Category: Workout

This Week: Workouts, Traveling & Things I’m Looking Forward To

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Happy Monday! As this post goes off, I’ll be {hopefully} taking off to head to Dallas. I’m going to a work conference in Grapevine through Wednesday, so my week of workouts will be a little different than usual. I’m actually looking forward to some on-the-road workouts and less teaching since I’ve been teaching like a mad woman lately! Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching, but feel like I teach a better class when I don’t teach 6 or 7 in a week. Instructor friends- do you feel the same way?

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I taught my 6am Muscle Work class and then subbed a 6:30pm kickboxing class at the Watertown BSC after work. Those days are SO long, but they are doable since I’m doing different workouts before and after work.

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  • Tuesday- I never made it to the 6:55 am class (incorrectly set my alarm), but I ended up doing 10 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of stability ball-focused core work. After work, I headed to Reading to train Kerri, which went great! I did some of the workout with her, but am trying to get better at just instructing/training her rather than doing the workout with her.

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  • Wednesday- I ran a 5K on the treadmill before teaching my UXF Burn class. I didn’t do much of the workout with them because, for some reason, I was incredibly sore. I don’t even know how I could be as sore as I was, but I took it as a sign that I shouldn’t push myself, so I didn’t 🙂
  • Thursday- I taught SHRED and then Kickboxing. Both classes were pretty full and the energy was great. I taught a new format (for me) in SHRED and everyone loved it, including me! I set it up so that everyone had a partner- partner A would do 12 reps of whatever exercise I told them to do (using the BOSU) and partner B would do whatever cardio exercise I told them to do. Partner B would do the cardio until partner A completed their 12 reps. Then we switched and then did a partner core move for 60 seconds. It was so fun!!

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  • Friday- I usually rest on Fridays, but I wanted to get in another class with my ClassPass and since my friend Lindsay was teaching at Recycle at 5:30pm, I figured it was a perfect class to go to. Similar to the last time, the class was amazing. Her energy, song choices and choreography’s are motivating, yet challenging, and I left there feeling like I got my butt kicked! Recycle still stands true as my favorite indoor cycling studio for that reason.

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  • Saturday- I taught cardio kickboxing at the Oak Square YMCA. Per usual, it was a great class!
  • Sunday- Rest 🙂 I realized I hadn’t had a rest day all week… whoops

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I think I will end up doing something similar to this pre-flight workout that I did before the last flight to Dallas.
  • Tuesday & Wednesday- I have no idea what my workouts will look like while I am in Texas. I would like to check out the gym at the Gaylord Resort and hopefully Tim will want to join me- I like having a workout buddy when I’m on the road! BSCers- I won’t be there on Wednesday, but Kate Welby is subbing for me, so you’ll be in good hands!!
  • Thursday- I’ll be back at the Central Square and teaching SHRED and then Kickboxing.
  • Friday- I am not sure. I may try to get to a morning class at a participating ClassPass location (my month is up the first week in April so I’m trying to use up all my passes!).
  • Saturday- My friend Jen told me about a Spartan Race Workout so I am going to do that! It’s from 9-11 so if you’re interested in joining us, use that link and sign up 🙂
  • Sunday- I am subbing UXF Burn at 9am at the Allston BSC, so if you’re around, come join me! There were only 3 people last time I subbed, so I’d love to have more of you! I am heading to Kerri’s to train her after I teach.

Traveling

As I mentioned, I am going to be in Grapevine, Texas for the first half of this week. I am sure I’ll get some type of workout in, but I likely won’t know what that workout will be until the day of. I have a fun guest post coming for you later this week, so be on the lookout for that.

Things I’m Looking Forward To

It will be nice to see some of my coworkers this week and to get to meet other people in the industry. I’ve heard the Gaylord is a really nice resort, so I’m looking forward to that! The temps are supposed to be low here this week, so being in 60* weather will be a nice treat 😉 I’m also looking forward to the potential Shapleigh Girls night on Saturday- I bought a Groupon to the Brahmin and I think we are going to try to go there.

Questions for you: Fitness instructor friends- what is your “ideal” number of classes to teach in a week? What was the best workout you had last week? What are you looking forward to this week?

Free workout with Ultimate Bootcamp!

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I wanted to pop in quickly to tell you about a free workout that the Ultimate Bootcamp is hosting this Sunday, March 23rd at 9:45am. They want to get you pumped for Spring and thought a great way to do that was to host a free, outdoor workout. I’m not able to go this weekend, but I wish I was!

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In addition to a great workout (Athena and I went in the fall and had a blast!), you also get discounts to retailers such as Sports Authority and Reekbok AND other free treats/surprises. Sounds pretty great, right?!

The link to get more information and to sign up is here, so head on over and check it up and sign up if you’re interested.

Wednesday Workout: 30 Minute Upper Body & Core Super Sets Workout

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Happy hump day, everyone!

