Category Archives: Core

Plank Pilates & The Tower Class In This Tiny LES Gem….

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Plank Pilates window -ESOn Monday, I got the chance to try out Plank Pilates, the LES studio that I have wanted to check out for a while. I knew it was a “small” studio since almost every single review mentions it but I didn’t have any idea how teeny-tiny this studio is until I showed up at the front door. The way the space is set up, you walk directly into the studio, slip off your shoes and then cut through the space to the stairwell to get down to the reception area. When I got there, a private session was going on so I quickly made my way to the back and down the stairs where I found the cozy, spa-like reception area. It is small but lovely with cucumber/lemon water jars, a large changing room with warm Eucalyptus and cold Lavender towels prepped to use. It was such a pampered introduction to Plank, I briefly thought the class would be a breeze. I was VERY wrong.

plank pilates classAll of Plank’s group classes are based around the Tower, an awesome wall-mounted apparatus that gives studios the ability to do some of the traditional super-effective Pilates machine moves in a group setting, without the need for the larger Cadillac machines. Plank has 5 of them lined up against one of their walls and they take up the majority of the studio. When I finally made it upstairs, after thoroughly enjoying the pampering touches downstairs, I snagged a Tower and settled in for class. I always feel like I am suffering through a Pilates mat class but once springs are involved, it is a whole different story. Pilates designed machines using heavy springs that you pull and push in varying ways and it is that resistance that makes all the difference. I have loved every Tower class I have ever gotten the chance to take and was really excited to get to try another one.

Plank class taught by JuliaLeading our Tower class was Julia Fouts, who actually created Plank’s signature “Plank 360” class. On top of her Pilates certifications, Julia is certified in Sports and Personal training, which I have to say, now makes me really intrigued by the 360 class. One of my absolute favorite things about Pilates in a boutique setting is how focused on form and good at corrections instructors are – Julia was no exception. She had the ability to spot even the smallest miss-alignment and correct it. Her verbal cues were clear and helpful but more often than not, I would just miss the mark of where I was supposed to be and she would come over and deftly fix what I was doing wrong. Julia moved the class through a fluid series of movements, using the arm and leg springs and the roll down bar – while never allowing the class to feel choppy as we changed from one set of springs to another. I loved her take on the leg series, too, with a couple of fun versions of my favorite classic Pilates machine moves. It was a challenging, quick hour and by the end I felt thoroughly worked out from head to toe. I really just wanted to lay there on the mat and bask in that happy good workout bliss but another class was already making its way downstairs to get ready for their class, so I hopped up and wiped down my Tower mat instead. I walked out of Plank with a new spring in my step, just a little happier to have found this gem of a studio in the hustle and bustle of the city.

Top photo by Eric Stafford, middle & bottom photos from Plank Pilates Facebook page.

Finding Magic In Week 1 Of The Flybarre Challenge: The Ridiculously Talented Todd Allen

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All of my favorite Flybarre people have been telling me for ages how amazing Todd Allen is but I just could never bring myself to take one of his classes. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe what people were saying but after a bad experience in another Barre studio years ago with their beloved male instructor, I have just avoided taking any male taught barre class. Which I knew was lame and unfair but it meant that Todd languished on my “to-take” list for a ridiculously long time. Last week, I took my very first Todd Allen class and immediately loved him. His hype is deserved and I feel like a fool for not making it to his class sooner. Todd is that amazing treat of an instructor – sweet, encouraging, funny, exceptionally good at verbal corrections and even better at physical ones.

