"Be True (Fusion) To Your Gym..."

 

Bags and Kettlebells in Boxing Class

If you've read any of my previous posts, you know I'm always up for trying a new workout. I'm pretty consistent with my strength training, and since the advent of "boutique fitness" studios, I've had a lot of fun trying out everything from HIIT studios to Cycle studios to boxing classes. And as much as I wanted to work in yoga, barre, and pilates, memberships to a bunch of studios gets really pricey!


 I started seeing Instagram posts about a place offering a variety of classes; yoga, cycling, Pilates, kettlebell, barre, bootcamp, boxing, battleropes, and TRX.  But I was most intrigued by the positivity of the posts. In reading about TruFusion's philosophy: "like-minded individuals...feeding off of each other, but in a positive way... not..who can lift more or who looks more fit", I wanted to see for myself.

And it's amazing! There's a vast diversity of classes that offer a combined variety of  fitness styles. You can take a boxing class with bags and battleropes that adds yoga moves in the warm up and cool down, a hot pilates class with high intensity cardio bursts, a circuit class with kettlebells , TRX, sandbags, ropes and bodyweight exercises, all levels of hot yoga and barre, and,oh yeah, spinning classes too.

One of our awesome boxing instructors, Nicky

I love every class I've taken and I've definitely gone outside of my comfort zone. I'm pretty sure that I'm one of the more seasoned members (aka OLDER), but I have felt welcomed from the start. People are friendly, but no nonsense. We are there to workout and I've gotten some of the best workouts of my life since joining.

Very sweaty after a hot pilates class

And I have yet to have an instructor in any of the classes who didn't kick my butt. I used to build my workout schedule around when certain instructors were teaching, but it's not like that at TruFusion. Everyone who teaches there knows their stuff, and they all make a tough workout something I really can't wait to do.


They have studios in Nevada, Texas, California, Washington, Arizona, and right here in St. Louis.
The monthly membership is so reasonable considering all of the classes and times offered, and if you are at all considering checking it out, they have an amazing New Year's offer.

Don't mess with Lori !

It's called PAY THE DATE, and that's exactly what it means. Starting January 1st, you can join for 30 days for $1, on the 2nd, $2, 3rd, $3, andso on for the entire month of January.
Honestly, it's even better than ClassPass. 
And more than likely,you'll be hooked after 1 month!

Check them out at https://trufusion.com and click on your city and the class schedule. See you in class!

TruFusion Clayton
314.597.1177
7447 Forsyth Blvd. 
St. Louis, MO 63105

Below are clips of one of the fabulous classes with boxing and battleropes taken by Bea Kuhn beatrixlinphotography.com

She is putting together a video of all of the amazing classes and instructors and I will add the link when it is available.

Check her out on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @beatrixlinphoto

Big Wheel Keeps on Turning

I’ve taken my share of spin classes at the many gyms I’ve belonged to. From waiting in line to get in to the studio, to angering someone because I dared to put my
towel and water bottle on their bike, I was already in a bad mood before class even started.

Sitting in a dark room with the instructor barking out commands like a bulldog, and nothing to look at besides the clock didn’t help improve the experience either. 

So, when my daughter and husband took me to a class at Steel Wheels, an indoor cycling studio in the Central West End, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

And guess what, they’ve basically re-invented indoor cycling!

Ready to ride?

Starting with a huge 16’ x 9’ HD projection screen, you are literally immersed in a ride through streets and terrain from all over the world. Pair that with music that fits the ride and scenery, the 45 minute class flies by. Riding through the streets of London and the backroads of the English countryside with Beatles music playing was amazing motivation to keep going! 

The owner, Bob Koplar, tells me the process to create this feeling didn’t happen easily. He got into cycling because it’s a great workout, but was bored with most classes. Living in New York, he also tried Soul Cycle and other “party” classes, but felt they were too “dancy” and jumpy for the true indoor cycling experience he wanted. 

He started by using online clips of scenery that he set to music, but the random short clips didn’t work. So, he set out to film the rides himself, grabbing as much footage of the beautiful roads and cities he travelled. His friends offered to do the same on their rides and travels and it became a mutual passion project.

