We're Working Out! at Tompkins Square Park

August 17, 2010 // Al Kavadlo

You don’t have to belong to a gym in order to get a great workout. Being outdoors and enjoying the fresh air can make exercising even more of a positive experience. Add in a few friends who can help you stay motivated and you’ve got yourself a fun way to spend an afternoon.

As I mention in my book, We’re Working Out! A Zen Approach to Everyday Fitness, my favorite place to train is Tompkins Square Park in NYC’s East Village. It has everything I need and it helps me keep my workouts creative.

TSP has built a cult following and become legendary in some circles. Thanks to word of mouth, a great community has taken shape over the years. In addition to doing my bootcamp class there every Saturday morning, I’m lucky enough to train with people who can teach me new things and push me to work harder. Rick Seedman and Alex Borisov of the Bar-barians are two of my favorite training partners lately. We were recently photographed by Felipe Passolas while we did our thing at TSP. I hope you find some inspiration in these pictures.

This takes a lot of practice.

Ready, set...

Muscle-up!

Can't get enough human flag!

Who doesn't love monkey bars?

This tore up my hands!

See!

We had a hell of a workout!