Elevate Barre Studio

I describe a barre workout as a combination of ballet, yoga, and pilates. Each barre studio describes it differently, although it's basically the same workout.  I've done three different types of barre workouts over the past couple of years, and Elevate Barre Studio has the honor/poor fortune of being the first one for this blog! 

Several months ago, I noticed Elevate Barre Studio in a nearby shopping plaza. So, naturally, it went on my list for this project.  They also use the mindbodyonline scheduler that I've mentioned in previous posts.  I've discovered that mindbodyonline has an app called mindbodyconnect.  It's been great for my research for this blog and it makes scheduling and paying for classes super easy.  You can search by type of class, nearby classes, by studio name and they also have a spa and salon category.  While using the app, I noticed that Elevate offers FREE classes several times a week!  The class is complimentary because it is taught by one of their instructors in training.  The listing said that this class as great for beginners due to the smaller class size.  So, I opted to check out Jessica's class and give her a bit of a challenge before becoming a certified instructor.    

I'm teasing (sort of) about giving her a challenge because I suck at barre.  I know this because, a couple of years ago, I did a different barre workout consistently for several months and I never got better at it.  I'm not a dancer.  I'm not graceful.  I have no equipoise.  I was consistently the worst person in my classes...always starting on the wrong foot or switching my arms during certain moves. I'm just not great at it.  That being said, it worked.  I saw a change in my strength and in the shape of my body.  My muscles were becoming longer and leaner and that yucky weird fold of back fat near my bra strap totally disappeared.  So, I believe in barre (even though I no longer do it).

I believe in barre, but I wasn't a huge fan of elevate.  Sorry...but, stay with me because although it wasn't for me, I can TOTALLY see why women (who are not me) could absolutely love it.  Although this review may seem negative, it's not a bad review.  It's more about this studio not being MY type of place. I really hope that everyone sees the humor in MY insecurities and inability to balance gracefully and MY shortcomings, not this studio's.

So, I walked in and felt like I had just entered a sorority house.  There were half a dozen women chattering at a pitch that reverberated off the walls. A few of them were clamoring to try on and buy the newest leopard print leggings that, apparently, had just been added to the boutique section. The décor is absolutely gorgeous and it felt more like walking into a spa than a gym/studio. I was warmly welcomed by Colleen (I think?) and then Jessica (the instructor in training) showed me around.

Elevate is different than the other studios I've attended in several ways. They have lockers with little keys, which I much prefer to the open cubbies of other studios, it's bright and well-lit, and the studio is carpeted, as opposed to wood floors. Due to the carpeting (I assume), you can wear regular socks instead of barre socks. 

SIDE NOTE: There are two apparel rules of barre.  1) You must wear barre socks, also known as yoga socks or studio socks.  They are regular socks, but they charge an arm and a leg for them because they have the little non-stick stuff on the bottom...like your pajamas had as a kid or like the socks they issue you when you're admitted to the hospital. 2) You must wear pants/leggings that hit at or below the knee. No shorts. I was told that this is to keep your legs and muscles warm during the workout.

I admit that I was wary of the carpet.  Maybe I'm still recuperating from the stench of the kickboxing gym, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Elevate Barre Studio smells AMAZING...like, "Am I in a hidden camera Febreeze commercial?" kind of amazing.  So, kudos to them for that accomplishment!

On to the workout: Jessica's energy level was through the roof! Elevate changes the music and the lighting depending on the section of the workout and the music is best described as Radio Disney on ecstasy. We were warming up to the most poppy pop music infused with an electronic re-mixed beat. I, of course, couldn't even keep up with the warm-up and had to correct my hands/feet several times. Thankfully, we transitioned into arms before I could make an even bigger fool of myself.  I absolutely love barre's arm workouts.  It's amazing how light weights and little pulses can fatigue your muscles so quickly.  Jessica did a great job challenging us and correcting our form, when needed. Then, we approached the barre to do the "thigh and seat work" and this is when the fun happens. A cool/terrifying phenomenon of the barre workout is the way your body shakes while doing the exercises. They say that it's your muscles fatiguing, rebuilding, lengthening, and becoming leaner, but it's freaky and uncomfortable! Also, everyone began to look like insane ballerinas while doing fast paced curtsies while holding on to the bar and raising their other arm up and down. I looked nothing like a ballerina...more like a flailing flamingo.  It was at this point that I began to contemplate my escape.  I actually considered running away several times during the workout.  It wasn't due to difficulty, but due to the silliness and awkwardness that I felt. "Wait? Jessica wants me to put my ankle up ON the barre? Like, that high? And then do what? Umm...I could just leave, right?"  I didn't leave, but I didn't really enjoy myself very much. 

