By Josh Williams
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
FINANCIAL DISTRICT — A group of workers in the Financial District have turned lunchtime at a local park into an outdoor exhibition of fitness and weight training.
The group's members, known as the "Bar Starz," range from court clerks to delivery men who get together daily to work out at Columbus Park, located across the street from Moynihan Federal Courthouse.
"Bar Starz" was formed 10 years ago by indoor workers looking for an outside workout that was cheap and effective.
"I've been working out for three years," said 51-year-old Angel Molina, who explained where the group's name originated. "The star represents the five points of New York where we are located and the bar is the chin up bar."
The diverse group uses playground bars to perform dips, chin-ups and an array of other core exercises that use their body weight as resistance.
"Great core exercises," said John Davis, a nearby building manager who works out at the park. "When you are up there [on the bars] and when you hit that freezing point, everything is working for you. Everything up here [shoulders] is on fire."
The men find working out together is a good way to stay motivated and they often push each other to work harder — that is, when they aren't sharing a laugh.
“Some of the challenges are staying focused because these guys are a bunch of characters," said Lorenzo Martin, who works as a Criminal Court Case Manager in the Federal Court House. "We’re always talking and joking.”
