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#WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: 30/60/90

Samantha

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May 11, 2016

So normally in a gym, people pick up some weights and put down some weights, a means by which to increase their meat-to-head ratio. And you could do that here, too. Go ahead, bench-press away. But it would be sort of like going to The Palm and just ordering a salad.

Not that you need another reason to take advantage of a slick, minimalist High-line adjacent playground, coyly disguised as a gym, but their group fitness classes are pretty stellar too.

First things first: you’ll have to get yourself to Equinox. (Nobody said this was going to be easy.) Stash your stuff in the locker room, and make a beeline to the group fitness studio for 30/60/90, New York’s much-buzzed HIIT class, brought to you by Kristi Molinari.

Word to the wise, it’s going to get crowded. It’ll be a scene. Scene-making that fuels the metropolis. You’ll need to mark your territory.

Strolling in late is not cute, in life in general, but especially not in this class. Considering the lights are off, and it’s close to 40 people deep, the likelihood of you tripping over a body and making a spectacle of yourself is highly possible.

I got there 15 minutes early and there were half a dozen people already there, buzzing around getting their space setup, and this was on a rainy Saturday morning! The lovely gentlemen in front of me kindly asked if I’d slide my riser back a bit, he’d seen people get kicked in the face before and didn’t want to accidentally knock my teeth out. It was so sweet of him, really.

You’ll work with free weights (3lb-15lb), a step with risers, and your body’s resistance. Don’t be fooled, this is not your mamma’s jazzercise class. It’s intense, unpredictable, and plays with emotions — mental and physical prowess, too. It consists of cardio drills in a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) format, maximizing your effort in short bursts for a mixture of strength and cardio. Which is two birds, people.

Hence the name, each of these intervals is 30, 60 or 90 seconds long, the last 15 seconds are supposed to be anaerobic so you put the pedal to the medal to get your heart rate up quickly and keep you in the fat burning zone. Active recoveries such as push-ups and side planks have never felt so good when you’re heart is still pounding from the 15 minute warm-up. There were modifications for the high impact portions of the workout, but bottom-line, if you’re not into all-out effort activities I can tell you right now, this workout is not for you.

The class ended with 90 seconds of “freestyle”–choose your favorite three cardio moves and do each for 30 seconds.

The music playlist syncs to that most primal rhythm of all, your heart. Expect an all-out cacophony orgy of beats, grunts and groans, perfect for egging you on to ever-higher levels of athletic awesomeness. It reminded me of that time between dinner and last call when the lights go down, a little extra buzz explodes in the room and the night takes a turn for the can-you-believe-that-just-happened. It was kind of like that, but at 8:30am.

The brain, like a muscle, gets stronger when pushed to the point of failure. 30/60/90 is a solid 45-minutes of “girl you better grow some wings and check baggage at the door” shit.

In true hard-core self-improvement mode, Kristi kept the class moving from start to finish. Like stick-a-fork-in-me, I’m done, finished.

I took the class at the W. 10th location between the High-line and Chelsea Market, however 30/60/90 is offered at just about every Equinox. Check the clubs group fitness schedule as class times may vary for each individual location.

For a small fee of say, your life savings, a yearly membership can be acquired. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but, yeah, it’s an Equinox, so yeah it’s pricey.

Let’s do a quick check-list of how you will exploit it:

Sign up during a promotion: They typically have promotional periods around the New Year, as well as summer. Join now for $0 initiation fee (savings of $300). Offer ends May 30th.

Check with your employer: They have corporate membership affiliations with hundreds of companies for specially negotiated monthly rates that are deducted straight out of your payroll.

Try it first: Do a free trail membership before you shell out.You can figure out which location is best for you, test out some classes such as the one mentioned here, and get your hands on some of that sweet Kiehl’s goodness they offer in the locker rooms.

#WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: Toning for Two

Samantha

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April 27, 2016

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In a new study published this month in the FASEB Journal on exercise and developmental programming suggests that a growing baby’s body and it’s very DNA can be altered by the environment it experiences in the womb, the New York Times ponders whether exercise during pregnancy will lead to exercise-loving offspring.

Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University conducted the study on pregnant mice and their offspring in which half of the pregnant mice were given a wheel to run on throughout the duration of their pregnancy, while the other half had their wheels locked. The mice pups born to moms that ran during their pregnancies grew up to be more active than those born to the sedentary group. These differences accelerated as the animals aged, and the mice born to active moms continued to be active well into the rodent equivalent of middle age.

Although we are not mice, and this study can’t tell us whether similar programming will occur in our human babies a pregnant woman — with her doctor’s permission — CAN exercise, and will improve her own health as well as that of the baby. Here are the safest and best ways to workout while pregnant.

