Category Archives: Working Out

Tips For Gym Motivation- We All Need It!

Posted in Working Out by
Yoga

Yoga in the Park with some girfriends- I am on the far right

Let’s face it, if going to the gym and working out was fun and easy everyone would be doing it. We would all be in tip-top shape, more productive, have more energy, and sleeping better. However the truth is working out is hard, I mean it is called working for a reason. I work out everyday, but this was by no means natural for me in the beginning.  Pushing your body to do something physically strenuous daily takes a lot of discipline, motivation, and practice. This skill like any other needs to be learned and honed through trial and error. It comes down to first figuring out workouts not only you enjoy, but are also effective. Next is finding ways to motivate yourself to go and then lastly continuing to persuade yourself to go. Below are some of the tips and tricks that have worked for me in continuing to go for that daily sweat session. These may not work for everyone, but hopefully there will be something that you find useful. Enjoy!

Reward yourself-

We are all more likely  to do something when we get an incentive to do it right? Part of the reason we go to work everyday is because we get paid money for doing so. Hopefully we also get self satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment from work, but the main reason is the pay. When you reward yourself for going to the gym and keeping up with a regular routine it helps to make the experience better. Try buying yourself new workout clothes. Trust me, if you have something you are excited about wearing it will help push you to want to go to the gym. Is there a new song or album you have been wanting to buy? Download songs that you can only listen to when you are at the gym or on a run. Sometimes I will get so anxious to hear that new pop song it makes me excited to get my morning run in.  If you keep up with your workout routine for an entire month treat yourself to a massage. If you know the only way you are going to get a massage is by keeping up with your routine it helps keep you on track.

Know what you are working out for-

Equate gym time to what the ultimate pay offs are. For most people about 10 minutes of cardio exercise is a calorie burn of 100-150 calories.  This means for 30 minutes of working out you can potentially burn about 300-400 calories. I try and eat healthy most of the time, so I use my exercise as my budget for what I can go above and beyond with. For instance if I know I want to go out with friends later that night I will push myself to do an extra 10 more minutes of cardio so I can have one more glass of wine which clocks in at about 130 calories a glass. For me finding ways to understand what burned calories actually equals helps me stay more disciplined. Knowing that about a dozen M & M’s is the equivalent of 10 minutes of cardio makes the food way less appealing.

Pre-Plan your gym time-

Have your gym routine planned out for the week in advance. I know every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I do spinning and every Tuesday I do Body Pump and every Thursday I do a Barre Class. Saturdays and Sundays are free days to do whatever I want. Typically this is running, or going on a hike, trying a new class, or taking a rest day if my body needs it. Having a routine helps take the guessing out of it. Since I know what I am doing every day during the week I just get up and do it. I don’t have time to question whether I should or should not, it is like going to work. It is just part of your day.

Prep for the day ahead-

Lay your gym clothes out the night before. This is simple and effective. The next morning when you are half asleep everything is already setup for you to get up and go. Same thing goes with working out in the afternoon. Pack your workout bag the night before so you can pick it up on your way out the door in the morning.

Be strict with yourself-

Don’t give yourself permission to skip the gym, but allow yourself to do only a light workout. On days I really don’t want to go to the gym I tell myself all I need to do is go for 15 minutes. I can do anything for 15 minutes, even stretch. I find 95% of the time once you are at the gym and working out you end up doing your whole workout routine anyways. Sometimes you just need to give yourself permission to do less and know it is ok if you do. Plus 15 minutes is way better then nothing!

Focus on the good-

Remind yourself how you will feel after you work out. Have you ever finished a workout and thought I wish I had not done that? No, typically you always feel pretty good when you have pushed yourself to do something your body was not sure it wanted to do. Reminding yourself of how you will feel after the workout instead of focusing on how you will feel during is a good mind trick. I never look forward to spinning, but I always love how I feel after I have really gotten a good sweat session in.

Warm Weather Exercise Tips

Posted in Health, Working Out by

For those of you who are not already aware I am currently in the process of becoming a Barre instructor at my favorite studio in San Francisco Avant-Barre! Don’t worry, I plan on blogging all about it. As part of my training I am getting certified in group fitness through ACE, the American Council of Exercise. In my process of studying for the ACE exam I thought it would not only help me with preparing, but could also benefit others to share some interesting tips and information as I find it. With that below is my first tip, enjoy!

