January 2012 by Alex F.
Next Level Speed has transformed my life. I first walked through the doors of Next Level Speed in October 2011, five months removed from shoulder surgery; My fourth sports related surgery over the past few years. I met with an old high-school buddy, Michael Aidala, who is a sports performance specialist and manager with Next Level Speed. After a thorough and revealing evaluation, we initiated a plan of 4 workouts per week over 10 weeks. Michael immediately identified life-long imbalances in my left ankle and hip, which helped to explain many of the recent injuries I had suffered. As a fitness veteran and self-proclaimed gym rat, I've heard plenty of talk. Most trainers I've encountered love to throw jargon and trade talk at you in an effort to boost their credentials and gain your trust. Michael inspires confidence by walking the walk. We took posture pictures and videos of my alignment and I was shown exactly why and how these imbalances exist and how they have impacted my body and the way it moves. The workouts at Next Level are extremely unique and individualized. These are not your average muscle-head body builder (one muscle a day) workouts; nor are they gimmicky or "soft" by absolutely any definition of the word. I've learned more about movement and the human body than I had in years of my own personal training and a handful of nutrition/fitness collegiate courses. I've learned the importance of training unilaterally and strengthening each individual piece of the human body in order to mature the body to work as a whole. Workouts are generally broken down into upper and lower body push/pull days and typically (for me) include myofascial release, activation, warm-up sprints, Olympic-style lifts, high- energy circuits, corrective exercises, core circuits and a stretching session to close. I leave Next Level after each and every workout with a huge smile on my face and an incredible sense of accomplishment. For the first time in several years, I leave the gym pain-free, which is a testament to Michael's ability to train around problem areas while working to strengthen the surrounding areas. I never thought I'd be able to train my shoulders or chest again, but that has all gone out the window for me. I've noticed that anytime I have pain with a movement or my form seemingly slips into old-habits, Mike has a fix for it. For example, we add simple pushups to an upper body push circuit; Mike spots the difficulty I have in setting up my arms in a neutral position and before I know it we've scrapped the seemingly basic exercise for a corrective technique he calls "thorastic punches." You can bet I was banging out pushups the following week like I used to, but now with proper form and zero pain. Michael preaches holistic health. This isn't some ritualistic or sketchy junk. I came to Next Level at a rather down time in my life and quickly found the workouts to be part of a greater healing process. This wasn't simply because of the endorphins the body releases during workouts, but because Michael really taught me to live each part of my life to the fullest. He's taught me advanced breathing techniques which have helped me to attack each workout in the gym with extraordinary energy, and also translate that energy outside of the gym. Positive affirmation recordings during stretching sessions are a great way to boost confidence and prepare for the days challenges. I've learned to take each individual piece of life as part of a greater "health pie," something which I could have never anticipated I'd be getting out of personal training sessions. The facility itself is top-notch. There are two main areas; the upstairs has a full cardio suite, cage, dumbbells, bench, machines, etc. There are also kettle bell racks, multiple types of foam rollers, slastix bands, resistance bands, medicine balls, multiple suspension trainers and a diverse selection of uneven surfaces to train on. Next Level even has a Power Plate, a machine that (in short) vi