Elevate is a much faster-paced, more high-energy, more sugary-sweet bubble gum style than the other barre workouts I've done.  For instance, when we transitioned to the floor to do the abdominal work on pilates mats, Jessica called it "back dancing" and turned the lights off and a colored-light disco ball on! Then, in stark contrast, we ended with the music lowered and the lights dimmed, stretching in yoga-style, including sitting cross-legged with our hands at our heart and Jessica asking us to thank our bodies. The workout was great, but going from ballet moves during electronic dance music to "back dancing" in the dark under disco lights to breathing in Namaste-style made me feel completely schizophrenic.  Jessica did a great job and she'll make a great barre instructor...and, lucky for her, she won't have me in any of her classes again!


Cost: $10 for your first class, then $20 per class, discounts for class packages
Fun Factor: Moderate to High (if you like that kind of thing)
Difficulty: High

This is what I look like when I'm

"back dancing" in barre class!

Vinyasa Yoga

I've been attending Yoga classes at Truth in Motion Yoga for a week now.  They offer 2 free weeks of classes and I've been trying to get the most out of it.  I blogged about my Gentle Yoga class and I've attended that same class 4 times since Thursday.  I'm hooked and I'll definitely continue.  I went to Gentle Yoga on Saturday after my Kickboxing class on Friday and it really helped me stretch out an manage the soreness from the intense kickboxing workout.  I can see myself using Gentle Yoga as a part of my recovery routine as I attempt more intense fitness classes for the blog.

Yesterday, I attended Vinyasa Flow in order to try a new class for this blog post and also to explore the other offerings before I buy a package.  This yoga class was a challenging workout lead by the owner of the studio, Irina.  Irina is a beautiful red-head with a thick Russian accent.  She's no nonsense, but compassionate as well.  She began the class with a lesson on one of the philosophies in yoga and drew parallels between the physical aspects of yoga practice and the things we may experience in our daily lives.  I'm not as eloquent or as well versed as she is, but it was basically about dealing with change and our choice to fight against it or accept it and settle into it.  I hope to be able to notice physical changes as I continue with this blog project and to be able to understand and utilize my body better than I able to now.

The Vinyasa Flow class wasn't difficult, but it was challenging.  Irina kept us moving but when we stayed in certain poses, I could feel the engagement in my muscles. By the middle of the class, I was sweating plenty!  My heart was pounding and as we twisted and bent into different positions, I could feel the blood rushing to the areas we were targeting.  Today, my hips, legs, shoulder, and back muscles are sore, but in a way that makes me realize I used them.  As opposed to after kickboxing, when my muscles felt injured!  Throughout the class, Irina came by and corrected our positioning/alignment or showed us ways to modify the poses to our abilities.  After class, she talked to me about the poses that I need to work on as well as focusing on releasing the tension from my shoulders and lower back. Ha!  Easier said than done, right? I know my chiropractor agrees with her about that!

As far as yoga for fitness, I enjoyed this class a lot, but I don't see Vinyasa Flow as something I'm looking to add to my current routine (especially if I'm using Gentle Yoga for therapeutic reasons). 

Overall, I'm glad to have found this studio and I'd encourage anyone else in the area to try out the free 2 week trial to see if it's a fit for you too.

Cost: First 2 weeks free, $16 per class, discount for class packages
Fun Factor: Moderate
Difficulty: Moderate

Kickboxing

This morning, I subjected myself to the Fitness Kickboxing class at Bangkok Boxing.

I've never done kickboxing before nor have I stepped foot into a boxing gym.  I was so nervous about this class!  Well, more like terrified.  First of all, I have two left feet and I stink at any type of choreography.  In my mind, kickboxing was probably going to be a series of choreographed punches and kicks that the rest of the experienced class members were familiar with and I'd be standing in their dust, lost and confused.  I was a little bit right, but the class was a lot more than just punching and kicking a bag. Secondly, I was worried about how tough the class would be...and rightly so...

The receptionist welcomed me and wrapped my hands properly and handed me boxing gloves.

The instructor, Thomas, looked like he'd be one of the good guys in the hipster version of Mortal Combat complete with an asymmetrical haircut, thigh tattoo, and satin boxing shorts. He introduced himself and warned me that the class would be challenging, but he'd stick close to me and make sure I was getting the moves done correctly.

There were 9 of us in the class and we warmed up by jogging around the mat and doing a few other cardio moves.  By the end of the warm-up, I was huffing and puffing and even more worried than I was before!

The class is really a circuit training class with kickboxing mixed in.  There was never a moment of downtime outside of the three water breaks. As promised, Thomas stuck by me through all the kickboxing portions of the class and made sure that my form was correct and that I wasn't messing up the choreography too badly. In between kickboxing combinations, we did planks, sit ups, push ups, and jumping jacks.  The boxing gloves actually made those easier to do because they padded my hand during push ups and acted like a pillow during the sit ups.  The downside is that as the intensity built, I began to feel claustrophobic in the gloves.  Luckily, every time I was about to give in and take them off, Thomas would call a water break or we'd move on to an exercise without the gloves.

