outdoors and fitness	« people in focus
Updated: November 5, 2009, 1:43 pm	Share    Print    Email

Body Tech owner Mike Bahel takes on a wide variety of challenges, on water, on foot, on bike and whole lot more. Photos by Brett Mauser

Amagansett - For Mike Bahel, owner of Body Tech Health & Fitness in Amagansett and Montauk, maintaining his fitness is his key to the world. He uses his cardiovascular health and core strength for everything from stand-up paddling to road races to mountain bike races and more. This weekend, the Amagansett resident takes part in the 20th Annual Iceman Cometh Challenge, a 27-mile trek from Kalkaska, MI, to Traverse City, MI that cuts through the Pere Marquette State Forest. It's the largest one-day mountain bike race in the United States. Next month and next year will assuredly bring even more challenges for the 43-year-old to conquer. As part of Hamptons.com's new series on health professionals in the Hamptons, we checked in with Bahel to talk about his viewpoints on health and fitness as a whole.

Why did you venture into the world of fitness?

Mike Bahel: I've always been interested in the fitness field since I was a kid. I played a lot of sports and I went to Lock Haven in Pennsylvania for fitness management. I always wanted to own my own gym, and fitness center and I came out to the Hamptons in 1990 as a trainer.

What do you consider to be the most essential aspect of one's workout?

MB: Number one would be consistency. It's not a one-month, three-month or six-month thing. Being consistent week in and week out throughout your life is a key ingredient. A good cardiovascular base, strength training, flexibility, that's what you need.

What part of the body do you feel needs to be targeted more by people in their workouts?

MB: For men, the most neglected part is their core and legs. Guys want to go to the gym, and all they want to do is go to the bench press and curl. For women, the most neglected is cardio fitness.

Do you recommend that people take supplements?

MB: If they're not getting a balanced diet, yes, definitely, a good supplement or multi-vitamin. I'm not big into the Creatines and all that stuff unless you're competing.

What's one food that should be part of everyone's diet that might not be?

Mike Bahel, who won the P4H Four-Mile SUP Paddle this summer, will again show his versatility by participating in the Iceman Cometh race in Michigan this weekend.

MB: We could all stand to have more leafy greens. Plant-based foods have nothing bad - they have all the nutrients, no oils and no fats.

What do you say to people who say they don't have time to exercise?

MB: I think that's the biggest copout. There are so many things we do all day long that we really don't need to be doing. You can't say you don't have enough time. You only need 30 minutes, 45 minutes.

What kind of equipment do you recommend for a home gym?

MB: Not much. I would say all you need is a dumbbell set, stretch bands, resistance bands. There are all kinds of gimmicks that come out on TV, but with things like CRX bands you can do just about anything.

Describe how you perceive the Hamptons in terms of what it has to offer in the way of fitness.

MB: It's the best environment around. I've never been to San Diego, but they say it's the perfect place to live because every single thing is near you. It's the same thing here. There's surfing, mountain biking, kayaking, all the water sports, it has everything.

How is your establishment unique from others in the region?

MB: We're a small facility, and I think being small actually is a plus out here. You get to really focus on working one-on-one with individuals. It's not this big conglomerate with a thousand people. We all work hard, we work 365 days a year and we love what we do. It's more intimate.