looks the way they do without a balanced program that includes aerobic activity, proper nutrition and healthy personal habits.”
Underground Training offers personal training in private, semi-private or group settings. Klyman and Bochese incorporate all types of fitness programs into their training, including aerobic activities, mobility training, yoga and flexibility. It also offers programs in powerlifting, Olympic lifting, and strongman training
On Wednesday nights, Underground Training offers women’s classes and conducts charity powerlifting events for local residents. In June, the facility hosted a powerlifting competition that raised more than $7,000 for a charity benefitting an Englewood family whose 4-year-old boy died in December due to brain cancer.
Klyman was a four-time letterwinner at Torah Academy of Bergen County in wrestling. He also was the President and Captain of the Rutgers University Wrestling Club, and coaches young wrestlers for The Frisch School in Paramus. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management from Rutgers, and has put his skills to use with Underground Training.
“Personal training is incredibly rewarding,’’ Klyman said. “You can the fruits of your labor. If someone commits themselves, the results speak for themselves. They look better, they feel better. Every trainer has had that client that has been eye opening in some form.”
Klyman and the team at Underground Training work with the client to develop a program that suits their needs and desires. “Everybody is different,’’ he said. “We might get a postpartum mother who wants to do ab workouts and cardio all the time, but may have other issues. We help them understand and provide what they need.”
On Underground Training’s Facebook page, clients raved about the trainers and facility. “I hate most gyms,’’ one reviewer wrote. “I love this gym. It isn’t like any gym I’ve ever been to.”
Klyman has found the ideal marriage between his business skills and passion for fitness. He maintains most people can improve their fitness level markedly with just 3-4 days a week of exercise.
“Based on the quality of the workout, 45 minutes for 3-4 times a week will provide huge benefits,’’ Klyman said. “It’s important to increase intensity as you go. The 50th workout will not be the same as the first workout.”
For more information about Underground Training, click here to visit its website.
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