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With the summer months just kicking off and with the extended days in the sun it is only natural we all want to get out of the gym and make our way outside to exercise. Nothing beats a nice early morning run with the sun, the fresh flowers in bloom, and the nice summer air upon us. However when working out in the heat there are a few things you want to keep in mind in order to make sure you are keeping yourself safe and well.

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1. When you  begin to exercise in the heat it is important to make sure you are doing it gradually. To become acclimated to exercising in the heat it takes about 7-10 days. Therefore you want to make sure you start exercising slowly each day and gradually working your way up with time.

2. Make sure to always wear lightweight, well ventilated, and light colored clothing while exercising in the sun. The light colored clothing will reflect the sun better than darker colors which will ultimately help to keep you cooler.

3. Never wear non-breathable or impermeable garments. The idea of wearing these types of clothes (ie. a rubber suit for example) in order to help with weight loss is just a myth. The change in weight is solely due to fluid loss and not fat loss and can be very dangerous to one’s health.

4. Replace body fluids as they are lost. Drink fluids at regular intervals while working out, however be careful to avoid over-hydration which can be just as dangerous as being dehydrated. Consumption of smaller amounts of fluid frequently is the best practice and sticking to water over sports drinks.

5. Recording daily body weight is an excellent way to prevent accumulative dehydration. For example if someone loses 5 lbs of water weight after exercising then that same amount of water should be re-gained before exercising again the next day. If you do not replenish the same amount of water that has not been lost then make sure to tail back your workout the next day until you are back.

6. Air Movement is critical for being able to help cool ones self off. If there is limited air movement (for example exercising in a gym with no fans) the micro climate next to the body can actually become the same temperature as the body itself. This will prevent adequate heat loss and can therefore put you at risk for a heat injury. So make sure to have fans going if you are inside or a a slight breeze if outside.

Hope this was helpful and now everyone get outside and move your body!

 

Wanderlust- A day of bending, stretching, and yoga in the park

Posted in San Francisco, Working Out by

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Saturday one of my dear friends Jaclyn arranged a day of fun and yoga in the sun at the Wanderlust Yoga in the City Festival down on the Marina Green in San Francisco. Now you might be asking yourself what is Wanderlust? Wanderlust is a yoga festival where the core mission is to create a community around mindful living and leading a healthy life. This is done through focusing on practicing yoga first and foremost, eating well, building purpose, mindfulness, and self awareness while also enjoying music and art. The festivals are offered in 4 day retreats, single day retreats, or the city experience where it brings a taste of the festival to us city dwellers for an afternoon.

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Jaclyn and I decided to do the first class of the day which started at 12:30. Two local yoga teachers alternated teaching through the hour long class, with one instructing the first 30 minutes followed by the second.  Staring across the green grass yogi’s and their mats were lined up in rows upon rows facing towards the front of the stage.  The instructor would speak into the microphone overhead giving out commands and directing us into the desired poses. Tranquil music played in the background creating a relaxing environment.

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Now it has been a little while since I have practiced yoga and with the wind from the bay stronger then ever it created a whole new challenge. Let’s just say I found holding my poses to be not as graceful as I would have hoped.  Our teacher kept encouraging us to be in the moment, to embrace the outdoors, and be one with our environment. I tried my best, but when your mat keeps flying up and hitting you in the leg it makes mindfulness a little more difficult.

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When the hour class was all said and done and I was lying on my back, my arms and legs spread out, eyes closed, and was breathing deeply in the marina air, I finally felt relaxed and one in the moment. So ultimately I think I achieved what Wanderlust had set out for it’s intention, a day of focusing on myself and enjoying being outside.

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After we finally made our way up from Shavasana we decided to go check out the vendor’s and sponsor’s booths. Now let me just say I love swag. Any kind of free stuff whether it is a key chain, t-shirt, or sample of food it will always makes me happy. This event had some great sponsor’s who really went all out. Kashi was offering bowls of cereal and milk (which we know I am addicted to) along with granola bars for an after yoga food fix, Health had free magazines of their latest issue for everyone to take, and resource water had huge bottles of water and very soft and stylish t-shirts. All in all I made out like a bandit!

