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  • After I Complete The 4-Week Intro, What’s Next?!

    After I Complete The 4-Week Intro, What’s Next?!

    Intermediate Classes & The Road to Advanced Classes

    After completing the 4-Week Introduction to Boxing or Muaythai/Kickboxing program, you will be eligible to participate in Intermediate Classes. In Intermediate Class, you learn how to put things together and bridge the gap between all of your techniques so you can use them for defense and later, for sparring. A big part of this process is repetition and repeating the fundamental techniques until they become comfortable or muscle memory. 

    After 3 months of consistent practice, you will be eligible to take the Level 1 Test which encompasses everything you learned in Intermediate Classes. If you are beginning to worry about what is on the test, do not worry! We have a Boxing and Muaythai Skills cheat sheet with everything you need to know to pass the test. The importance of the test isn’t just knowing what’s on it, but being able to do it skillfully, which comes with practice and repetition. When you take the test, the focus from the test facilitator is proper technique. So if you want to pass and move on to the advanced classes you should be in intermediate class 4 times a week. 

    To move on to the next level, you must be a proficient Pad Holder. Everyone in the advanced classes must be a good pad holder. The first 3 months we focus on developing our technique, once you level up into Advanced class we move on to sharpening our technique. 

    You are responsible for being a good training partner. Our goal in these classes is to grow as a team. You should be able to train with everyone. You only need to pass one of the Certifications to move up. 

    For example, if you’re planning to focus on Muaythai, you should pass the Muaythai level test and get your Thai Pad Certification. Muaythai students are expected to also get certified to hold Focus Mitts as well within 3 months of joining the advanced classes. You will be allowed to attend the Focus Mitt Certification course for free once you have passed your Muaythai Level test, and obtained your Thai Pad Certification. You are expected as a Muaythai student to be proficient with Focus Mitts as well. Boxing is a crucial part of our Muaythai and Kickboxing programs, so we will train with both styles of pads/mitts. 

    Keep in mind this is the first big step in your journey. If you plan to move from this stage to the Competition Team there is a lot of work to be done. If you do plan to compete, make sure you pick up the 6 Week Fight Camp sheet to get familiar with the requirements to compete. This is a process that Coach Jason has used with everyone that has walked through the door, whether their goal was to compete or just train like a competitive athlete. We know that this process is what has created all the results we have achieved over the years and we are proud to guide our students along their journey as opposed to just backing people with natural athletic talent. We prefer to help build all of our students and help them achieve their goals from the ground up.

  • Level Up Fitness Assessment

    Level Up Fitness Assessment

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    LVLUP Fitness Assessment
    March 19, 2021 – 9901 Business Parkway
    Lanham, MD 20706 United States
    Find out more

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    On January 15 and 16, We will have a Fitness Assessment for our Strength & Conditioning Program.

    The Assessment includes:

    *Time it takes to run 4 laps around the building (subject to rain!)

    *Number of crunches (Air Force sit ups) you can do in 2 minutes.

    *Number of pushups you can do in 2 minutes.

    *Number of pull-ups, to the maximum repetition.

    Your weight will also be recorded. You do not have to be in shape to do this at all! The point of this is to see where you are and set a goal in the following months assessment.
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    Fitness Assessment Dates:

    ~ Click times to register ~

    Friday January 15 @ 4:30PM

    Saturday January 16 @ 11AM
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    To register, click on the date and time you want to take the assessment:

    Calendar

    We will test up to 10 members at a time.

    You can reserve your spot now!

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  • Training During COVID-19

    Training During COVID-19

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    Please keep your mask on if you are unvaccinated! Help us keep our Level Up members, staff, and coaches safe.

    Try not to touch your face, eyes, nose, and mouth.

    Wash your hands before and after classes.
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    Updated 7/30/2021

    Level Up is open for SAFE training! Here’s the info:

    • Level Up is open for you to come in and enjoy classes.
    • There are things that we had to put in place in compliance with our state governments to make this possible. Many of the changes are not permanent!

    Most importantly – Level Up is OPEN for fitness activities!

