PS – Getting close to having taken every class EQX Chestnut Hill currently offers! But tomorrow instead of going to Slow Flow Yoga like I originally planned, I’m repeating Precision Running with it’s founder David Siik! Go ahead and google him – he’ll come up because he’s been on the cover of Runner’s World multiple times. I’m pretty excited.

This post is part of my 2017 New Year’s Resolution to try every group fitness class offered at my gym, The Equinox in Chestnut Hill. See the full list of reviews here.

Progress: 44 Classes Down, Approximately 2 To Go (class offerings sometimes change)

Ahhh, restorative yoga. I was so excited to take this class. The only reason I’m taking it close to last is that it overlaps with school pick-up and required a little scheduling magic for me to get there. (Magic = Greg in this equation… and most equations.)

Thanks to this goal, I’ve taken quite a few classes at times I wouldn’t normally and it’s been fun. It’s liberating to stop thinking “I can’t take that class because it’s at X time…” and start thinking “how am I going to take this class?”

I’ve had magical rainy afternoons with the kids building forts in the playspace while I took Barre, mornings where I was already in the studio while Greg dropped the kids at school, evenings where a babysitter put the kids to bed while I took a strength and cardio class and then met Greg for dinner. Do you know how crazy (GOOD crazy) it feels to be driving around past sundown on my way from the gym to dinner while someone else puts the kids to bed? Words can’t describe.

It’s helped me realize that maybe it’s easier to get a workout in than I thought. The kids are fine with the occasional babysitter at bedtime so I can have gym & date night. If I make the lunches and help pack backpacks, it’s not a huge inconvenience for Greg to do school drop-off because I wanted to take early morning yoga.

I don’t know if I’d do it every week, but before this, I never would have done it all.

 

Class: Restorative Flow Yoga with Renu Shukla

Class length: 60 minutes

Description from the Equinox: Restore the body and renew the spirit. Postures are held longer and blend with mindful transitions, breath and deep awareness.

What Class Was Like

Restorative!

Calmness. Flexibility work. Breathing into long stretches. Some work and flowing sequences, but much gentler and more relaxing than a traditional Vinyasa class. I was out of downward dog and into child’s pose well before my arms felt sore.

I would love to take this every week. It would pair well with a cardio workout beforehand. It’d be great on a rest day, recovering from a race, or during a busy week when slowing down for an hour and making time to stretch and breathe could improve your efficiency.

I started this journey in part because I’d been taking Renu’s Sweat & Surrender classes on Saturdays in late December 2016 and early January 2017… a class that is rumored to be returning. (Right now Sweat & Surrender is offered Mondays at 9:30.) So it’s nice to start coming full circle back into her yoga class that I enjoyed so much when I first started taking classes at the Equinox, way back when Yoga and Indoor Cycling and the occasional Barre class were all I’d ever done.

I don’t really know what will happen when I’m done… which may be as soon as the end of this week.

I have a half marathon I’ve signed up for in May, and another Sprint Triathlon in June. So it’s definitely time to start running. Again.

And swim. And cycle.

And take classes for…. fun?

Wherever I go from here, I hope yoga will be a part of what comes next. Which means it will be.

 

This post is part of my 2017 New Year’s Resolution to try every group fitness class offered at my gym, The Equinox in Chestnut Hill. See the full list of reviews here.

PROGRESS: 43 CLASSES DOWN, APPROXIMATELY 3 TO GO (CLASS OFFERINGS SOMETIMES CHANGE)

On Monday I took my last Barre class for this New Year’s Resolution with new-to-EQXChestnutHill instructor Katie Curley. She was fabulous, giving very precise instructions and with a nice way of telling us when efforts were almost over so we could stick it out knowing a new muscle group was next. She’s on the schedule for Wednesday night Pilates; try one of her classes if it works for your schedule. She came recommended by Cheryl Bentsen, who would know.

Equinox Chestnut Hill has 6 types of Barre classes, so rather than re-hashing yet another “and then we pulsed, pulsed, pulsed” review, I thought it might be more helpful to give a concise overview of the different Barre classes for anyone interested in Barre who isn’t sure where to start. Links to go full recaps of each class.

What is Barre?

All barre classes use isometric movements (focusing on specific muscle contractions while holding the rest of the body still) and repetition of those movements in order to build strength. Props often include light weights, a ball that can be squeezed between the legs to work muscles, and the barre itself for balance or stretching. Barre classes target many different muscle groups as well as incorporating balance and flexibility exercises.

The 6 Different Barre Classes at the Equinox

Barre: A standard Barre class with freedom for the instructor to teach their own lesson plan (vs. True Barre which is a set formula prescribed by Equinox). These classes may be very similar to True Barre, but there’s more flexibility and variation based on who’s teaching.

Barre Essentials: A condensed 45-minute introduction to Barre. Limited class offerings, designed for newcomers to Barre to learn the basics from an instructor in a smaller class setting doing fewer reps of exercises with more time for questions.

