Browsing Tag

workout

Fitness

TRX Training Center Review

September 18, 2014

Thanks to my wonderful one month ClassPass membership (read more about ClassPass here), I had the opportunity to try out two TRX classes at the TRX Training Center. I decided to write a TRX training center review for any of you who may interested in taking a class there. I use TRX exercises occasionally in my workouts but I had always wanted the experience of doing a class. Even though I can work up quite a sweat on my own, there is something about having someone push you to your limits and telling you to do “JUST ONE MORE!”

TRX Training Center Review san francisco

The first class I tried was the ‘TRX Circuit Training’ class. I completed Kayla Itsines bikini body guide (BBG) a few months ago (read my review here) and since her workouts are circuit based, I thought this would be a really fun class to try.

Ah, if only I were as fit as I was when I was doing Kayla’s program … I really got my butt kicked at the TRX circuit training class!

The class is a mixture of strength moves done on the TRX and cardio based moves such as jump rope and burpees. The class was essentially structured so you would do a few sets of exercises on the TRX (which were timed) and you would then take a short break and do some cardio based moves without the TRX (also timed). Every part of your body gets worked out in this class; upper body, core and legs. My core is definitely my weak point and the TRX really challenges you because you use the whole weight of your body to support you. The instructor for the class was Miguel, and he was fantastic! I feel as if most instructors do not check on their students form much, but he was great at making sure my form was on point. I would love to take another TRX circuit training class with him (although a little scared haha).

TRX Training Center Review san francisco

Me dying in the TRX circuit training class

The second class I tried was the TRX Body Blast class. Although this class was just as hard (I had to pause and catch my breath multiple times), it was more of a strength based class. You do get cardio in as you are moving at a fast pace but you are not doing dedicated cardio based moves as you would in the TRX circuit training class. Again, this class worked every inch of my body and left me feeling extremely sore. This class was much fuller than the TRX circuit training class and I have to say, I felt a little intimidated at first! I had nothing to worry about though as everyone was really nice and welcoming.

“Bottom line: TRX is an incredibly

effective and challenging workout”

I feel so lucky to live in a city with a TRX training center! I hope to try out some more classes in the future. I was particularly interested in trying out their TRX rip training to see what that was all about. It will have to wait however because next week, I plan on restarting Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide and then continuing onto the bikini body guide 2.0 … I am SO nervous. I did the legs workout from her free week of workouts downloads and today my legs are so incredibly sore and stiff. I forgot how intense the workouts were!

So wish me luck 🙂 Also, how many of you have ever tried a TRX class before? Let me know if you have or if you use it at your local gym. Would love to see some of the routines you guys do with TRX.

Honestly yours,
Alice

(featured image via http://yubfit.com)

Fitness, Health

Get Ready to Hike!

August 14, 2014

I think a hiking preparation post is in order! I recently got back from a holiday in Salt lake City where my boyfriend and I went on some fun hikes. They were all much more challenging than I thought they were going to be (and the high altitude certainly did not make life easier either)! One hike in particular was absolutely ridiculous but so worth it because there were three beautiful lakes and absolutely stunning views.

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You’re probably wondering when I am going to get to the point of this post haha … basically these challenging hikes got me thinking that it would be really cool to do a post about preparing for a hike, whether it is challenging or relatively easy. I know it seems as if preparing for a hike is pretty intuitive but there are quite a few things you can do which you may not have thought about. 

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Preparing for a hike, especially a challenging uphill hike, can be categorized into the following:

Cardio/Strength, Research, & Supplies

Although anyone can technically just go on a hike, if you want to have a good time on a hike it is usually important to make sure that you are at least somewhat fit. I am not saying you have to be an avid gym go-er or a marathon runner, but it is good to have a good cardio tolerance and to have some leg strength. Core strength is also beneficial to keep yourself balanced if you are hiking on a steep downhill portion. What I would recommend is making sure that a few weeks before you go on a hike, you start doing something that will improve both your cardio and strength levels. For cardio you could start by going on a few brisk walks a few times a week, going for some runs or even trying out a fitness class such as kickboxing or BodyAttack (offered at most 24 Hour Fitness gyms) to raise your cardio levels. To improve your strength levels, you can start concentrating on lower body exercises such as squats and lunges. You could even do a pilates legs and butt workout (Blogilates online and free videos are my favorite) or go to a fitness class that focuses on building strength and tone such as Booty Barre (still need to try this class at Mint Studios Pilates!) or BodyPump (offered at most 24 Hour Fitness gyms).