This week was my second class with Todd and being one week into the challenge and my fourth day of class in a row, I was wiped out. After last week’s amazing class with Todd that seemed to fly by, I was just hoping to make it through his class this week. As I made my way into class, Todd stopped me to find out how my measuring had gone the day before.  When I told him that I had lost 1/2 inch on each arm, both legs, and 3/4 off my waist (which is insane to me in only a week but awesome) – he was almost as excited by the news as I was! That sort of enthusiasm is infectious and was just what I needed to refocus on getting the most out of the class in front of me. Plus, there is a part of Todd’s class where you feel you somehow have gotten to be in the practice room at a Broadway show – as he dances his way through the class, it makes me feel like I stumbled into a musical. Todd’s banter through the class is funny, with lots of great visuals for some of the crazier moves you do in a Flybarre class.  Not even Todd can make me actually rhythmic enough to not be embarrassingly bad at the dynamic arms, but he makes it so fun that I don’t care that I suck! Which every time seems like a huge gift. Tuesday’s class FLEW by – one of my favorite things about Flybarre is that there is so much latitude given to the instructors to mix and match in each section of the class, which means you never really know what is coming next. I love being kept on my toes (well not literally, I am not so good when we are supposed to do that) and having each class feel so unique. On Tuesday there were at least 6 moves I had never done in another Flybarre class but were fun & HARD! Todd has a masterful talent at sneaking hard in, while masking it with a great grin and funny imagery – it’s sneaky and I love him for it.

Todd is an ultimate showman who reminds me of Gene Kelly, because he can make a mundane movement – something you have done a million times – suddenly seem like part of a dance. It makes me so happy to watch, I forget how badly he is kicking my ass and spend the entire class just being glad to get to be around someone so magical …

Image of Todd Allen from the Flywheel website  and the bottom image just a little bit of internet goodness.

Fall Flybarre Challenge: The Kickoff to Exactly What I Needed

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Last week, I got the news that running, jumping and anything “impactful” had to be tabled for “at LEAST a few weeks” – which means that some of the things I HAD planned for the Fall just weren’t an option anymore. Then, almost the very next day, I got an email about the Flybarre Fall Challenge starting and immediately emailed saying I wanted in! It’s the PERFECT thing for following the Doctor’s orders while still getting to really challenge myself – because without a challenge, the foot prognosis was going to make me nuts!  It doesn’t hurt that I think Flybarre does some crazy good things to women’s bodies and I really wanted to know what actually dedicating myself to it would do. It was the challenge I didn’t even know I was waiting for!  So for the next 6 weeks, I will be taking 4 Flybarre classes a week. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little worried about that, since it seems like every time I take one, I am sore for days.  I’m hoping that the sore part doesn’t last all six weeks!

On Sunday afternoon, we had our kickoff meeting at the Flatiron Studio. We learned the ins and outs of what the Flybarre Challenge entails. The cool thing is that for the challenge, you are given a “Team Leader” – one of the awesome Flybarre instructors who will be the point person for 6 weeks. As we got into our groups, I was giddy that I got Kara Liotta – who I adore, and who always pushes me to work a little bit harder, which really is exactly what I need.  I can already picture her giving me “that” look if I don’t give it my all and knowing myself, that alone will make me focus harder on getting the best results!  As we split into groups to meet and talk a little bit, Kara pulled each person off to the side to measure us. The thing I didn’t realize, was that we are going to be measured EVERY week.  Oh, buddy.  For some reason, this snapped me to attention, since I sort of assumed that it would be a before and after thing, just like the pictures. The reality is that in one week, I will be accountable for some sort of change and it made me realize there will be no easing into this Challenge. It’s go time. NOW.

Monday morning bright and early, I was on a mat in Kara’s class. It was the “Power 45” version and unlike the 1 hour version, this one zipps through the moves. I really like the speed of it but am always surprised by how much harder it seems – somehow, that stretching bit in the middle really makes a difference! I was still embarrassingly bad at the dynamic arms but luckily, the class was the “wild card” arms (the week where instructors choose a random arm routine, instead of the one that everyone has been practicing).  So, no one was really perfect at it and it was slightly less noticeable exactly how off I was! Maybe 6 weeks of doing the dynamic arm thing will make me less spastic looking? A girl can only hope….

After class, I hustled into Holly Rillinger’s always awesome Flywheel class. The class was packed with some of my favorite folks rocking the front row with me, including my awesome team leader, Kara. That kind of morning, filled with such amazing, inspiring people is hard to top… and for the next six weeks, I know where I will be every Monday morning!