Last Monday, I headed to the gym at my office building for a quick lunch time workout. Since I knew I had done a lot of squats and lunges in the class I taught on Sunday and was going to spin on Tuesday, I wanted to focus on the upper body and core to balance things out. I love doing super sets because they keep my heart rate up and they generally leave me pretty sore for a few days after. This workout was no exception- my chest was sore for at least 2 days!

Upper Body & Core Super Sets Workout

As the directions state, you’re going to do 12 reps of exercise A and then 12 reps of exercise B. You’re going to repeat those 2 exercises twice more before moving on to the next set. I alternated from upper body to core rather than doing all upper body and finishing out the workout with core. When I do that, I tend to lose interest and usually cut my workout short. In order to not miss out on the core exercises, I knew I had to do them in the midst of everything else.

Here are some links to some exercises that might need explanations:

*Alternating Wide Grip Rows– Instead of doing both arms at the same time (like in the video), I did right, left, right, left, etc. until I got to 12 on each side

*Stability Ball Pass

*Bicep Curl to Press- Do a bicep curl and then when you get to 90 *, push the weights out in front of you. Repeat.

I think that should be it, but if you have questions, feel free to let me know.

I’ve had a handful of people in my classes recently tell me that they’ve been doing the workouts that I post, which is amazing! You have no idea how good it makes me feel to hear you girls say you actually do the workouts that I shares- thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Questions for you: What exercise/workout format always leaves you sore? Do you tend to lose interest at the end of your workout and end early?

This Week: Workouts {lots of teaching again}, Review of Velo City & Pursuit Boston, Things I’m looking forward to

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Hi, friends! Happy St. Patty’s Day! Is anyone celebrating? Did anyone go to the Southie parade yesterday? I opted out of it this year- it was cold and I really just needed/wanted a day to myself where I could catch up on life (cleaning, blogging, laundry, grocery shopping, etc.), not to mention I didn’t want to be tempted to drink too much because my day today is too long to be hung over! I’ve got lots to talk about today, so let’s get right to the workouts 🙂

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I decided to go to the gym during my lunch break to get in a quick 30-45 minute upper body and core workout. I was SO happy I did this because I ended up having a horrible end of the day at work and stayed late talking to my manager, so it was great knowing I could just go home after work and have a huge glass of wine make dinner, blog and do laundry.
  • Tuesday- I used my ClassPass membership and tried out a new-to-me studio: Velo-City. I’ll share more on it below, but I liked it!
  • Wednesday- I ran 3 miles on the treadmill before teaching UXF Burn.
  • Thursday- I taught SHRED (did most of the workout with them, but skipped out on the cardio) and Kickboxing.
  • Friday- Nothing 🙂
  • Saturday- I went to Pursuit Boston, which is a new spin studio in the Back Bay. I LOVED it. It was especially fun since I ran into someone I went to high school with and met u with my new blog friend, Lucy. Sweating with friends is so much better!
  • Sunday- I went to Exhale Spa for a 75 minute yoga class and it was wonderful. My body and mind needed it in a bad way! So happy I have my ClassPass membership so I can jump around to all these studios 😉

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This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- By the time this post goes up, I will have taught my 6am Muscle Work class and I am subbing the 6:30pm cardio kickboxing class at the Watertown BSC after work. Happy Monday and St. Patty’s Day to me!
  • Tuesday- I’m going to a 6:55am class at B-Tone Fitness in the Back Bay. I’m trying to use my ClassPass to try new studios I may not otherwise try, I’m excited about this class. After work, I am training someone who wants to get back into shape now that she’s had her baby!
  • Wednesday- Maybe some light cardio before teaching UXF Burn
  • Thursday- Teaching SHRED and then cardio kickboxing
  • Friday- Rest 🙂
  • Saturday- Teaching kickboxing at the Oak Square YMCA
  • Sunday- Not sure. I’d like to get something in since I’ll be traveling the next week, but I haven’t figured out what I want to do yet.

Velo-City Review

As I mentioned above, I went to an indoor cycling studio in the Back Bay on Tuesday night. I had never been, but it came up on ClassPass and there was a class at a good time for me, so I decided to try it out. The staff was SUPER friendly, and the instructor, Megan, was actually someone I knew when I used to work at Prana Power yoga- small world! I loved the music Megan played and really loved a lot of the song choreography that she had- we did some things that I hadn’t done at any other studio, so that was fun- I always love learning new things. I also loved that the studio had black lights…. I just wish I had worn something white! The one thing that was kind of a bummer was the fact that the class was not filled, so it felt like the room was a bit empty. I like when these types of classes are full because I can feed off of everyone’s energy, which I wasn’t able to do on Tuesday. Otherwise, though, I really liked the studio and would definitely suggest going, especially since they offer a free first class!