Barre Trilogy: A barre class that uses resistance bands to isolate all the different muscle groups. Great because class size is capped at slightly smaller than Barre (because everyone needs their own space with hooks on the wall) and because you can very easily tweak the difficulty level by reducing or increasing the tension on the bands.

Gold Barre: A skating inspired barre class that has some jumping warm-ups and incorporates more cardio than other Barre classes. Fun for unleashing your inner gymnast, because even the exercises at the barre are directly inspired by different movements an ice skater would turn into jumps or spins on the ice.

Lean Line: A ballet-inspired class with floor work that included port de bras, tendu, plié and frappé sequences. Taught in the yoga studio, this is the one barre class with no barre. For those who are interested in ballet and expected the standard barre to have more obvious ballet influences, this is a great class.

True Barre: A barre class that follows an Equinox prescribed formula to provide a similar experience whether you’re taking it at Chestnut Hill, NYC or California. Exercises may vary slightly, but there’s a method designed to make sure people get a full body work-out that feels similar across the Equinox clubs.

I would recommend Barre classes to anyone looking to strengthen muscles in a low-impact and relatively gentle way. Newcomers to strength training may find that a Barre class is easier for them to find the “just right” level of difficulty and just rest when needed vs. jumping into a strength training class where you’re trying to choose the right weights to lift. You’ll still find barre class challenging if you’re at a high level of fitness, you’ll just be able to sink lower into your plié and make it through that last pulse without a break.

Looking back at these classes, I wouldn’t hesitate to take any of them again.

Barre offers some similar benefits to yoga and pilates in terms of low-impact strength and flexibility training that primarily uses your body weight and repetition to build muscles. People looking for variation in their routine who like those classes may enjoy Barre.

This post is part of my 2017 New Year’s Resolution to try every group fitness class offered at my gym, The Equinox in Chestnut Hill. See the full list of reviews here.

Progress: 42 Classes Down, Approximately 4 To Go (class offerings sometimes change)

I was not that excited to get up at 5:20 a.m., but if you’re going to do it sporadically, the week after daylight saving time ends when you’re still adjusting to the time change is a good week to do it!

Class: Boot Camp with Josh Fink

Class length: 50 minutes

Description from the Equinox: You know the drill…anything goes in Boot Camp! Reap the benefits of this ultimate calorie-burning workout through challenging combination of cardiovascular drills and resistance training and much more!

What Class Was Like

Remember, “anything goes!” so this is just what class was like today.

Boot Camp today was a circuit workout with four stations set up in a line so you work your way forward and then start again in the back. All-over strength and cardio. The Four Stations were each done 4 times total, two different sets of alternating workouts. So you’d do Set A at each of the four stations, then Set B, Set A, Set B. In between each of the four stations Josh would have someone pick a number between 1 and 8 that would dictate what cardio you’d do in between. Very short recovery between stations.

60 seconds of each Station and each Cardio segment for the first two rounds, then 45 seconds of each station and segment for the second two rounds.

It was a very challenging class at a very early hour, but Josh is so friendly and personable and the segments so short that it’s more bearable than you’d think. It might be “Boot Camp” style exercise-wise, but it’s more like morning coffee with an encouraging friend (who is an expert at whatever you’re struggling with) instructor-wise. Modify in his class and you’ll get a smile and a thumbs up for paying attention to your injury history or current fitness level. This makes it easier to give class everything you’ve got because there’s no shame when you need to dial back. (And he’s still smiling when he surprises everyone at the end of class with burpees, so FYI the class isn’t easy just because he’s nice when you choose the low-impact option.)

Sample Workout 

Cardio warm-up of jumping jacks, lunges etc.

Four stations

• Matt abdominal work
  • Set A) Penguin reaches (partial sit up position, fingers spread, reach forward on one side and then the other maintaining partial sit-up)
  • Set B) High plank position bringing each knee up to the outside and then back, then up to the opposite elbow and back
• Dumbbells
  • Set A) tricep curls then overhead extensions
  • Set B) lighter weight jabs (like from kick-boxing)
• VIPR
  • Set A) Push up over the VIPR with it in the space under your chest then take one hand in plank position and slide the VIPR over to the other side, repeat alternating
  • Set B) Take the VIPR from a squat position in between your legs up and over your head while you stand up then back to starting position, alternating sides in a fluid motion
• Kettle Bells
  • Set A) Deadlifts
  • Set B) Goblet curtseys

Cardio Segments in between (just some examples, but to give you an idea)

• Mountain climbers
• Sea Star Jumping jacks (where your arms and legs are all simultaneously in the air in a big burst)
• Lunge, shuffle, opposite lunge
• Jump squats

BONUS – Once we cleaned up the equipment we got to do burpees and more mountain climbers, and jumping in squat position floor touches! Total surprise round. Josh knows who I am so I couldn’t hide in the equipment room either.

