Hey hey friends! I’m SO THRILLED to share a construction progress update today because SO MUCH has been accomplished in so little time.
So, this week all of the former walls in the facility were demolished leaving this huge open space…
and by the end of the week, the new wall frames and sheet rock were constructed – YAY!
This is a major milestone because the new GRIT FITNESS flagship studio will have 2 studios under 1 roof: 1 group fitness studio + 1 indoor cycling studio. (It’s also just super cool to actually see the future floor plan in real life – not just on construction drawings).
I’m big believer that variety is the spice of life and the key to an effective fitness regimen, so I’m super keen on providing continuous variety to my clients AKA the #GRITFAM. Offering cycling classes in additional to our 7 original group fitness classes is a phenomenal sweaty combo!
Furthermore, we made more great progress on the locker room. Last week the locker room looked like this (NO plumbing)…
This week the trenching for plumbing got underway and we are on track to install showers!
We still have lots of work to do (e.g. flooring, lighting, sound, decor) but the BIG construction efforts are well underway and almost done. Summer will be here before we know it and I can’t wait to offer more of our fun, fierce fabulous fitness classes to the Dallas community.
It’s not too late to back our campaign and help make this vision come to life. We can’t do it without you! Thank you so much for the contributions, kind emails and words of encouragement so far. You are loved and appreciated. #thebestisyettocome
Happy Monday morning to you! I hope you had a good weekend. I had a really busy weekend myself (more to come on that later this afternoon). I’m actually feeling kinda tired this morning, so I’m planning to rest and recover today.
On Saturday morning I taught my usual 8AM spin class at BEYOND Pedaling. I was super pumped because I got to rock my new Chic Bra Top from Onzie. Not only does it have a funky neon pattern, but the back has a sexy strappy design – oh hey! I paired with with my neon Living One Luv Headband and wore my Target C9 sports bra underneath for extra support (I’m a little on the busty side).
Little #selfie before cycling class – So excited to rock out my playlist!
In addition to my fab new workout clothes, my playlist also pumped me up for an energetic class. It’s crazy how much time I spend each week making up my playlist – like ~4 hours per class for realz. A solid playlist is crucial for a good class. That said, I figured some of you may be fitness instructors as well, so I’m making a personal commitment to start sharing my playlists as much as possible. Here’s the 45-minute cycling playlist we “tapped back” to during my last cycling class…
After the ride, my class was super sweaty and had big smiles on their faces – 2 outcomes that always make me feel good as a fitness instructor. They liked the mix of Top 40, Hip Hop and Old school on this playlist – yay!
What’s on your workout playlist? I’m always looking for new songs. PLEASE post a comment and let me know what you jam to. Share the love 🙂 I’ll catch up with you later this afternoon. Until then, HAPPY MONDAY! xoxo, Brit
Posing after class at BEYOND Pedaling with this fabulous crew! I love their energy!
Hey guys! Hope you had a good morning and your afternoon is off to a good start. I’m loving working from home this week! Being on the road every week for work is really hard on my body. When I’m home I appreciate the little things like making breakfast and coffee in my own kitchen. This morning I made some simple scrambled eggs, toast and coffee. Later on I ate another whole wheat English muffin topped with crunchy peanut butter and banana (my mid-morning snack. I was HONGRY)
Enjoying working from home – made myself some scrambled eggs & whole wheat English muffin with strawberry preserves (a big pot of black coffee is a must)
So…I have great news to share with you guys! This Thursday (9/20/14) I’m going to start teaching at a new cycling studio, Beyond Pedaling in Dallas, TX. If you recall, I took a class at Beyond earlier this year and had a great experience. I’m so excited because this studio let’s me teach a music-based cycling workout with some choreographed moves. LOVE IT! Also the ride incorporates hand weights, so I’ll guide my class through a ~5 minute arm workout while cycling. I’ve been working on my playlist and practicing all week. It’s weird because even though I’ve been teaching group fitness classes for almost 3 years, I still have that nervous excitement that makes it difficult to sleep. Please wish me luck!
In the spirit of my new cycling gig, I designed a “Sculpt & Cycle” workout just for you. This workout should take about 30 minutes to complete. The time will fly by because you’re doing the arm workout while cycling – I love simultaneous muscle toning and cardio conditioning. Give it a whirl and let me know how it goes.
Last but not least, what you guys are “really” waiting for – the winner of the Onzie Knot-back Tank Giveaway is Liana! I hope you had an amazing time at your craft show and sold lots of your homemade skin products – I love a fellow business woman! I’ll be in touch to send your Onzie tank – in the meanwhile please email me your mailing address to [email protected].
