Charles River Row – Equinox Chestnut Hill

• 0 • NYR 2017

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: 35 Classes Down, Approximately 8 To Go (class offerings sometimes change)

Class: Charles River Row with Cindy Sherwood

Class length: 50 minutes

Description from the Equinox: Celebrate the world’s largest 2-day rowing race. Come row like a pro and train for the win! Team up with your 4 person crew and tackle the 5k upstream challenge together. Crews will collectively row 5,000 meters in this 4 round circuit based class that is bound to bring out your inner athlete. Finish with a team relay race and seize the most coveted title, The Head of The Charles. Results, fun and bragging rights guaranteed.

Sample Workout 

Jogging warm-up

Four Circuit Stations x 4 repeats of 1 minute each, minimal transition/recovery

  • Abs: Russian twists with a weight ball for 30 seconds then a 30-second plank with hands on the weight ball
  • Weights: Standing bent dumbbell row and tricep extension for 30 seconds then 30 seconds standing overhead dumbbell presses
  • Jump squats 30 seconds then 30 seconds of forward lunges lifting the ViPR overhead and then down to opposite side of forward leg during lunge as though canoeing
  • Rowing 300 meters

Finished with a Team Relay Race

We had partners because it was a small class rather than a 4 person team as in the description, so we sat on rowers opposite our partners and switched off rowing 300 meters and recovering until we’d rowed 2,400 meters (1200 each in four sets of 300).

Cool down / walk it off and then stretching.

What Class Was Like

A circuit workout with little recovery time in between. My heart was pounding, I was sweating, and yet I made it through each set because they were short enough to struggle towards the end but still power through.

A little like The Pursuit where you’re motivated to work hard because it impacts your team, but with even greater accountability because you’re face to face with your relay partner and cheering each other on (vs. in a dark cycling studio where you know the numbers of the bikes on your team but can’t see your teammates faces).

Don’t be afraid to be the weakest one on your team. I finished a little behind the other rowers when we did our 300 meters during the circuit workout, so I knew I was the slowest rower in the class. When I was paired with a strong rower, he rowed even harder because he knew he had to carry some of my weight in order for us to do well in the relay race, and I worked at maximum effort because I knew I was slowing him down. I think when your partner can tell you are giving it every ounce you have, that’s an even greater gift than helping them win effortlessly. And it’s not like you’re costing them an Olympic medal, so while it would have been nice to help my teammate win, I helped him get a great workout and that’s what we came for.  I worked so hard I could feel my heart pounding in my ears and my legs were on fire.

Cindy – Part of this team spirit that had me rowing until my legs were on fire came from our instructor, Cindy, who purposefully encouraged a team mentality by making sure we knew each other’s names and were cheering for each other. Instructors have the power to influence class culture and encourage interaction and Cindy did that really well. She also keeps her classes moving fast and working hard, with reminders to watch form when it’s getting sloppy (keeping our forward lunges aligned while using the ViPR, hand level during rowing, etc.).

Rowing Form

Rowing is a great workout, and it’s best (and safest) when you have good form. Which is why it’s AMAZING to learn from a real rower. Not only is Cindy a great team-builder who creates good class energy, she’s also an experienced outdoor and indoor rower. She’s even rowing on the Equinox team in the actual Head of the Charles race this weekend! Equinox members should go check out the Equinox tent on the Cambridge side of the Charles River (I heard there’s alcohol) and cheer her on. Check your e-mail or reach out to the club for details, I remember seeing an email about it!

Some things I learned about rowing technique from Cindy: bend at your hips when you’re finishing your stroke, keep your elbows out like chicken wings and don’t pull the row handles too high, you want them coming out straight from the rower towards your ribcage. Don’t over-reach before beginning each stroke, but don’t lose that energy by not reaching far enough, either. That last tip not helpful? If you hit the Charles River Rowing class you can see her demonstrate it in person!

Why is it great?

Rowing works a lot of muscle groups. You’re engaging your core, pushing with your legs, firing up your shoulders and pulling with your arms. While you’re using all that strength, you’re also raising your heart rate and getting cardio. It’s an incredibly efficient workout.

Know before you go

Weightlifting gloves will help protect your hands from the rower. Go to class hydrated – no leisurely water breaks for you! (A quick sip is fine, but you’re moving the whole class.) This would be an amazing class to take with friends to team up with or compete against… or maybe it’s just a great chance to make a new friend and get to know people who go to your gym!

