Rye Health & Fitness Co-Owner Dennis Briscoe
BY JANICE LLANES FABRY
When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, Rye Health and Fitness co-owner Dennis Briscoe discourages making them. He is, however, a big believer in working on attainable goals. “Under-promise and over-deliver: sit less, move more, nourish your body, and appreciate each moment.”
Briscoe’s philosophy of appreciating the process has served him well as Rye Health and Fitness enters its 13th year as Westchester’s premier, private personal training studio. Co-owner Mike Doody joined Briscoe in 2018 and, together, they have developed goal specific training techniques that produce optimum results.
“Our mission is to ensure our clients can do what they love while performing at their peak potential,” noted Doody, an Army infantry veteran who was the head strength and conditioning coach for his battalion.
A sports-performance-minded trainer and athlete, Briscoe attributes the studio’s longevity to having surrounded himself “with good people” all the way around. He explained, “We have trainers who have been here from the beginning; we have a great relationship with our clients, some of whom have been with us for as long as we’ve been open. Their positive outcomes keep them coming back.”
RHF is open for business from 4:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. Twelve trainers accommodate their clients’ schedules. “We always make it work.”
As a result of the pandemic, only five or six trainers work at a time in the studio to comply with social distancing regulations. Sections are taped off and more spread out. Meanwhile, the number of training sessions held at clients’ homes has increased by 15% and virtual training is available.
Not many businesses in town can boast ample parking, high foot traffic, and having expanded twice. Three years ago, the studio at 14 Elm Place joined forces with Doody’s Trinity Rye at 22 Purchase Street. Operating out of the two spaces, Trinity is geared primarily to middle and high school athletes and RHF provides services for the broader population.
Training sessions are all client-centered, highly customized, and specifically designed using scientifically sound principles. An introductory visit is always a screen session of goal setting, complete with a questionnaire about injuries, conditions, etc. A more in-depth assessment is done if required.
Subsequently, movement patterns are evaluated before the trainers “load the appropriate weight.” Sessions are 50-minutes long and include a warm-up, stretching, soft tissue work activation, followed by six foundational movement patterns, which include squat, hinge, push, pull, carry, and lunge. Next up is a strength routine, then a cool down with a cardio finisher.
State-of -the-art equipment can be used for warming up or high-intensity interval training. The Air Dyne offers “a real cardio blast” about which Briscoe quipped, “clients are begging to go home after that one.” A water rower provides cardio, along with activating upper body, lower body, and core muscles all at once.
A treadmill principally works on the quadriceps and hamstrings, while an arc trainer/elliptical can also provide a good burn and is easier on the joints.
There are multiple benches, squat racks, cable machines, barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells, from 2 to 150 pounds.
What’s the bottom line when it comes to fitness? Briscoe shies away from painting with a broad stroke, but if pressed, he advises, “Take walks and exercise with a professional. Tighten up the diet by eating less processed or sugar-laden foods and more protein. And never eat in front of the TV.”
In addition to Briscoe and Doody, RHF’s elite and certified full-time trainers include Anthony Fasolino, Justin Zimmerman, Ron Fetky, Marian Petrie, Danny Archino, Katie Paul, Sean Trinidad, and Tyler Schlomann.
Briscoe is grateful to have been doing what he believes in and what he loves in the heart of downtown all these years. “Rye has been great to us,” he remarked. “We’ve made really good friends and we have a community feeling here.”
<For more information, visit ryehealthandfitness.com or call 914 713-3213
