FitSugar

New Hybrid Class: Spinning and Yoga

Susi May — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:36:43 PDT

Since the new millennium rolled around, it seems like the ancient practice of yoga has been mixed with almost every form of exercise, from the Pilates hybrid Yogalates to kickboxing's Koga. A new yoga mashup is making its way into the fitness world: yoga and spinning. Before your third eye conjures up images of holding a downward-facing dog while clipped in on a stationary bike, let me explain that the 60-minute classes are divided into two half-hour segments: 30 minutes of spin followed by 30 minutes of yoga. After taking a class at YAS Fitness Center in LA recently, I can attest that this blend makes great sense.

Keep reading to learn more about this new hybrid class.

5 Exercise Classes to Relieve Aggression

Michele Bell — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 09:07:55 PST

I don't know if you care to admit it, but it seems we all sometimes reach a boiling point where we just want to punch a hole in the wall. On my way to the gym the other day, I was so irked and wound up, I knew my routine Pilates class wasn't going to be enough for me. It probably would have cooled me down but I needed another type of high-energy class to take the steam out of my engine. Luckily, my facility offers enough to pacify the Rambette in me. Come check out which five classes will help you cool down while your body warms it up.

Flickr user superwebdeveloper

Class Act: Ballet For Beginners

Angelica Marden — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:50:15 PST

Stirred by Black Swan, Natalie Portman's dramatic body transformation, and my regular practice of the Bar Method, a ballet and dance based strength training and toning program, I recently ordered my first pair of Capezio shoes since childhood and signed up for ballet.

The class, which was offered at my gym, promised to help me "discover my inner ballerina" with classical ballet technique for beginners and intermediate students. While fit enough to keep up in most exercise classes and graceful enough to stay under the radar on the dance floor, a dancer I am not. To find out what happened when I took center stage, and what you can expect from a beginner ballet class, keep reading.

Class Act: Jump Into an Air Conditioning Trampoline Workout

Angelica Marden — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 08:00:18 PST

Inspired by the fact that I'm typically the adult that won't get out of the bounce house at kids' birthday parties and jumping reviews of San Fransisco's trampoline park House of Air, I recently expanded my fitness routine's heights with an Air Conditioning trampoline class.

The park touts the class as the "most exciting workout you can get in public," so my workout buddy and I went in with sky high expectations. Would we learn tricks? Would we jump barefoot? Would we sweat? In short: Oh yes. Oh no. Oh yes! The class, which costs $16 for a single, one-hour session and $144 for a pack of 10 sessions, was held in House of Air's Matrix - a giant jumpy field of 42 conjoined trampolines. There were about 20 people in the 7 a.m. class (two guys and the rest all women I'd put in the 25 to 35 demo), and after slipping on special house-provided wrestling shoes, we spread out into personal trampoline areas. Where did we go from there?

Ballet Beautiful Method: Natalie Portman's Black Swan Training

Michele Foley — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 05:50:52 PST

Now that Black Swan is out in theaters, Natalie Portman's dramatic body transformation is on a lot of people's minds. To train for her role as a prima ballerina, the actress followed an intense fitness regimen, training for five to eight hours a day, six days a week, for more than a year. The training may seem crazy, but Natalie was conditioning herself to the lifestyle that many professional ballet dancers follow.

To transform herself, Natalie turned to Mary Helen Bowers, the founder behind the Ballet Beautiful method. Once a professional dancer herself, Mary created the method as a way to "perfect and maintain her form" while she was with the New York City Ballet Company. Like other fitness programs centered around ballet, Ballet Beautiful focuses on creating a strong, lean, and flexible body, while still maintaining the feminine form. The method centers on traditional ballet moves with strengthening and strengthening exercises. But, Ballet Beautiful studio classes tend to run high in price: $35 for a 30 minute class and $55 for a full hour.

It's true what they say though - you do get what you pay for. Natalie is absolutely convincing as a dancer in the film, exhibiting all of the grace and strength that you would expect from a ballerina. And, she definitely looks like she possesses an entirely new body than the one she had prior to filming.

Source: IMDb Pro, Ballet Beautiful

Class Act: The IntenSati Method

Michele Bell — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:00:44 PST

What do you get when you cross aerobics, yoga, and martial arts in one? intenSati. Curious about the fitness craze that has taken Manhattan by storm, I jumped into a class here in San Francisco to see what the buzz was all about. After 55 minutes, my sweaty red face and shaky legs told me part of what I needed to know - it's a good workout! But there's more . . . intenSati goes deeper than cardio and lunges. It's also about empowerment, building one's confidence, and finding courage to take control of one's body and mind.

We can all go through the motions of any step aerobics class and get our gear soaking wet. IntenSati does all that but also offers a work out of the mind, which we could all probably use from time to time, if not every day! Influenced deeply by Deepak Chopra, Patricia Moreno, the creator of the intenSati method, believes in positive psychology and asks her class participants to cheer themselves along during the workout.

Want to learn more about the method and see a video of intenSati?