Thanks so much to all of your for sharing your weekend plans. Hearing what you guys were up to motivated me to have a super active weekend as well. Enjoy the rest of your day. Show your GRIT! Luv, Brit
Over the Winter Break I enjoyed some time away from my full-time Management Consulting job and spent a couple of weeks at home chilling with family, shopping and visiting new fitness studios in Dallas. While we have several fitness gems in the Big D, my favorite discovery is Beyond Pedaling Studio.
Beyond Studios – Snider Dallas, TX
You guys already know that I’m an indoor cycling fan. I teach indoor cycling at 24 Hour Fitness in Dallas and enjoying reviewing the hottest cycling studios – SoulCycle, FlyWheel, Crank and The Handle Bar to name a few. Unfortunately, most of these studios are not located in Dallas (my hometown). So they are great to visit while I’m traveling, but I hate not having an indoor cycling studio to call “home.” This is no longer the case. BEYOND Pedaling has one my heart and here’s why…..
So first, the studio is located in the adorable Snider Plaza of Dallas’s upscale Highland Park neighborhood. I was expecting the BEYOND staff to be a little “snooty.” But to my surprise, I received a warm welcome (by name) from these two bright shining faces – talk about “knowing your customer.”
Studio Director Kelsey (left) and Instructor Elissa (right)
Then I bask in the studio’s inspiring atmosphere and vibrant decor – love the bold yellow color scheme (although strikingly similar to Soul Cycle). I especially love this quote posted above the lockers – totally inspired!
Beyond Pedaling Studios – Dallas #inspired
There’s also local fitness apparel designers being featured each week so I can get my shopping on before or after class. Most importantly, they sell really cool headbands – YES!
Chillin’ in the Beyond Studio lobby before our workout
During the actual class, we rode on high-quality Keiser spin bikes that have a digital displays to track time, calories, average power and RPM (revolutions per minute). Flywheel has the awesome “Torque” board which is similar in functionality, but most of the other music-driven cycling studios don’t have these displays. I appreciate the ability to keep track of my effort and exertion.
Keiser bikes at Beyond Pedaling Studio – Dallas, TX
Several of the instructors regularly take classes as well as instruct. This helps pump up the energy level and keep the class motivated and in sync. Also, the studio was packed! Empty fitness classes totally depress me. Fortunately class attendance is nothing worry about at BEYOND (especially in Elissa’s classes). Most importantly, the sound system is amazing and the music clearly blasts through the speakers. I felt the beat – the beat was good!
The class itself is a standard, 45 minute indoor cycling ride which includes resistance and speed intervals. Like most of the newer cycling studios, there’s a ~5 minute arm circuit at the end of the ride that utilizes light dumbbells. Overall, there’s nothing revolutionary about the actual workout, but it’s a great sweat nonetheless. A little on the pricier side, $30 per class, Beyond is the most expensive cycling studio in Dallas. However, I think it’s worth the money if you’re looking for a fun, hip, music-driven cycling workout. You’re only other option is FlyWheel on Oak Lawn, but it’s a little more competitive and the music isn’t as good – definitely depends on your personal preference. At the end of the day, BEYOND gets the Grit by Brit “2 thumbs up” – hope see some of the Dallas crew in a class!
Just when I thought I’d discovered them all, I found another NYC Fitness GEM! Ladies and gentlemen I HIGHLY recommend you check out CRANK Cycling Studio on the Upper East Side. You guys know that I always keep it real and very seldom do I give raving reviews of fitness studios. But CRANK has some serious GRIT. So, I decided to put together a top 10 list of what I love about it!
Here’s why I LOVE IT…
Insane Intensity. The workout is a 45 minute studio cycling ride. As a spin instructor, I’m super critical of other spin instructors, but I have to say that the instructors at Crank are legit. All of them incorporate a solid amount of variety, intervals and resistance training into the workout to ensure the class is pushed.
Reasonably priced. Only $23 per ride – woo hoo! Those are Texas prices right there y’all. Soul Cycle is $34 per 45 minute class (to give you a relative comparison). You guys know that I’m all about accessibility. We don’t have to be wealthy to be healthy.
Cardio + Choreography. I think having rhythm is a prerequisite for all of the instructors (as it should be). I love that the class is set to music, we move to the beat of the music and the BASS had me bumpin’ the whole ride. This workout incorporates the most dance and movement that I’ve ever experienced. We were out of the saddle for about 80% of the classes and bobbin’ to the left, to right, to the front to the back – heyyy!
Cool Vibe and Decor. The studio is completely dark and lit only by small red lights. Red and black are the official studio colors. I love red because it’s strong and intense. During the class, we ride very close to each other generating lots of HEAT! By the end of the class, all of the mirrors are completely covered with sweaty fog (sounds gross, but it’s really awesome!)
