Weekend Workouts

Housekeeping:  Yay for the amazing response to the March NYC meet up, if you didn’t get an email from me with the details, please comment or send me an email.  I will discuss more details on the blog, but I think it will be beneficial to have email communication also.  Huge thanks to Hangry Pants  for all the help getting the word out!

I swear I brought London whether back to NY with me!  It has been so rainy and cold! 

Oh well, despite the weather not being great, I’ve had a decent weekend.  On Friday, I went to the Knicks game…and they won! 

So during the week I had one good workout, but the rest were kind of short and bland.  So I decided I needed to try something new.

I still had my free pass to Exhale for buying the core fusion dvd–that I love.  So I looked at the schedule and the Core Fusion Sport class sounded great:

Core Fusion® Sport is a total body workout that is designed to help you improve your performance in sports while reducing your risk of sports related injuries. Using a combination of lateral and twisting movements, this barreless one-hour class will chisel and firm your arms, shoulders, legs and butt while focusing on your core – the center of your strength – plus increase your aerobic capacity.

I signed up for the 1:15 class.  I hit the gym on the way there to get in some cardio.  I really need to focus my half marathon training, but the treadmill has been no fun lately.  For my first run in a week and change, I did 30 minutes alternating walking a minute at 4.7 and running at 7.0 MPH.  It was a start.

So Core Fusion Sport was GREAT!  The class was packed, and actually had 3 guys in it–rare for Physique 57 and Core Fusion classes that I have taken.   The instructor was also male, and it took me half way through the class to realize he was the guy in my DVD.  Eric was younger looking and more animated in person.  It was a great and very challenging class, it was like a very flowing strength class with emphasis on the mind body connection.  I really liked how Eric made the connections without being cheesy,I really felt what he was describing as I worked.

In fact, I enjoyed the class so much, I might take advantage of the downtown studio monthly special, for $150 it is unlimited classes–a $135 savings.  hmmm.  I have until 2/28 to decide.  Considering one class is $35, it’s a steal if you use it.

After my class I ate a quick lunch at whole foods and went to see He’s Just Not that into You.  I really liked it, and I am often really harsh on chick flicks.  After seeing slumdog millionaire and revoluntionary road (both very good), I was ready for something light.

Today, I knew I needed to run, so I put on Kara Goucher Endurance Boost coached run and banged out a bit over 4 miles on the treadmill.  Then I hit the elliptical for 25 minutes and stretched for another 10.

On the elliptical I read an article in Self that really struck a cord, it was called Diet Regrets.  It was about a woman who had just made peace with food at ae 75.  It is sad to think that one could spend three-quarters of a century struggling with their relationship with food, unfortunately, I fear it is all too common.  I have had my own struggles and moving past them is one of the things I am proudest about in my life.  At this point, I eat what I want, pretty much period, but I am not always 100% happy with my body.  For myself, I find I am happier eating with stressing or over thinking it  and being a little heavier than being thin but having to always be concious of my intake and always making the healthiest choice.  Maybe there is a better balance, and if so, I hope I find it before I am 75.

All right, sorry to be so serious, I am off to meet a friend at tea shop down the block.  It happens to be the location for many a gossip girl scene.   Oh, how I miss GG!

Workout like(with) a guy!

Sorry if I have been totally MIA. I have been so busy with school and volunteering, that I haven’t gotten home before 9pm all week!

It has definitely hurt my workout schedule. I actually went to the gym at 11:00pm on Tuesday! I haven’t done that in long time. I always play Smile at You by Fleetwood Mac for the line run from the darkenss. haha

Working out this late is good and bad. I am all amped up for a few hours, so I can study or clean until 1 or 2 without crashing. But it does make it harder to wake up. It also can make me pretty hungry, so I have to practice serious self-control to keep my calories from adding up to a full fourth meal.

Anyways, my tip this week would be to try working out with a guy. I worked out with a co-worker this week, and I got a whole new routine and kickass workout. Plus you tend to be a bit competitive when you workout with a partner, push yourself a bit harder.

So this was our workout.

• 30 minute treadmill run at 7mph.
• 10 minutes on the rower.
• 15 minutes on the elliptical.
• Final five minute push on the rower with underhand grip.
• Abs on the balls.

Good stuff! A good solid 60 minutes of cardio feels good and switching up the machines allows go to keep your speed up without getting bored.
In other news I went back to Exhale and did the harder Core Fusion class. I have to say, it’s not for me, sorry exhale lovers! It is a really good Pilates/strength/yoga combo, but their just isn’t enough cardio-like elements for my taste. I like more on the barre and less on the mat. However, the spa is gorgeous, and I love the Green Dragon clothes they sell. But for a kick as workout, I am going to stick with Physique 57 for now.

Next up to try: Prana Power Yoga and Laughing Lotus.

Core Fusion at Exhale

I tried out Core Fusion at Exhale Spa. To my surprise it was almost exactly the same as Physique 57.

This is the Exhale description:
Build a strong core. Develop washboard abs. Improve posture. Focus your mind.
Core Fusion® is known as a Pilates-infused transformational fitness experience as it allows you to work from the inside out and it consistently delivers results. This highly publicized mind body class is proven to give you washboard abs, a tighter and higher backside, and a perfectly toned body.This one-hour class fuses the disciplines of core conditioning, Pilates, and yoga to produce long, lean muscles, a flexible, youthful body and a sense of peace and relaxation. (picture is a yoga class–sorry)

This is the Physique description:
During the 57-minute class, clients use weights and the ballet barre to strengthen and lengthen every muscle group to create supple and lean bodies. All beginner, mixed and advanced level classes are structured to make the most of every minute. Motivating music accompanies the brisk sequence of toning exercises and stretches. Throughout the session, Physique 57® instructors move among clients positioning, aligning, and providing individualized instruction.

I took a beginner class at Exhale, so I am not sure it it was slightly easier or if it was the level. It was certainly more subdued, almost relaxing. It was definitely challenging, but I didn’t feel I was getting the calorie-burn that I get from the high-heart rate more boot camp style class at Physique.

As far as atmosphere, Exhale has Physique beat hands down. The spa is beautiful and Zen-like. The locker rooms are gorgeous and filled with amenities, including free locks on all the lockers.

The workout studio was twice as big as the Physique studios, and there were only about half as many students.

I intend to stay loyal to Physique, but I wish they would charge less, now that I see what their competition offers! I have to try the more advanced Core Fusion class to see if that offers the same level of intensity as the open Physique classes.