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Wanderlust in the city is not exclusive to San Francisco, so I highly recommend going and checking their website out to see if there is an event coming near you. It is a free and you cant beat a day in the sun with like minded people, all serving a purpose of connecting with yourself and nature.

 

Los Angeles Studio Run Down

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Kinetic Cycling

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One of my go to group fitness classes, especially when traveling, is spinning. Not only is it the best way to get a major cardio session in, but I have found it is one type of class that is very different depending on what studio you are at. Soul Cycle, Flywheel, 24-hour fitness, Worlds Gym, they all have a completely different format and approach to spinning. Of course the more boutique spinning classes are edgier and unique, which is why I wanted to give a new studio a try when I went to visit.  Kinetic Cycling ended up being my studio of choice. It is located in the charming area of Brentwood which was about 15 minutes away from my where I was staying at my girlfriends place in Culver City.  Walking up to the studio it is located in a typical LA shopping center and at first impression one would think there is nothing special about this typical suburbia mall.

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Walking in I was first greeted by the instructor who had to be one of the happiest people I have ever met! Upon learning it was my first time at the studio he proceeded to advise me that before  we could do anything I needed to introduce myself first. After introductions he gave me a huge hug and smile. This of course put me right at ease and I was ready to get my spin on. Now what makes Kinetic Cycling stand out from other spinning studios out there is not the ambiance of the place, as walking in the ambiance is pretty bare bones and basic. Rather it is the premise of the class, spinning while the music video’s of the songs playing are streaming in front of you.

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Once on my bike and the time hit 9:30 the  music came on and Usher was all of a sudden singing and dancing in front of me. The  lights started to  flash from hot pink, to blue, to green, to purple and continued in this fashion all throughout the 45 minute ride. In front of us our fearless leader started the charge and we were all immersed in the television screen behind him. Talk about a great way to zone out when you are starting those hills! After about 10 minutes into the ride and  just when I thought our instructor could not get any more enthusiastic he all of a sudden jumped off his bike, grabbed a microphone, and preceded to walk around the room cheering us on and giving is high fives, talk about a great tactic to keep you motivated and engaged.

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Towards the end of class when my legs were burning and I was cursing the fact that I made myself get up early for this, it was as if the instructor knew we needed something a little more. It was here we were told that we were no longer racing for ourselves, but we were doing it for one another. We had to decide then and there to continue on and push through to help our fellow neighbor.  If that does not make you want to push yourself harder, I don’t know what will!

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All in all this class was not only a great workout, but the sense of team work and motivation was off the charts. I would highly recommend this place for anyone starting an adventure in spinning. There was every age, sex, and type of person in my class which also helped in the feeling of this is a people’s spin class with an edge.  They currently have a groupon deal out to try 5 classes for $45, which is pretty cheap!

The Main Barre

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Surprise, surprise I had to of course try an LA Barre class while I was visiting. For this one I enlisted my best friend Melissa. The class was bright and early Saturday morning and located in LA’s emerging downtown area. This area is very similar to San Francisco’s Financial District. It is very busy during the work week, but desolate come the weekend. Our class was bright and early at 9:30 am, which would normally not be a problem for me at all. However the only obstacle we had not factored in with this early morning start time was the bottle of wine we each consumed the night before. However we still managed to make it on time and get our Barre on!

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The studio was located in an old, vintage  building with early 1920’s elevators and a grande marble spiral staircase. We made our way up to the top floor and walked into a quaint and quintessential  barre studio.  Hard wood floors stretched out in front of us with  large bay windows overlooking the downtown financial buildings. Looking outside one could see the streets lined with pops of Palm Trees guiding the roads, making it feel very LA From the minute I walked in I felt at home and at ease. For those of you from San Francisco it had a very similar feel and vibe to Yoga for the People in the Mission District.

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Our instructor was tall, blonde, friendly, and natural, which all fitted with her big grin and effortlessness in teaching. She had a demeanor which made you feel like you had been friends for years.  The class was a great workout. It was similar to many of the Barre classes I have taken before where you start with warm up, move onto hand weights, followed by a set focused on glutes and thighs, and then rounding it out with abs. The workout was challenging, but easy to follow.

