first time sweats: Refine Method

technically this is my third time sweat since I’ve been taking class at Refine Method for the past three weeks… but hey it still counts!

Refine Method

East Side Location:
340 East 71st Street between 1st & 2nd ave

West Side Location:
117 W 72nd St between Columbus and Amsterdam

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I love a good infographic!

The studio: 

So far I’ve only visited the Upper East Side location, so I can’t comment on what the upper west side location is like, but I’m sure it’s equally as lovely.

The space is 1 room with a bathroom on the first floor of a church. It’s simple and gets the job done. The bathroom is clean and has a shower and the studio is perfectly sized and well equipped for the workout.

Floors are this nice springy material and thank gawd because there’s a decent amount of running in place and jumping jacks. My shins are very thankful for this forgiving floor.

The walls are lined with these funky cable contraptions

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In addition to the cables are other fun torture devices such as kettle bells, steps and sliders. The accessories you use will depend on the workout for the day. Love me some variety!

The Exercises: Each class I’ve attended has been a tad different but always used the principle of metabolic resistance training— a principle that mixes intense cardio bursts with equally intense strength training portions of high reps with little rest time. As a personal trainer I am all about the cardio bouts interspersed with weight training so this is a principle and style I love.

The cardio sections utilize your basic cardio moves such as jumping jacks, high knees, butt kicks (is that the official name?), and burpee variations. Often times the cardio sections are similar to tabata training in that there’s a few seconds of intense cardio followed by active recovery cardio.

The strength exercises have been vastly different each time I have gone ranging from squats with kettlebells, push ups with sliders, and arm exercises that utilize the awesome wall contraption such as low rows and lat pull downs.

The strength exercises are generally done circuit style meaning you cycle through each exercise multiple times during a round.

I love that Refine uses a variety of exercises and a variety of fun props while still keeping the exercises simple but effective.

The Actual Class: The actual class is an hour long sweat fest of cardio and strength training, ending with a nice long, well deserved stretch. It should be mentioned that this is one of the few group fitness classes I’ve ever taken that has such an emphasis on the ending stretch. Amen Refine, I love this extra long stretch sesh at the end of class.

 

I find the classes challenging but doable. For each strength exercise you are given a range of what weights or resistance to use so you can definitely go at your own pace. Small class sizes means lots of individual attention, corrections and no slacking off because the instructor knows your name.

Refine Method’s class is definitely something a little bit different than your typical gym group fitness class. Aspects of it remind me of the outdoor boot camp I attended during the summer since you are constantly moving, over loading the muscles and given very little break time.

The class is definitely a total body workout, however for me it doesn’t make specific body parts feel sore. I more get the “my entire body feels physical exhausted from this workout” syndrome instead of “holy shit my quads (or other super specific muscle group) burn” syndrome that I get from other forms of exercise…. if that makes any sense.

The staff: My experience with the staff at Refine has been nothing but lovely. My first class was with owner and creator Brynn Jinnett and my following 2 classes were with instructor Lydia Haug. Both were super welcoming, asked about injuries, and gave great personal attention throughout the class. When I came in for my second class with Lydia I was pleasantly surprised that she knew my name when I walked it… it’s the little things like that which make me love small studios like this.

Overall:

Refine Method’s hour long class packs a lot of punch.

Beyond the actual class it’s clear that Refine has created a community. At the begining of 2013 they had this awesome challenge that I definitely regret not participating in. Their twitter is super interactive and constantly gives shout outs to regular Refiners. I’m all about small fitness studios that create an encouraging vibe.

 

first time sweats: Uplift Studios [Strength Class]

Happy Friday all!

Earlier this month I signed up for classtivity’s passport membership. This allows me to take 10 classes at new-to-me fitness studios in Manhattan for only $49. Considering the cost of most fitness classes in Manhattan is around $32, that deal is pretty freaken awesome. Not only do I get cheap classes but I also get to check out studios I wouldn’t have otherwise due to the price tag.

While I’ve done class reviews in the past, I’m going to make it a more regular thing now and bring you “first time sweats” which will focus on various studios in Manhattan and my first time experience there.

and for those of you non-manhattan-ites I’ll still blog about other fun stuff, promise 🙂

First up, a studio I’ve been dying to check out

Uplift Studios
Uplifting Strength with Michelle Mason

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24 W 23rd Street (btwn 5th and 6th ave), 2nd Floor
New York

The studio: From the second I walked into this studio I was enamored with how purty it was. Everything was spotless and there was a full wall of windows providing natural light.

