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 4: ClassPass 30 Day Challenge

The "beach" torture chamber 

Aw man, I was completely finished with this blog post for today and then technology decided to be a sneaky little bitch and deleted everything before I could post. This post might be a little short since I HATE TECHNOLOGY and am really cranky now. This has nothing to do with my workout today.

A couple of evenings ago I was watching an old episode of ABC's SharkTank and SandBox Fitness was doing an update. Mark Cuban invested and put a bunch of classes in Crunch Gyms. Looks like it is really expanding because SandBox has many of their own standalone stores now. I chose to attend a Surfset class in Sherman Oaks, CA. Pretty nuts, they have covered the entire floor with sand! I have a difficult time imagining the class in a gym because we did a lot of jumping (jumping, my fav!) from side to side. On the gym floor I would imagine this would be a little hard on the joints. I definitely appreciated landing on the super soft sand.

I thought this class was going to be easier for me. A few months ago I told a modeling job that I could yoga on paddle board even though I had not ever actually yoga-paddleboarded before. In the end, I took a class, and turns out I was pretty freakin good at yoga on paddle board. But it also turns out, that Surfset class is NOT yoga on a paddle board.This is a full-out bootcamp class with high intensity cardio and sprinkled with a few holds and strength training. SandBox fitness does offer yoga, TRX, and bootcamp minus the boards. MY class today was spent entirely on the surfboards.

Cow-a-bunga (sp?)

We began the class with 40 second cardio bursts. This included jumping across the board. Jumping on the board. Mounting the board like on an actual ocean. Burpees.  After this we took a little time to do some strength training, like push ups, arm presses, ect.  THEN we did the whole cardio section but this time we did everything for a minute.  A minute may not seem very long, but a minute is eternity. A minute on an unstable board doing mountain climbers takes it to a whole other level.

Side note- Don't wear short shorts to Surfset class. Too much jumping and sand involved. Wasn't thinking. Sorry if I mooned you today. 

My instructor, Minna, made it look pretty easy. She did the whole routine with us, and talked and explained the entire way through it. Like it was as easy as brushing her teeth or something. I wonder how many classes she has to teach a day? Does she do all of them? Is she a freak of nature? WHO ARE YOU, MINNA?!

Let's get real here for a second. Getting dirty is not my favorite thing to do. I was nervous that I would have to wash my hair afterwards and I pretty much base most of my workout decisions on if it will make me have to wash my hair. I am not sure what I was thinking because luckily, my hair never touched the sand. I can go another day! The sand comes off your bod fairly easily too. Not like beach sand, it was very soft and my toes really dug it. But you WILL sweat bullets in the class, so expect to get a little messy because sand does like to stick to sweat. But bathing is fine, just no hair washing. 

I am still curious about how often they change the sand out. It cannot be cheap to pour that much sand in the room all the time. I was sweating an awful lot and everyone else was too...so...hmmm..I am just going to put that out of my mind. At least it wasn't stinky!

Pretty sure my previous post was funnier and longer but I can't do this any longer. please save, please save! If you're in the LA area you really should check out SandBox because it's very unique and unlike any workout I have ever experienced. So freaky lucky I live in a city with cool shit.

why did I choose to wear such short shorts? Sand likes to creep up certain...areas. Wear pants people.