Founder of Success Fitness Studio, Santiago McCarthy, is obsessed with the power of movement. Santi exclaims, “Movement is physical expression of your neurological process – both mind and body. It’s all based in neuroscience. Once we can understand what the brain is telling the body, we can transform anyone’s physical experience.” In layman’s terms, exercise is a usually a pre-determined movement. Most exercises at traditional gyms, for example, are forced into a repetitive box (ie. a squat or push-up). Movement is much bigger than this concept of exercise. Movement is interaction with environment - there is a trigger and a response. Through motion, our body responds with feedback and it is able to heal, strengthen, and transform from the inside-out. Ultimately, movement is life.
I don't write too many Yelp reviews, but I felt it necessary to write about Success Fitness Studio. I had horrible sciatic pains starting from my lower back and running down my left leg. I could barely walk, I would wake up in the middle of the night, and I was in excruciating pain every time I sat down and stood up. I tried acupuncture which helped a bit. I went to a doctor who prescribed me anit-inflammatory pills and sent me to physical therapy which didn't help at all. My doctor told me the next step was steroid shots or an operation. I'm a healthy 36 year old, and the thought of getting a back operation was crazy to me. I met with Success Fitness after someone recommended me, and he told me within 3-4 months I would be pain free. It was a slow process, and it took more like 6 months to be completely pain free, but I am. I have moved on from the basics, and am now doing strength and agility exercises. Their philosophy makes sense and I've learned exercises and stretches that I will do on my own for the rest my life. I'm an absolute believer in their practice and I am extremely grateful for what they have done for me. I would HIGHLY recommend checking them out if you are having back pain or other injuries that general conditioning isn't curing. DON'T get surgery before meeting with them!
I have trained with Santiago since 2005 and have achieved excellent results. After several back surgeries, Santiago is one of the few trainers I trusted to strengthen my core and tone my body without injury. He is highly experienced, extremely knowledgeable, and a wonderful person who genuinely cares about his clients. I recently moved out of the city and drive into the city 1.5 hours to continue training with him 3-4 days a week. His studio also has a very comfortable atmosphere. Everyone should have a Santiago in their corner!
Success is the workout of the future! Santiago has designed the perfect space, designed a brilliant workout philosophy and has partnered with super trainers that are 100% client-focused. The fitness world, especially in Manhattan, is filled with high-pressured salespeople, gimmicky pricing structures and trainers who are more focused on themselves than the client, not Success Fitness, Santi, Liz and Sergio; they are the real deal.
As someone who travels 60% of the time, I have found the workouts easy to remember and replicate wherever I am. Both my husband and I swear by the "matrix" we learned at Success and make it a daily part of our life now. This brief routine (only a small part of the regular workout) has completely eliminated my chronic back pain and the obvious stiffness one feels after a 9 hour flight.
The team at Success are both fun to be with and focused and a refreshing change from most other NYC gyms. You have to try to believe it!
