The Beta Team
About Us
Maillard Howell
“Humility, Discipline and Belief..”
- B.S. Biology
- MBA
- CrossFit Level 2 Certification
- CrossFit StrongMan Certification
- CrossFit Weightlifting Certification
- Pendlay Weightlifting Level 1 and Level 2
- CPR Certified
Maillard grew up in the Caribbean Island of Trinidad. He played competitive tennis and began his life in the gym at the age of 15 after his Mother gifted him a membership for his birthday. She had grown tired of seeing him make do with a couple rusty dumbbells his Father had abandoned in the garage. He transitioned to Morehouse College in Atlanta GA on a full academic scholarship where he secured a Biology Degree.
His interest in the science of the human body coupled with the underlying emotional need to want to help other led to his successful 10 year path in the Pharmaceutical Industry in New York City. Over the decade his portfolio ranged from helping doctors lead awareness and medical treatment of HIV, Diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis with infectious diseases, metabolism and neuroscience drugs respectively.
Even while working in a corporate setting Maillard remained active with various gym memberships. This morphed into him helping friends and family members achieve their own fitness and wellness goals in and out of the gym. In 2011, CrossFit began to give Maillard the tools and the ability to really explore and measure his athletic ability along with an additional skillset to help others look, feel and perform better.
A diagnosis of clinical depression and recurring and worsening work related anxiety attacks led to Maillard leaving his successful corporate career in 2014. He has since owned and operated his own CrossFit facility in the Downtown Brooklyn neighborhood of Prospect Heights where he strives to raise awareness of the long term benefits of physical fitness on physical ability, mental wellbeing and emotional stability.
Maillard’s client base ranges from competitive strength athletes, Professors, high level executives, wheelchair athletes and Moms. A fixture in the Downtown Brooklyn neighborhood of Prospect Heights. Maillard’s mantra " build your strength, build your life" is a testament to his belief that fitness and overall mental and physical wellness go hand in hand to a better quality of life. "I thoroughly enjoy helping others discover their inner athlete. It matters not age, gender, fitness background etc., I am of the firm belief that “once you have a body, you can be an athlete”.
John Kasten
“Exercise should be regarded as tribute to the heart..”
- B.A. Dance
- USAG Certified gymnastics instructor
- CPR Certified
I have been passionate and involved with movement my entire life. Everyone moves. How do we move? Are we efficient? Are we graceful? Through teaching and through sharing my own path, I work to pass on information that my own teachers have shared with me. Through training others, I get to break it down, make it understandable. I have been immersed in gymnastics, dance, and performance and want to help others understand their bodies, achieve their goals, be strong and ultimately, express themselves. It is a true honor to teach.
John Kasten has over 20 years of gymnastics, dance, circus and performance arts training, and has been sharing his knowledge through teaching since 2006. John has been teaching both children and adults, passing on his knowledge and skills of mobility and the human body.
Press
Tips To Conquer Your Morning: Slam A Glass Of Water
"A huge glass of water is the last thing I do before bed and the first thing when I wake up. Being refreshed at night helps me relax for bed and then it helps wake me up in the morning. I also use a reminder app with to help remind me to practice affirmations... Sometimes it's as simple as four words. That way the first 15-30 minutes I'm brushing my teeth and prepping for the day, I'm repeating the affirmation from the reminder." - Maillard Howell, owner at CrossFit Prospect Heights
How to master jump rope double-unders (step 1: drop the rope and clap your hands)
You’ve come a long way since your days on the playground. You’ve swapped swinging from the monkey bars forpull-ups, traded P.E. kickball for an adult kickball league, and stopped climbing trees in favor of bouldering. You’re all grown up. But there’s one childhood exercise that’s effective (and fun!) enough to take with you into adulthood: jumping rope. And double-unders are jumping rope, but harder. As the name would suggest, the rope passes under your feettwicein one jump.[...]
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