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Pursuit Boston Review

Saturday morning I headed back to the Back Bay for another spin class, this time at Pursuit Boston, which just opened in January. I loved the studio because it was on the second floor in a building on Boylston street, so it was really bright and sunny. They had showers (huge plus for me), changing areas, a weights/stretching area to use if you wanted to do something before or after class, and really great specials (5 classes for $59!!). The only downside is that they don’t rent shoes, but they do have a handful of shoes you can borrow, which I ended up doing because I hate spinning without spin shoes now.

The class at Pursuit was a traditional spin class, so we didn’t use weights or anything like that, which I thought was a bummer at first, but by the end, I didn’t mind at all. It was only a 45 minute class, but I was legit spent by the end. I was sweating SO much and my legs barely got me down the stairs after class- I call that a success 😉 The instructor was great and really encouraging and I liked that she jumped on and off the bike a lot to get closer to us to push us harder. I definitely suggest checking out this studio as they have different kinds of “rides” (they are going to start a spin boot camp class, which I think is totally up my alley) so you can pick one based on what you’re looking to accomplish in your workout that day. They do a free first class, too!

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Thing I’m Looking Forward To

Last week was SO fun, so this week definitely has big shoes to fill! I’m excited to try out B-Tone fitness on Tuesday, as well as train my friend’s sister-in-law. It was so sweet of her to reach out to me for help losing her baby weight, so I’m excited to put a plan together for her. I’m looking forward to my sister coming home on Friday- she will have been gone for 2 full weeks! On Saturday, I’m going to a wine tasting with my friend Jessi, Cristina and Lauren (and maybe my sister), which is going to be a blast! Nothing better than a wine-filled afternoon (heads up to my kickboxing class on Saturday- we will be working out for me to earn my wines… you’ve been warned!).

Questions for you: What was the best workout you had last week? Did you try out any new classes or studios? Do you like regular spin classes or do you like indoor cycling classes that include weights? What are you looking forward to this week?

A jam-packed weekend full of working out & dining out

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Do you ever have those weekends where you’re so busy you feel like you need another day just to breathe and catch up on everything you didn’t catch up on over the weekend? That was me last weekend… and, well, all of last week, actually. I have spent the majority of the beginning of this week catching up on everything I wasn’t able to do last week or this week- my floors need to be washed desperately, but that keeps getting pushed further and further down my list, which is totally ok 🙂

Anyway! After work on Friday, I met up with someone for drinks at Vintage Lounge, which I hadn’t been to in years! From there, we headed to Sakurabana for sushi (as a Catholic, I’m not supposed to eat meat on Friday’s during lent, so sushi was a perfect option!).

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Saturday started with kickboxing (loved seeing Jen, Mary, Valerie, Dani and all the other familiar faces!) as my first workout and then I met my sister at Exhale Spa for a Core Fusion Cardio class with my sister. We met up with our friend, Jessi, for lunch at Anthem. It was such a beautiful day in the city- perfect for walking around and having lunch out (actually, who am I kidding- any day is a great day for lunch out in my mind!). We shared a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, the Fondue (cannot go there without getting it- SO SO SO good) and a pizza.

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I did some serious bar/restaurant hopping on Saturday night, which was great at the time, but not so great when I had to wake up at 7:45am on Sunday to teach a 9am class, after having gone to bed at 1:30am and losing an hour of sleep due to the time change. Womp. Oh well, I made sure to not drink too much so at least I wasn’t hungover! My Saturday night locations included: Prima E Dopo, Back Bay Social Club, M Bar at the Mandarin Hotel and finally Towne… phew! I wasn’t kidding when I said I hopped around 😉

Sunday I taught my 7th class of the week, puttered at Target and then did my CPR recertification. Not really my favorite way to spend a Sunday, but I didn’t really have a choice!

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Lunch at Pizza Etc. after the recertification did make me happy… I’ve missed their Greek salad with grilled chicken. When I lived in Brighton, Rachel and I would get that salad once a week!

By the time I grocery shopped and got home, the last thing I wanted to do was cook dinner. I ended up going to Santarpio’s to grab pizza… not the healthiest choice, but I had been craving it for a while so I decided to just do it. It did give me a crazy bad stomach ache later on- I wonder if it was the pizza or just the fact that I had eaten out literally all weekend.

By the time Monday rolled around, I was so ready for my usual clean eats! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy eating out and would never deprive myself of it, but my body just likes it better when I don’t eat out consecutively for days in a row. I used to let it bother me when I would eat out a lot, but at this point in my life, I’ve gotten to a place where I just let it go and enjoy it because I know as soon as Monday rolls around, I’ll be back on track with my eats. No better way to do that then kale & onion stuffed turkey meatballs served over spaghetti squash and sautéed veggies, right?

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I’ve been enjoying this all week!

Questions for you: What was the best part of your weekend? Did you try any new workouts/classes/studios? Did you go to any new restaurants? Have you been to any of the ones that I went to over the weekend? Do you beat yourself up after indulgent weekends of eating out and drinking? What’s the first thing you do to get back on track?