Note: It’s uncertain whether this class will be offered after October since it was inspired by the Head of the Charles race – you may want to take it soon! But Cindy isn’t going anywhere even if the class does, so you may find her teaching a similar rowing class in the future even if you can’t find Charles River Row.

We had a small class turnout and it might be because it’s a new class offering. Take it from me, don’t be afraid to try a new class! It’s amazing to get outside your comfort zone and fall in love with new things. It keeps your body from adapting to one workout and making it less efficient, and it keeps your brain engaged.

 

Equinox Class Review: Tabata Circuit

• 1 • NYR 2017

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: 34 Classes Down, Approximately 9 To Go (class offerings sometimes change)
WEIGHT BAGS!!! My favorite thing. Seriously.

Class: Tabata Circuit with Josh Fink

Class length: 50 minutes

Description from the Equinox: At your request we combined the best of two classes: the movement of Whipped, and the intensity of Tabata. This cardio/strength circuit workout with Tabata intervals keeps you moving and consistently introduces new challenges for the full body. It’s all or nothing in this breathless workout.

What Class Was Like

This was a circuit class, which means participants move from station to station rather than doing exercises as a simultaneous group. There were 7 different stations, and after a cardio warm-up people split into groups of up to 4 and picked a starting station.

Tabata is a high-intensity interval training method (HIIT) pioneered by Dr. Izumi Tabata that does very short workout intervals of 20 seconds each followed by 10 seconds of rest. We did 8 work/recovery repeats at each station before having a minute recovery to rehydrate and move on to the next station.

Sample Workout 

Cardio warm up (jumping jacks, squats, lunges)

The Seven Stations (From Today’s Class – Workouts Change!)

  • Squat jumps
  • Rowing machines
  • Gliders under the feet and walking hands forward into plank position and then back
  • A big jump forward and then fast feet backwards
  • Battle ropes
  • Picking up a weighted sand-bag over your head then throwing it down on the ground alternating sides you throw it to
  • Downward dog through push-up position into cobra and repeat

 

We then helped put equipment away and did some stretching.

Beginner Friendly?

Any workout with “intensity, challenges, breathless” and “all or nothing” in the description can only be beginner friendly to a point, right? I was able to modify jumping jacks (still ever-so-cautious about my plantar fasciitis in the spring) and hey, you get to rest every 20 seconds… but this class isn’t one I’d start with if you’re new to group fitness.

I recommend starting with a non-circuit class where everyone is doing the same thing simultaneously and the instructor is often modeling the exercise in real-time. Circuits are great for sharing equipment, but it means the instructor has to float between multiple stations to offer feedback and you have to remember a demonstration from the beginning of class and recall it when you get to each new station. That’s much easier if you’ve taken some non-circuit classes first and are familiar with the types of exercises at each station. Josh was great about walking around and offering modifications (and encouraging us with a smile not to stop before the buzzer), but there’s more for him to do when he has 7 groups going on all at once.

Why is it great?

I hesitate to say that I can do anything for 20 seconds but…. knowing everything only lasts 20 seconds before you get a recovery (albeit brief) is a mental plus. This was a hard, fast class and there were some jumping segments but having the 10 seconds in between made it easier for my calves and I chose not to modify the squat jump station.

My favorite, favorite, favorite part was picking up the weight bags and slamming them down onto the ground. It felt amazing. You can take all of your current events stress and just SLAM it into the floor. SLAM. SLAM. SLAM. 20 seconds was not nearly enough time, actually.

I do wonder what’s directly below the Main Studio… if it’s the pool I guess I keep my head under water because I’ve never noticed the sound of 10 lb weight bags being slammed down onto the ceiling. Hopefully the staff break room is below the yoga studio.

Know before you go

No need to set up your own station or grab your favorite spot since you’ll be rotating.

Participants wore sneakers.

Weight gloves aren’t really necessary but might help with battle ropes, not slipping in plank position, or if there were a weight station.

I had to grab earplugs.

Want to do your own Tabata workout?

You might like the cool app Josh was using called Tabata Pro, or one of the similar apps out there. It’ll keep track of your interval and recovery times for you as well as counting down your repeats. Maybe I’ll use it next time I sneak into the studio alone and start throwing weight bags around to make myself feel better after watching the news.

