Archive for the ‘Cardio’ Category

Long Time No Blog

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

Forgive me Lord, for it has been 10 months since my last blog entry.

A lot has happened since August 2009 – I got certified to teach Zumba, and have subbed a few classes in the burbs and I got my AFAA Group Exercise certification.  Some of my friends joke about how many certifications it will take for me to actually teach something (I was also certified in Budokon back in the day).  Getting those certifications, then actually putting together classes and teaching gave me a new perspective on how difficult it is to be up there in front of a room full of people who are cranky because you’re not their favorite teacher (karmic retribution anyone?)  And because my teacher (Marc McDonald at Om Warrior) is going to be running Pure Yoga teacher training at Equinox starting this fall, odds are I’m going to be getting my certification to teach real yoga (instead of a hybrid).  If you’re interested in a yoga teacher training, you can get more information here.

In terms of new fun classes I’ve tried, here’s a cheatsheet:

My New Favorite Thing – Aerial Arts

This is one of the most amazing workouts I’ve ever done – climbing silks and ropes and trapezes and doing fun tricks in mid-air.  It takes a ton of core and leg strength, and after 5 sessions, I can feel my upper body strength increasing (it’s much easier to climb now and hold myself up).  Aircraft Aerial Arts in Boston is located in the new Crossfit in the Fenway (on Boylston across from Basho, in the old Goodyear building that they share with Marshall’s Farm Stand).  There are a max of 5 people per class, and classes are mostly sold in packages ($25/class).  You can also arrange with Jill to have a private ($60/hour) or duet ($30/each per hour), or set up a special 75-minute class with 3-5 people for $25 per person.

Yoga Teachers and Classes

If you’re looking for a great yoga class, you won’t be sorry if you attend any of the following teachers’ classes:

Kate Greer’s “Rock Your Asana” class at Back Bay Yoga on Sunday at 4pm – Kate is one of the best teachers in Boston, she has a very zen way about her and has a gift for actually TEACHING how to get into the more advanced postures.  Unfortunately, rumor has it that she is moving to Florida soon, so that will be the end of that.  If you are someone who enjoys a physically challenging class while still reaping the spiritual benefits of yoga, you NEED to go take Kate’s class before she leaves.  She also teaches “Rock Your Asana” at BBY on Wednesday at 5:50pm and is on the schedule at Equinox (both Franklin Street and Back Bay).

Lynne Beiger’s “Hip Hop Yoga” class at Back Bay Yoga on Friday at 10am.  Lynne is the owner of BBY, and this class is a challenging, sweaty flow to really fun and funky music.  Nothing like being upside down to the strains of Tupac Shakur, Will Smith or other old school/new school hiphop artists.  Guaranteed to get your toes tapping in standing poses, and you’ll want to sing along as you get your yoga groove on.  She also teaches Hip Hop Yoga on Saturday at noon.  Drop-in rate at BBY is $15, or new students can get 2 weeks of yoga for $25 (an excellent deal).

Sarah Sturges at Exhale Spa.  I’ve known Sarah for a LONG time, but had never had the chance to take her yoga class until a recent holiday Monday.  Not surprisingly, her class was amazing.  Sarah just has a very peaceful way about her, and a couple of years ago, went to India and immersed herself in yoga for a few months.  She is also an amazing Core Fusion teacher.  What I really loved about her yoga class was that it was challenging while still being peaceful, which is a really hard thing to achieve.   Her regular yoga class times are Monday and Friday at 9:30am.  Sarah also teaches at both Equinox locations in Boston.

Adena Muncey’s “Max Power” at Sports Club/LA on Tuesday at 10am.   I have seriously been trying to take Adena’s class for two years (we have a mutual friend in Renee Leblanc, who runs Yoga Power in Waltham and is an amazing teacher herself), but unfortunately for me, the only time she teaches at SCLA is mid-morning on Tuesday.  On an off-day, I moseyed over there excitedly and was NOT disappointed.  She teaches an intense class filled with advanced postures that MOVES – by the time you get to the floor at the end of the 75 minute class, probably 60+ minutes into class, you are DYING (in a good way).  Hands down, the best yoga class at SCLA – it’s a shame she doesn’t have the opportunity to teach a prime-time advanced class so more members would get the chance to experience her.  Adena also teaches at Equinox and the aforementioned Yoga Power in Waltham (at much more user friendly class times).