Seriously, you will be happy you prepped when you do the hike. I would say that I am a pretty fit person, but my hike to Lake Blanche in Salt lake City KILLED ME. It was 6 miles, and 3 miles of it were all steadily uphill .. do not underestimate how exhausting walking at an incline can be 0__o

In terms of research, I just mean that you should do some Google searching about all the different hikes you can do a few days before you plan on hiking. Take the time to see how far away it is to drive to the hike, how long the hike will take, and how strenuous the hike may or may not be. A good tip is to read some reviews, such as on TripAdvisor, about what others thought about the hike. If you are a hiking newbie, avoid hikes with reviews that say ‘REALLY STRENUOUS HIKE’ .. ‘OMG, THIS HIKE IS HARD’ and the like.

 Lastly, but certainly not least, make sure you have the relevant supplies a day ahead of time. There was one point during my time in Salt Lake City when my boyfriend could not find his trainers .. ergo no hike lol. So make sure you have the following supplies ready (or at least some of them):

supplies

1. Lots of water bottles (1x 1 liter bottle per person for every 1 and 1/2 hour of hiking)
2. Appropriate clothing (some light and well-fitting activewear if in a hot place, or some warm jackets and etc if in a cold place)
3. Proper footwear that you do not mind getting dusty (think trainers like Nikes, Asics, Reebok and etc)
4. Sunglasses with a good amount of UV protection 
5. A phone (just in case you get lost, and helps you keep track of time – alternatively a watch instead)
6. A hat
7. Sunscreen (yes, even if you are hiking through snow or on a cloudy day, the sun will still reach you!)
8. A backpack (to hold all of you handy dandy supplies :D)
9. Food (if going on a hike longer than an hour it would be smart to bring portable and nutrient dense foods such as fruit, bread/crackers, nuts and etc)

If you guys think of anymore pre-hiking prep advice then please, please let me know either in the comments below or via social media or email. I would love to hear them because I am no hiking expert; but I do hope my hiking advice helps you prepare for your next (or first ever) hike!

Guess what I am doing this weekend … 🙂

Honestly yours,
Alice xxx

Fitness

Barry’s Bootcamp & ClassPass SF Launch

August 7, 2014

Talk about a supreme fitness event! 

Barry's Bootcamp & ClassPass SF Launch

I was invited to a series of launch parties for ClassPass (of which I could only make one sadly) who offer access to the best fitness studios in the city. Currently they offer classes for those living in or near to Boston, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. They just recently expanded to San Francisco and to celebrate they held three launch parties. I attended their launch party at Barry’s Bootcamp on Tuesday and I was so excited!! I had heard a lot of great things about Barry’s Bootcamp (primarily how HARD the workouts were) and I was excited to learn more about ClassPass. I am always up for trying new things, and trying new fitness classes is high up on my list of fun and new things to do. 

review of barry's bootcamp san francisco

I arrived to Barry’s Bootcamp (located near the SF Giant’s stadium) and of course I was late … SF traffic + a Beyonce & Jay Z concert at the Giant’s stadium, what can I say? Luckily I had actually arrived juuuust in time, with about 5 minutes to spare before class. There were SO many people that had showed up for the launch party! The energy was contagious and I started getting really excited although still nervous because of how hard the workout was supposed to be. 

review of barry's bootcamp san francisco

Source: http://www.peanutbuttered.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/img_6626.jpg

For the workout, they split us into two groups that would be switching between treadmill intervals and strength training intervals. For those who know me well, they know that I am nottt a fan of running. I was petrified haha!! The instructor announced that we would be doing a leg and butt workout, and the next 50 or so minutes consisted of countless lunges, squats and sprints! They made us use a resistance band to do some butt exercises and I loved that, because I think that resistance bands are very underutilized in most fitness classes. Also, the cool thing about Barry’s Bootcamp is that every class is different so you don’t know what to expect. Although I hate running, I really enjoyed the workout; the music was great, the workout was intense but fun and the room had some awesome lighting going on. My one criticism is that as a first-timer to the bootcamp, it can be a little overwhelming trying to follow instructions on what to do since the instructor does have to switch back and forth between the groups. I highly recommend this workout for those who want a real challenge and are looking for something new and engaging. Pluuuus, a bunch of celebrities such as Jessica Biel, Kim Kardashian and Jake Gyllenhaal are avid fans 😉

review of barry's bootcamp san francisco

I had to rush a bit after class to avoid getting a ticket for parking for too long (SF problems) but I did manage to sample some yummy juices from Urban Remedy and receive a goody bag from ClassPass! I received so many amazing treats including a ClassPass top, EOS lip balm, a birchbox, water bottle, a gomacro bar and some peppermint vanilla gum.

review of classpass san francisco

I am really happy that ClassPass has come to SF and allows people to try out a variety of different fitness studio’s. Variety is the spice of life after all, as they say 😉

Have any of you ever done a workout at Barry’s Bootcamp before? I would love to hear what you thought about it, we can swap stories of how sore we are 😛

Honestly yours,
Alice