With pro cycling coach, Brita Siegel, he adds the music after creating the workouts so it will flow with hills, sprints, and climbs; believing that the mix of strength and endurance within the workout is most important. They match the BPM of the songs with the approximate cadence and feel of the song. 

Pro cycling coach, Brita Siegel

A motto for all classes is “don’t hide the ride”. In other words, riders need to know what’s coming up so they can rehydrate and regroup, pushing past their comfort zone to get stronger. Recovery is built in to the intervals to prevent overuse too.They use Stages SC Series bike. The smooth ride, SprintShift function, quick position adjustments and the accurate data from the Stages Power meter appeals to hard core cycling enthusiasts, and opens up a whole new world to non-cyclists .

The stat system, called Fitmetrix, allows riders to see how well they did and how much effort they put in to the class and see how far they’ve come from previous classes. Seeing your numbers increase and seeing how you’re improving is a great motivator. You can see where you are against other riders in your class, but in the end, it’s you and the bike and the system is a very true measure of your fitness and improvements.

Laur with her contest swag!

After each ride, you’re able to log on to your stats and see calories burned, miles ridden, watts, mph, rpms, and your rank against others in the class. However, the workout is great for all fitness levels. They have a variety of special challenges from time to time with prizes and special recognition to reward rider improvement and effort.

On their website they explain it’s for “Couch potatoes” who do not follow any kind of regimented fitness program and are starting from zero, They recommend approaching each class with the goal of finishing the program and having fun along the way. For “Weekend Warriors” who work out 2-4 times per week, are able to run 4-5 miles without exhaustion and have a moderate aerobic base. And for  “Olympians” who work out 4 or more times per week and have a strong aerobic base, and are able to run more than 6 miles without too much difficulty. 

Eric and Jack after a great ride!

Based on what I’ve seen from my daughter and my husband, it works. The improvement in their strength and endurance is measurable and they can see how far they’ve come. 

But the work you do is coupled with the fun of the music. Rides like Backstreet Boys vs N’Sync, Beyonce, Pink vs Lady Gaga, Bowie vs Prince, Pop Princesses, and tours of Provence, Africa, SoCal, Northern Cal, and even an EDM ride, make the hard work fun. 

It’s not an intimidating workout place either. Steel Wheels partners with many neighborhood businesses for special days of Steel Wheels ride paired with yoga or PLNK megaformer classes. Thirsty Thursdays bring in local brewery, Urban Chestnut after class as well as nearby restaurants. They also vailidate for garage parking in the building garage during class!

As Bob says, they are building community and creating a sense of welcoming for everyone. 

Steel Wheels is located at 229 North Euclid in the Central West End. Contact them at info@steelwheels.com or call (314) 356-2233.

"At the End of My Ropes..."

 

 There’s a commercial out now for Oscar Mayer's P3 Portable Protein Pack that shows different methods people use to get healthy. The last scene shows a guy at the gym  furiously whipping ropes up and down. When his friend asks him,

“What does that work?”

 He says, “I don’t know, but it looks cool!”

Harry rockin' the ropes (He's 72)

   And that’s kind of how most people feel when they see the ropes wound around in the corner of their gym. They look kind of interesting, but intimidating, so many people avoid trying them. But they’re a fantastic, low impact workout that raises your heart rate and burns calories quickly.

   Battle ropes come in all shapes, sizes, and weights, depending on the rope’s thickness and length. The major benefit of training with battle ropes is the application of upper body power, combined with endurance. The rope is wrapped around an anchor point, and you hold it at the very end of the rope's length. The amount of slack in the rope determines the load. Moving away from the anchor point decreases exercise intensity, while stepping toward the anchor point increases it. And there are so many benefits to your body:

      

   -It’s low impact. There’s minimal stress on the joints, with all the force  being applied to the muscular system. Although battle rope workouts can be intense, you can tone them down to any fitness level. Whether you’re just starting out, recovering from an injury, or even if you have bone and joint problems, there’s a battle rope routine that can    benefit you without pain or discomfort. Because the workouts use your body’s natural range of motion, you don’t have the negative restrictive aspects of common weight machines.