I love a studio that sticks to it’s color scheme and creates a very specific vibe and Uplift definitely succeeds. This ladies-only gym is all about it’s green theme and modern design

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The bathrooms are clean and provide all the necessities- face wash, lockers with locks, towels, and even curling irons.

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In addition to the beautiful facilities, Uplift also offers cute additional perks– there was a nespresso machine, some almonds to munch on and free wifi.

There is something incredibly welcoming about this studio that makes working out less intimidating. It’s the kind of place I imagine working out with a girlfriend and then lounging around drinking espresso afterwards while reading the plethora of magazines they have on display.

The staff: I can’t say a bad thing about the staff both Michelle who taught the class and the lovely ladies behind the front desk. This studio definitely prides itself in costumer service and making sure everyone has a great experience.

The class: Uplift has recently revamped it’s schedule and now offers two classes: Uplifting Strength and Uplifting Cardio. I opted to try Uplifting Strength because nowadays I’ve been a bit cardio centric with all the spin classes… and also because I secretly hate cardio unless it’s in the form of zumba or spin.

Uplifting Strength focuses on burning out each muscle group. The class reminded me of my beloved Body Pump in the sense that you hit every muscle group, fatigued it and then you were donezo with that muscle. This means you can really push it in each section.

In between each muscle group is a tabata style cardio section — 20 seconds on, 10 seconds of active recovery for a total of 8 times aka 4 minutes.  Each cardio segment (there was 3 in all) would pair 2 high intensity cardio exercises (like a burpee, ugh, and mountain climbers) with active recovery (jogging in place). I love tabata workouts because you can really go all out during those 20 seconds knowing you will have a “rest” period afterwards.

It didn’t take long for me to work up a sweat in this class. We were constantly moving from one exercise to another. Michelle was an awesome instructor who provided feedback on both our form and how awesome we looked. I really loved her style and it’s something I hope I capture when I’m leading a class.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the class and would definitely like to take it again, I will admit that for a hefty price tag it’s not necessarily the most unique class… I’ve taken relatively similar classes at Crunch.

Overall: Uplift Studios is the kind of place that makes you want to work out… granted working out is arguably one of my favorite things to do in life (also on that list: eating peanut butter and seeing American Idiot). It’s the kind of place you look forward to visiting, working up a sweat with the super kind instructors and then afterwards enjoy some espresso while reading a magazine and browsing the interwebs.

I am easily won over by pretty, shiny things and therefore I love the ambiance at Uplift Studios even if the class wasn’t the most unique thing out there.

How to Sweat Like the Rich for Dirt Cheap

It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with trying out new classes and gyms wherever I go. The issue? It’s pretty expensive to take boutique fitness classes in Manhattan and join fancy gyms. While sadly there is no way around Equinox’s huge price tag for membership (trust me I’ve tried my hardest to barter with them on multiple occasions)and Soul Cycle isn’t known to offer discounts, there are some ways to take the best fitness classes your city has to offer even on a budget.

Living Social, Groupon, Gilt, Ect.

At this rate everyone’s inbox is flooded with livingsocial, groupon and Gilt emails… even my father tells me about what livingsocial deal he just bought. These discount websites are an awesome way to get cheap fitness classes and gym memberships.

Curious about pole dancing? Apprehensive about taking your first zumba class? Using one of these sites is a great way to try out a new class without the hefty price tag.

First-Time Special Offers

Most studios offer a first-time discount rate or special for new members. In California my first class with Soul Cycle was a fraction of the cost since I was a Soul virgin. Also in California I enjoyed the sweet deal of 1 unlimited month at Swerve Studios for $100. Once you tell me I have an unlimited month I tend to go crazy and take as many classes in that month as humanly possible.

On the East Coast spin studio Revolve offers a great 1 month for $100 special as well. I wish that my one month hadn’t coincided with the stomach flu and going to London, but it was definitely worth it and I got to check out most of the instructors.

Flywheel and Flybarre offer a complimentary FREE first class for both spin and barre.