Let me start first with the primary rule of pregnancy: Every woman is different, and every pregnancy is different. You might be too sick during your first trimester to get off the bathroom floor, let alone get out the door to go to the gym. Take it one day at a time. Paying close attention to the changes in your body that take place, and being constantly willing to revise your routine and choice of activities are key.

THINGS TO AVOID:

Rock climbing, kickboxing, activities with a high risk of falling, high impact or rough physical contact. Your center of gravity becomes greatly altered as you now have perfected the waddle walk.

Activities that push you past the point of comfortable exertion. You are sweating lightly, but you can still hold a conversation if needed.

Activities with a full-on weight loss focus. Give yourself the flexibility to eat more or rest when needed, and do workouts that you actually enjoy –not just doing the ones you think you “should” do.

As for ways to make the exercise you DO deem okay as “safe” as possible, here are my suggestions:

Check yourself before you wreck yourself (and the baby). Go to the bookstore and check out the pregnancy section for books and videos. There are great guides out there for pregnant runners, prenatal yoga and fitness regimens. You might want to steer clear of group classes that aren’t geared for someone of your pre-pregnancy fitness level. Use YOUR best judgment and sense of YOUR body and what it’s currently capable of.

Physique57 instructor Tsarra Bequette uses a wedge to modify abdominal work. — Physique57 instructor Tsarra Bequette uses a wedge to safely modify abdominal work.

Speak Up. If you do go to a group class, make sure the instructor knows you’re pregnant. Seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people I’ve had come to a class and tell me half way through the workout, “Oh by the way, I’m 12 weeks pregnant”. Find out (preferably ahead of time) if there’s modifications the instructor can offer to ensure you get the proper burn for your buck. Don’t assume that just because you’ve been to the same class 100 times pre-pregnancy, that you can self-modify along the way. Your body goes through tremendous changes as the baby grows, and the same exercises you are used to doing are going to feel different. As a general rule; if it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.

Baby got back. Being in the mindset that you need to “get your body back” puts you in a position to fight your current body to make it what it once was. The belief that your current body is no longer worthy, attractive or acceptable as the one you used to have is a lie. Understanding these truths will allow you to pursue improvements to health and fitness from a place of self-love, empowerment, and personal revelation. Equipped with the right mind set (even when your hormones are spiraling out of control, and the mere word “body” makes you want to burst into tears), you will be able to make more sound decisions about the food you consume and the fitness you perform based on the feedback your body is giving you.

New kid on the block. If you weren’t a runner before you got pregnant, now’s probably not the time to start training for a 5K. If you are new to exercise or haven’t been active in a while, it’s best to start slowly and work your way up to a level that is mild to moderate.

Boobs. Expect your boobs to not only double (possibly triple) in size, but also ache, throb, tingle and itch. Make sure your sports bra fits properly. Odds are, you’ll probably need a bigger one. And then if one doesn’t provide enough compression or support, double bag it. Bouncing is not your friend.

There is no right way to be pregnant. Some people love it, some people don’t. Some people are really excited about what’s coming, and some aren’t. If you find your level of enthusiasm isn’t the same as others in your prenatal class, that’s OK. It’s your pregnancy and your life.

#WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: Rags to Riches

Samantha

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March 24, 2016

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You gave it your best shot.

But it didn’t work out. So it’s time to say farewell, go your separate ways and remember the good times.

And, of course, to turn a profit.

I introduce you to FitBuyer212, a new business devoted to helping the fit fashion lover sell their gently worn high-end clothing for cold, hard cash.

If you’ve ever consigned something to Buffalo Exchange or Beacon’s Closet, you can do this–gather together what you want to unload, include a heartbreaking backstory (“This Lululemon racer back tank was worn during a Yoga class with Guru Siri Dharma Mittra atop Mt. Kilimanjaro”), and sell away.

Pretty much anything goes–the catagories include everything from gym bags to leggings to tanks, and everything in between like underwear and sports bras (one man’s trash is another man’s treasure). It should be noted that we’re talking designer, high-end brands here such as; Alo, Lululemon, Stella McCartney, etc.

The Gucci shorts you ran your first 5K in. The cute Lululemon tennis skirt you wore at your one and only tennis lesson. And then almost died from pain and swore off tennis forever. Yeah. Good times.

Now, before you come out full guns blazing, it’s important to understand when to get rid of clothes. Here’s a guide to help you maximize your workout wardrobe profit, and dump the duds:

1. Out damned spot!

Things that can’t be fully removed–intense ink stains, bleach, dried paint, large oil stains, those awful yellow pit stains…It’s best to bid adieu to garments damaged by these offenders, suck it up, and buy a fresh piece.