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Overall what I loved about this place is it very Los Angeles. It is not a chain studio and that independent feeling is shown through the entire experience. In terms of pricing they have a deal for your first time trying the class where you can buy one class and get one free for $20, which if you take barre consistently know that $10 a class is really not a bad deal. If I lived in LA this might be my studio of choice. However I think I will have to try a few more various studios out before I fully commit to that statement. Either way I am hoping I can make it back prior to my second class expiring. If not Melissa is a lucky lady with a bonus class to try!

Los Angeles vs New York City, A Gym Story

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Every time I visit New York City I make it a point to try a new workout class or studio since New York is known for having so many unique and diverse ways to exercise. I now always look forward to these adventures in health and fitness and it has become a staple in my bi-yearly trip to the Big Apple.  This would leave one to think that since I visit Los Angeles at least 4 or more times a year for work as well that I would partake in this same kind of love.  Surprisingly though, the only times I have ventured outside of my hotel gym is for a run outside or to the neighborhood 24 hour fitness.

Now I was sitting and thinking to myself why this might be. Los Angeles is just as adventurous in terms of workouts as New York, one might even say more so. You have all of the scantily clad women with their tan and toned bodies, so they have to be going somewhere. Not to mention the many celebrities who call LA home.  In my guilty pleasure US Weekly magazine I will see photos of celebrities meandering around the city in yoga pants, cupping a juice smoothie, with that glistening just worked out glow, so they have to be going somewhere?  After some contemplation I decided it came down to convenience.

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 In New York I know I can get to anywhere without a car. I can pretty much walk to some studio from wherever I am staying, although yes sometimes the walk is so long it is getting a workout in before my actual workout. I also know if it came down to it I could get on a bus, train, or taxi cab for relatively cheap if needed. LA is a completely different game. Without a car you are virtually locked in your immediate surroundings.  This last week I was in LA for work and stayed on a couple of days to celebrate my best friend turning 30. I decided for this trip I was going to indulge and face my fear of finding my way around the city of Angels.

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Now obviously I do not have the time, money, or resources to try a new class or studio every day. I wish I could! So there was some hotel gym runs in the mix. Below is my LA workout’s for the week. My trip began on Monday and went through Saturday morning. One thing I like about going on trips is switching up my routine. It helps in keeping me feeling refreshed and not stale, especially when it comes to workouts.

Monday: 45 minutes of my own personal made up spinning class at my local gym

Tuesday: 6-Mile Treadmill Run

Wednesday: 6-Mile Treadmill Run

Thursday: 6-Mile Treadmill Run

Friday: 45 Minute Spinning Class at Kinetic Spinning Studio

Saturday: 3-Mile Run Outside and 60 Minute Barre Class at The Main Barre Studio

Although I will say my week of running at the Marriott hotel gym was at least nice since the treadmills were new and the facility was not crowded, two big thumbs up for me when it comes to travel. The fun for me or also known as slight torture depending on the day started on Friday and Saturday morning with my two classes. Stay tuned for my next post where I go into details on the two studios I tried!

Indoor Rowing and Channeling House of Cards

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Perhaps it is just everyone around me, but House of Cards is all any of us can talk about. If you have not tuned into this show yet, it is a must! It is a Netflix original series with two seasons under its belt. Netflix brilliantly releases all episodes of a season at once, which makes binge watching the show pretty much inevitable.  Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright not only play ruthless and complex characters flawlessly, but the show portrays how relentless people will be for power and prestige. While being all engulfed in the show I noticed how exercise is a big part of both characters lives and one of their go to workouts outside of running is rowing.

Now rowing machines are common at most gyms, however they typically are stored somewhere in the corner almost out of sight for most people. In my many times at the gym I rarely see people frequent the indoor rower. I myself have utilized the machine a hand full of times before, but  it has been for a quick 10 minute cardio set prior to a strength training class. Also to be honest the only reason I gave it a shot in the first place was because my legs were in desperate need of a break and the thought of running made me cringe. After watching House of Cards it made me re-think about my past rowing quickies and made me wonder if this exercise machine could be more?

