[14 Apr 08] :: March 2008 - Michael Bondanza HIGH PERFORMANCE: I am seated at High Performance NYC's favorite restaurant Lil Frankie's on 1st avenue in the east village enjoying a beautiful plate of Fedelini Vongole Verace. This guy Frankie knows his stuff. Before me sits a legend in the world of high end jewelry, none other than Michael "Boogie Down" Bondanza. Boogie Down has been training with HP's head mofo Clay Burwell for a long time and we are here to find out why and what makes the worlds greatest platinum jeweler Michael Bondanza tick.... So Mike what is it about training at High Performance NYC that you like most? MICHAEL BONDANZA: It's not a walk in the park, It's a seamless flow of hard work, Always thoughtful, always complete. HP: How long have you and Clay been training for and what was it like meeting this maven of military physical training for the first time? MB: I've been boxing most of my life, About ten years ago I was looking for someone that was a "real, in the ring" Gloves on trainer. Someone who would push me physically and bring my skills to another level. Boxing isn't just punching, A good trainer teaches discipline, hard work, balance, breathing, movement, foot work, preparation, ring skills. People who train with Clay don't spend the time talking about working out, you work your ass off and so does he. I have video to prove this. HP: Describe your workouts... MB: Hard, intense, and fun HP: Talk to us a little bit more about this Boxing ability of yours. Where did it come from and have you ever beat anyone up in the ring? MB: From the age of two I was always encouraged to box, all the gifts I received were always baseball or boxing gloves, speed bags, or hard ball bats. I was better at baseball, got more practice in this, not too many kids wanted to box with me. There was a period between 6 years and ten when I think I had a fight every day, very scrappy few years, tasted of blood and dirt. I can't say I ever beat anyone up in the ring, most of the ring bouts were for sport and fun, never tried too do too much damage. I know I was asked to take it down a notch, if things got heavy. In our world of workout boxing, that's the way it should be. HP: I heard from a little songbird that sang me a song that you once knocked a guy out with a bodyshot in a bar fight. Is this true!!? How and what happened? MB: Only once, hopefully never again. HP: We also hear that your adorable dachsund named Sam makes regular appearances at High Performance NYC. Does Sam train with Clay also? Does he have a fanclub? MB: Sam's too busy looking at the girls and playing to worry about boxing or workouts, He's naturally fit and very handsome. He's got the biggest fan club, I'm just trying to pick up some of the fringe benefits. HP: Where did you grow up and when was it that you discovered jewelry making? MB: New Mexico, Chicago, New York, Started making jewelry as a hobby after college. Painting, sculpture, woodworking, building, Jewelry is just another craft that is very demanding and rewarding. HP: What do you feel is missing from American culture now that was around when you were growing up? MB: Kids don't build things as much as before, they buy things, mostly stuff they don't really need. Most things aren't made to last, so the value is missing from almost everything. Without value there is no integrity, without integrity there is no culture. I see this happening in our schools, corporations and government. HP: How did you get the nickname "Boogie Down" MB: I think you said that once when I was about to enter the ring? You can answer that better than me. HP: Closing comments for our readers? MB: Find out what you’re best at, teach that to someone else. [14 Apr 08] :: December 2007 - Lisa Goldfaden 1.What do you do for a living? I am the VP of Marketing at Goldfaden Skincare. Goldfaden Skincare is a family business started by my brother, my father and myself. We are a Preventative and Restorative Skincare line with all products containing organic Red Tea. We have just launched our brand new line Goldfaden since 1967. Visit our website and check us out! (www.goldfaden.com) 2.Where are you originally from and what was life like there? I was born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida. Being able to be outside twelve months a year is a big plus. I spent a lot of time at the beach and in the Ocean. Miami is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. The air has a scent that is unlike anywhere else in the world and the sunsets can make you cry. I try and spend as much time there as possible, although a few days away from New York and I'm itching to come back. 3.Describe the training you are doing with Deemsy Arias at High Performnce NYC. We do a mix of weight training, boxing and cardio. The great thing about working with Deemsy is that he understands what each client's specific needs are and then tailors the workout for them. 4.What motivates you the most when you're half way through a training session and you want to give up? Deemsy does. The fact that he is gentle in his persuasion helps me to push through anything. And when he says, "I got your number today!" that just pushes me even harder. 5.How many days a week do you train at High Performance NYC? I train six times a week. 6.What do you eat? Deemsy helped me change my diet about three months ago. I now eat five to six times a day based on a limited caloric intake. I find that I have more energy and feel better overall. I never understood that to lose weight you needed to eat more, but its true. 7.What's your favorite type of workout? The type that exhausts me. I do love boxing, Bulgarian squats and Abs. [14 Apr 08] :: November 2007 - Allie Lewis Clapp The December client of the month is Allie Lewis Clapp! Allie hosts the TV cooking show "Everyday Food" for Martha Stewart and is the deputy food editor of "Everyday Food" Magazine. Allie and I met in Greenwich Village at Joe coffee shop halfway between her apartment and High Performance NYC. Post workout, the sweat-drenched Allie and I interviewed over a cup of coffee. When asked how she got into cooking she replies that she's always loved cooking. She never thought she'd do it for a living. It started with a cooking class she took one summer while attending Yale for economics. She came back and told her parents that she wanted to go to culinary school to which she sarcastically added, "That went over really well." Allie and I first met when she came to High Performance NYC looking for a trainer to get her ripped for her wedding. She says what led her to train with Elizabeth Hendrix is that she doesn't live up to the trainer stereotype: "She likes to party. Trainers aren't supposed to party…She supposedly makes a great Southern apple pie, and