Keep in mind that other people don’t want irrevocably stained items any more than you do and won’t put them out to sell, so it’s best to recycle them, as opposed to donating them.

2. Funk in the junk.

Certain materials hold on to smells longer than others no matter how many times you wash it, or Febreeze it. While there are always ways to remove musty odors from fabrics, there’s no guarantee all scents will disappear. If your piece smells of must, food, or body odor even after you’ve washed it, it’s time to replace it.

3. Damage is done.

While a tailor can replace a zipper, a button, or even the seams, they can’t fully fix a gaping tear on the side of your leggings, or a huge hole in the middle of your hoodie.

4. Shit don’t fit.

Some people keep too-tight clothing with the hope that they’ll loose enough weight to wear it again, to which I say: Why? It’s silly to let a tank top or one pair of shorts pressure us into dropping pounds, especially since it might not be weight we’ve gained, but our bodies have shifted, causing older closes to fit differently. Getting fit for yourself is fab, but not for a pair of high-waisted pants that give you camel toe when there are 100 just like it waiting for you in your size.

Same goes for items that are way too big. Unless you really love it and plan to pay to have it altered, why not use your closet’s real estate for awesome pieces that look amazing on you now?

5. Say what?!

Let’s not kid ourselves: We all use fashion as a means of sending unspoken messages about who we are, or at least who we would like to be. Oftentimes that message changes as we mature, as we come into our own, or as we experiment with different styles. Certain pieces simply no longer remain relevant to the image we want to portray and that’s okay, but-unless it’s a piece that will appreciate in value, or something of sentiment-say sayonara.

6. You equate it with bad JuJu.

If you look at a jacket and automatically associate it with the winter you lost your job, got dumped, or simply went through a rough patch, let it go. Same goes for pieces left behind by painful exes, friends or anyone negative. Purging your closet of bad memories can be powerful, and it’ll force you to buy new things you really love (and are totally baggage-free).

7. Blast from the past.

Items that don’t stand the test of time, like that pair of clunky sneaker wedges you swore you’d wear everyday, or you’re Juicy Couture velour track suit, bedazzled sport shirts (jersey/number tops plagued with rhinestones, eyelet holes, and cuts). Of course, if you still love and wear these items, by all means, don’t stop! But if you’re over them, and know you won’t reach for them, it’s time to let’em go.

8. Burnt out.

One surefire way not to look chic and pulled-together? Wear clothing that’s stretched out. Sure, the laundry can help certain pieces retain their shape, but when you wear items often, they do stretch. If your groove pants have sagging seats, your sweaters look more like a cowl neck than a v-neck, sleeves pilling to the point they look like a cat scratching post or your bras and underwear have lost elasticity to the point they are totally shapeless, it’s time to get new ones.

So say you’re the kind of person who owns fitness attire, has a pile of things you’ve been meaning to dispose of and likes it when people give you money. Shoot Jill an email at Fitbuyer212@gmail.com, tell her where and when you’d like to meet to swing a deal.

When it’s time to get down to business, simply say things like “You’re basically robbing me,”, “It’s an investment piece” and “This gym bag was a family heirloom,” and then collect your spoils via cash or check. Up front, in person. No BS.

I met with Jill last week to sell a few pieces shown here, and walked away with a cool $120. Granted one pair of those Lululemon pants alone was easily $100, but I haven’t worn them in over 4+ years and they’d probably sit in my closet for another four years collecting dust.

Swallow your pride, and cut your losses. Trust me, your closet will thank you for it.

Assorted Lululemon groove and high-waisted pants.

Lululemon studio pant & running shorts. LeSport Sac /Stella McCartney gym bag/backpack.

Lululemon onesies; an ode to my unitard loving days.

Lululemon racer back tank & Abi & Joseph ballet wrap.

#WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: March MATness

Samantha

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March 16, 2016

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Not sure if you know this, but it’s March now. And with March comes March MATness. In terms of sports-related insanity, March Madness gets too much credit. There are plenty of other months to get all crazy over where a ball goes. Paying a month long tribute to a mat however, not crazy at all.

The March MATness campaign is synchronized so that every day in March there’s a designated movement.

I’m not saying you’re lazy. I’m just saying that if someone created a world-wide social media campaign based on a series of exercises you can do while predominately lying on your back or belly, and if that someone happened to introduce it during the best sitting-on-the-couch-and-drinking-a-cold-one time of the year, well, that would interest you.