In true San Francisco fashion I went straight to my site for all information, Yelp.  I started a search for rowing and happened to stumble upon a gym called APEXWellness Center that offers various fitness classes and an indoor rowing class was just one of them. For your first time at Apex you are able to try a class for free, so I thought why not and signed myself and Dustin up for last Saturday. 

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The class was located in Apex’s Lite Gym down a little alley in the Financial District. Walking down the paved road I almost missed the small studio and felt like I had stumbled into a European street opposed to a place where I was about to get my sweat on.  We walked into the gym and met Leo our instructor for the day. Leo is from South America and although his English was still a work in progress he was able to guide us through the class perfectly.  Now I have to say I was a little skeptical, how was I going to be able to row for a whole hour and either not bored out of my mind or in so much pain that I was going to want to pass out by the end of it.

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Leo started the class off by working with us individually on our form. Once we started to prefect that he would give us goals to hit in terms of pace and strokes per minute. We would then perform one minute on of rowing followed by a one minute break. After the first 20 minutes we started to incorporate 15 second sprints towards the end of our sets and would row as hard and as quick as we possibly could. It is amazing how rowing utilizes your entire body  from your shoulders down to your calves. Your heart rate goes up quickly and the motion of pulling with all of your strength is exhilarating. After 45 minutes of the interval training on the machine Leo had us we finish the workout with 10 minutes of stretching to cool down.

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 I had no idea until this class just how much form is required to perform rowing properly. Once you start to research rowing you find out it is an excellent exercise for improving cardio-vascular abilities, weight loss, cross training, and just general fitness. It is also great at blasting calories with a 130 lbs woman burning about 280 calories in 30 minutes. So next time you see the rowing machine standing all alone in the corner at the gym try testing it out. I highly recommend the high intensity intervals. It keeps it fun and interesting, while also giving you a great cardio workout. Here is a great 20-Minute Total Body Rowing Workout from Shape Magazine to get you going. Enjoy!

Pop Physique San Francisco- No longer a Pop Virgin

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As I have said before and I will probably say a few hundred times more, I am obsessed with Barre workouts! I also happen to love finding a killer deal and trying something new. So when I saw Pop Physique had a special of $45 for 5 classes I was automatically in!

Pop Physique is an LA based company which is easy to identify after visiting their website. The site radiates an allure and sex appeal to it. A well defined ladies derriere is front and center upon logging on. The bursts of neon color’s, and the “Pop Virgin?” question start to take a hold of you just taunting you to join to see what this place is all about.  In San Francisco I practice Barre weekly at the Dailey Method and Avant Barre, both two very different and amazing studios. I have also tried Cardio Barre along with Barre Classes at Studio Mix. I have found most studios in the city will let you try a class for free for the first time or at a great rate for a newbie.  If you are not afraid to try new workouts or going to new places I highly recommend always taking advantage of the new client specials along with looking for deals on sites like Groupon or Living Social.

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I purchased my Pop Physique deal back in January, but with the location not being as convenient to my apartment and with the popularity of the place I had a tough time getting a class booked. I finally ended up just deciding to book all of my classes a few weeks in advance so I could make sure and take advantage before the expiration in April.

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This morning I took the 6:00 am Pop Sculpt class. Since the studio is about 20 minutes from my place so I had to get up around 5:25 am, which I have to admit was really early! I made my way across town and I found parking pretty easily, which I think was mainly due to the early hour.

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Walking into the studio you immediately feel like you have walked into a place for the elite and cool. There were several girls sitting on the side and waiting anxiously in hopes of a space opening up. I stepped in line to check in and noticed all of the well dressed, attractive, and hip girls before me.  I soon made my way to the main studio which was one of the most beautiful and zen spaces I have worked out in. The room was filled with dark hard wood flooring and giant windows in the back overlooking a garden space. Overhead were giant white light fixtures that were able to give a mellow, yet warm enough glow. I grabbed my pink ball, mat, and weights and the fun began!

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Pop Physique was similar to The Dailey Method and Physique 57 in that all of these studios have you incorporate weights into the workout, which I personally love for resistance training. The workouts were fast paced and challenging, but also spread out in a way that you could still feel pushed without overly exhausted. Overall and I would rate this place a 3.8 out of 5 stars. The biggest pro for Pop Physique is really the workout itself, it was awesome and I definitely got my sweat on! The space is also amazing and unlike its competitors in the city, Pop Physique will offer fantastic deals throughout the year to all clients, not just new members. The biggest cons here are there is only one studio in the city, which if you do not live close to makes it less convenient. Classes book up really fast so you have to be a pre-planner in order to get in and parking is tough on any normal business hour. However it was a great first experience and I am excited for the next 4 classes ahead of me!