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Equinox Class Review: Metcon 3

• 0 • NYR 2017

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: 33 Classes Down, Approximately 10 To Go (class offerings sometimes change)

I took the kids winter coat shopping yesterday and it was not a good time. So when Greg got out early for Columbus Day and was willing to feed them dinner and send me off to the gym to take Metcon3 and come home with Lebanese takeout, I was thrilled. 

Even more thrilled than when I figured out that METCON 3 is derived from “Metabolic Conditioning” after a glass of reserve Chardonnay. And I was pretty pleased with myself.

Class: Metcon 3 with Richard Guptill

Class length: 50 minutes

Description from the Equinox: This high-intensity metabolic conditioning workout taxes all three energy systems and acts like a fat-incinerator to ensure results that leave you fit and motivated for the demands of your life.*

*Highly recommend lining this up so the demands of your life are to go home and devour fool moudammas.

What Class Was Like

The heart of the class was 10 different exercises done for 1 minute each repeated 3 times. During the first set there was a necessary instructional break between exercises. The next two sets flowed from one exercise to the next using music with warning beeps and then a horn to indicate it was time to move onto the next exercise.

Wondering about the “three energy systems” listed in the description? ATP-PC, Glycolytic, and Oxidative. (Yup, I googled it for you.) This was one of the better articles I could find (based on author credentials, I couldn’t find a publication I’m familiar with) if you’re interested in reading more.

Sample Workout 

Cardio warm up (jogging in place, high knees, butt kicks, jumping jacks)

Set of 10 exercises of 1 minute each repeated 3 Times:

  • dumbbell bench presses
  • dumbbell bicep curls
  • planks holding dumbbells with rows in plank position, 2x each side alternating
  • choice of jumping over the bench, jumping up onto the bench and then down, or stepping up onto the bench and then off
  • forward alternating lunges holding dumbbells
  • dumbbell extensions while lying on your back on the bench bringing the weight behind your head then back up over your chest
  • switch kicks
  • squats holding a large dumbbell like a goblet centered on the chest
  • low burpee from a sitting squat position holding dumbbells on the floor in between feet back into a plank with hands on the dumbbells
  • slow sit-ups making sure to finish with a straight back and upright head

 

Finished with some bonus work of 20 push-ups (no knees allowed, reduce the quantity or take a break instead) and then jumping a huge jump forward with the bench in between your legs and four small hops backward while holding a large dumbbell, then stretching.

You know it’s been a challenging class when you’re relieved to take child’s pose even though it puts your nose an inch from the floor you just sweat onto.

Beginner Friendly?

We did pick our own weights which makes the weight work easy to modify. Richard is also a fantastic instructor. He doesn’t just provide the occasional modification, he often provides multiple variations for each exercise so people can choose the exact right level for them. He also gives very clear instructions on form (for example making sure your knee isn’t extending beyond your ankle in a lunge, or exactly where weights should be positioned).

If the purpose of an instructor is to instruct, Richard nails it. Sometimes when you’re working really hard your brain can’t quite keep up with what’s next, and Richard was always talking us through it with a steady combination of encouragement and details on what we should be doing and tips on form.

That said, there are some prerequisite skills that would be handy. If you read through the sample exercises you should get a sense for which ones you can modify easily by choosing a lighter weight, and which parts are hard to modify without sacrificing the point of the exercise (ie, hold a plank, complete squats and lunges, do sit-ups for 60 seconds).

It’s the next morning as I write this and I feel slightly sore but good because I chose my weights really cautiously. I’m even planning to run today. I highly recommend choosing weights on the light side for the first time you take any class. (I did NOT feel good for several days after Pure Strength; trust me on this one.) If you’re not sure what to pick, get there in time to ask the instructor before class and grab a variety of weights so you can tweak your effort during class.

Why is it great?

Another class that hits that popular strength and cardio combination in a fast-paced format. It’s nice because while some of the exercises are really challenging, they’re all over in 60 seconds. Knowing it won’t be too long helps. The sequencing was also thoughtful; I may not have written it perfectly in order, but I often felt like once my arms were really tired we were moving onto the legs, and once my heart was racing from cardio, we were doing something stationary. It was a well-planned class.