    • Please note, we have taken precautions to help make the experience safe for all, but good news: we can train!
    • Face masks are not mandatory, but we really hope unvaccinated members wear a face mask to protect themselves and other unvaccinated members. 

    NEW CLASS SCHEDULE

    With COVID-19, we had to make some restrictions on gym hours and use, and that definitely makes things a little weird. For Monday through Saturday, here’s our new hours of operation and schedule:

    Hours of Operation (No Open Gym during the pandemic)

    In the morning, the gym is open for class participants and personal training sessions only. No open gym is allowed during the pandemic. 

    10:15AM – 12PM Tuesday / Thursday

    4:30PM – 9PM Monday through Thursday

    5:30PM – 7PM Friday

    9:15AM – 12PM Saturday

    Schedule
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    MEMBER & VISITOR HEALTH PROCEDURES TO ENSURE YOUR SAFETY & OURS

    • Touchless infrared thermometer temperature checks for members and guests upon entry of the building. Members and visitors with temperatures above 100 degree Fahrenheit will not be allowed to stay. 
    • Wear a Mask – One of our requirements at the gym is for you to wear a mask – Over the nose & mouth. Make sure to bring more than one in case it gets sweaty. If you forget your mask, we have extra!
    • Before you think of coming, please do a self-health screen: Ask yourself, Do I feel well? Do I have a cough or shortness of breath? Am I confident that I won’t get my teammates sick?
    • No training if you have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, you are experiencing a cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, or have had a fever within the last 2 days. 
    • If you find out that someone from your household is sick or even a coworker becomes sick, please stay home and ensure your are symptom free for 2 weeks and/or test negative for COVID-19.
    • IMPORTANT – If you get exposed to COVID-19 or infected, please email us at frontdesk@levelupgym.com and do not come to the gym. We will accommodate you so that you can make the most of your membership when you are well. 

    ENHANCED CLEANING & SANITATION POLICIES

    • We had already instituted these before COVID-19 outbreaks, but we are increasing all of our policies, and are implementing:
    • Deep cleans of the gym.
    • Disinfecting of high-touch surfaces (door knobs, light switches, kiosks, fitness equipment).
    • Anti-microbial & anti-copper films on the front door handles to kill germs on contact.
    • Enhanced daily general cleaning procedures.
    • Installation of hand sanitizer stations, touchless paper towel dispensers, touchless soup dispensers, and more.

    NEW STAFF HEALTH PROCEDURES TO ENSURE YOUR SAFETY & THEIRS

    • Touchless infrared thermometer temperature checks at the start of a staff members shifts.
    • Masks provided for all employees. 
    • Installation of hand sanitizer stations, touchless towel dispensers, touchless soap dispensers, and more.

    NEW GYM FEATURES TO HELP YOU TRAIN SAFELY

    • Floor decals to encourage proper distance (6ft) between gym members, guests, and staff.
    • Enhancing the touchless nature of checking-in to classes and transactions (i.e. no need to sign in via iPad).
    • Face masks for our staff, gym members, and visitors.
    • Enhanced ventilation throughout the day.

    ARE YOU IN AN AT RISK CATEGORY BUT STILL WANT TO TRAIN AT LEVEL UP?

    • Some of you may have conditions or have loved ones that make going to the gym a little nervous.
    • We will continue offering Virtual Classes to keep you connected and allow you to join the rest of the team, virtually of course.

    ***This page will be updated weekly!***

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  • New Code of Conduct

    New Code of Conduct

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    Level Up Member Code of Conduct

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    Due to the COVID-19 crisis, we must implement new procedures to practice when we re-open. It is important to note that closures may be lifted, but the pandemic is technically not over yet. All members and staff will be following a New Level Up Code of Conduct to safely workout and reduce the spread of coronavirus. Level Up staff will be around to guide you, so that you can focus on enjoying your training experience. 

