How to spend a Big Day of Fun in Harrington Park

Lucas Biel got into fitness thanks to his mother, Izabela. "She was a bodybuilder and motivated me to pursue a similar journey," he says. "I started working out with her and taking her spin classes growing up."

Biel has a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Montclair State University and has been a personal trainer at Body Chemistry in Norwood for more than six years. "I love to help people achieve their goals and maximize their potential," he says. "That is how we founded Elevate Stair Climb."

Elevate Stair Climb was an idea that came to Biel in 2019. He shared it with his best friend since 5th grade and current business partner Patrick McGuire, who loved it. "We started doing research on the fitness industry and found out we would be the first ever stair climber concept," Biel says. They opened their doors three years later with a simple goal: to maximize results and minimize time. "The best way to do that was a 30-minute stair class that hits every muscle in your body," Biel says.

Using a stair climber (or Stairmaster), Elevate Stair Climb classes clock in at 30 minutes and can average 300 calories per climb.

"The stair climber is unlike any other type of cardio equipment, since it is also a strength-building piece of equipment," Biel says. "The continuous climbing of stairs is what makes it a cardiovascular workout. However, since you have to push the stair down with your legs, it becomes a resistance style of workout, and therefore strength training, as well. Believe it or not, the most used muscles in our classes would be in your core, as that's what keeps you upright to keep going."

The studio offers two classes: Climb Pro (30 minutes on the climber) and ClimbX (15 minutes on the stairs and 15 minutes with weights). "On average, people will climb to the top of the Empire State Building (similar to 90 floors) or higher during a 30-minute class," Biel says. "Recently, a lot more people have been approaching the Freedom Tower in New York City (132 floors) and our club record is 196 floors in 30 minutes — equivalent to climbing the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, up and back down in 30 minutes!"

Here is what a perfect day in and around Harrington Park looks like to Biel.

5:30 a.m. — Teach Class at Elevate Stair Climb

I teach our Climb Pro class at Elevate Stair Climb (76 Schraalenburgh Rd., Unit 4, Harrington Park). It is comparable to a spin or indoor cycling class and is open to all levels. It consists of 30 minutes on the climber with an instructor who choreographs movements to the speed and beat of the music. Near the end of the class, we stop the machines to follow the instructor's 3-minute arm segment with wrist weights. This starts my day energized and ready to get after it.

7 a.m. — Coffee at HPStir Coffee Company

I will pay a visit to our friend and local volunteer fireman, Jeff Brockman, of HPStir Coffee Company in Harrington Park (visit hpstircoffeeco.com for more details). His daughters and her friends run a pop-up stand in his driveway right next to Cork & Crust. It is a local cold brew coffee company. All of their coffee is made fresh and the beans are organic and fair trade. I normally grab a cold brew from him (the best in New Jersey!) or fill up a growler for coffee.

8:30 a.m. — Breakfast at Northvale Classic Diner

Next, I head over to my favorite diner, Northvale Diner (247 Livingston St, Northvale), and ask for my favorite waiter, Luis, to get my favorite breakfast: the Mediterranean omelet. Made with feta cheese, spinach, tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms, it fuels me for the day. I even tell them to add grilled chicken to the omelet to get my daily protein started higher.

Noon — Shopping at Lululemon

I head over to Lululemon (61 Vervalen St., Closter) at Closter Plaza to get some workout apparel. I only go to this store because of the amazing staff. My favorite items would be the ABC joggers. I own too many pairs in all different colors. Their staff, mainly Meagan and Chelsea, make sure I leave the store with the best-fitting clothes for me, as I have abnormally large legs. Their 7-inch shorts are also a favorite of mine because of the exotic designs they offer.

6 p.m. — Dinner at Cork & Crust Italian Mediterranean Kitchen

Cork & Crust (90 La Roche Ave., Harrington Park) is the best Italian restaurant in the area ― incredible food and service. I normally order the branzino, and my fianceė, Elyse, will get the blackened chicken pasta dish. All the food here is incredible.

8 p.m. — Bowling at Montvale Lanes

You can find our group of friends at Montvale Lanes (14 W. Grand Ave., Montvale) for some casual but also competitive bowling. We love going to Montvale Lanes because of how relaxed and nostalgic it is. This cash-only bowling alley is a great way to bond with our friends after a long day and give each other a little challenge, since I am very competitive!

76 Schraalenburgh Rd., Unit 4, Harrington Park; (201) 357-7284; elevatestairclimb.com; @elevatestairclimb

Get to Know Harrington Park

Established: 1904

Total Area: 2.06 square miles

Population: 4,735 people; 1,592 households; 1,328 families

Median property value: $597,400

Median household income: $135,750

Borders: Closter, Emerson, Norwood, Old Tappan and River Vale

(Source: United States Census and datausa.io)

Famous Faces: Several notable people in sports, entertainment and politics have called Harrington Park home including  Olympic swimmer Craig Beardsley, former New York Mets General Manager Omar Minaya, New York Yankees outfielder Dan Pasqua, three-time Olympic track cyclist Jackie Simes, Tony Award-winning Broadway actress Beth Leavel, film director, producer and screenwriter Gregory Jacobs, Nickelodeon executive and co-creator of Blue’s Clues Angela Santomero, comedian and former Saturday Night Live castmember Jon Rudnitsky, and Senator Cory Booker.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Things to do in Harringon Park: Here's a day of fun