I'm proud to say that I was able to pretty much keep up.  The only time I needed to take a break was during the portion where we were jogging with medicine balls, then holding them above our heads while doing lunges, then holding them eye-level while doing leg lifts.  The lightest ball was 12lbs and I couldn't hack it!  Instead, I did the moves without the ball and took an extra water break. Just recounting the experience makes my arms feel like Jell-O.

Overall, I had fun, but it was the toughest exercise class I've ever taken.  Thomas was awesome. He's energetic, engaging, and encouraging. The music was great too.  He said that on weekends and evenings, the classes are very full and he cranks the music and the intensity.  The downside of the entire experience for me, was the smell!  I know that gyms are smelly places, but between the hand wraps, the gloves, the floor mats, and 10 sweaty humans, it got really bad.  The funk can only be described as what I assume Shrek's armpits smell like. A friend of mine used to use the colorful term, "swamp ass" and I think I finally know what he was talking about.  I don't think it's an issue of cleanliness, because they were spraying down the mats and mopping.  I think it's just a byproduct of a really intense work out in that type of environment.

Cost: First class was free.  They are going to contact me about pricing for more classes.
Fun Factor: High
Difficulty: Extremely High

Phew! I did it!!!

Gentle Yoga

It's been several years since I've practiced yoga consistently.  Well, it's been several years since I've done any one type of exercise (except for walking and running) consistently, hence this blog.  After attending a yoga class this morning, I'm really pissed at myself for letting yoga lapse as a part of my routine.  I absolutely adore it and this morning's class reminded me of that.

I could be wrong, but I think that my first experience with yoga was in 2003 at a gorgeously appointed studio in South Florida.  I don't remember how I found it, but I'd go a couple times a week after work and always attend the classes lead by an adorable woman who told me that she was born in Iran.  I'd guess that she was in her late 50's/early 60's and although she was tiny, she had a surprisingly deep voice. Her Persian accent was melodic and in the few times that I've run through a few yoga poses on my own (to stretch or for whatever other reason) it's her voice that I hear in my head.  She was so funny and cute that she instantly became part of my repertoire of accents/personas and I still enjoy imitating her.  Ask me to say, "sun salutation," and it will inevitably be her voice that escapes my mouth.

I've taken some yoga classes since then, but I never found one that I loved enough to commit to the practice once again. So, of course, yoga was going to have to be a part of this project.  There are so many styles (is that the right term), and studios, and instructors, and even yoga-type hybrids.  I know that I'll be writing about several classes over the life of this blog project.

This morning, I went to my first class at Truth In Motion Yoga.  They offer two free weeks of unlimited classes and that made it really easy for me to choose them as my first yoga class to test drive.  They also have a super informative website and they use the mindbodyonline scheduler (a system that several gyms and studios use) so, it was simple and convenient for me to read about each class and book one that fit my schedule and suited my preferences.

I chose Gentle Sunrise Yoga in order to ease myself back in...just in case.  I am quite possibly the least flexible human being on the planet.  I've never been able to touch my toes or do a split.  Heck, I could never even do a cartwheel.  I think, maybe, I was able to stretch up into a back-bend as a small child, but maybe not!  I'm a living, breathing, walking, talking, set of tight and inflexible muscles.  I know that yoga will help with that, but that would take consistence and commitment and we've already established that I'm no good at that when it comes to fitness routines... 

The class was me and 4 other lovely ladies (all regulars).  The studio is simple, yet well appointed. It's warm and welcoming with wooden floors, candles and lanterns strung at the front, and bamboo murals on the walls.  Our instructor Joanna showed me into the studio and had me grab two bolster pillows, a strap, and a blanket.  They also have mats to borrow for beginners, but I dug my 12 year old mat out of the basement closet and brought it along.  I've used the strap and yoga blocks before, but I hadn't seen the bolster pillows, so I was intrigued.  

All in all, this was a VERY gentle yoga class.  We used the bolsters to do just that. They helped to support our heads and necks while collapsing into deep and easy stretches.  My back has been extremely tight and I felt it relaxing around my rib cage during these deep stretches. Joanna's pace with each individual stretch was slow, but not too slow and although it felt great, I didn't sweat at all. It's hard to classify this class as fitness, except that I tend to group fitness in with well-being and self-care, in which case it qualifies.

At the end of a yoga class, there is a guided relaxation and meditation, called Shavasana. I've always loved this part of yoga and right before we started, Joanna told me that at Truth In Motion, the instructor rubs essential oil on your forehead and you're given a choice of a hot towel across your eyes or an eye mask.  Wow! Um, hot towel, please.  Also, they make a smoothie to share at the end of class! Today's was cherry, banana, and coconut milk.  These extra touches made me enjoy the experience even more.

I will definitely be back to try some of the other classes and instructors (and smoothies).  Oh, by the way, Joanna is originally from Lebanon and has a great accent!

Cost: First 2 weeks free, $16 per class, discount for class packages
Fun Factor: Relaxing
Difficulty: Low

After class, I gave my mat a nice hug.

It's good to be together again, old friend.