Working Out in Color

After spending a week in New York city it was interesting to me just how different working out there was. In NYC you see a sea of black coats layered over muted workout attire and everyone bundled from head to toe in order to avoid the bitter cold.  Packs of people march into elevators carrying garment bags and they all just blend into one another. To me it seemed the morning workout was just part of the routine, no need to stand out.

It is a completely different vibe than what you find in San Francisco. In San Francisco gyms are filled with bright, vibrant colors and bold, standout prints. People in San Francisco use working out as a way of self expression while attempting to do a downward dog in neon pink shorts and a vintage torn up t-shirt. Today I decided to embrace being back in the city and put on my bold Alo yoga pants with my bright neon custom made Nike minimalist shoes. Best bridesmaid gift ever! It feels good to be back home!

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If you like the pants can be buy them here, Alo Women’s Airbrushed Legging

They have a lot of colors and patterns. Also I should mention they really hold up in a lot of different activities and are super comfy. They have turned into one of my new favorites. Enjoy!

New York City Gym and Studio Re-Cap

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Physique 57

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One of my favorite workouts to do in San Francisco is Barre. For those who are not familiar with Barre it is a workout that combines Pilates, yoga, and ballet moves to help make sculpted and lean muscles.  It really centers on using small movements and helps to work on muscles you do not typically focus on in other types of workouts.  I started practicing Barre about 6 months ago after a back injury and have become obsessed!

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Physique 57 is a barre studio I had wanted to check out for a little while now. I had first learned about it this past December when I was looking for a Barre DVD to bring home with me to Colorado Springs over the holidays so I did not have to venture out in the snow every morning. After reading a lot of various reviews online Physique 57 kept coming up as one of the top choices. I ended up getting the DVD and boy was it good! I felt really worked after doing the 55 minute session. I could only imagine what the actual class was like! There currently are no locations in the Bay Area so I knew that I would have to make it a priority when I came out to NYC.

When booking my class they had a deal for new clients of buy one class and get one free, which I very much appreciated when classes were $36 each. The first class I checked out was the mixed level class on Monday from 7:00-8:00am at the 57th street location.  The second class I did was the intermediate class on Thursday from 11:30-12:30. The 57th street location was not too bad at about 0.7 miles from my hotel or a pretty quick 10-15 minute walk.

I really enjoyed both of the classes and I like how Physique 57 uses weights in the class so you really feel like you are working your muscles more than if you were solely focused on body resistance. Both days had very energetic and charismatic teachers which for the 7:00am class I really needed in order to fully wake up. The studio was really clean and the amenities were great, it made getting ready before work a snap.

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Overall I would give Physique 57 4 out of 5 stars. With really the one down side  being the price per class and only having 3 locations in the city.

Physique 57

Equinox Gym

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The one nice thing about staying at the Night Hotel was even though they did not have a gym themselves they were affiliated with the Rockefeller Equinox Gym, so I was able to use that facility for free. It was only 0.4 miles away or a 5-10 minute walk from the hotel and I ended up going to this gym both Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Unfortunately I was not able to take any of the classes, but the facility was large, spacious, and had a ton of machines and weights to use without being overly crowded. I also liked that they had complimentary sweat pants and t-shirts for people to use if needed.

Overall I would give Equinox 4 out of 5 stars. My friend Dana who lives in the city and uses Equinox says on average it costs about $200 a month to be a member, but the classes are great and there are so many locations it makes it easy to find something close to home or work. My feeling is if I lived in the city this would end up being my gym of choice.

Equinox Gym

Flywheel Sports

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I am obsessed with Flywheel Sports! I tried it for the first time last year when I came out to NYC. They had a new member program at the time where you could try one Flywheel Spin Class and one Fly Barre class for free. Of course I tried both since it was a $32 value for each class. After my first time going I now make it a priority every time I come out to NYC.  This time I ended up doing the spin class on Thursday morning from 9:30-10:15 at the Flatiron location, which was about a 1.2 mile walk from the hotel. Luckily this was my first day not working so I was able to enjoy the 30 minute walk.

