Day 7: 30 Day ClassPass Challenge

Pilates Plus Studio City located on Ventura Blvd

Pilates Plus Studio City is what I like to refer to as pilates on acid. This place is not your momma's pilates place. Or actually it is, it's filled with extremely hot moms. This is one of my favorite pilates places because I get the workout that I enjoy doing the most (the time speeds by for me) but it is also extremely challenging and I see results.  The website claims that you can burn up to 700 calories per class. The reformers are special for some reason. I wish I could tell you exactly what that reason is, but again they basically just make pilates harder than it normally is. They call them the MEGAFORMER. Here is a photo of what makes them mega.

The Studio, on the other side is a wall with TRX hanging from the ceiling

I took from Pilates Plus Studio City last month on my ClassPass as well (the month that I barely went). However, you better believe that I used my 3 times a month for Pilates Plus. I actually used them all on the same instructor, Lisa Goldsman. Her class is really popular and always filled so I usually have to sign up at least a week in advance to snag a spot. My girlfriend was supposed to come to class today, but she couldn't get in. If you choose to go to PP make sure you sign up in advance, it's unlikely that classes are available the day of.  Also, shout out to the instructor Lacey. She is my fav, but her classes are never available on ClassPass because she is the shit so her classes are too full. Also, she always teaches at like 5 am. What's up with that? I can't work out when it's still dark outside. 

I always see Pilates Plus featured in magazines. It was also featured on this season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. And according to their website the Kardashians work out at the Encino location. 

Now, on to the workout. We began our warm up with about a ten minute plank series. I wish I could remember all the terms that she yells out but mostly, I just copy the hot mom next to me. Basically the warm up is about a ten minute plank series. You're keeping your arms on the stationary part while your legs are on the carriage and you're doing all sorts of funky things with your legs. The snake is where you cross your legs on the cariage and then bring them up very slowly to the edge of the platforom. Slowly is the term you have to remember here. The slower you go, the tougher it is. 

After my abs and arms cannot possibly take anymore we move onto legs and butt. Pilates Plus seems to concentrate a lot on legs, which is fine by me because, although I hate legs, that is where I gain most of my weight. We do a Spider Lunge and side kick and then we put the bungie cord on each leg and straighten our leg for what seems like forever and ever. and ever. We then do some arms in between then do the other leg. 

I feel like my description of today's class is pretty lame but this class always keeps me on my toes and is super fast paced. Lisa is always timing us on her stopwatch to make sure we get the same equal time on both sides as well, so our muscles aren't lopsided. 

This is actually a super terrible photo because my left hip is lagging down and I should be lifting it up even with my right. Ugh! I guess this is why we shouldn't take photos while on the machines. But I wanted to show you how you stand on the platform and move your opposite leg back on the slide-y part. Mission somewhat accomplished.  

My one, tiny little gripe about Lisa. Sometimes I feel like she puts a tad too much weight on the machines. She always gives little tips about how you can slide your foot out on the reformer, or sit on your butt if the arms are too heavy, but sometimes, it's still too damn heavy and I feel a little ashamed for taking the weight down. But if it's too heavy, by all means, lower the weight on that machine! I just don't want to disapoint Lisa.  

In the end, I love love love Pilates Plus Studio City. Currently, it is the only studio on reformers pilates in the Studio City area that is "mega" and is truly butt-kicking. Also, word of wisdom, maybe not for first timers on pilates machines. This is a FAST paced environment. 

Day 1: 30 day ClassPass Challenge

The ClassPass app is incredible. I am super addicted to it. I scroll through it like it's a Facebook feed of only the people I care about. You can type in the area you want to search with distance perimeters, types of classes, and times. You scroll until you find a class that really gets your goat.   Some of the more popular classes (such as reformer classes where there a limited amount of spots) fill up more quickly so you have to become a bit of planner with smaller classes.  However, if you want to take a Cardio Barre class for example, I have literally signed up while I was at the studio already and poof I am in the class.  

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So easy and pretty. 

I typically like to take classes in Studio City because that is where I live but I'm always zipping around town for auditons.  If I have an audition and I am feeling ambitious, I take work-out gear along and search for a class around that area.  I love having the ability to take class when or wherever I happen to be at that very moment, any time of the day.  It could be an indecisive's person worst nightmare though, because there are literally so many options.  