Top picture from Flybarre’s Facebook page, middle picture by Eric C Stafford and bottom picture from FlywheelSports.com

A Little Tinkering is a Good Thing: Pilates ProMethod with Jenn Seracuse

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On Tuesday afternoon, I finally made it over to Pilates ProWorks to take their signature “Pilates ProMethod” class with Jenn Seracuse, the head of their Pilates program. I had met Jenn briefly when I had gone to Steven Little’s TRX class and had immediately liked her, so I knew I would be in good hands. Plus, I have been SO curious about what their take is on the new trend to use “amped-up” versions of the classic Pilates’ Reformer. There was a time in my life when I was totally obsessed with Reformer classes and for about a year, I took at least 3 a week. Those classes were my gateway into working out at all, changed what I thought I was capable of and because of that, I am hard pressed to think that a great reformer class needs much tinkering with. Of course, those original classes were taken over 10 years ago and really, sometimes things need a little tinkering!

Pilates ProWorks’ take on the classic is called the FitFormer and damn, is it a pretty machine! According to their website, it is made from stainless steel, titanium and bamboo but it is also just an elegant, sturdy machine, with super cushy pads and basically just super swanky. Jenn went over the machine with me before class so I wouldn’t be lost, since really, the class was filled with a group of super strong regulars. I was immediately sorry that I hadn’t at least worn a pair of regular grippy socks since everyone had on special toe-socks – grippy on the bottom but open toes. It totally didn’t occur to me that we would wear socks during the class! It was also at that moment that I realized my socks that morning didn’t even match. Sigh… at least I remembered a towel! It is worth noting again, they don’t stock towels here, so if you are sweaty like I am, remember to bring your own.

The class started with a quick warm up, which I always miss when a class just launches straight into the workout. The music pumped in the room but Jenn was great about giving clear, helpful instructions on what we where supposed to be doing on each exercise. She roamed the room, demonstrating on different machines, so we were always able to see what the move was meant to look like and she was able to keep a keen eye on everyone’s form. The moves we did felt like Pilates moves, sometimes tweaked a little bit but always feeling grounded in that original practice.  We also got to do the Frog, a classic Reformer move that I swear hits a part of your inner thigh that no other exercise targets quite as effectively. It was always my favorite move and it was all l could do not to clap when she announced it.  Thankfully, I managed to not make a total ass of myself by doing that!  I was absolutely the worst in the room, so I got a lot of physical corrections (always ok with me!) but her cues to the whole class were really helpful and precise. They were very much Pilates cues, but for this kind of workout, that is really what you need. It was a class filled with regulars who were all so strong and graceful…I might have been the worst but I kept up and was totally inspired.

I always think the best sign of a Pilates based class is when it is challenging but never hurts as you are doing it, yet still makes you feel like someone sucker punched you in the stomach the next day. The day after my first Pilates ProMethod class, I winced every time I laughed – making every funny thing I heard just seem really mean. In my book, the sign of a great Pilates class…or perhaps just that I really need to do more of them!

 

Top image from Pilates ProWorks NYC’s Facebook page, image of Jenn from her Twitter profile @leanbodypilates

Punching & Pulsing: Flybarre for Men with Kara Liotta & Khori Petinaud

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Last Saturday afternoon (after an amazing morning yoga class at I.AM.YOU studio) I made my way up to Flywheel Flatiron to try a class called “Flybarre for Men”. Given my non-male status, it was one of those classes I went to only because I was specifically asked to attend, by none other than the amazing Flybarre instructor Kara Liotta – who I basically can’t say no to. She called out my friend SINworkouts and I on twitter and it quickly became a big group of some of the toughest & most inspiring women around- Lacey Stone, SIN, Kindra from Peak Performance and Kate Hickle. Seriously, that is one fierce, fun group and if I could workout with them all the time, I would. When we all got there, from our various other workouts, SIN made quick work to rearrange us so that I got to be over by the group since apparently, I totally booked the wrong mat.  Kara just looked at me and said “So you want to be with the loud ones, huh?” The answer to that question is always a rousing “hell, yes!”

Kara Liotta and Khori Petinaud, who co-created the men’s Flybarre variation taught Saturday’s class. A powerhouse of a team, they are strong, skilled, and have an easy ability to take command of the room. Kara, who I have written about before (here) was amazing of course – but it was my first time taking a class with Khori. I immediately liked her – she has an infectious grin and didn’t allow anything to throw her off her game, plus, she was so obviously amused by my group’s loud enthusiasm that went along with our complete lack of skill, that it totally endeared her to me. Not the easiest thing to do when greeted by a room full of people who, for the most part, where complete newbies to the method, and who cheered at the end of each section. Kara and Khori are serious about what they do but both handled the rowdy group with a joyful ease that only the great instructors ever seem to be able to do – allowing fun to be had while still staying completely on task and never letting up about form. They were a brilliant pair!