For an amazing comprehensive list of all the special offers in Manhattan check out Rate Your Burn’s epic article.

Free Weeks

Most gyms offer a guest pass of some sort. If your friend is a member of a fancy gym most likely they were given guest passes at one point.

Stop by a gym, act interested in joining, and see if they’ll let you “test drive” the facilities.

If you’re like me you take full advantage of your 1 free week at Equinox. That week was swell.

Student Discounts

My purple NYU ID has been the golden ticket to discounts in Manhattan from theater tickets, to parking garages and even for fitness classes. If you are still a student or lucky enough to have an ID that hasn’t expired see if the studio or gym offer a student discount.

Working there

Have some spare time and want some extra cash? Working at a gym or fitness studio is an awesome way to get free, unlimited access to the facilities. Not only do you get to make money, but you also get to save money by taking those classes for free– Win win!

Zumba Website

If you are interested in taking cheap Zumba classes outside of the gym setting, zumba.com is a great resource to find new instructors and classes. From there I was able to find $5 pay as you go zumba classes while I was home in Westchester for the summer

Follow Your Favorites

My twitter feed is like a shrine to fitness instructors I’m obsessed with. Besides the fact that I’m already totally obsessed with them and love reading their motivating tweets, following your fave instructor on twitter could lead you to free classes. Just last week one of my absolute favorite instructors invited anyone who was interested to come for a free class at Equinox.

Classtivity

Classtivity offers this awesome passport program that lets you try out 10 fitness classes at some of the hottest studios in Manhattan for only $50 overall. I might have spent a good hour this morning on Classtivity planning out my sweat schedule for the next 2 weeks.

How have you saved money on gym memberships and fitness classes?

disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of these discount sites… I’m just a group fitness junkie living on a small salary trying to sweat as cheaply as possible.

2 for 1 Chicken

After reading about Brittany’s Rosemary Chicken I was inspired to make my own chicken dish last night. Instead of using drum sticks I used thin slices chicken breasts, dipped in olive oil and topped with salt, pepper and rosemary. I cooked these babies in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, flipped ’em, cooked for 5 more minutes and bam, delicious chicken dinner.

 

On the side I enjoyed some zucchini and eggplant sautéed in olive oil with a tiny bit of garlic powder, salt and pepper.

 

Look ma, I ate some veggies!

 

Today I got home from my 5:15AM work shift (yup, 5:15AM)  + back to back spin classes absolutely ravenous.

Instead of rehashing the same exact dish I had for dinner last night I decided to switch it up and use the rosemary chicken in chicken salad with apples and mayo.

 

1 easy to make chicken, 2 delicious meals. Who said making your own food had to be tricky

9 months of Adulthood?

Yesterday I had the horrifying realization: I graduated college (and turned 22) 9 months ago. 9 months?

It’s been 9 months yet just now I am starting to settle into life. My mom recently said to me that I’m experiencing right now what I should have felt in June– freaked out about finding work and the horrifying realization that childhood is over.

It’s easy to feel discouraged about what hasn’t happened in the past 9 months. Just now I am finally making enough money to support my lululemon addiction.

But these 9 months have been full of accomplishments

 

I had the opportunity to spend my third summer working as the dance specialist at a day camp where my co-workers are my best friends.

 

I lived out my childhood dream and moved to California for 2 months

 

I studied my butt off and became an NASM Certified Personal trainer… and since then have acquired a handful of other fitness qualifications.

I worked my first real job… and quit my first real job.

And now I finally get to settle after a whirlwind 9 months. I’m reconnecting with old friends, adjusting to new jobs, learning how to “do it all” and the most important thing? I’m incredibly happy with how everything is playing out.

My fortune cookie last night could not be more perfect

 

Big things are definitely happening. I am officially teaching my first spin class at the end of the month (even typing that gives me a mini panic attack). Next week I am teaching my own fitness class “Boot Camp Blast” which will incorporate both zumba and strength training for a super sweaty workout. I am loving my various part time jobs.

As freaked out as I may be about the fact that “adulthood” started 9 months ago when I graduated college, at least it’s been pretty exciting and chock full of opportunities so far. I have a feeling it’s only gonna get better

What have you accomplished over the past 9 months?

Any spin playlist recommendations?