I had an audition today at noon and I had to wash my hair before.  Therefore, I knew that I needed to take a class early in the day because it will be a cold day in hell before I wash my hair twice a day. I looked at the handy app and decided 8 am would be a time where I could still actually drag myself out of bed and just enough time to bathe afterwards.

I chose to take CorePower Yoga Sculpt.  I tried a new studio that I had not visited before.  I went to the Studio City location, I've only been to the Sherman Oaks spot.  Like most Core Power studios, it was super clean, posh, and beautiful.  It also has really lovely natural light that comes in through the patio windows.   The negatives? Parking is absolutely terrible.  You either have to park at a meter or park in the underground structure which charges $1.50 every 20 minutes.  The meters did not start until 8, which means you cannot put money in them until the clock strikes 8 am which means I would be late for class.  I REFUSE to pay 4 bucks to park for an hour so I found street parking like 6 blocks away and hauled ass to class.  I'm very Los Angeles now, so parking even two blocks seems ridiculous to me even though I could count the "walk time" as part of my workout.   So I feel like I got extra points today for my efforts. 

Core Power Sculpt is no joke.  It's really hard, y'all.  When I go toCorePower I like to take the Level 2 or Fusion classes.  I like the fusion classes because when I am super hot after the first half hour I can just lay there and sweat and sweat and it still feels like I did something.  But sculpt is like half yoga class, half bootcamp class, in 102 degree temperature.  Our teacher today (I forgot her name, I will need to get better at this) was really into squats.  I must have did 100 squats.  It was not fun.   I liked this teacher yogi lady though.  CorePower is sometimes hit or miss for me with their teachers.  Sometimes they can be rather cookie cutter, and classes can get monotonus but this gal today really seemed to vary up the routine.  She also gave a lot of individual attention, there were only 6 people in my class.  By the way, this is the smallest class size I have ever had a CorePower, they tend to pack them in.  Sometimes I am sweating and touching the sweaty person next to me, which is generally less than ideal.  She also gave me a little back massage when I was stretching.  That was neat.  

In the end, I rated my class 5 stars.  Parking is a nightmare but the class was excellent and the studio is fancy and I feel very rich when I take class there.  

ClassPass 30 Day Challenge

Okay, so I am cheating a little bit.  This is technically not my first month with ClassPass.  It is my second month, but my first month I was a little shall we say, lack luster with my class attendance.   For those of you who do not know what ClassPass is, it is a service where you pay $100 a month for unlimited fitness classes (maximum 3 times a studio per month). It has a super amazing choice of classes and they are continuing to add new classes every month. ClassPass has everything from Core Power Yoga, Barry's Bootcamp, ballet and bare classes, crossfit, and it even has aerial and trapeze classes!  Now, if you are aren't living in a big city, $100 may seem like a steep price to pay every month. And you would be correct! I am hanging in there as a C-List actress, I have lots of money one month and zero dollars the next. Therefore, it is a bit of commitment and gamble for me but when you live in Los Angeles it is a pretty fair price.  Take for example, my favorite reformers pilates classes- the studio I would love to afford costs $100 for 6 classes a month.  This body is not gonna stay fit taking one and a half classes a week.  Los Angeles is full of ridiculously attractive and fit humans and people pay a pretty penny to keep up their bods.  My point here, while $100 is a bit steep for my penny pincher ways, it is worth it considering you have unlimited classes and some of the best studios in LA.  Plus, working out here is more like a social event. I have had just as many "yoga" girlfriend dates as I have let's go out for happy hour dates. And the very best is when you can combine the two and go for yoga and then go for a margarita.  The two totally cancel each other out, right?

Now on to the challenge.  I decided for the month of May I would work out every day and cut out wine completely.  Just kidding, I could never cut out wine completely.  But my challenge IS to use my classpass at least 6 times a week.  Now, life gets busy occationally so working out 6 times a week is  not gonna be easy.  But challenges are challenging for a reason!  I am also going to try to take classes that I wouldn't normally gravitate towards, such as cycling (awful) or Barry's Bootcamp (death).  I tend to gravitate to the barre and pilates classes but again, this is a challenge!  

Every day...or...every other day...I plan to journal about my experiences.  How I liked the studio, teacher, work out.  This is completely my individual opinion and no one is paying me to say good stuff (but, I am open to that).  I feel like this journal will keep my accountable for my actions and actually make me get my lazy popcorn eating butt off the couch and get my $100 a month worth. 

Tomorrow, April 27th I begin my 30 day workout challenge.  Let the sweating commence.