I have taken a handful of Flybarre classes and am always left feeling like the most uncoordinated person on the planet. Seriously, while pulsing at Flybarre is always fun, I can’t follow a dance count to save my life. The men’s version of the class, however, was hands down my favorite version so far and not just because of the loud hooting and hollering of my cohorts.  This version includes lots of pushup variations, jumping jacks, a couple of killer ab sections but also less work actually AT the barre. My favorite change though was that the dynamic arms section was boxing move based – now THOSE are counts I can follow! I loved the change up of that and can totally see why they did it to appeal to guys but it also did wonders for my enjoyment of the section. Kara was totally right to call me out on coming in to try this version. it really was totally up my ally. So, although our class had 5 guys, which is definitely more than have ever been in any of the other Flybarre classes I have taken, I just wish it was called something else!

Top image from Flybarre’s Facebook page of Kara, Khori and Kate practicing the Flybarre for Men’s routine, middle image of Khori from Flywheel’s website, bottom image just an awesome bit of internet goodness.

Steven Little & the Killer Double

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On Sunday morning, I finally made it into one of Steven Little‘s weekend Flywheel classes. I have loved every single one of Steven’s hard “own your ride” style classes but have always wondered about this class since it is the one that is packed from almost the moment the booking window opens. It was just as awesome as all the others but with a palpable feeling of engagement from riders who really respond to Steven’s brand of really expecting you to rise to your very best. It was a great, challenging class and Steven pushed us hard, which wasn’t even a little bit of a surprise, but also completely awesome.  Even though I knew it would be a really hard class, since I had made it into his Flywheel class, I also really wanted to try and take his new TRX class afterwards at Pilates Pro Works, since it is so perfectly spaced to do afterwards.  It really just seemed like it had the potential to be a killer double – plus I really wanted to check out the new studio!

After grabbing a much needed and ridiculously yummy latte at Joe & the Art of Coffee (seriously, a good latte always makes my day) I made my way over to Pilates Pro Works for the first time. I swear in Google, it was listed at 45 W.14th Street, but when I got to that address, I was greeted by a Golden Palace take-out spot and was briefly confused. Thankfully, I noticed the big poster on the door of #47 and figured out where I was really supposed to be! I was buzzed in, and climbed the stairs to the second floor to the surprisingly large, airy, open studio. Jenn, Head of their Pilates program, was manning the desk and greeted me like an old friend as I walked in the door. It was such a good first impression that I immediately wanted to be at the studio all the time. There are two main studios, the largest is the one with the Pilates-inspired machine class and then a smaller studio where the barre and TRX happens. There are lockers with keys, 2 bathrooms and one changing room. As they get busier, I think that having only one changing room may become an issue…

TRX, which I have only had the briefest chance to play with, is one of those tools that when done right, is amazing but is SO very easy to do wrong. The anchored straps are a devilishly simple concept, using them at different angles, you can use more or less of your body weight in a seemingly endless variety of exercises. The thing about TRX is that you really need to know what you are doing to actually get a great workout from it and not just hurt yourself by being too extreme. Steven not only is an amazing trainer, always striving to make you really challenge yourself, but ALSO a sticker on form -so I knew he would be the perfect person to take my first TRX class from! It is a small class format, with 10 TRX stations, and Steven thoroughly covered the basics of the set up and using the straps, since there were a lot of newbies in the class. First off, if you are taking this class – bring a towel! They mention it in the notes for the class but seriously, bring a towel. You will get sweaty. I realize that my class before made me sort of a sweaty beast from the start but my classmates who didn’t bring a towel were seriously glaring at me any time I went to my towel to wipe off. The class was an interval-based class that kicked my ass. Steven did sets, that mostly were 2 moves on the TRX straps and then one on the floor (pushups, mountain climbers, star jacks..basically some sort of plank-based move) and each set done 3 times. On the TRX straps we did moves, leaning away from the straps, into them and even with our feet suspended in them. Ouch. He was so good about correcting everyone’s form throughout the class, from where your feet should be in a squat to the angle you were coming off during a leaning bicep curl, that there was never a chance for cheating. Steven is all about the proper form being done, whatever your level is in any given move. I never once worried that I was going to hurt myself, but I did know that with Steven I could push myself to work extra hard. It was a class that I really felt the next day. in the best possible way! The class flew by.  I was stunned and slightly grateful when he finally announced it was time to stretch. I was sore, wiped-out and slightly giddy from getting my ass kicked. If I could, I would add it to my routine every week, since really, with a tool like TRX and an instructor who pushes you that hard, I think could produce some crazy impressive results…