It’s interesting, since Marc left SCLA, I don’t do much yoga there anymore – they used to have a really diverse schedule, but now the same people teach all the classes.  And while their teachers are good, I feel like they should be bringing in the Kate Greer’s and Sarah Sturges’ of the world (both of whom are elite enough teachers to work at Exhale and Equinox) to mix things up and add a little variety.

Best “New” Class – Helixing at Revolution Fitness

What is a Helix, you ask?  It’s a cardio machine that moves laterally (and gives your hips, glutes and legs an amazing workout) instead of back and forth.  Rev Fit, one of the more underrated gyms in the city, is the only gym in the area (that I’m aware of) that has classes on the machine (the Helixes live in their spinning room).  They feature 30-minute classes on Monday at 6:30pm, Wednesday at 6:15am and 6:00 pm, and Thursday at noon.  You can check out the Helix website here to see a video and get more info on the machine.  There is seriously nothing else out there like this (photo below from SNEWS)

Abduction (it also does adduction)

Abduction (it also does adduction)

I know I’ve said it before, but I’m really going to try to be better at keeping up the blog.  I feel like I attend SO many classes both here and in other cities that I should be writing more.  I may also sprinkle the blog with fun personal anecdotes and nutrition/food bytes just so I don’t lapse into not having anything to write about.  Peace out for now!  :)

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The Expresso Bike

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

I’m really not good at keeping quiet about things I like – which can be a problem when you like something that not a lot of people know about.  After all, who hasn’t experienced frustration when something you’ve liked forever explodes in popularity and then all of a sudden you don’t have as much access to it?

Even knowing that, I still can’t keep quiet about my new favorite machine at the gym – the Expresso bike.  The SCLA has 2 of these, sitting quietly next to the spin bikes by the stairs to the cardio loft.  At peak times in the gym, when every elliptical machine is taken, somehow these bikes remain unused.  Inexplicable.  For anyone who has ever wanted an indoor bike that perfectly simulates an outdoor ride (including steering!!!), you need to find a gym that has one of these ASAP (which you can conveniently do here).

I have never sweat more in my life than I do on this piece of eqiupment – you are working. . .the hills feel like you’re riding up a hill outside, and you can shift gears using the buttons on the handlebars.  My heart rate usually stays between 80-90% of my “max” during my workout.  I think my favorite feature about these is the ability to track your workouts at Expresso.net - all you have to do is sign up for a free account (or you can pay $9.95/month for “Silver” membership – which unlocks additional routes not available to the general populace and keeps track of all your best times compared to other people).  Expresso.net also has messageboards with member tips, comments and fastest times. 

If you complete a course and then choose to ride that same course again, the system will have a “ghost” rider of your previous best time on that course, so you know how to pace to keep up with yourself.  Each course also has a “pacer” – a biker in a yellow jersey who can goad more competitive riders into going faster.  My second favorite feature is the ability to race your friends – if you sit down at the bike at the same time as a friend and choose the same course, you can see each other and “race” – who can finish faster?  The one time I have raced a friend, I got the workout of my life and my best time ever on one of my favorite courses, “Wicked Workout”.

Which brings us to my favorite courses - two of them are the black diamond courses – Wicked Workout and Oh Mama (both take around 30 minutes to complete).  The “Extreme” courses I like best are Vindicator (took me about 45 minutes) and Savage Revenge (75 minutes and my legs were shaking when I got off the bike).  I am more a fan of biking hilly courses with high resistance and lower (but not standstill) RPM’s.  When you are choosing a course, it will show you the mileage and the layout – so you can choose hillier courses, or flatter ones if that’s what you prefer.

Now, the seat on this bike is not the most comfortable – which is why I couldn’t be on it for more than 20 minutes when I first started using it.  Maybe that’s why it’s not more popular.  But if you are looking for a cardio workout on a machine that is also fun while getting your heart rate up, this is the best piece of equipment in the gym.  I’ll race you there! 

