Friday, May 24, 2019

Cardio Exercises Paired With Strength Training Lead to Better Health


A long-time contractor serving New Jersey and its surrounding regions, Ralph Serpe is the president of Kemsco Construction and Equipment Company. Aside from his professional responsibilities, Ralph Serpe enjoys playing golf in New Jersey and Florida. He also maintains a regular cycling and strength training schedule.

With the development of fitness trackers and a growing awareness of the importance of heart health, aerobic activity tends to receive the most attention from advocates for health and wellness. Most fitness experts agree, however, that it is important to pair cardiovascular exercise such as cycling and running with a strength training regimen.

Regular strength training routines help individuals maintain the strength and technique they need to support their cardio activities. They also help rebuild the lean muscle mass that naturally diminishes with age. Engaging in strength activities also helps to burn calories and improve weight loss. 

Cardio machines, with their bright displays estimating calories burnt, can make one think that strength exercises don’t contribute as much toward weight loss. But research shows that one burns a significant number of calories during a strength session. In fact, as lean muscle mass is built, one burns calories at an increased rate, even while resting. 

Fitness experts agree that incorporating both strength and cardio exercises into one’s workout routine is helpful to maintaining overall good health.

Friday, May 3, 2019

Cycling the Boardwalks of the Jersey Shore


A New Jersey native, Ralph Serpe has led Kemsco Construction and Equipment Company in Newark, New Jersey, as president since 1982. An avid golfer, Ralph Serpe has recently taken up cycling as a form of exercise. He rides two to three times per week, typically around the Jersey Shore.

The Jersey Shore is home to some of the state’s most scenic cycling paths and trails, including the Belmar boardwalk, though bikes are only permitted on the boardwalk from 6 AM to 9 AM from May through September. However, with 11 miles of boardwalk spanning the likes of Asbury Park and Bradley Beach, it is a must ride for local cycling enthusiasts. The trail includes numerous amenities for riders, including a dedicated bike path and ample bike parking around the town of Deal.

The boardwalk in Ocean City is also a popular riding destination, particularly on Sundays, thanks in part to a beautiful bike boulevard running nearby Haven Avenue, as well as various buffered riding lanes and newly improved streets. Wildwood is another riding sanctuary, with a bikes-only lane featured throughout all of North Wildwood and countless beachside bike paths in the Wildwood Crest area.

Riders should also look into cycling opportunities in Seaside Heights and Long Beach Island. For more information on allocated cycling times in these areas, visit http://njbikeped.org/bicycling-the-jersey-shore.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

A Brief Look at the Peloton Bike


The founder and president of Kemsco Construction and Equipment Company, New Jersey-based Ralph Serpe oversees all operations at his company and has built long-standing relationships with his clients over a period of more than 30 years. To stay active, Ralph Serpe of New Jersey enjoys exercising regularly on his Peloton bike.

Built for indoor cycling, the stationary Peloton exercise bike features advanced technology and uses magnetic resistance to provide a smooth and fluid workout. The bike is enabled with ethernet so users can join live online or on-demand cycling classes and even chat with other riders. Its touchscreen allows users to track valuable performance metrics including resistance, calories burned, cadence, output, and heart rate, while also providing tools to allow riders to compete against others to enhance motivation to reach higher levels of performance.

A Peloton bike costs about $2000, although additional fees are charged for delivery and in-home assembly, clip-in shoes, and class subscriptions. The company offers several types of bike workout classes including beginner rides, endurance rides, rhythm rides, climbs, fat-burning HIIT rides, and live DJ rides.

Friday, March 16, 2018

Escaping the Golf Course Bunker


New Jersey businessman Ralph Serpe has been in the construction industry for more than three decades. A passionate golfer, Ralph Serpe has a few favorite New Jersey golf spots, including Essex Fells Country Club.

Sand traps and bunkers are fixtures on nearly every golf course. For many golfers, the art of getting out of a bunker plays no small role in the success of their game.

To get out of a bunker, choose the right club. If you have little green to work with, your best choice is usually a lob wedge. If you have enough green, however, choose a lower-lofted wedge, such as a sand wedge or gap wedge, which will encourage a greater flight distance.

Your setup and swing are also key. Twisting your feet into the sand provides a stable base for the shot, and playing off your front foot with an open stance and open clubface gives a high trajectory and soft flight. The swing itself should be outside-in, ensuring good control and a high flight path.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

The Essex Fells Country Club Golf Course


Since 1982, Ralph Serpe has served as president of Kemsco Construction and Equipment Company in Newark, New Jersey. An avid golfer, Ralph Serpe enjoys playing the course at Essex Fells Country Club in New Jersey, where he has been a member for more than two decades.

A private club founded in 1896, Essex Fells Country Club provides members with a range of social activities and sporting opportunities. Among other amenities, the Club offers an 18-hole golf course, a clubhouse, several dining areas, a heated pool, and 10 tennis courts.

Open from April to October each year, the Essex Fells golf course underwent a major renovation in 1996 under the direction of design firm Rees Jones, Inc. The 6,476-yard, par 70 course features four par 3 holes, two par 5, and 12 par 4, along with fast greens, vast fairways, and numerous bunkers. With landscaping of trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses, the course offers a challenge for novice and veteran golfers alike.

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Peloton to Release High-Tech Treadmill


As president of Newark, New Jersey's Kemsco Construction and Equipment Company, Ralph Serpe oversees all aspects of the business, including managing a budget with annual revenues that exceed $70 million. Beyond his professional pursuits, Ralph Serpe enjoys cycling outdoors throughout New Jersey, as well as indoors on his Peloton bike. 

Peloton was launched over four years ago as an interactive, indoor cycling platform, but as the company has grown so has its product base. In early January, the Manhattan-based enterprise announced the development of a high-tech treadmill that will expand upon similar technology and interaction utilized by the popular bike. The treadmill, which is expected to go on sale later in 2018, will cost an estimated $4,000 plus a $39 monthly fee for access to livestream training sessions and on-demand content. The treadmill measures 18 square feet, and its screen is roughly four times the size of that attached to the bike. The new machine was also developed using cost-effective 3-D printing technology. 

The product has been in development for the past two years, said Peloton CEO John Foley, who also noted the market for treadmills is five times the size of the bike market. Beyond the piece of equipment's use of technology to make exercise more engaging, it also includes 59 individual slats to allow for more comfort when running.

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Villanova Tops Recent College Basketball AP Rankings Poll


A resident of New Jersey, Ralph Serpe has served as president of Kemsco Construction and Equipment Company since 1982, and continues to work an extensive schedule to ensure the company's success. When he isn't working and developing new business relationships with clients throughout New Jersey, Ralph Serpe enjoys following college basketball. 

According to the weekly AP Top 25 poll for the week ending on January 28, the Villanova Wildcats are the best team in college basketball. The Wildcats scored wins over Providence and Marquette in the previous week and, through 21 games, the team boasts a win-loss record of 20-1 with its only loss coming against Butler on December 30. The team also has wins over Top 25-ranked teams Gonzaga and Xavier. Villanova received 47 of a possible 65 first-place votes for the AP Top 25 poll, while Virginia, which also boasts a 20-1 record, received 17 first-place votes. Purdue, Duke, and Michigan State rounded out the top five.

As impressive as Villanova's season has been, it means very little if they are once again unable to succeed in the annual March Madness tournament. Last season, the Wildcats were granted the No. 1 seed in the East bracket, but suffered a second-round defeat to eighth-ranked Wisconsin. The University of North Carolina won last year's tournament and were ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25 poll.