 

Top image from Flywheel’s website , second image just something that is always true for me, middle image of Pilates Pro Works NYC very pretty lobby, and final image, a little bit of internet goodness.

Kira Stokes & Stoked Surf 360: Rising to the Challenge

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On Saturday, I finally got the chance to try Kira Stokes‘ take on a SurfSet Fitness class called Stoked Surf 360.  Going into the class, I just KNEW it was going to be a good one, although, I was a little worried that there wasn’t a class scheduled afterwards because Kira really loves a little overtime push! I have gotten the chance to try a few of her classes in the Stoked 360 series (both the regular version and the small group version and I LOVED both) and assumed that this class would be in a similar vein. It was so much more than that, though.  It wasn’t just a retread of those great classes, but really took into account the uniqueness of the surfboard apparatus. It is always such a treat to get to train with someone like Kira, who is so inspiring and passionate about what she does and loves to challenge those she trains – and herself! The SurfSet Ripsurfer X (a surfboard balanced on top of three small exercise balls with handles attached to resistance bands for use in paddling) is such a fun, unique tool, that it was fun to see someone really push it to the limits of what it could be used for. She obviously LOVED getting to play with using a new tool and how to get an intense workout while using the board to its full advantage. Kira demonstrated the form of every single move, breaking it down so you knew where you were supposed to be throughout the whole movement. From the simplest of moves to the most complex, Kira is all about form. I know that by the end of any class with Kira, I will have been pushed, challenged, thoroughly worked out but I won’t ever leave hurt because she is watching every move too closely for that.

It was definitely a Stoked class, with every circuit done 3 times like in her other classes -once to learn it, once to master the moves, once to fatigue – but each was tailored to include one strength, one surf and one core move for each round. Kira was, of course, a complete stickler for form – even if you are on a wobbly surface she has a knack for really watching everyone’s form on every single move. In her normal classes, when she is demonstrating the next circuit, you jump rope or do jumping jacks – in this class, it was all about paddling. Each circuit, though, also contained a move that made me go “whaaaaaaaaat?” as she was doing the demo. In the first set, it was a burpee move that included a jump at the end, which in the first set, was completely out of the question, but by the third, I was actually managing at least a small hop at the end. In one set, it was a brutal combo move that went from a squat to a one leg deadlift, then to an upright row on one foot…all while holding the handles. In another, there was a frog move (which I sort of loved even though it was in a tricep set that made me want to cry) where you popped off the board with your feet on either side into sort of a modified dolphin push up with way more movement, then back up onto the board, straightening out your arms.  Kira made it look effortless but it was SO hard! By the time we got to the final standing section, I was dripping with sweat and shaky, but also loving EVERY single minute of that class. It was hard, but all the sections flowed into one another in a way that made perfect sense and built into a solid base for the final standing series that was the pop-up section. It was awesome and I was flying high from it, because all the prep for getting there made the pop-ups seem really natural – which has never been the case for me!  The very last section was the core section and was super hard, of course. Have you seen Kira’s abs?? None of my moves were nearly as graceful as the ones she demonstrated but really that isn’t a shock – she is RIPPED and her core strength is no joke!  Mine, not so much.  Must add that to the list of things to work on…

The entire class was on the board – all 85 minutes of it. It was so awesome to see someone really embrace the opportunity to really change up their core classes and create a class that was so focused on really being on the board and using it to its full advantage. Kira’s class was awesome, inspired and just really fun. I wasn’t surprised but Kira loves what she does so much that it really was a treat to get to watch her play with something new – and still be just as amazing as always.