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Random Musings

Sunday, August 9th, 2009

Interesting week this past week, as my favorite teacher was away for most of it. I actually had to (gasp!) branch out and take classes from new instructors. I find that most of the teachers at SCLA are very good – and I can appreciate that it has to be really hard to step in for an extremely popular teacher – but I don’t get why some of them feel the need to force energy in a class.

I went to a class I sometimes attend that had a sub this week – very nice girl – but I should’ve known when she announced at least three times before class that she was “not Teacher X and we should all feel free to leave if that’s what we were expecting – she wouldn’t be offended” that it probably wasn’t going to be the best experience. I don’t mind teachers that try to talk/engage with the class – I usually am pretty vocal back because I feel bad when nobody answers and I can’t imagine being up in front of 30 people and feeling ignored. However, this girl would not shut up. I’m not kidding. Whether it was asking “is everybody ready” before a drill, not being satisfied with the 3-4 people who answered, and asking again (this happened at least 3 different times in the class) – or assigning “row captains” to cheer and motivate (???!!!) other riders – I almost felt like I was back in kindergarten. The thing is – the class was actually a really good workout – but she was so annoying that for the last 10 minutes I tuned her out and did my own thing (a friend of mine thought the same thing and left early).

What I also found weird was that 45 minutes into class, she said “just want to let everyone know, it’s 6:30 – so feel free to leave if there are other classes you want to go to”. Who does that?!!! I have to think this is a self confidence issue – which hopefully she gets over because she has the potential to be a solid teacher if she would just stop trying to force her brand of energy/interaction onto people. And no, I’m not naming names. My philosophy has always been that if I don’t like a class, I don’t need to complain to anyone – nobody’s forcing me to go to it and there are plenty of other classes I can take.

In other news – took an AMAZING spin class on Wednesday at lunch at SCLA with Kelly C – who IMO is one of the best spinning instructors in the city – and whose class I wish I could go to more often. She also teaches at Equinox. Great music, great energy and a workout so intense that I had to wring out my top halfway through the class because I was sweating so much.

I also went to Life in Synergy on Friday night for “Bollywood Dance Party” – again, LiS delivers a fabulously fun event on a Friday night (they did this a few weeks ago with “Thriller”). We learned the dance to Jai-Ho this Friday – which actually has much simpler choreography than Thriller (a lot of the Jai-Ho stuff repeats itself). I think they’re planning more of these Friday night dance party type events – definitely worth attending (with or without pre-gaming at Vinny T’s downstairs) if you’re looking for a fun class. LiS has no memberships – strictly pay per class ($15 for 1, or you can buy a 10-pack for $120) – and an amazing schedule.  Their two Zumba teachers (Lauren and Katie, both of whom led Friday’s event) are really good.  Eventually I am going to make it to that Cheer Fit class that I’ve been dying to try (taught by a former Patriots cheerleader)!

(Broken record alert!)  My primary yoga teacher, Marc McDonald, opened up his new studio Om Warrior this week.  SUCH an amazing space.  Marc is one of the best teachers in the city – if you’ve never taken his class you should head over to 133 Pearl Street sooner rather than later – the space has a very zen and comfortable feel to it.  I took 6 classes there this week and haven’t had that much fun doing yoga in a long time.

This week will involve squeezing classes in when I can with the Sox back at home (going Tuesday and Wednesday nights – so gotta rearrange the gym sched).  At the end of next week, I’ll be visiting the Reebok HQ to be a guinea pig for a new class they’re developing – which I likely won’t be able to talk about (assuming I’ll have to sign an NDA).  I live for doing stuff like that though – always fun to give honest feedback about fitness.

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Trying New Things. . .

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

I’m someone who loves trying new classes – though I think it is more fun to try something new with a group of people who are also new (i.e. I started doing Core Fusion® when Exhale first opened in Boston, so none of the other students knew what they were doing either; same with Zumba® and Budokon®). It’s really hard to try a class when you’re the only new person and EVERYONE else is experienced.