    1. Entry 
    • All members and visitors must go through each station before fully entering the facility: 
      • Hand Sanitizing 
      • Temperature Check 
      • Reception and Entry 
    1. Beyond Check-In 
    • All members and visitors must wear a face covering. 
    • All members must clean equipment before and after each use. 
    • All members must wash hands per posted CDC guidelines.
    • All members and visitors must maintain six feet of distance at all times. 
    1. Exit 
    • Members are highly encouraged to follow CDC guidelines outside of the facility to mitigate risk of transmission. 
    • Members must take home workout clothes and gear in a closed bag.

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  • COVID-19 Response

    COVID-19 Response

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    (Updated 2/25/22)

    Dear Level Up Team:
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    –February 25, 2022

    Effective, Monday, February 28, 2022, Prince George’s County will lift the indoor mask mandate and face masks will no longer be required to be inside the gym. Some members will continue to wear a mask and we encourage everyone to be respectful of each other.

    –October 1, 2021

    Effective, Friday, October 1, 2021, at 5:00 p.m., all persons over the age of two will be required to wear a mask in all indoor public venues and businesses in Prince George’s County, even if they are fully vaccinated. Some exceptions do apply, such as when an individual is actively eating or drinking or individuals who have a bona fide disability that prevents them from wearing a mask.

    –August 17, 2021

    Since August 8, masks have be reinstated in PG County. All persons over the age of 5 are required to wear a mask, even if they are fully vaccinated. 

    –June 17, 2021

    Since May 28, masks are encouraged to be worn unless fully vaccinated. Masking should be worn by unvaccinated children and unvaccinated adults indoors. Since children under 12 are not yet eligible for the vaccine, we will be cautious and enforce masking during the Youth Classes. For the time being, we will continue to conduct the temperature checks upon arrival for all members and guests that remain in the building. 

    –May 14, 2021

    The COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions have been changing due to the increase in vaccination rates and decline in COVID-19 cases nationally and statewide. While CDC suggests that indoor activities pose minimal risk to fully vaccinated people and fully vaccinated people have reduced risk of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to unvaccinated people, we must all continue to wear face masks in the gym because of Prince George’s County mandates.

    As more people become vaccinated in PG County, we are confident that we will be mask free at Level Up. But for now, lets rejoice that we can resume normal operations, with mask-wearing requirements in place!
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    New Procedures Due to COVID-19

    • Touch-less Gym Entry – All members will be required to sign in using the Zen Planner App to check-in to the gym. You can download the App for free on your iOS or Android phone. If you do not elect to use the Mobile App to check-in, you must stop at the front desk to check in with a front desk representative!
    • Disinfect Equipment After Use – This is especially important if you are using equipment outside of class. You must disinfect the equipment you use and place it back in its proper place.
    • Additional Precautions – To reduce the transmission and infection of coronavirus, we will check temperatures of all staff and even members using a Touch-Free Thermometer. Simply step up to the thermometer (1 inch) and wait for the beep.
    • Additional Sanitization Stations – We added sanitization stations throughout the gym for easy access to sanitation wipes, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant solutions. 
    • Clean Team – We enhanced our cleaning regime, and you’ll see our staff sanitizing equipment before, during, and after each class. In addition, we encourage all members to wipe down equipment, even your own, before and after use.

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    COVID-19 Blog Updates

    Nov 15 Updated Guidelines for Phase 2:  25% Capacity Limits
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    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Erin Jimenez (Farrell) (@drdoomlvlup)


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    ~Level Up Training Center
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    Important Links and References

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  • Level Up Is Open! …..Virtually

    Level Up Is Open! …..Virtually

    HAVE YOU JOINED OUR PRIVATE TEAM PAGE?? CLICK THE PHOTO TO FIND OUR PAGE!!

     

    With everyone stuck at home, we decided to open up our Virtual Class to new members. Yesterday we welcomed our first student from California! We started doing our Intro Classes for New Students again this week too. We are excited to continue to service our loyal Members, as well as welcome New Members during this crazy time. I think now more than ever it’s important to maintain your health and for most of us, this extra time is the perfect time to really jump start our fitness goals! Again, Welcome to the Team Susan! 

    You can follow the link below to JOIN THE TEAM TODAY! 