 

(Photos taken by Eric Stafford for FBS)

Peak Performance & the kick-ass session in NYC’s training mecca…

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So last week, when in the middle of a chat about As 1 getting a Jacob’s Ladder and how it would be fun to try it with another As 1 junkie, one of my favorite fitness partners-in-crime – SINworkouts – joined in, listened for a minute, and then said: “Peak has those! Wait, you two HAVE been to Peak to train right?”  And with that, SIN hatched a plan for the three of us to go train at Peak Performance. She has seriously impressive skills on making these things actually happen…

It doesn’t really cover it to say that I was excited, because I have wanted to check out Peak Performance for ages. Seriously.  AGES. Joe Dowdell’s mecca for both professional athletes and people looking to seriously commit to training is always listed as one of the best in the country and this fitness fiend has desperately wanted a peek into Peak.  I know trainers who work there (but I can’t afford their sessions), people who train there (and OF people who train there – Olympians & some of the most impressive MMA fighters in the world train there when they are in NYC) but the chance to actually train there myself seemed slim to none. However, on Tuesday afternoon, there I was…sprinting to make it to Peak on time. I didn’t want to miss a second of my session but MTA apparently thought being stuck on a bridge was a better idea, so when my train finally pulled into Union Square 10 minutes before I was supposed to be there, I took off my jacket stuffed it in my backpack and sprinted to Peak. The gym is housed on the 8th floor of a non-descript Flatiron building, and is this HUGE, open, loft-like floor with big windows and lots of natural light. It is a seriously beautiful, inspiring space to workout in. I was the first to arrive (yay!) and Kindra Hanson, the absolutely stunning but seriously cool General Manager, greeted me and showed me to the lockers & changing area. Since I was already in my workout clothes, I dropped off my bag in a locker, popped the key on my wrist and headed back out to the juice bar to wait for my pals who arrived just moments later.

SIN had our workout all planned out and Kindra joined us for the kick-ass session. The plan was filled with fun variations on standards and then things I had never done before.  It was ridiculously fun. It even used equipment that I had never even seen in a gym to use! My favorite new piece was called the Prowler – which sort of looks like that sled you see football players push across a field in a practice –basically it is a heavy metal sled that is loaded with weight, which you then crouch down and shove across the gym floor. Did I mention the huge open floor couldn’t have seemed bigger at that moment? I was much better at that one, though, then the weight sled that you yanked behind you with ropes.  But I LOVED getting to try so many new things! We were there in a weird middle of the day time and most of the people working out were trainers, who shouted out encouragement as we moved the heavy things across the floor. Nothing is as motivating as that! Plus, I got to meet two of the Directors of Peak Performance, including Dan Trink (read his amazing Greatist article about his journey to Peak – HERE) – which was cool. I love meeting people who love what they do and just want everyone in their space to kick ass. Supportive fit people really are the best… especially if you are the least fit in the room (yep, that was me) and they are still yelling for you!

We moved into the small studio to finish up our workout with lots of planks, prone jumping-jacks and medicine ball sit-ups, even trying a crazy one legged crow pose… which I almost got but I will nail eventually! A little practice and I can make it happen. It was such a cool, awesome, fun group and the session went by in a flash. I am still not quite sure how it happened that I got to work out in one of the best facilities in the city but it was easily the coolest thing I have done in a long time.

 

Photo of Peak Performance from their Facebook page, bottom image just a good reminder to work harder.

Sometimes it takes time: I finally take my 3rd SLT class…

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I’ve mentioned it before, but my goal, always, is to only talk about classes that I love. I don’t write up a lot of the classes I take, some because I have written about them so much that unless something new happens, I figure I have covered it. Some classes, though, it is because for whatever reason, I just didn’t love them. That doesn’t make them a bad class, per say, just not for me. There are classes people adore, that I spend the entire time wanting to throw my shoe at the instructor’s head. These days, I have gotten pretty good at knowing what I will hate and just skipping it. However, there are some classes that take a little bit to warm up to, which is why if there is a deal for something that seems like something I will love, I will snap it up. SLT was one of those cases.