I finally gave in and started using spotify. took me long enough…..

snowga + AFAA G.E.A.R. Indoor Cycling Workshop

hey hey everyone. Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

I still a bit bummed that my AFAA Group Fitness Certification workshop was cancelled due to the snow, but I attempted to make the most of my free Saturday.

 

Hate to say it but winter is my least favorite season… although the snow did look purrrrty on Saturday morning

 

so. much. snow.

Saturday afternoon I went to a yoga class at my favorite studio Yoga Vida with one of my favorite instructors Jessie. The class featured live music from an acoustic guitarist. I’ve never taken class with live music so it was a pretty sweet bonus. The class was absolutely PACKED… I guess everyone was feeling a bit stir crazy thanks to the storm and craved some yoga.

After yoga, I decided to take advantage of the storm and head to Time Square to score a cheap ticket to “Nice Work If You Can Get It”

 

I’ve been waiting to see the show since last year so it was awesome to finally see it…… and for relatively cheap. Win win! I loved that it was an old fashioned musicals with good music and an immensely talented cast.

 

 

Today I attended AFAA’s G.E.A.R. Indoor Cycling Workshop.

It’s hilarious that a year ago I hated spin. Like, absolutely detested. Recently, though, I’ve been on a total spin kick and can’t get enough of it. Goes to show you that first impressions are everything because I loathed every second of that first class!

I really enjoyed the workshop. It’s rare that I get to spend time with other fitness instructors who share my passion for group fitness so I love hearing about where they work and learning as much as I can from people who have been in the business awhile.

AFAA’s course is NOT a certification, so there’s not test at the end, but it is an extremely informative workshop that covers the basics of indoor cycling safety and procedures. I will say that if you are someone who frequently spins at various studios there won’t be a whole lot of new information but it’s still a useful course to attend.

Since I’ve been on a total spin kick I really want to teach my own class, now it’s time to get practicing!

Do you enjoy spin classes?

Why or why not?

Anyone out there teach spin and have any tips for a newbie 🙂 ?

Finding Nemo? Captain Nemo? Blizzard Nemo?

Blech, I’m not a fan of winter. This mega blizzard  makes me real reminiscent for the Los Angeles sunshine.

Tomorrow was supposed to be my AFAA group fitness certification and exam. I already got an email that the exam has been cancelled. While safety is a priority, I’m definitely disappointed that I have to wait to take the exam. Between NASM and AFAA I’ve been non stop studying for an exam since October, so I was looking forward to finally being done. Eh, such is life.

Crummy weather did give me the excellent opportunity to tidy up my mess of an apartment.

 

YAYYY organized bookshelf. I’ve been living here since my junior year of college so all my old textbooks, notebooks and folders slowly took over my bookshelves. I was always too lazy to organize school papers and throw out what I no longer needed at the end of the semester. Today was finally the day! Ah it feels so good to have my school stuff organized by year and my books all organized. Making use of being trapped indoors, oh yeah!

Earlier this week I put my food processor to work and finally made some amazeballs. Just what I don’t need, more peanut butter in my diet.

 

Totally enjoyed eating the leftover “dough”.

 

Trust me… these tasty peanut butter balls are not gonna last long in the fridge. It’s taking a lot of restrain to not eat them all.

The theme of this week has been getting back to yoga and lots of spin classes. The perfect yin & yang. Whenever I took yoga in the fall my pesky, previously injured, right shoulder would bother me (really arm? Trapeze doesn’t hurt, weight lifting doesn’t hurt, but yoga?) Finally I can practice yoga without pain! I forgot how much I love yoga and how good it makes me feel afterwards.

I’m still on a total spin kick, which is hilarious considering I hated spinning the first 10 times I tried it. Actually, I hated yoga too until last year, I guess my fitness preference has changed. I love that spin classes are a guaranteed sweat fest– no matter what I leave a spin class drenched in sweat and feeling rather zen. Maybe spin and yoga are more closely related than I thought…..

Now it’s a lazy Friday. I thought I was going to spend the afternoon studying for AFAA but instead I’ve been lounging around watching Say Yes to the Dress. Gotta love Bride Day Friday.