    JOIN THE TEAM TODAY 

     

  • Technique of The Week “UPs” | 5-4-20

    Technique of The Week “UPs” | 5-4-20

    This week we are focusing on our combination we call “UPs”. This is one of our “On the ropes” combos, but has multiple applications. We have 4 videos for you guys! 2 for Boxing, 2 for Muaythai. 

    We break down how to Shadowbox, for each Style, and for those of you that have access to a bag, how to incorporate rotating from Jump Rope, to Shadowboxing, to Bag work. Coaches Jason and Erin also shot some bonus UPs footage for you guy this week too. These bonus vids are for those of you fortunate to have partners you can hit and hold pads with. Stay tuned for those as well! For now enjoy these videos, and dont forget to come to the Virtual classes! 

    Muaythai UPs Combo | Shadowboxing

    Muaythai UPs Combo | Bag work

    Boxing UPs Combo | Shadowboxing

    Boxing UPs Combo | Bag work

    CLICK ME TO REGISTER FOR CLASS!!

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Determination and Discipline

    Determination and Discipline

    Determination and Discipline

    Coach Erin & Coach Jason at in Minsk, Belarus 2017 for the IFMA World Championship

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Two of the most important ingredients to being successful in any regard. At least in my opinion. They are NOT natural gifts, they are things you have to decide you have and have to tend to every day. I think one thing this pandemic has really taught me is not to settle. I always “want” more but I’m taking an honest inventory of myself and seeing how much more I could be “working” to get it. Who knows if something like this will ever happen again? What I do know is I want to be ready for it. I wish I was in a position financially to tell our members that we don’t need them to survive, but we are just like any other small business relying on its patrons. So I am Determined to continue to bring them value through this time with our Virtual Classes, and have the Discipline to come and get them done. We appreciate you all so much, I can’t even describe it in words. Some friends of ours had to close their gym, and all I could think was how much I wished I was in a position to help them. I know first hand how much goes into this. It becomes your life. And I can’t shake that thought out of my head “I wish I could help”. But the reality is I can’t, and I’ve always thought wishing for things was lazy, and a waste of your time. Because unfortunately wishes don’t bring you what you need, work does. So today, I’m Determined, and Disciplined to work harder, to be in that position.

    Determination on the face of our fighter Nick Mendez as he is instructed between rounds by Coach Jason at the WKA National Tournament in DE 2019
    Discipline from Chas and Gary to stay the course and fight their way to the end of a very long WKA National Tournament in NY 2016, posing with the their Coach, Jason Farrell and the tokens of Hard Work wrapped around their waists.
  • Tracking Calories and Macronutrients

    Tracking Calories and Macronutrients

    Tracking Calories and Macronutrients by Erin Jimenez

     

    “You can’t stay lean and build muscle at the same time”

     

    For 7 years I have been dieting, starving, and binge eating. I calculated every pound I have cut for my fights and I have gained and rapidly lost more than 100 pounds over the years to make weight. Other athletes cut more! In an effort to stay lean or “small” so that I have to cut less weight, I have prolonged periods of restricted caloric intake.

     

    For the majority of people, the metabolism adapts to the prolonged calorie deficit by operating more efficiently. The body functions at lower energy expenditure and burns fewer calories. If proper dietary adjustments (i.e. reverse dieting) aren’t made to account for this slow down, the body will store extra calories in the form of fat. During extended dieting, important metabolic hormones become mis-regulated. These adaptations to long periods of calorie restriction can be reversed by fueling the body properly.

     

    Maintaining an extremely low-calorie diet is not sustainable for athletic performance, long term health, function, and happiness. One of the best statements I have heard that finally hit me after years of trying to be both lean and strong is, “you can’t stay lean and build muscle at the same time.”

     

    Getting your diet on track is harder than training for many people. Before I post more articles on how to get your diet together for optimal athletic performance, the first step is determining how many calories and macronutrients you need.

     

    1. Track how many calories you burn.

    No, its not mandatory to know precisely how many calories you burn a day. However, we tend to overestimate how many calories we burn pushing too many pencils at work and even how hard we really work at the gym. There are options available aside from the Fitbit Charge HR (my personal favorite), like the BodyMedia Armband ($26.45 on Amazon) or the bodybugg calorie management system.

