Rodney “Hurricane” Carter is pretty straightforward when it comes to his fitness philosophy: “You go to Equinox to look like you’re working out,” he says. “You come to Hurricane Fitness to work like you’re working out.”
To get to Hurricane Fitness requires a subway ride to Harlem. Once you arrive at his studio, you’ll quickly learn why Carter has been sought out by a wide range of celebrities to help whip them into film, stage or concert shape, including rapper Megan Thee Stallion, actor Aaron Eckhart, and actresses Teyonah Parris and Ilfenesh Hadera.
What makes Carter’s methods so effective? His “Hurricane Intensity Training (HIT)” program is a combination of intensity and efficiency that’ll have you finished in under an hour, but feel as if you’ve gone 12 grueling rounds with the former competitive boxer.
“It’s one of the best on the market,” he says. “You’ll melt fat and burn calories in record time. In as little as 18 minutes a day you can transform your life.”
What is your sports background?
I ran track, played baseball and basketball. As a boxer, however, I fought in New York’s Golden Gloves against future Olympian and former light-heavyweight champion Marcus Browne. Former welterweight champion Aaron Davis was my trainer. Till this day he tells me if he was my coach from an earlier age, I would’ve been a world champion.
When your clients, such as Megan Thee Stallion, first meet with you, what do they usually notice first about you?
I’m like a hurricane, which means I train for severe conditions. That means WE will train for any condition. Rain, hail, sleet, snow, we perform! I train myself and others to be prepared for life and any storms that it may bring.
Why do you keep working out?
Just like life, training never gets easier. But the more you put into it, the better you get and the more you get out of it.
What would you advise people who are now forced to or even choose to train at home?
Find yourself an accountability buddy—a coach, friend, partner or even use an app. Having someone to check-in with is huge when it comes to creating new habits and building consistency. Also, scheduling your workouts for the week is key.
Any home-training tips?
I believe in mastering your body weight before adding external loads. So being able to do basic squats, pullups and pushups with good form is all you need to get started at home. However, for boxing specifically my favorite bag is the double-end bag. I use an EZSpeedBag, which doubles as both.
What makes training others a fulfilling profession?
Helping others reach their true potential fuels me more than enough. My secret to motivating them is by leading by example and believing in them when they don’t yet believe in themselves. One trait I notice they all have in common is that they all leave here better than they came to me.
RODNEY CARTER’S ‘HURRICANE INTENSITY TRAINING’ WORKOUT
TIME: 20 minutes (3 rounds)
EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Yoga mat (optional), dumbbells
INSTRUCTIONS: Perform each combo of exercises for 20 seconds with 10 seconds rest before performing next exercise (ex.: 20 seconds of jumping jacks, 10 seconds rest, burpees for 20 seconds, 20 seconds rest). Do each sequence for three rounds before moving on to the next sequence.
THE WORKOUT
Jumping Jacks followed by Burpees
Goblet Squat followed by Pushups
Jumping Jacks followed by Burpees
Reverse Lunges followed by Renegade Rows
Jumping Jacks followed by Burpees
Planks followed by Bicycles
To stay updated with Rodney Carter, follow him on social media.
Website: HurricaneFit.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@hurricanefitnessnyc/
by Jeff Tomko