      -It’s a calorie torch. You can burn just as many calories as sprinting,  high-intensity interval training, and heavy resistance training.

      -It helps improve athletic performance. Using ropes trains the neuromuscular system to apply force that begins at the core and extends through both the arms and legs. If you watch the movements carefully, you will notice that one side of your body may move differently than the other. With rope training, over time, these differences go away. Slowly, you will notice your right and left sides start to balance out.

   
      -It’s a great core workout. They work the entire core from above your knees to below your chest by both applying power from the core, and stabilizing and bracing back movement.

   -They’re safe to use and fun. Just drop them when you can’t go any more. Using tools like the ropes is a breath of fresh air for most people; it creates excitement, it is unique, and it gets people “playing” again. This is another benefit of rope training unseen in many other forms – the more effort or intensity you put into the rope, the more you get out. There are also different weights of battle ropes so you can start light, and build up as you get stronger by choosing a longer length, a larger diameter, or a combination of both.

   Every time I use the ropes, I feel more comfortable with them, and I’m always amazed at how much using them raises my heart rate. There’s not a huge learning curve to using them, but some things to be aware of are:

Posture- The feet are spaced about shoulder width and toes slightly pointed out. Dip into a squat stance with the weight on your heels and not the toes. Your hips are hinged and the knees are slightly bent so the shin is vertical. Back straight; core tight.

Grip–Many people grip the ropes hard and tense up their bodies, leading to quick exhaustion. Grip the rope lightly, relax your arms, shoulders, torso, and even your face. That way, you’ll be able to move faster and maintain intensity for longer periods of time.

Breathing-People new to rope training tend to hold their breath, which can hurt their performance. Try and match your movement with your breathing pattern; as speed and intensity increase, so should your breathing.

Body Utilization– While most rope exercises seem to be upper body movements, the entire body should be utilized to increase power and efficiency. The legs and hips play a very important role in generating power into and through the arms. Be conscious of your feet, legs, hips, and shoulders. Try to avoid standing too stiffly, and make sure that all areas of your body are active.

   You can just whip the ropes up and down, but some specific battle rope exercises follow:

   -Alternating Waves: Alternate moving your arms up and down. Hold the ends of the rope at arm's length in front of your hips with your hands shoulder-width apart. Brace your core and begin alternately raising and lowering each arm explosively. Keep alternating arms for 1 to 20 minutes.

   -Double Arm Waves: Instead of alternating your arms up and down, move them up and down together.

   -Battle Rope Crossovers: Instead of making waves, slam the rope to the ground. Keep both feet flat on the floor as you move the ends in an arc above your head, lifting them to your left and slamming them down hard to your right. Repeat in the opposite direction.

   -Snake: Swing your arms together side-to-side and make your rope slither like a snake.

  -Claps: Move your arms in and out like you’re clapping your hands together.

   -Outside Circles: Make big circles with your arms. Your right arm circles clockwise and your left arm circles counter-clockwise.

   -Slams: Lift the rope and slam down

   -Figure Eight Circles: Make a figure eight shape in the air while holding the ropes. Feel free to reverse direction in the middle of your round.

   A great way to begin using the ropes is by using both hands to hold one side of the rope until you feel comfortable enough to lift both sides of the rope.

   And the same goes for when the two ropes get too heavy. Drop one side and grab onto one rope with both hands. It still gives you the benefits of training with both sides of the rope.

   I’ve even seen people sit on a bench with their feet planted on the ground while they use their upper body to move the ropes.

 

 So if you’re new to the gym or you’ve been working out for years, using the battle ropes can add intensity and fun without the dangers of some machines. And, it’s a great calorie burn!

"Burn Baby Burn..."

I’ve always loved trying new workouts, and there’s no shortage of ways to work up a sweat these days. I’ve tried a variety of new classes at my gym that I really like, but my curiosity was piqued when I drove by a studio near my house called Burn 1000.

Their website states “BURN 1000 is the ultimate workout incorporating cardio, flexibility, strength, core and functional training all in one action-packed hour to upbeat and energizing music for an overall experience.”

