Summer at the Spa

Q: Peter, you started your career in engineering; what brought you into the Fitness world?

A: Well, fitness has always been a part of my life. When I was 10, my dad got into following Jack Lalanne, who is known as the “Godfather of Fitness.” Everyday morning, he would wake up and watch the ‘Jack Lalanne Show’ and work out. Now, during the school year, I didn’t get to see my dad often because he was a hardworking immigrant who worked second shift, but in the summers, I would be home, and he would have me work out with him. It became a ritual and a way for us to bond. My father and uncle were soldiers who were always into calisthenics, so that was a part of our lifestyle. My dad passed away when I was young, but fitness has remained my way to stay connected to him. Additionally, I have always been into sports; I played baseball, hockey, and football. At 13, my neighbor got a set of plastic weights, and we went to the library and got a book on weight training. We would train in his cellar every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday because that was what the book told us to do. Throughout my adolescence and young adulthood, I continued playing sports and weight training. Then the ‘Arnold Schwarzenegger-Lou Ferrigno’ bodybuilder trend exploded in the ‘80s, and my college years were spent in the gym, up to 3 hours a day working out and building a community with my fellow gym goers.

Q: With Fitness being such a passion of yours, I find it interesting you went into engineering first. I love the story of how you ended up in the career you have now. Can you take us on the journey that led you to your current role at Mohonk?

A: Absolutely! My background is in industrial engineering, and I worked in that field for nine years. After trying out three different companies, I realized the issue wasn’t where I was working; it was the career itself.
While I was figuring out my next step, my best friend invited me to spend three months in Boulder, CO. That trip was a turning point. When we returned to New York, I was still half-heartedly applying to engineering jobs, but I knew I needed a bigger change.
During a ski trip out west, I chatted with a hotel bellhop who shared how he’d left a stressful landscaping business for a simpler, more enjoyable life in the mountains. That stuck with me. On the flight home, I told my best friend I was thinking about moving to Colorado, and he encouraged me to go for it.
I moved to Summit County and took a bellhop job at The Keystone Lodge. It wasn’t glamorous, but it gave me free ski passes, a great community, and time to reset. I stayed for 4½ years. Eventually, I returned to New York to be closer to my aging mom.
While visiting, I ran into someone who used to run my local gym. He was opening a new one and asked me to manage it. I said yes and ended up running that gym for 11 years. In 2005, when Mohonk opened its spa, I applied for the fitness manager role. I was offered a raise to stay at the gym, so I did—but when that gym closed in 2011, I reached back out to Mohonk.
There weren’t any fitness roles open at first, so I took jobs in other departments. When the Fitness Manager position opened, they offered it to me—and I’ve been in this role for 9 years now. It’s been an incredible journey!

Q: One of the things we talk a lot about here is the importance of longevity. What would you say are some of your longevity tips that you would give, maybe depending on a person’s age range, like, what’s a tip for 25 to 35, 35 to 45, etc.?

A: Start young and never stop. It’s easier to maintain when you start young than trying to start when you’re older. You know, as I mentioned earlier, when I was 25, I could spend 3 hours in the gym every day; now, in my 60s, rest is important. That being said, starting is the most important, no matter your age.
Diet is another important key factor, and even more so as we age. Limiting processed carbohydrates and getting in more clean, lean proteins is key. You see a lot of older people not getting enough protein daily
Lastly, Metabolic Flexibility. That basically is at certain levels of heart rate. Like, high heart rate, your body is going to burn sugar, glucose, glycogen. When you’re doing level two zone two cardio, that is lower. Where you’re maybe at 125 heart rate. You can talk, but you’re a little out of breath. That’s where you’re burning your fat and you’re conditioning. We have a lot more fat to burn than glycogen. If your heart rate gets too high too quickly, and you’re using up the glycogen, then it’s too late. Your body can’t burn fat, so metabolic flexibility enables you to go between burning fat, burning sugar, and you have to kind of train for it, and you have to make sure you’re not eating 800 grams of carbohydrates.
I also want to stress the importance of strength training. Not only does it build muscle, which will help with fat burning, but it will also help strengthen the skeletal system as you age. Most people don’t think about how bone density is affected as we age. Strength training is so important.

Q: We’ve been moving into building up our Fitness offering. We just renovated the gym facility, have more private fitness offerings than ever, and of course, there is the Lakeside Immersions, our guests look forward to each season. I’d love to hear more about how that came to be because I know that’s kind of your baby.

A: Okay, well, it’s amazing; a pretty interesting story. When I started here, I always thought, “I can’t believe that the Mountain House doesn’t do a polar plunge on New Year’s Day.”
Yeah, this is a perfect place to do it, and I mentioned it to people here and there, and it never took off. When our former Spa Director, Margaret Lora came on, I mentioned it to her, and she loved the idea. She took the idea of a Polar Plunge and ran with it. She turned it into this program.
The first few times were good, but I just kind of got this feeling from most of the guests that they just wanted something a little bit exciting, and they wanted to feel that cold water. Yeah, so that’s when I kind of started to mold it a little differently.
We extend it a little farther into the season so guests can experience the cold water of the lake. I lead the guests in and mingling amongst them, which they seem to like because we are in it with them and I can reassure them. There’s been quite an evolution to that event, and I really like the way we do it now, because I think it’s really fun and I think everybody who does it feels the same way. They’re like, “That was great!” and they feel fired up the rest of the day.

Q: We just renovated the Fitness Center. What went into the process of reimagining the Fitness Center?

A: It was about modernizing the equipment offered and providing more functional training. On our new cable system, you can do a hundred different exercises on that machine alone. With the Smith machine, we were able to bring in some free weights, so some of our guests who lift can squat and bench press to maintain their routine. Guests have been loving it!

Q: Lastly, the future, what new things are coming in? What new things do you want to see coming?

A: Something that I would love to have is a Fitness Trail, or an Urban Fitness Park. Especially with the popularity of shows like “American Ninja Warrior,” people are doing outdoor bodyweight stuff, and what better outdoor space can you find than Mohonk? We have a natural gym right out there!
We have designed a Yoga hike that will be coming toward the end of summer, beginning of fall. Our yoga instructors will take guests on a hike to a clearing above the gardens, and then guests will partake in an outdoor yoga practice. The view is amazing, and I think guests will enjoy it. Our Yoga classes are a big draw for guests.
I proposed that we do a Gatehouse to Tower run because the testimonial Gateway is the original Gatehouse to the Mountain, and some trails lead up to Sky Top Tower. I think that would be one heck of a run!

Q: Peter, thank you for taking the time to chat with me. It is always a pleasure! Are there any last pieces of advice you’d like to leave our guests with?

A: Thank you, Ashley. It was a pleasure! I’ll leave you with this:
1. Practice random acts of Fitness.
2. Perform a ‘Feat of Strength’ every year on your birthday, A La Jack Lalanne
3. And lastly, my favorite quote from Socrates: “It is a shame for a man to grow old, without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”