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The Spin class is done in a dark room with a TV screen up top so participants can opt to have their bike and stats posted throughout the class. For someone who really is driven by competing this really helps to push and motivate you. I also like how the bikes show both torque and RPM. What I find in typical spin classes it is hard to gauge how much resistance you should really have on the bike when instructors tell you what number to be at. With the Flywheel bikes it takes all of the guessing out of it. The instructor will inform you step by step where you need to be, for example between a 25-30 torque and above 80 rpm.  The music is energetic and you do get to use weights in one of the song sequences which I love because then you are getting some resistance training in there as well.

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Overall I would give Flywheel a 4.5 out of 5. The studio is a little small and crowded, so getting ready there on a daily basis would be hard. However it does offer free bottles of water, fresh fruit, and free shoe rentals. I just wish there was one in San Francisco!

Fly Wheel Sports

Soul Cycle

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Soul Cycle was my last class of the week on Friday morning. I did the 9:30-10:15 class in Soho, which was 0.3 miles or 5 minutes from the house I was staying at with my friend Katie. I have done Soul Cycle once before in Los Angeles so I was curious to see how the New York classes compares. The space was cool with the studio upstairs and the locker rooms downstairs.

The class took place in the typical soul cycle fashion of a pitch black room with a few candles to help guide your way. The premise of Soul Cycle is to have all of your rides to the beat of the music, which I have to say when you are in the class the music does completely over take you. I loved how the teacher kept us constantly stimulated with trying new and different moves. We would be standing, sitting, leaning back, using our arms, doing crunches, busting out weights, and anything else you could imagine doing on a bike. I left the class feeling completely worked!

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Overall I would give Soul Cycle a 3.9 star out of 5 with the big reason being the cost. 1 class is $34 and you have to pay an additional $3 to rent shoes. They offer no free water or other amenities which makes doing this on a consistent basis hard. However the workout is amazing. They just opened a location in San Francisco which I plan on checking out soon.

Soul Cycle

A Week of Fitness in New York City

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NYC Skyline

Traveling and exercise is not always easy. I travel quite a bit for work and in the beginning I used to get completely stressed out on how I was going to balance getting my usual sweat sessions in with the big time changes, early morning meetings, and just being in a new place where nothing is familiar. Through time I have learned you can make anything work as long as you make it a priority for yourself. I also try to look at it as a personal challenge as a way to get out and try something new that I may not do back home.  In the past I was the type of person who would get really intimidated by trying a new workout or going to a new gym by myself for the first time. However the more and more I did it the easier it become and now I find it fun and exciting. It is all about building your confidence.

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This past week I had the pleasure of going to New York City for work and I was able to tack on a few extra days to spend with friends, which then made it a partial vacation. Typically on business trips I stay in hotel that has a gym which makes keeping up with my routine pretty easy.  However this trip my team decided to stay in a more boutique hotel which did not have that option.  Prior to departing I started to get a little panicked because the weather was cold and snowy so running outside which is my typical go to work out when I find myself without a gym was not going to be an option. So I was going to have to brainstorm a plan.  I got online and started googleing and yelping my way through various gyms and studios in the Big Apple. I decided to take this as an opportunity to try some new workout studios I had wanted to try along with going back to some of my favorite NYC places. Below is a quick daily log of my various workouts throughout the week. I plan on giving more detailed re-caps on the studios and gyms in the upcoming days, so stay tuned!

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Sunday: 6 mile Treadmill Run at the local YMCA in Bed-Sty, Brooklyn.

Monday: 1 hour Mixed Level  Barre class at Physique 57 off  of 57th Street

Tuesday: 5 Mile Treadmill Run at the Rockefeller Equinox Gym

Wednesday: 7 Mile Treadmill Run at the Rockefeller Equinox Gym

Thursday: 45 minute Spin Class at Flywheel Sports in the Flatiron District followed by a 1 hour Intermediate Barre Class at Physique 57 off  of 57th Street

Friday: 45 minute Spin Class at Soul Cycle in the Soho District