Make sure you leave time to stretch and maybe even foam roll on your own after class before rushing off to the rest of your day.

Beginner Friendly?

Look.

It’s “Boot Camp”.

At 6 a.m.

Can you guess?

…

You were right.

This class is one you should work up to if you’re just getting into group fitness classes. I recommend being able to do the following exercises for 60 seconds before you go to class: push-ups, mountain climbers, high plank, squat jumps, dead-lifts, jumping jacks, seated v. If you can’t maintain those exercises for 60 seconds, you might enjoy class more if you work up to that level in another class before attending.

That said, if you can maintain those exercises for 60 seconds this is a great class. We don’t grow when we don’t reach, and Josh is a friendly and welcoming instructor who will modify for you if you get in trouble.

I thought to myself in class, wow, I wish I were one of the people who came voluntarily to this class. (I know, technically I came voluntarily, but I mean choose to take this class consistently on its own merit not just once as part of some insane New Year’s Resolution.)

Think of all those people who regularly take that class, doing burpees like a boss before 7 a.m. – how strong must they be? How much energy do they have to thoroughly enjoy what each day brings because they’re at that fitness level? If I can survive this class, you could become it.

Why is it great?

A very challenging but amazing start to the day. I got home when I normally get out of bed, and I must say I make lunches SO MUCH FASTER when I’ve already worked out and showered. We left for school on time, I got home and got to my volunteer meeting on time, I’m eating lunch on time, and my legs feel great.

I might be tired tonight / tomorrow from cutting my sleep short, but right now I feel amazing.

Know before you go

• If it’s set up as a circuit in the same style, you’ll need to pick a starting position when you get to class.
• Check out the stations you’ll rotate into to make sure they have appropriate weights for you and maybe grab an extra set if you need them.
• The purple-ish VIPR is lighter than the black VIPR. (You’re welcome. Josh told me that. You can thank Josh.)
• Contigo coffee travel mugs are legit spill-proof so if you bring them to class and knock them over you will be fine.

This post is part of my 2017 New Year’s Resolution to try every group fitness class offered at my gym, The Equinox in Chestnut Hill. See the full list of reviews here.

PROGRESS: 40 CLASSES DOWN, APPROXIMATELY 6 TO GO (CLASS OFFERINGS SOMETIMES CHANGE)

Want to join me for some of my last new classes?

This week I’ll be taking Whipped! on 11/7 and then Boot Camp on 11/9! Say hi if you’re there 🙂

CLASS: Cycle Beats with Renu Shukla

Class length: 45 Minutes

Description from the Equinox: Cycle to the Beat of the music. This challenging and high-intensity class is a great cardiovascular workout and experience.

WHAT CLASS WAS LIKE

A forty-five minute indoor cycling class that pairs music to your efforts to help motivate you for those intervals or slow you down for recovery segments. Some intervals, a few longer efforts, good music. Like any indoor cycling class I’ve taken, a lot depends on the instructor. Finding an instructor you enjoy who plays music you like is key!

Our class today included two 3 minute efforts where we tried to hit the 1 mile-mark, a song where we did Tabata efforts of 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off (to an Imagine Dragons song, total win for me), and some other 20 and 30 second interval efforts.

This class felt similar to regular Studio Cycling – yes, you’re using the beat of the music to inspire your efforts, but it’s not like Soul Cycle where you’re trying to sync yourself to an exact cadence and pedaling stroke.

Who would love it

Anyone who wants some intense cardio that’s free of impact. This is great for all levels because you control the resistance on your bike. New to cycling? Take it easier. Want to work so hard you have sweat dripping down your arm and you’re gasping for breath? You can do that too.

It’s also fun for data enthusiasts because you can track your workout on the Equinox app and it’ll send your stats from your reserved bike straight to your Equinox account. That means you can track progress, compare efforts, see which breakfast cookie best fuels your workout… whatever.

Know before you go

Cycling shoes really help you get more power for the full foot-stroke when you’re cycling indoors. Bikes at the Equinox are SPD clip compatible and Look/Delta compatible, but they also had cages so you can wear your normal shoes. (Don’t be afraid to do that before investing in cycling shoes.)

At the Equinox you reserve your specific bike in advance; look for the numbers on the front of each bike to find your spot when you get there.

Show up at least 5 minutes before class to set up your bike, and maybe 10 minutes ahead of time if you’re new to indoor cycling so the instructor can help you fit your bike to the right settings. You’ll be most comfortable if you’re not hyper-extending in your pedal stroke or the inverse, so it’s worth getting it set up right. Snap a photo of your settings so you can set up your bike solo the next time. Instructors like Renu are also experienced enough to spot needed adjustments during class – I’ve seen her spot needed tweaks during the warm-up and help people get more comfortable for the ride. They want you to have a great class, so they’d love to help you get comfortable enough to work hard and come back!