Class Act: Barre3

PopSugar — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:00:57 PDT

The ladies of new toning method Barre3 rolled into NYC this week from their usual base in Portland, OR. Their most famous client, Madonna, was also in town to work on her new movie and promote her new clothing line - coincidence? I didn't ask the ladies last Thursday night, when they hosted a private class to teach their moves to a handful of fitness folks and friends.

Being a novice to Barre3, I didn't know what to expect and, to be honest, I was scared! We gathered at the Baryshnikov Arts Center for what turned out to be an intermediate level class. The room, designed for ballet, featured two barres, and each work station was outfitted with a towel, water, mat, strap, exercise ball (founder Sadie Lincoln and her business associate Amy Lecler prefer one certain model, the Fitball USA mini), and hand weights. We began with simple yoga stretching under Sadie's guidance, then transitioned to barre work that involved modified forms of push-ups and squats - and lots of 'em! After about 30 of Sadie's barre-based push-ups, I started shaking pretty intensely. She calls that "the earthquake," and said it's actually a good thing that puts one's metabolism into overdrive. Sadie emphasized the importance of focusing on breaths, much like in yoga, and on keeping your hips even throughout the poses.

To read more about my experience with Barre3, just

read more. While influenced by the Bar Method, Sadie has developed her own exercise all of which we explored in the class. We did a series of modified crunches and push-ups, with optional small hand-weights to increase the level of difficulty. Reassuringly, like in yoga, she reiterated that the best students aren't the ones who can do the highest level of work; rather, they're the ones who know when to stop. She also shared that she's only allowed twelve students to practice at an advanced level, after about two years each of doing Barre3. Amy, meanwhile, said that after her own study of Barre3, she actually measures taller! A veritable bragging point for this exercise method. After the class, I felt limber and (it might have been my mind tricking me) taller too. Then came the morning. Today, I hurt in places I never thought possible - ever felt back-of-the-knee pain? Something must be working! I'd totally do it again if the ladies opened a class in NYC, and until then, I have the Barre3 DVD to practice conquering those shakes.

Stretching in Motion: Gyrotonic

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:00:45 PDT

While I am unclear of the origin of the name Gyrotonic, I am clear that this form of exercise is truly a tonic for a tight body. I began my day with a 60-minute Gyrotonic session with a master trainer at Sports Club LA and it was way better than a second cup of joe.

Gyrotonic method of exercise is most often compared to Pilates, but it's more multi-dimensional. Pilates tends to work mostly in two planes where Gyrotonic moves you through three planes of motions, often simultaneously. It's very circular where Pilates can be very square and Gyrotonic emphasizes mobility and Pilates tends to focus more on stability. You can think of Gyrotonic as yoga with resistance and continual motion that teaches you how to support your body as it moves through large ranges of motions. I think it would be great for aiding the reach of tennis players and the spines of the desk bound.

Learn what I did in my session.

Class Act: Power Pilates

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:30:53 PDT

In my experience, if the word "power" appears in the title of a fitness class, be it yoga or weight lifting, be prepared for a challenging workout. My expectations were in no way dashed when I tried Power Pilates at Sports Club LA recently. This was definitely a Pilates mat class on steroids. Classic moves like the 100s and single leg stretch definitely made an appearance, but only after many, many upper ab cruches. The class featured high repetitions, which is not common in traditional Pilates classes. The class began using a ballet barre for moves reminiscent of the Dailey and Bar methods, and then moved into a twisting lunge sequence away from the support of the bar. The instructor called this challenging exercise series, which worked the obliques and the glutes, part of her "muffin top project."

We used the old-school magic circle, a classic Pilates prop also known as a toning ring, for both arm work and leg work. Push-ups with a wide variety of hand positions peppered the class. And these weren't careless and quick push-ups, but the slow, painful, methodical kind.

I really enjoyed the class and appreciated the challenge. It's nice to see Pilates concepts, like alignment and deep ab engagement, meld with more traditional moves from toning and sculpting classes. Two days post-class, my abs and glutes are still feeling the challenge. Have you tried a Power Pilates class? Share your opinion below.

Photo courtesy of Pilates Unlimited

Class Act: Slackline Yoga

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:30:15 PDT

Yoga isn't just for the mat anymore. Nowadays, people do yoga moves while cradled in a ribbon or hanging from the ceiling, in between hiking hills, and while balancing on a paddle board. Need another yoga trend to try? Slackline Yoga involves doing yoga poses on a tensioned rope or slackline. Talk about challenging our sense of balance.

I had the opportunity to try this type of yoga at a demonstration over the weekend. To find out what I thought,

read more. It won't surprise you to find out that Slackline Yoga is insanely difficult. All I can say is I'm glad the rope was set up about a foot off the ground, because I spent more time on the grass than on the line. When I first heard of this type of yoga, I thought it was just another name for tightrope walking, and not related to yoga at all. Boy was I wrong. Doing yoga on a slackline requires the same focus, attention to breath, body awareness, balance, and core strength as doing yoga on a nonmoving mat. After a while, I found that I could stand on the slackline on one leg without falling, and the thought of trying to balance in other positions was so exciting. I was addicted immediately and will be sure to take a real class soon. To learn more about Slackline Yoga, check out the video below from Yogaslackers: Source: Flickr User lululemon athletica