Good news: someone has made that dream come true. Benjamin Degenhardt is the mind behind the matness. His selfies of the traditional Pilates mat exercises in their original order began a viral conversation about the form, logic and intent behind each. Participants across the global Pilates community come together to share content related to Joseph Pilates’ traditional Mat exercises.

You don’t need any bells and whistles. Just a mat and a boatload of exercises–34 of them, to be exact.

Here’s the game plan: pick an exercise from the list, or go balls to the wall and work your way up to doing all 34. Then, tell no one. Even though it’s probably fine if you tell everyone. But “everyone” is the point here, really. Document it on one of 45 social media outlets, SnapChat, Facebook, Instagram, Periscope, etc. you get the idea. Contribute to the wealth of knowledge the World Wide Web has to offer, and be sure to hash tag it #MarchMATness2016.

First half: Hundred, Roll-up, Rollover, One Leg Circle, Rolling Back, One Leg Stretch, Double Leg Stretch.

Halftime: Spine Stretch, Rocker with Open Legs, Corkscrew, Saw, Swan Dive, One Leg Kick, Double Leg Kick.

Second half: Neck Pull, Scissors & Bicycle, Shoulder Bridge, Spine Twist, Jackknife, Sidekick, Teaser, Hip Twist.

Overtime: Swimming, Leg Pulls Front & Back, Kneeling Sidekick, Side Bend, Boomerang, Seal & Crab.

After-party: Rocking, Control Balance, Push-up.

Game over. You win. Pilates wins. It’s a win, win.

#WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: Hip To Be Square

Samantha

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February 17, 2016

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Always begin the weekend on a high note…

Known as the transportation hub and fitness mecca, Union Square, is hosting it’s second-annual week-long fitness festival, Union Square Sweat Fest.

Get a jump start on the festivities this Saturday February 20th, with an opening event featuring three 45 minute classes at the Gibney Dance Studio, with an all-star lineup of celebrity instructors including Jenna Wolfe, Personal Trainer and Lifestyle & Fitness Correspondent from the Today Show, leading a HIT workout, Kerri Verna aka BeachYogaGirl and Instagram sensation, teaching Yoga and Amanda Kloots, professional Broadway dancer and former Rockette, leading a dance cardio and mat workout. The series kicks off a week of wellness activities and special promotions, the district’s best athleisure retailers and gyms, giveaways at featured studio classes, and plenty of social media prizes.

For those interested in a free workout with renowned instructors, and access to popular classes at top gyms and special in-store workouts, this is your best week ever. With more than 100 fitness studios and gyms, Union Square’s community of health and wellness is bigger and more bad-ass than ever this year. Lululemon debuted its 14,420-square-foot flagship in the district this fall, the brand’s largest store to date. Athleta opened a behemoth studio beneath its existing retail, and Bandier opened it’s first permanent New York City brick-and-mortar location on Fifth Avenue (a.k.a. fitness row) this month. All of these powerhouses will be hosting workouts as part of a new “Drenched in Sweat” studio series; participants may sign-up and pay for select classes at featured studios where they will be surprised with Sweat Fest swag. It’ll be glorious.

A whole week’s worth of fitness festivities? Fagettaboutit!

All of the classes and activities are first come, first serve with the exception of the paid studio classes which require sign-up through the studios website or via link on Union Square Sweat Fest website.

Forecast is cold, with a good chance of perspiration.

Be sure to hydrate with a hot toddy post-workout. Winter’s Gatorade.

#WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: 2016 Wellness Trends

Samantha

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February 10, 2016

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#WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: 2016 Wellness Trends

Today, your quiet war wages on.

Your daily, weekly, lifelong fight against the mundane, the expected, the ordinary continues with no end in sight.

And while I know you must solider on alone, a little help looking, feeling and achieving the part in your personal quest to live the unexpected life can’t hurt.

I introduce to you: wellness trends of 2016 for the workout inspiration or fitspo you require to keep you in gear all year long.

You already know that more people are wearing athleisure on a regular basis, and the super trend is on the rise with companies like Fabletics, an online subscription retailer that sells sportswear and accessories for both men and women. You can choose from a huge variety of styles, fabrics and colors based on your lifestyle and fashion preferences. Ready-to-wear, at your door pieces that go easily from studio to street.

All outfits start at $49.95, and include free shipping. The orders are processed quick within two business days, and returns are easy.

For years, you’ve been turning to sports drinks to replenish those lost electrolytes. But stop…Just stop. Klean Athlete has a better way. It’s the Klean Electrolytes, and they replace the sugary sports drinks with a single pill. Take it with water before, during or after your workout to help prevent cramping and fatigue.