So this Sunday, I jumped at the chance to attend a demonstration of Capoeira at the Sports Club/LA. Capoeira is a brazilian martial art, and something I’ve been wanting to try for like 4 years (not exaggerating here). You might say that I couldn’t have wanted to try it that badly if it’s been on the list for 4+ years. . .but the problem is that there aren’t a lot of classes in the Boston area and the ones that do exist don’t work due to scheduling and/or location (Cambridge is a pain in the ass to get to/from, I’m sorry, but it’s true).

The class was EVERYTHING I thought it would be. They had all the mandigueiros (Capoeira “players”) demonstrate how the roda is played. The roda is a circle of mandigueiros, and they take turns competing/playing in the center of the roda while everyone else plays music/claps/sings. The way these people move is absolutely incredible – the amount of control it takes to float, kick, dodge – and they make it look so easy!

Once the demonstration ended, they taught all of the non-mandigueiros (translation: Capoeira novices) some basic moves (base, ginga, half moon kick, dodge), and we were able to pair up with some of the mandigueiros to practice them. Then we learned how to aú (cartweel), which is one way two players can enter the roda.

It was SUCH a fun workout (sweat inducing, and tough on the legs), and the mandigueiros had such a great sense of community. It actually reminded me a lot of the way the Budokon community was at the SCLA before all that drama went down.

I really hope they add a Capoeira class at SCLA, but even if they don’t, I might have to make the trek to Cambridge or Brookline fit into my schedule – this is a discipline that would definitely be worth doing that for.

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The first of my favorite things. . .

Wednesday, January 14th, 2009

If you’re someone who is a class fiend like myself, you probably have those favorite classes that you just can’t miss.  For me, these classes are great because of both the class format and the instructor - usually its a combination of their energy, knowledge, experience, and music that motivate me.  Right now, I have 4 such “can’t miss” classes on a weekly basis – come hell or high water, I’ll be at these classes (well, except during the baseball playoffs if the Sox are home)  ;)  

Without further ado, the first of four. . .

Zumba® – Mondays @ 5:30pm at The Sports Club/LA with Alexa Malzone

As someone who has been doing yoga for 7 years, I was looking to learn to move in a different way than I was used to.  If you saw me on the yoga mat, you would have a hard time believing how horrifically uncoordinated I could be when trying to maneuver around a dance floor.  Alexa brought Zumba® to the Sports Club in September of 2008 – after 1 class, I was completely hooked.  Zumba® (http://www.zumba.com/us/about/), whose tagline is “ditch the workout, join the party”, is a dance class that combines latin rhythms (salsa, merengue) with reggaeton and hip hop. 

A lot of people’s first reaction when I tell them how much I love this class is, “well, I can’t dance”.  The thing about Zumba® is, you don’t NEED to be able to dance.  I’ve never taken a dance class that so effectively breaks down the steps.  It’s almost like dancing for dummies in that it makes dancing both easy and exhilarating.  And the broad spectrum of people who take this class is a testament to the fun factor – from the college kids to the AARP, this class is the best time you will ever have getting your sweat on in a gym.

And you WILL get your sweat on.  My average heart rate during this class is usually in the 150’s-160’s, and I burn anywhere between 600-800 calories depending on the moves.  I’ve found that I get a better workout when we’re doing songs I’m familiar with (because I can really get into it and power up), but I also enjoy learning the new steps/moves for new songs.  Additionally, this class is a sneaky ab workout – a lot of the hip movements really force you to work your core.

Alexa is an amazing teacher – very bright and energetic (and colorful – she has the best outfits!).  She is also a phenomenal dancer, and is really good at breaking moves down and encouraging people.  There are always a ton of people in class, but it never really feels crowded.  The way Alexa teaches this, it would be impossible to feel sluggish or devoid of energy – she makes it one big happy dance party.  And whether we’re grooving to Pitbull, Shakira, or Christina Aguilera en espanol, its a workout without feeling like you’re working out – which is WAY more fun than the elliptical/treadmill! 

So don’t be self conscious, or think “I can’t dance” – after a few Zumba® classes, you’ll be ready to bust a move on any dance floor in the city (and you’ll look good doing it)!  :)

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