Know before you go

Get there early; benches require set-up and you’ll want to be able to grab appropriate weights without rushing. (When in doubt, get an extra couple sets and put them off to the side; there are plenty of weights available.) I did use ear-plugs for class. Some people had gloves on to help protect their hands when lifting the weights and pushing on the bench.

Interesting Sidenote on Class Times

I talked with Richard for a bit after class and he told me that instructors sometimes tailor their classes to meet the demographics of participants, so a class mid-morning on a weekday that attracts retirees and stay-at-home parents might be at a slightly different difficulty level than a class in the early evening that attracts the after-work and college-aged crowd.

I’m terrified to think that Firestarter might be any harder than it was when I took it on a weekday morning! (I doubt it.)

I suspect you’ll get a great authentic class experience at any time of day, but it does make sense that if you’re attending a class when a higher percentage of people require modifications, it’ll have a different feel and may be more accessible. So if you love a class description it might be worth taking the class at different times of day and with different instructors to see the subtle differences class demographics and instructors make to the overall experience.

 

 

Equinox Class Review: Precision Running

• 0 • NYR 2017

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: 32 Classes Down, Approximately 11 To Go (class offerings sometimes change)

Class: Precision Running with Kristen Mercier

Class length: 50 minutes

Description from the Equinox: You don’t have to go outside to blaze new trails. Innovated by David Siik*, Precision Running is redefining our indoor treadmill training with the only method-driven program in the industry. Run smart, hurt less and burn more through a patterned flow that constantly switches up speed, time and incline to ignite potential and keep you in the running zone.

*You may also enjoy my post about taking Precision Running with David Siik and when he visited Equinox Chestnut Hill, as well as his inside scoop on the incoming Precision Running Lab.

What Class Was Like

Interval training on the treadmill! An efficient running workout to build your cardio base and VO2 max.

This class uses your 1 minute PR pace as a marker for determining your pace for each interval. (1 minute per mile slower, 2 minutes per mile slower, 30 seconds per mile faster, etc.) This allows everyone to participate at the “just right” level for them, and since you’re controlling the treadmill you can modify incline or pace as needed.

Class changes week to week, and all precision running programs go through an Equinox vetting process before being used. I heard that the week prior intervals were 2 minutes long, so regular attendees can expect a variety of interval types.

Beginner Friendly?

I was nervous attending class because I used to be a much stronger runner than I am right now, but because it was so customizable to my current pace all I had to do was work hard for 45 seconds, recover, and repeat. Those 45 seconds would have been faster a year ago, but that didn’t keep me from getting the most out of class now.

I was afraid the class would be 50 minutes of continuous running (which would be hard for me right now), but it’s not. Runners who can run a 5k should be able to complete this class.

Runners who aren’t at a 5k could probably also complete the class since the interval/recover formula is similar to the walk/run strategy people should use to build up to a 5k. They’ll just need to be cautious and make sure their running segments are appropriately slow. Class may be more enjoyable for those who can comfortably run 3 miles going in. I recommend talking to the instructor before class if you hope to use it to begin running. Kristen was familiar with previous participants and checked in with people about old injuries and encouraged those who made modifications; I suspect she’d be very helpful if a beginner showed up with questions.

Sample Workout

Here’s how the intervals were structured the day I went:

  • Warm up
  • 45 second intervals at 1 minute per mile slower than PR pace with one-minute recovery in between. With each subsequent interval, the incline went up by 1%. Treadmill started flat and ended after the 9th interval at an 8% incline.
  • Two minute recovery.
  • 45 second intervals with a 90 second recovery, starting at 8% incline and reducing incline by 1% AND speeding up .3 mph on the treadmill with each subsequent interval.
  • Two minute recovery / cool down.
  • Some abdominal work and stretching.

 

Who would love it?

Great for runners looking for guided interval work, or people who run for fitness and want a great cardio workout. It’s motivating to be in a group and (like any exercise class) it may be easier to do more and stick with the entire workout when you’re in a group setting guided by an instructor.

It can be easy to get into a rut with intervals; for example, I almost never use incline and tend to favor 400 meter repeats on the track. Attending Precision Running is a good way to keep it fresh and complete a variety of vetted workouts with the added accountability of a group setting.

 

Know before you go

It’s helpful to know your 1 minute PR pace prior to class. See how far you make it around a track in 1 minute, or use the treadmill, or use a GPS watch outside. Here’s a pace calculator that might help: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/4/4_1/96.shtml

This class takes place on the treadmill bank in the regular cardio machine area.