$22 buy at kleanathlete.com

Fitness reboots aren’t just for January resolutions. Wearable tech is getting increasingly popular as a way to ramp up and recommit to health and fitness, with the added gratification of achieving measurable results. OMsignal smart bra is the most comfortable sports bra you’ll ever wear, that will also push your performance to the next level. The data is recorded through a sensor-filled black box that snaps into the lower band of the sports bra, along the rib cage making it twice as accurate as your average tech device. The data is wirelessly shared to OMsignal’s mobile app OMrun such as; breathing rhythm (number of footsteps you take with each foot while breathing in or out), pace, and fatigue levels during running workouts.

The full kit is $149. It will in June on their ecommerce site OMsignal.com, and hits major stores in spring.

Consider the provocative scent of serenity, nonconformity and the good life and you’ll start to have an idea of what YUNI is all about. The 100% all natural yoga-inspired beauty brand was designed to add some zen to your everyday life. After a few applications the idea is that your brain is going to start to evoke the sensation of how good you felt during your workout with the scent of the product. It’s meant for days when you’re headed off-course. The days when others zig, then you zig harder before zagging.

Two of my favorites are the Rinse Body Cleansing Foam $19, and the Muscle Recovery roll on Gel $15 YUNIbeauty.com

BackBeat FIT wireless headphones from Plantronics are all about getting music to your ears without relying on wires. Lightweight. Durable. Free from the annoying shackles of wires. These workout ready, sweat-proof earphones are sturdy as they are small, and you can use them all day because they pack eight hours of playtime on a single charge. There’s a mini microphone embedded in the side. Use them for hands-free phone calls, too. Then use your hands for other things, like high-fifing other people with equally impressive headphones.

Check out the full segment on Suncoast View ABC 7 right here!

#WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: Trinder (Finding Your Fitness Soulmate)

Samantha

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January 28, 2016

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#WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: Trinder (Finding Your Fitness Soulmate)

Finding a personal trainer is like trying to find your soulmate on Match.com or OkCupid. You want to find someone who will push you to be the best version of yourself and makes you feel comfortable enough to expose your biggest flaws, and like dating, it usually takes several tries before you find your perfect match.

Here are some overlooked factors to help you find your fitness soulmate.

Location, Location, Location.

How many relationships have ended because one person didn’t want to schlep from Manhattan to Brooklyn or from the East Village to the Upper East Side? Trainers are no different — getting fit requires commitment. Find someone who is convenient to your home or work so you have one less excuse to blow them off.

The Gift of Gab.

You finally make the decision to invest in your health and buy a 20-pack of sessions with a trainer. You meet for your first workout and immediatley you realize you…kind of hate this person. The person who won’t stop talking about their cats. And cats. And Miley Rae Cyrus. Awkward. Yes, it’s personal training and building a relationship is key, but first and foremost it’s a profession. If you’re just talking about your weekend while you’re squatting for a third of your session, then you’ve just paid for someone to faintly disapprove of your taste in films. Keep the conversations to a minimum when in the middle of performing exercises, if neither of you is focused on the work at hand, odds are you’re not working hard enough and the results you’re seeking aren’t going to happen.

Risky Business.

People often hire trainers as motivation to push themselves harder than they would on their own, but a good trainer ALWAYS puts your safety and well-being first, using gradual progressions–not working you so hard you throw up and pass out. A great trainer will listen, hear you, and be able to accommodate any modifications.

They never correct your technique. Good form is important in every exercise you do–it prevents you from getting injured, lets you move more efficiently and ensures you get results rather than a rotator-cuff surgery. Consider: does my trainer give me useful feedback? I.e.”Abs in, eyes forward” as you lift?

‘Any A-Hole Phenomenon’

any arsehole can make you tired and sore (do 50 burpees!), but not too many of them can make you better.

Whether you’re aiming to lose body fat or build strength, a proper program should also include structural work (to correct the horrible desk bound hump you’ve been cultivating for a decade) and some recovery days. If every workout leaves you in pieces, barely able to sit on the toilet the next day, than at least ask what the point of it all is.

Practice What You Preach

Hiring a trainer solely because they have a six-pack, and a tribal tattoo on their upper arm is a terrible idea. The personal training industry is teeming with fresh-faced twenty somethings, gorgeous thirty somethings and beautiful forty somethings. However, appearing to be in shape does not make someone a great trainer. On the flip-side, some of the best trainers around are people who’ve overcome bad genes and worse athleticism via hard work and attention to detail, and they might be carrying around a bit of extra chub alongside all their hard-earned knowledge. But the fact remains: you wouldn’t hire a financial planner who declared bankruptcy.

These are deal breakers–without them your relationship and fitness goals are likely doomed to fail.