A Workout of EPIC Proportions
By Alyse Mier Photography by Courtney Ortiz, Courtney Studios Ten people hurtle through an obstacle course simulation, shimmying up ropes, swinging from monkey bars, jumping on and off five-foot boxes, crawling under imaginary barbed wire, all searching for their limits. These athletes, from all sorts of disciplines, are congregating at EPIC Hybrid Training Gym with the owner Alexander Nicholas cheering them on. “I opened EPIC Hybrid Training in March of 2012 because I felt the fitness industry needed a change. The camaraderie, grit, and tenacity of this growing population of obstacle racers is exciting and infectious. I get more pleasure out of helping others perform at their best and always find challenging new ways to motivate members at EPIC,” said Nicholas. At EPIC, gym goers can choose from seven workouts, one for every day of the week, with the choices rotating monthly. Every Wednesday during January, the gym is offering EPIC Obstacle Circuits, a class in which participants will hoist wreck bags on their shoulders, jump on and off five foot boxes, crawl across the gym with a power wheel and traverse along the monkey bars and rings. Come February, the workout routine you’ve grown familiar with could be moved to Tuesday, which allows an attendee to explore other workout options, like the Blast routines where participants can work on their push ups and progress from doing a push up on their knees to a plyometric push up, or clapping push up. Whether you are an obstacle race professional or a beginner that has never participated in an obstacle race, EPIC classes offer many levels so every participant can feel challenged and empowered. “I love programs where you can progress, see the progression, but then after four weeks you get to start on something new. You’re always learning new things, but you also have time to work on what you’ve been practicing,” said Nicholas. Nicholas showed a passion for fitness at a young age, and opened EPIC in 2012, in search of a program that he could truly connect to. He began competing in obstacle races and eventually won the first Spartan Stadium Race at Fenway Park, as part of the original Reebok Spartan Race Pro Team. He also went on to compete on Spike TV’s Sweat Inc. “The challenges of these races bring out the best in me, as well as the ability to motivate so many people to get in better shape,” said Nicholas. For Nicholas, EPIC Hybrid Training in Brickell is only the beginning of a list of long-term goals. “The message I want everyone to know is that EPIC is for everyone. It can look very intimidating, but there are levels for everybody from beginner to advanced. It’s a very doable program for anyone who wants to come in, work hard and better himself or herself,” said Nicholas. EPIC Hybrid Training is located at 620 S Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33130 For more information, please visit www.epichybridtraining.com Click here to view this post in the MSM January/February 2016 digital issue