Hopefully I’ll be able to leave the apartment tomorrow and get around the city….

what’s your current fitness obsession?

fellow northeasterners, how are you making the most of the blizzard?

relaxing tuesday

Thank you all for your kind words on yesterday’s post. It is comforting to know that there are other people out there who not only share my passion for fitness, but understand that it’s about so much more than weight loss and measurable goals. I feel so lucky to be a part of two amazing ambassador programs FitFluential and Greatist  that allows me to connect with people who share this philosophy.

So some exciting news? Look who got new headshots!

 

Yes, sometimes I’m an actor! Or at least that’s what my degree from NYU says! Last Monday I had a super fun head shot session with the brilliant David Noles. I felt like I was on America’s Next Top Model and had a blast taking lots of photos.

I am incredibly happy with how they turned out, now the only problem choosing which ones to use because I love all 250+ of them

 

Cast me in American Idiot please?

 

Ariel from the Little Mermaid, wink wink Disney!

and of course, I couldn’t resist taking some “fitness shots”

 

I may be short but I can kick your butt 🙂

I’ll spare you the rest of the photos, I swear I’m not that much of a narcissist.

Last week was insanely busy training for my new job, my photo sesh, shopping for discount luon, traveling to New Jersey to catch a performance of American Idiot on tour and a brief trip to my hometown to visit the boyfriend. After all that traveling and working I’m grateful to have some time to kick back, relax and breathe.

Priority #1 right now? Getting my butt back into 7AM yoga classes

sure it sucks to wake up, but when I step into the cozy yoga studio and press back into that first downward dog I know I made the right choice. I’m 2 for 2 this week with yoga and hoping to keep up the streak!

Post yoga there’s nothing I love more than a soy chai latte + peanut butter & honey on a whole wheat english muffin

Waking up super early means I can sit around reading blogs while I enjoy my breakfast.

I lucked out today and didn’t have to be anywhere to be until 7:30pm. Having the whole afternoon free meant I had to make use of my time and study.

Study? oh yes. As you may recall I passed my NASM personal training certification back in December which required a butt ton of studying. Now I’m hitting the books again to take the AFAA Group fitness exam this weekend. I decided to visit the nearby New York Public Library and take advantage of the peace and quiet

beautiful library much?

It was the perfect place to spread out and learn some exercise science.

I’m definitely grateful that I decided to take the NASM exam first because in my opinion it’s the more difficult of the two because it covers more material more in depth. A lot of what I learned from NASM is incredibly helpful and applies to AFAA, but it’s definitely tricky learning a new certification’s terminology. It’s a lot of the same information with a different name.

After about an hour my belly was rumbling and begging for some lunch. In honor of national pancake day I attempted to make some pumpkin protein pancakes…. the keyword being attempted. It was an epic fail and I ended up with gloopy, burnt pancakes. Womps.

When in doubt and incredibly hungry, make oatmeal

While eating lunch I watched last night’s Biggest Loser. This season is the first time I’ve ever watched the show. Overall I definitely enjoy the show, partially because I have a huge fitness crush on Jillian Michaels. With that being said what’s with all the vomit? Do I really need to see that while I’m eating my lunch? And I don’t quite understand why people have to leave the show. Isn’t the point to help out contestants so they can reach their goal weight? Meh…

I knew I had to do some more studying after lunch. I swear, the studying never ends… so back to the library I went.

Eventually my brain turned into mush so it was time to head home.

I’m heading out to a spin class soon so I knew I wanted to have a mini dinner before sweating my butt off until 8:30. Favorite quick dinner– a mini portion of fried rice

 

I could’ve sworn I bought zucchinis yesterday, but alas there are none to be found in my fridge. Where’d you go?

Now it’s time to go get my butt kicked in spin class with my new favorite instructor. I seriously look forward to her classes all week!

 

when in doubt, what’s your go to meal?

where do you do your best study / work?

Ever since college I’ve been a huge fan of doing marathon study sessions in the library. Being in my apartment distracts me….

 

My True Fitness Story

There’s a lot of things I’ve been wanting to write about regarding my fitness story. I apologize for this lengthy, slightly rambling post, but there’s some things I want to get off my chest and thoughts I want to share with you all.

Before I became a personal trainer I went to a handful of “free personal training” sessions at my gym– those sessions where they ask you a bunch of questions about your health, nutrition and fitness goals then take you through a workout and at the end tell you about how much personal training costs.