This week, I went to my final SLT class, I had gotten a 3-class Gilt City deal ages ago and have been really slow in using them up. My first SLT class was with Jamie Lugo and I liked it but didn’t LOVE it. There wasn’t anything bad about that first class, but it just didn’t hook me. The second class I took with Natalie Uhling Pozatek, I really loved her class and it made me realize why people were completely hooked on SLT. Then, I got a tweet last week from a devoted SLT’er about joining her in a class, and I immediately said yes. After a little back and forth, we figured out the perfect time… and then I realized it would be with Jamie again. I signed up, figuring it would be fun anyway, even though I hadn’t been crazy about it the first time.  I was right.  It probably didn’t hurt that it was my 3rd class, the Megaformer moves were less foreign, and I was able to pick up what was supposed to be happening a little more quickly.  In this class, I was totally won over by Jamie. She was sweet, helpful and had good, solid corrections. All of her sequences flowed, were really challenging, with moves that were interesting and creative. My friend, who I went to class with, has been going every day and it was completely evident. She was so strong and I had to work extra hard, not to match her skill at this method (that wasn’t going to happen) but at least to keep from making a total ass of myself. It made the class tons of fun. I like it when someone in class is so inspiring – especially when I know them!

By the end of class, I was tired and felt really challenged by the great, interesting workout. I was also really sorry that it was the last time I was going to get to do it.  It might have taken me a little while to warm up to SLT but by the end of those 3 classes, I really loved the method and think it would be an amazing addition to any workout regimen. I finally really get exactly why they have such a devoted following.  They are one of the FITiST studios, though, so next time I spring for one of their awesome 4 packs, I might just have to make my way back to SLT….

Top image & design from SuperBrutte

Brynn Jinnett & finding the church of the Refine Method…

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Wednesday night on a whim, my friend and I went to try a Refine Method class uptown. We had been in one of those twitter chains where EVERYONE seemed to be raving about Refine Method and specifically about how amazing Brynn Jinnett is. I had been to a class before, in the then under construction new studio in Union Square but it wasn’t with Brynn, the founder of the method, and I REALLY wanted a chance to get to take class with her. So, when the opportunity popped up to take a class with her, I jumped on it – for both of us! Luckily, my friend is game for almost any fitness class, so I knew it was safe to rope her into this one.

With the address to the studio in hand, I headed to the UES. I knew it was little and in the bottom of a building, however, when I got to the address, I was faced with a church.  Thankfully, there was a plaque on the window for Refine but no separate entrance to get into it.  I braced myself for seemingly breaking into a church as I walked in, but then I heard my friend laugh through the first metal door on the left and knew that I really was in the right spot. Phew – no altercation with an angry church worker for me that evening! Seriously though people, that is worth mentioning… “studio is in a church, don’t be weirded out by walking right in!”

The studio itself is tiny – like a NY studio apartment tiny- and every inch is used. As I walked into Brynn and my pal chatting, I tossed my stuff into a locker and sat down at a station.  In a few minutes the room was packed and every station was full – and almost all were regulars. As soon as we started, I knew why everyone raves about Brynn.  She is funny and slightly relentless in her teasing about the correct form. It is done with love, but it took me a minute to get into the constant teasing about form – you have to love her or you would just want to punch the beautiful, graceful, former ballerina. I chose love and by the end, I am pretty sure my friend did too – although it was touch and go there for a while when Brynn kept taking about her “pregnancy Lululemon top” making it too hard to see her form. I really like the basis for Refine, the move away from the barre to more functional fitness. Bynn is very good at transitioning people in this way, she absolutely knows her crowd and how to motivate them to move away from the barre! As someone who absolutely prefers functional fitness over most barre classes , I think that is a very good thing. The class consists of lots of cardio circuit moves mixed with lots of lunges with kettlebells and work at the specialized pulley system and planks for good measure. Brynn is amazing about form, shockingly good at corrections (one of the best I have seen) and passionate about her method. It was inspiring to watch her and I can see why she has a devoted following. It was a challenging, fun method – midway through the class I was dripping sweat and ran to the bathroom to grab a towel – that is always a good sign for me!

I am glad I got to see the original home, and will definitely be taking Brynn again, but I will be going back to the spacious Union Square studio for my next session!

 

(Top image of Brynn Jinnett from the blog section of the Refine Method site which is full of interesting back story on the development of the method and bottom image a little internet goodness)