trainers aren't supposed to eat that either! She's a dancer, and that brings something different to the table." In fact Allie's trainer Elizabeth gave she and Todd Clapp, her husband, dance lessons for their wedding. At their house over a glass of wine, one of Allie's favorite pastimes along with hanging out with Franny their dog, Elizabeth says, "They honestly didn't need my help. They had their moves down pat." When asked how long she's been into working out, she replies "Always." True to form, Allie works out with Elizabeth Hendrix two to three times a week. Before her wedding on October 13th, she was training up to four days a week. Working out is important to Allie because, as she honestly puts it, "I don't want to get fat…I work in a test kitchen, and I have to eat all day for my job." Allie says that "[High Performance NYC] is about working out, not about anything else…It's got a cool vibe. It's quiet and clean." Allie's favorite healthy food is a salad. To prepare just take arugula and add feta, onions, tomatos cucumbers and some homemade croutons. She's also on a kick for Oshitashi, a Japanese spinach specialty. Her advice on food, "Eat healthy, organic and local. It's gotta be better than all that other crap." Thanks Allie! [14 Apr 08] :: October 2007 - Josh Griffiths HP- So what's with this nickname playboy? JG-I got the nickname Playboy when I was staying at the On The Mat house in brazil. I kept hearing all these guys call each other playboy as an insult. But I liked it as both a nickname and a lifestyle. What's not to like playboy get chicks, party, look cool, and this one trains jiu jitsu. Then when I started living in the city it changed to NYC Playboy and it has stuck. HP- What do you do for a living? JG- I'm teaching out of Studio X Martial Arts at our current east village location 98 3rd Ave. We'll be opening an amazing new school on 27th Street and 6 th Ave that will change the way people think of training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA. It will be opening in October so feel free to stop by and say hello.(www.nycstudiox.com) HP- Where are you originally from and what was life like there? JG-I was born in San Diego and grew up in Encinitas California. Life in Encinitas was a cross between Beverly Hills 90210 and Fast Times at Ridgemont High except there were more surfer guys and skaters. It was cool though and everyone out there was laid back. But I prefer New York. HP- How long have you been involved in Jiu-Jitsu and what was your primary motivation for starting? JG- I started Jiu Jitsu almost 6 years ago. When I started training I was in college at Stevens in Hoboken, NJ. My roommate's girlfriend had gotten a bunch of us cheap tickets to the UFC at the Meadowlands. Anyway we went and I thought the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu thing seemed really cool. So googled it and took a class a few days later. That's how I started training at Studio X( www.studioxny.com) with Fabio Clemente. HP What was the outcome the first time you competed? JG- The time I competed I won my first match 2-0. Then end up loosing in the semi final and eventually taking 3 rd place. I new that I wanted to keep competing and get good at this thing. I ended up taking 2nd in my next tournament and then winning my 3rd tournament. HP- Have you medaled at other competition aside from Pan-Ams? JG-I've competed a lot I think I've done over 50 tournaments and I've medaled in almost all of them. I really think anytime you can challenge yourself and use a finite time line you are going to get better at what you do and learn a lot about what ever you are doing and yourself. For me I know I have learned a lot more with my losses than with my victories. On the other hand loosing sucks! So I do everything I can to make sure I win. HP- What have you been doing now that is different than you have done in the past to prepare for competition? JG-I guess there are 2 major differences. The biggest impact has been training with Clay Burwell at High Performance Fitness. He has me doing Kettle Bells, Olympic Lifts, and Sprints every week. My training partners have all been commenting that I'm getting stronger and that's more than enough proof for me. The second difference is that I am doing a better job of taking care of my body. I've been a lot better with my diet and I'm getting massages regularly (no happy endings, remember I'm a playboy I don't need that stuff) HP- Describe the training you are doing with Clay Burwell at HP. JG-Like I mentioned above Clay has me doing mostly sports specific compound movements with dumbbells, kettle bells, and the Olympic bar. In addition he has me rowing, running stairs, jumping rope, and sprinting on the treadmill. Everything is done in circuits to replicate the stress I put my body under in a match. The results have been awesome! HP- What motivates you the most when you are 40 minutes into your training at HP and you feel like you are about to collapse? JG-Clay Burwell motivates me. He is great at challenging my self image in a variety ways. He'll attack the validity of my athleticism, my toughness(both mental and physical), my desire, and he is always questions my heart. On the surface these are fairly hurtful comments, but the bottom line is the guy is a phenomenal motivator. The thing that impresses me most is that he knows what it take to get the most out of a variety of clients and in turn get them the results they desire. HP- How many days a week do you train, both with Clay Burwell and Jiu-Jitsu? JG- I see Clay 2 days a week for strength and conditioning and I do Jiu Jitsu 5 or 6 times a week. HP- What is your diet like while cutting down to make weight for a tournament? JG-My diet isn't that bad when trying to cut. I just switch off of my regular protein shakes to using designer protein and water. In addition I always have endurox after my training and accelerade during it. As for regular meals I just try to cut back on my carb in take. Usually I'm only eating complex carbs with breakfast and prior to training. I eliminate all refined sugars and cut way back on salty food. Another big part of the diet is I increase my intake of water bearing fruits and I eat a ton of vegetables. Oh and drink 1-2 gallons of water a day, it really helps keep the weight down. If you start a few weeks out and don't try anything to drastic it's not that hard. HP- Describe life today in George Bush's free America... JG-Life in George Bush's Free America is amazing. I get to teach and train jiu jitsu, workout with the 82nd Airborne Division's Clay Burwell, live a glamorous playboy lifestyle, and breathe the sweet air of an incredible capitalist society in the greatest city on earth. Page [1/1]     back to top             ©2007 High Performance