While I was working at a gym as a personal trainer I stood on the other side of those “free personal training” sessions. I’ asked those questions and took prospective client through a workout and finished with the spiel about  pricing.

The part that always irks me? What are your current fitness goals.

It’s a question my co-workers at the gym constantly asked me, a question I was asked today by a fitness friend. I don’t have an answer.

Yes, I am a very goal oriented person. I like accomplishing tasks and making checklists.

but I don’t have a specific and measurable fitness goal.

I’m fully aware that many people work out to lose weight. Of course I applaud them for deciding to change their lives and as a personal trainer I want more than anything to help them achieve their goals.

But what about the rest of us?

The group that loves to sweat. The group that plans their social life around their favorite zumba class. The group that follows their favorite instructor on twitter. The group that wakes up at the crack of dawn to workout. The group that anxiously awaits spin class sign ups for the fancy studios of Manhattan. The group that actually does the workouts they pinned on pinterest. We exist. And I know I’m not the only one.

Do I wanna look hot? Who doesn’t. Do I wanna be strong? Heck yeah. But I also workout for the sake of working out. I simply love fitness. I love taking a zumba class. I love spinning. I love getting my butt kicked in a bootcamp class. I love lifting weights while listening to a Jillian Michaels podcast. I love challenging my body and mind in yoga.

A lot of the personal trainers I have met recently don’t quite understand that concept. They look at me confused when I say that I’ve never ever played a team sport growing up yet I have a passion for fitness. They keep trying to figure out what my fitness goals are and are baffled when I say I don’t have one.

Can you work out without a specific goal?

Yeah.

Would I like to have less body fat? Yes. Look better in a bikini? Yes. But ultimately I don’t care about those things when I’m working out. Losing body fat won’t change my life. Looking better in a bikini won’t change my life. These are not goals I am actively working towards achieving.

And I realize that what I’m saying is slightly contradictory because I do vaguely have a goal when I work out: to feel better.

My fitness journey doesn’t have a before and after picture. I don’t have an amazing weight loss journey to talk about. I can’t measure how far I’ve come with a number on the scale or by the size of my jeans. I weigh what I’ve always weighed and I’m wearing the same size I’ve always worn.

My arms are now more sculpted now than they were when I graduated high school… But that’s not the point.

I always led an active life. I grew up dancing, doing karate and performing. I was required to take movement and dance classes as a drama major in college. Every so often freshman my college bff and I would venture to the NYU gym where I’d work out on the cardio machines and do some basic weight lifting.

It wasn’t until Fall of the sophomore year that going to the gym became a daily thing. The second year curriculum at my theater school was incredibly grueling- we were in class for over 30 hours a week (not counting academics) and required to work on at least 3 shows during fall semester in addition to rehearsing for all our classes. The workload didn’t even feel worth it because I was so unhappy with the philosophy of my theater program. On top of college stress my grandma was incredibly sick, something that was devastating for my tight-knit family. And on top of all that I was dealing with crap from a guy I used to date.

It was a lot on my plate.

So I started going to the NYU gym. When I was there nothing could bother me— my classmates couldn’t text me about rehearsing, I couldn’t worry about all the lines I had to memorize and I couldn’t fall apart about my ex. Going to the gym became my escape from reality during that fall semester when I felt like my life was falling apart.

During my sophomore year of college it wasn’t about a fitness goal. It was all about procrastinating and running away from life. The gym was my safe, happy place where my problems couldn’t find me.

Junior year I decided to join a nearby gym so I could take advantage of their group fitness classes. Paying for that gym membership meant I had to go there and I fell in love with pilates and the grueling conditioning classes.

It was during my senior year of college I noticed the real shift in my life thanks to fitness. For as long as I can remember I’ve been an anxious person. My anxiety has crippled me socially throughout my life. The thought of taking medication to help alleviate the pain has never been enticing to me because I just can’t bring myself to regulate the problem with chemicals, although I know that meds have provided relief to many people similar to me.

Spring semester of senior year I started exercising in the morning– it was the only time of day I could consistently workout with no excuses. Once I started working out every morning before school I began to really feel the difference mentally. I didn’t feel so plagued with anxiety throughout my day.

I may never be anxiety free– I’m an uptight person who clenches her jaw and anticipates negative outcomes, but working out has made it possible for me to lead a more “normal” life.