     

    1. Calculate how many calories you need.

    Are you eating enough? Head to http://gymgeek.com/nutrition/nutrition-articles/macro-nutrient-calculator/. There, you will be guided on how to calculate your BMR to work out the total amount of calories you need on a daily basis. Then, you will work out your macronutrient ratios. Not sure what a macro is? Check this out: https://mynutrition.wsu.edu/nutrition-basics/

     

    *Be sure to click on Strength Training. Unless you are cutting weight for a fight or weeks out from a bikini contest, this is the most sustainable plan for athletic performance and happiness.

     

    Other macronutrient calculators are available:

    https://www.iifym.com

    https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutrients_calculator.htm

    https://healthyeater.com/flexible-dieting-calculator

     

    1. Adjust macros according to your training schedule.

    Reduce carbs on days you are not training hard and on rest days. On super intense days (doing my morning 5K, strength and conditioning, 2 striking classes, and sparring), you can follow the higher carb plan. For my plan, I eat 150-200g carbs on rest days, ~250g on typical training days, and up to 350g on super intense days. Everyone’s plan will differ depending on physical activity.

     

    1. Track your nutrition intake.

    Consistently tracking your food will give you information about your eating habits and help you calculate your macronutrient ratios. One of the best apps out there is MyFitnessPal: https://www.myfitnesspal.com.

    MyFitnessPal will show you how many grams of carbohydrates, fats, and protein you have eaten.

     

    1. “Trust the process.”

    It’s a common misconception to believe you can punch in your age, weight, and height into a calculator and get the exact number of calories and macros you need to look like a superhero. This isn’t real. It takes more to get the results you want based on your body type (ecto/meso/endomorph), environmental influences (like stress), and metabolic differences (like changes in hormones). But, the first step is figuring out what your body needs and when it needs it.

     

    Stay tuned for blogs on Fueling Your Workout and Eating For Performance.

  • 5 Benefits of Boxing

    5 Benefits of Boxing

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    5 Benefits of Boxing by Sijara Eubanks

    Boxing is one of the oldest combat sports known to man, dating back as far as the 3rd millennium, and for as long as boxing has been around, so have it’s many benefits. Boxing’s primary purpose has shifted – it’s no longer needed to squash ancient beefs – and it’s developed into a fine and sophisticated art form. Now, everyone can reap the benefits of boxing.

    Here are 5 of the top benefits of the sweet science.

    1. Hand-Eye Coordination – Boxing is an incredible tool to improve hand-eye coordination. With challenging and fun drills, you learn how to use your body to move, bounce, balance, and change direction while focusing on a target. Sounds complex, but the basics of boxing are easy to learn. Then, you can start practicing more complicated combinations.

    2. Stress Relief – What could be more relaxing after a long day than throwing on some gloves and punching the crap out of bag? Who needs therapy! Boxing is one of the few places you’re encouraged to punch things, plus, other than swinging for the fences, you’ll have the opportunity to learn the techniques of proper punching and footwork. While you’re focusing on that, there’s hardly room for the stresses from your work life and personal life.

    3. Burn calories FAST – You can burn a ton of calories in a boxing class, no matter what your skill set. So, if it’s summer body you’re looking for, boxing is the place to find it. Other than a good cardio session, boxing is also great for muscle toning and definition. Holding those gloves up really builds those biceps, and all that jump rope and foot work will pump those quads.

    4. Test your mettle – Boxing is fun for all ages, but it’s a challenging and mentally stimulating sport. A great boxing coach will help you build confidence and test your mental and physical strength. Once you become comfortable getting hit, other obstacles in life seem less stressful.

    5. Meet New People – It seems like it’d be tough to make friends with someone after punching them in the face, but it’s quite the opposite in a good boxing program, especially one like ours at Level Up Boxing and Fitness. After a great class of working, learning technique, hitting pad and mitts and then combining it all together, it’s hard not to bond with a few folks.
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