Excellent Equipment. The bikes are comfortable and ride well. Each one has a magnetic charge in the wheel that helps ease each pedal stroke and ensure a smooth ride. I can tell the bikes they are well maintained. There is nothing worse than cycling on a rickety old bike. Not to mention, poor equipment increases injury risk.
Straight to the point, No fluff – Unlike some high-end fitness studios, all of the students in the class seemed like athletes. They came to work out. Not to see and be seen.
Chill Culture. On that same note, the students I interacted with were also very cool and welcoming. No snobs allowed.
New and Different. CRANK hit NYC only a few months ago, so it’s a nice fitness routine change-up. With so many fitness boutiques in Manhattan, it can be hard to keep up. But rest assured, Crank is new and it’s legit.
Super Sweet Staff. The staffed is incredibly knowledgeable about both fitness and about cycling. The manager spent some time telling me why he chose the specific bikes in the studio and about how Crank got started and continues to the grow.
HOT instructors (Exhibit A: My Ultimate Fitness Crush – Nick Oram). If you recall, we became obsessed with Nick when we discovered him at Soul Cycle a few months ago. He even topped out charts when we put out the “Official NYC Soul Cycle Instructor Ranking.” I’ve gotten to know Nick pretty well over the past few months and not only is he smokin’ hot and the fiercest fitness instructor in NYC, he’s also a very genuine accountability partner and sincerely cares about every person in his class (I’m taking regular text messages to check on his students – awe). So, while I wrote this blog post to spread my love for CRANK, I also want spread my love for NICK! You can follow Nick on Twitter @OramNick or check out his website http://nick-oram.com/
And now that I’ve told you all about Crank Cycling Studio and about my awesome instructor, Nick Oram, it’s time for you to hear from the man himself. I asked Nick a few key questions, and here’s what he had to say…
Why did you become a fitness instructor?
I loved spinning in college and it was through the love of it that I became an instructor.
What’s your favorite “get hype” line to yell to your class?
My favorite thing is to say is “Are you READY!!?”I get a big rise out of my class when I say that.
What you do recommend as the right mix of weekly cardio and resistance training/toning workouts?
I believe in keeping the body guessing, alternating days and doing intense intervals with your training
What song always get you going?
Can’t Hold US (Kaskade Remix) – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
What do you tell yourself to stay motivated when your completely exhausted?
Mediocrity is never OK. Alway’s excellence!
What advice would you give to someone who is just starting to work out?
Aqua Cycling...how cool does that sound? I was super pumped up to hear that Aqua Studio opened earlier this month in NYC, so some friends and I checked it out. It was definitely the “Most Interesting Workout” I’ve ever done. Long story short – try it out to say you did it, but overall it’s not worth the money. I’m sad to confess that after my first Aqua Cycling workout, I walked right across the street to CrossFit 212 for a “real workout.” Now let me temper my sentiments by making clear that I crave intense workouts. If I’m not drenched in sweat by the end, I feel like I wasted my time. If you’re like me in this regard, save your money and hit up a higher intensity class.
On a side note, word on the street is that Beyonce did Aqua Cycling to lose her baby weight. But, let’s be real. Did you see the way she was sweating and working it out during the Super Bowl half time? There’s NO WAY she got into that shape by casually pedaling a bicycle in a swimming pool. I’m 100% confident that she worked her butt off to the point of complete exhaustion to get that body and those moves. I’m just sayin…
Now that I’ve shared my colorful commentary, here’s the real deal with Aqua Cycling:
Workout Details
Aqua Studio opened in NYC on April 15th – it’s located in Tribeca in a really chic, high end, boutique studio
45 minute cycling workout with the bike completely submerged in water
No resistance on the bike, so resistance is based on how fast you pedal (the faster you pedal, the more natural resistance you feel from the water)
Lots of core and isometric toning exercising are incorporated throughout the workout session. The moves are similar to water aerobics (i.e. arm strokes in the water, float on your back and do crunches)
Pros
Low impact, so a good work out option if you have knee problems
Being in water naturally is therapeutic 😉
Instructors are really nice (not mean or too intense)
Music is good. We gotta a like Drake “Started from the Bottom” jamz during my class
Studio is impeccable, like being at high end spa, really nice!
Nice change up to your usual workout routine
Cons
Very expensive ($40 for single drop in class)
Lacking intensity – I’d estimate you only burn 300 calories in 45 minutes
The class choreography could use some help. Simply doing more sprints on the bike would make the the workout more effective. Also, we did a body weight arm circuit above the water that was super easy…kind of felt like a waste of time.
Sorry Aqua Studio NY, had a good time, but not “GRITTY” enough for me 🙁