Yes, I decided to pursue my passion for fitness and become a personal trainer because I want to help people achieve their goals, but also because I want to share with others the fact that fitness is about so much more than measurable goals and weight loss.

Fitness raised my self confidence.

Fitness helped me deal with stress.

Fitness continues to help me deal with my anxiety.

And I truly enjoy working out for the sake of working out.

I want to spread the word that working out is about so much more than losing weight, how much body fat you have and what size you are. When I was working as a personal trainer at a gym I felt like I was losing sight of my own personal fitness philosophy and why I wanted to become a fitness professional.

I feel incredibly lucky to have taken classes with countless amazing instructors in New York, Los Angeles and Westchester that share the same mindset. These are the instructors who inspire me and the ones I look up to as a new personal trainer / group fitness instructor. Not those trainers that I’ve met who seem so obsessed with measurable fitness goals.

Next month I will be launching my own fitness class “Boot Camp Blast” a hybrid zumba and strength training boot camp that I am creating. While yeah, I wanna make people sweat, I also want to inspire them the way my favorite instructors have inspired me. There’s nothing wrong with working out for the sake of working out.

and ultimately I want to give people a place to run away from real life and sweat away the stress.

Thank you all for listening.

what’s your true fitness story?

#yogabowl: Lululemon Warehouse Sale

if shopping were a sport, lululemon’s epic warehouse sale aka the #yogabowl would definitely be the championship. Once a year lululemon has an epic warehouse sale with great steals and deals. When I heard this years sale was gonna be at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island I knew I had to go.

I spent the morning tracking the sale on twitter (@lululemonWHUS) and was a bit nervous about long lines. I ended up lucking out and didn’t have to wait on any lines. I guess going Friday night was a good idea!

so here’s a bit about what you need to go to be prepared for this epic shopping event.

[warning: terrible quality iphone photos ahead!]

what to bring:

• must have: your credit card & photo ID. no cash is accepted
• wear something comfy, it’s a lot of walking and if it’s crowded when you get there a lot of standing. I’m happy I wore a zip-up with pockets where I stashed my phone, ID and credit card. I would definitely recommend checking your coat and purse at the complimentary coat check
• they will confiscate your plastic water bottle. jerks.

how to get there:

• driving! I personally don’t know much about the parking situation, but it is $10 to park in the lot.
• from the city? take the train from Penn Station to Westbury for $16 round trip. At first I thought I would go home and drive my car from Westchester to Long Island, but taking the train from Manhattan to Long Island ended up being hassle free.

  There is a shuttle (a yellow school bus) that will pick you up from the Westbury Train station and bring you to the coliseum fo’ free. And there was free coconut water on the bus, thanks lulu!
  The shuttle will pick you up and drop you off on the street. You have to go under the train tracks through this little tunnel thingy to get to the street.

what to expect:

• lots and lots of sales
• very well organized and easy to navigate. Clothing is organized by male & female, top & bottom and then by size. I would definitely recommend knowing your lulu sizing beforehand so it’s easy to just focus on that one size.
• Shopping was actually very relaxing and easy to deal with. Since everything was so organized it was easy to see literally every item that came in my size and choose what I like.
• Don’t go expecting to find a specific style of clothing. I saw pretty limited wunder unders, Power Y’s and support tops in general. Go with an open mind and ready to try on lots and lots of stuff
• be aware that you will be in your undies in a room full of strangers. The dressing room is a bit chaotic, but find a spot near a mirror, and do what you gotta do.

was it worth it?

• for me personally, heck yes. I definitely got a lot of stuff that I really like. But definitely be aware that this is a warehouse sale, it’s colors from previous seasons, things that are overstock, and items that didn’t sell well the first time. There are definitely some gems, but also some meh products. 
• Here’s my favorite buys of the day:
  I love the skirt-ish thing that slightly covers my butt. I’ve had a major issue recently finding pants that aren’t see through when I bend over
• 
  I love these pants that are actually from lululemons kids line ivivva. yup, I am in fact still the size of a child… actually no I’m shorter than a child and need to get these pants hemmed. Either way, I love the fun top on these pants.
  

Intense shopping is exhausting, but it was oh so worth it to get some awesome sales.

question of the day: have you ever been to a lululemon warehouse sale?