Athlete of the Month - April 2026
We we very proud to announce Jonathan Walz as our April Athlete of the Month. His name has been on all the coaches’ radar. Jonathan’s fitness journey is related but some and then completely different from others. That’s what makes the blend of people in this community so great. It’s a very strange feeling and tough change when you need to switch gyms. It’s literally ending one relationship and starting another. Jonathan joined IP Fitness about a year and half ago. It was great of him to be open to new movements and styles of fitness. This attitude along with his consistent work ethic has kept him progressing every day. If you’ve been in class with him, you know Jonathan comes ready to work, he’s all about the team and he’s got some jokes. There’s not one class Jon attends where he’s not helping put equipment away or sharing help tips he uses that could benefit others. We always appreciate the teammate and sportsman mentality. I am pumped for how well Jonathan’s nutrition is going. He’s dropped about 50lbs since joining, much of it thanks to his discipline with his intermittent fasting diet. This is helping that pull-up practice big time. We are excited for more success to come.
Written by: Coach Rob Moloney
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Q&A
Why did you start functional fitness cross-training?
I started cross training in the fall of 2019 when I was dealing with issues with both of my knees and my left shoulder that were from prior injuries and being physically deconditioned. Physical training, initially via the TRX and calisthenics, helped me get back on track physically and mentally. That eventually let me to IP Fitness.
What is your athletic background?
I grew up playing soccer and baseball and skiing during the winters where I lived in Bergen County NJ. Skiing became a big favorite of mine and I got better over time, but I became highly proficient at falling and crashing and dealing with lots of bumps, bruises, and scrapes. (This trend continued after I began mountain biking with friends as well.)
I rowed for my first two years at college and switched to rugby after filling out and getting a wee bit chunky. I also grew up swimming, wind surfing, and sailing on Orient Harbor as a child and started surfing on the Jersey Shore and on Long Island in my mid-twenties.
How long have you been a member and how long have you been doing functional fitness?
I joined IP Fitness in October 2024 after Beachfit, my prior gym, closed. That was where I had formally started my functional fitness training.
What is your favorite thing about the gym?
I love the people and culture here at the gym because of the encouragement to find your personal limits and then to push past them over time. All the people here make class fun even when the WOD is a real grind. You learn to take the work, and not yourself, seriously.
What is the biggest challenge you have overcome since joining the gym?
Learning discipline to get myself into class at least 4 times a week and improving my nutrition has been difficult. (As a desk jockey in my 50’s it is not so easy going from a complete “veal” to having a grain of discipline. Forward is still forward, no matter how slow.)
What is the biggest change you have made over the years working out here?
At 52 years old I had to learn patience with my own progress, especially since I have been training like this for less than two years. Seeing the other athletes here routinely doing things I cannot do yet seems daunting at times and I have to remember to focus on my own effort and progress.
What are one or two favorite moments at the gym?
There are too many to mention and I just enjoy coming to class and seeing everyone.
What is your favorite "cheat" food?
Pizza. You cannot work in Brooklyn for over 15 years and not have pizza as a favorite cheat food. That said, I do love a good burger, gyro, or doner kebab as well.
What is your go to meal to cook?
I do a version of a Greek horiatiki salad with chickpeas, rotisserie chicken, and Greek lemon dressing for a couple of meals during the week. When I have time on a weekend, I will cook something good I find on YouTube. When I catch fish off the beach or by my mom’s place out in East Marion, I cook that.
What do you say to someone who is thinking about starting?
Just take a class and try it. The worst thing that can happen is that you might enjoy it.
What drives you?
I just want to be healthy for the second half of my life and I want to be able to take care of my family and enjoy life.
What is your biggest fitness goal right now?
To continue consistently training and intermittent fasting to get to an optimal weight and fitness level for myself and to be able to do unassisted pull ups and climb ropes proficiently.
Who are 3 influential people (alive) who you would want to have dinner with?
Victor Davis Hansen, and Joshua Philips & Roman Balmakov (reporters from the Epoch Times), to discuss all the current events going on in the country. Kimi Werner, (professional chef, spear fisherman, and you tube personality, to learn about freediving, spearfishing, and cooking seafood well.
What is a book, documentary, or movie you think everyone needs to check out?
“Wherever You Go, There You are” by Jon Kabat-Zinn is a book about mindfulness, meditation, and stress management and it is something that everyone could use in daily life. Documentaries: The Social Dilemma which discusses the negative side of social media on our culture and people. That Sugar Film which looks at the hidden sugar in foods and its impact on the human body. This really got me thinking about focusing on eating real whole food.
If you could call anyone out to do a workout with you, who would it be and what workout?
I would call anyone in the 7pm classes just since I know them the most. Anyone in the gym would be welcome though. As for the workout, it would be mixed circuits of Cindy, RKB swings and snatches, sandbag lunges and carries, and rowing intervals mixed in. If we were pressed for time, then “Microwave” and some kettlebell work.