Since I’m always checking my heart rate monitor after a class to see how many calories I’ve burned during a workout, the idea of burning 1000 of those in a workout was very appealing. I Googled the name, but it wasn’t until I ran into one of the owners, Liane Levy, that I decided to give it a try.
Now I’m not a runner, so when I found out the class was part treadmill work and part floor work, I was kind of worried. But I was happily surprised by how well I was able to keep up.

The class begins on the treadmill, warming up and gradually increasing your speed and incline as the instructor urges you to work harder (but not in a totally intimidating way). I usually run/ walk on the treadmill, but for some reason (maybe it was the quality of the treadmill), I was able to keep a pretty even running pace. Maybe not quite as high as the people in the class with me who obviously had been doing this for a while, but still a rate that winded me and bumped up my heart rate.

The class is limited to 24 people and that morning it was pretty full. Once everyone had warmed up on the treadmill, the intervals began. Half the class went to the floor while the rest of us stayed on the treadmill. Our instructor, Chris Jackson, was great at focusing the workouts both on the floor and the machines. He’d give us instructions as far as pace, incline and how hard to push, while putting the people on the floor through their moves. As he changed their exercises, he revised our treadmill work, encouraging us to raise the incline and bump up the speed. Just as I was ready to jump off and take a walk, the interval cycle switched and we went to floor while the other group came back to the treadmills.

The floor work that day was a full-body burn, using the Bosu, step, light and heavy weights and a mat. Chris demonstrated each move as we did them and explained we could push harder or modify them. And even though I did have to modify a few because of my back, I didn’t feel intimidated by the moves. The first interval focused on lower body and just when I didn’t think I could do any more, we switched back to the treadmill. At that point, I was actually looking forward to the running.

He did change it up, working slower and sideways, which actually felt good after the floor work; for about a minute. But again, Chris’s encouragement and instructions, along with the group working together really pushed me. And then we were back on the floor doing upper-body work.

It went so fast that I can’t remember if we had another round of treadmill and then ab work, or if ab work was part of the second round of floor work, but the class was over before I had a chance to realize how hard I had worked. There must have been a clock with a timer somewhere in the room, but I was kind of glad I hadn’t seen it ahead of time. Otherwise I might have been looking to see when each round would end!I didn't quite burn 1000, but I came close, and it really bumped up my metabolism. Within a couple of hours after the class,my heart rate monitor registered pretty close to the 1000 mark. And my FitBit was buzzing like crazy, registering all my movement in that hour!

Burn 1000 is a great concept. You get in and out fast and work out to full efficiency.
There’s not a lot of chatting or time to complain, but it is fun and the other people in the class aren’t trying to outdo you. It’s a room full of people going for their personal best!

Classes run pretty much throughout the day, but you need to make a reservation (similar to a barre class reservation system). Classes Monday-Friday start at 6am and run through the evening, On Saturday and Sunday, classes are scheduled at 7:15am, 8:30am, and 9:45am. Each class has a specific focus, like total body burn, legs and abs, arms and chest, etc., so check the schedule to see what the class is each day.
You can buy a monthly membership for $150-$170, or try a drop in class for $20. They also have Kids Korner, a babysitting option durning classes after 8:30 am, available by appointment for a daily or monthly rate.

Even though they are already open for business, they are having their Grand Opening the weekend of June 21st and 22nd. For a $10 minimum donation, you can join them for an open house/workout to celebrate their opening with proceeds benefitting TASK (Team Activities For Special Kids); Saturday or Sunday at 7:15am, 8:30am, or 9:45am.
They’ll have a complimentary breakfast created by Fit Flavors, a live DJ, and giveaways after each class.
But, you need to register since there’s a maximum capacity of 24 per class.

To register, go to http://burn1000usa.com/pages/schedule

And for more info
http://burn1000usa.com
info@burn1000usa.com
1036 Town and Country Crossing Drive 63017
636-220-1010

If you don’t belong to a gym, this is a great all around fitness routine, and if you belong to a gym, this is a great alternative to really shake up your workout!