Bring a towel to use during class and to lay on the treadmill for ab exercises if needed.

It says online that headphones are required, but we didn’t use them for our class.

Definitely bring a water bottle!

Note for those doing half marathon / marathon training

I ran fewer than 3 miles in the 50-minute class because of the recovery time between intervals. The time spent at high effort (18 intervals of 45 seconds each) only added up to 13 and a half minutes, so probably only about 1.5 miles of my total class distance was hard running. Based on my own personal experience training for race distances, that interval mileage is close to what you might find in a 5k training plan and less than what you’d commonly find training for longer race distances. My most successful half marathon was after using a plan that had me doing 3 miles of intervals once a week, about 5-6 miles of total running with recovery. On the other hand, before my first half marathon I didn’t do any interval training at all and this class would have helped immensely. You should be the judge of whether this amount of interval training jives with your current running base and training plan.

PS – Check Out My New Shoes!

If you’ve been following my spring plantar fasciitis drama you might remember that Dr. Caddoo recommended I get very flexible minimalist shoes to run in and ease into them slowly while building up the muscles in my feet.

My new Vapor Glove 2 shoes by Merrell are definitely flexible. They’ve got basically no cushion, lots of wiggle room in the toe box, and bend easily enough to allow my foot its natural range of motion while I run.

My feet feel great after using them in Precision Running, but I’m going to start by using them every other run to make sure I’m building muscles and easing into them.

 

Equinox Class Review: Cardio Sculpt

• 1 • NYR 2017

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: 31 Classes Down, Approximately 12 To Go (class offerings sometimes change)

Today’s Class: Cardio Sculpt with Kristy Discipio

Class length: 55 Minutes

Description from the Equinox: A total body workout for both muscular strength and endurance. Continuous movement to great music keeps the heart rate up for a sweat-drenched sculpting session.

What Class Was Like

SURPRISE! This is a kickboxing class! (I didn’t get that from the description, you?)

Luckily that was a pleasant surprise for me; I loved this class. We went back and forth between kickboxing and weight exercises using small to medium weights. (Most people had 5-10 pound dumbbells.)

I was so afraid this was going to be 55 minutes of burpees and jumping jacks and I was ecstatic to be doing kickboxing instead.

Kick-boxing sequences were well demonstrated and moves were practiced individually for technique before adding them to the existing sequence. What started out as three jabs and a cross punch ended up becoming a long kickboxing sequence by the end of class; but thanks to the gradual build-up it was easy to memorize and execute.

Weight work was just long enough for my heart rate to recover from the cardio segments, and made it feel like a well-rounded workout.

No mat work or ab-specific work was included, but my abs feel worked from staying tight during the kickboxing sequences.

Sample Exercises:

  • 3 jabs, 1 cross, front kick, back kick, uppercut, hook, uppercut, hook, roundhouse, squat roundhouse, squat (all practiced individually and then added onto the starting sequence one at a time)
  • dumbbell rows and lifts
  • burpees into high knees
  • squat to straight standing overhead dumbbell presses

Who would love it?

Anyone looking to sweat in a cardio workout and have some fun, all without neglecting strength work. Great for someone who is interested in taking The Cut! but who’d like a little more instruction and repetition of the moves first.

Kickboxing is great because it’s so much more than just cardio. You’re squatting after a kick, balancing and switching feet to go from a front kick to a back kick, increasing flexibility with your roundhouse, engaging your core so you can move with precision, etc. I felt a lot of different muscles being utilized, including my brain, to execute the workout to my best ability.

Know before you go

  • Wear sneakers and definitely bring a water bottle.
  • Watch where you’re kicking, and make sure you pick a spot with enough room to move
  • When in doubt, bring earplugs. Volume is a preference and they might be helpful here.

PSA – Rumor has it that Equinox Chestnut Hill is getting training bags and people will get the chance to do more than shadow-box pretty soon! That’s a good reason to retake the class, right? I mean you guys should probably hear about how that goes. A favor for you. Not a distraction from my overall goal, for sure.

PPSA (PS and PSA? No? Not a thing?) – the chilled eucalyptus scented towels are absolutely fantabulous post workout. Just trying everything. That was the point of this, right?