CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT: Adidas Response 3-Stripes

Adidas Response 3-Stripes Long Sleeve Tee and Long Tights put to the test indoors and outdoors.

CLIMALITE® fabric is designed to sweep sweat away from your skin. It uses a moisture-wicking fabric that leaves skin dry and comfortable. The running tights keep you sweat-free, carry your music, and are easy to take on and off even when you're all sweaty and hot.. in theory. The top is slim fit so supposed to flatter and the tights are fitted for the same reason. Looking through my workout wardrobe I tend to wear t-shirts and tank tops with 3/4 length trousers or shorts so I am not too sure how well this outfit will go down...

So I have the navy tights and bright neon yellow tee to test. I felt a bit silly in the top until I put both items on. I was so comfortable and warm that I didn't really care about the colours! Plus I need to stop wearing black and dark colours when I run early in the morning as it's usually still dark when. Both items were so soft and felt so light that when I set off on my 7am run I felt pretty good. The trousers are so elasticated that you have a lot of freedom, it's just like another layer of skin! As soon as I was outside I was pretty skeptical as there was frost on the cars but both the top and the trousers kept me warm and dry. I did my usual route but managed to run longer as normally I get cold and hot and can't stop thinking about a hot shower. I think it must be the warmth and the freedom of movement that the clothes gave me because I ran an extra mile than usual and still made it to work on time.

A week later I tried the outfit at the gym. On the treadmill both items worked well and they kept me at quite a nice temperature. I was slightly warmer than but in a good way as the air con was blasting so I was able to go a lot harder than usual. I then tried them out whilst doing weights and kettlebell swings and got a bit carried away and went pretty hard core again. Stretching out at the end was great because of the warmth and the fact that I was sweat-free so I stayed and stretched. Normally I go home and stretch there but I was so comfortable I couldn't resist!

Best bit - it's so warm and keeps you dry.
Worst bit - nothing!
Good for - comfort, movement, warmth when training 
Score - 9/10

If you want me or any of the Fitness Freak team to take on a challenge from your brand or class - email me at BootyBlogger@fitness-freak.com Iʼm happy to be your guinea pig!

UNDERCOVER: TOTAL BOXER

Fit to fight bright and early on a Saturday morning? I booked myself in after I'd bought my blender and decided to get my butt kicked into shape as I had definitely been slacking. When my alarm went off I definitely regretted my decision! However once I'd dragged myself out of bed, had my morning green tea and saw that the sun was shining I felt a hell of a lot better. Conveniently for me the gym is based a 10 minute leisurely paced walk from my house. 

It is a small studio right by Hornsey Post office that the owner used to rent out as a photography studio. The gym floor is equipped with punch bags, mirrors and a square taped in the middle. It's got a great boutique feel. I loved that there were boxing posters on the walls and a fight playing on mute to really get us in the mood. The class wasn't your average boxing fit class, I learnt technique and understood why I was punching in certain positions so by the end I didn't just feel like I'd worked hard and sweated, I had a feeling of accomplishment!

A pet peeve of mine is being in a class whether I'm a newbie or not and not being explained or shown the technique required. I like to know what I'm doing and why, especially if it's something like boxing. The instructor was very thorough but not in an annoying way. Whilst the regulars were doing the usual skipping rope warm up (hello Rocky) he was going through the basics with me. 'If I try and punch you in the head you have to duck' not that bluntly, in a funny way... You get the jist!

I know that Sandra Bullock and other stars kickbox and doing boxing workouts to stay in shape and I assure you, doing this class on a weekly basis will really help you get fit and tone up. We did sessions on the floor practising punches and the different techniques, punching the punch bags and hitting pads. I love it, especially when Rage Against the Machine, Foofighters and Queens of the Stone age, I felt pretty kick-ass! I am definitely going to add a bit of Rage to my gym workout soundtrack, they definitely got me pumped up. I didn't realise how much I would use my abs. The whole time boxers are doing fast footwork or punching they have to say centred so it was a pretty full on ab, leg and arm workout.

One of my favourite things about the gym is how personal it is. It's a small space and it just so happened that in my class there was only one other person so we got a very focused class which was great as I was a first timer. But all the classes are apparently like that. Often there are two instructors in a class to make sure everyone gets attention and pushed to work hard which I think is great. Glasses and water were put out too so that during the breaks between drills (I guess I'll call them) we could hydrate. Another great thing is that the owner has the cutest dog who just hangs around, stays out of your way but adds to the laid back, friendly atmosphere. 

Best bit...the studio and extra attention to detail for the clients
Worst bit...nothing 
Good for...feeling great, cardio and fun!

UNDERCOVER: SPORT WITH STYLE TAKE 2

I was lucky enough to have gotten a place on the Boutique Sport Sport with Style event at Blue Cow Yoga. I have loved all the Boutique Sport Sport with Style events so far and we all know how I feel about cocktails, goodie bags and yoga so I was pretty much set. I'm not sure why but the day after the paralympics closing ceremony everyone seemed exhausted...that is everyone that wasn't lucky enough to get out of work and to the parade (boo). I was really hoping that we would be relaxing and slowly stretching in yoga because, if I'm really honest, the thought of the complimentary cocktail from Late Night London at Gable & Cellar Bar is what got me through the day!

The class was really invigorating! It was not a relaxing or calming class but, as it turns out, was perfect for me! I needed a class that made me sweat and work hard so by the end of it I really felt like I deserved my cocktail. By the fourth side plank I was feeling the burn and sweaty! The instructor that took class was Harry who was great. There were a mixture of beginners and yogis in the class but he was clear and calming (even when we were in horse rider's pose for what seemed like forever). I felt a lot of clicks through out the class which meant that by the end my body felt great and all the aches and pains I had from sitting in the office all day had gone. Apparently Harry only teaches in the mornings but his class was perfect for a Monday night as I was able to shake off whatever was making me tired and felt really invigorated and sweaty after the class!



After class the Boutique Sport ladies gave us all vita coco and goodie bags full of UNE All In One mascara, Alpro chocolate mouse, Yu! Jus Fruit Pieces and Kiwi Shoe Passion gel cushions. If you haven't tried any of the above do it! The Yu! Jus Fruit Pieces were delicious and are 1 of your 5 a day and are now a new (not-so-guilty pleasure of mine, than you Boutique Sport ladies. Aand if all of that wasn't enough there was a running guru at the studio giving advice. When I was showered and dress I walked to Gable & Cellar Bar, which is literally 10 seconds from Blue Cow, where I enjoyed my complimentary cosmo in the lounge room that had been booked out for us very grateful ladies! The convenient location of the bar to the studio was an added bonus that really topped off the event! The Boutique Sport team really know how to throw an event with the right balance of exercise, fun and free things! Thank you for another great event.Best Bit: The free event, location of the bar and the feeling after the class!Worst Bit: Wanted a longer class

Good for: Networking, Mondays and cosmos!

UNDERCOVER: TEMPO PILATES

Tempo Pilates is Pilates set to music. It's Covent Garden branch is in Gymbox and as I've said before Gymbox is like a night club and although TP is separate I was very excited about the whole Tempo Pilates experience!

In my mind I was expecting it to either be Pilates exercises and sequences choreographed to music, like a dance on a reformer bed (!), or Pilates exercises to booming music. It was a mixture of both. The songs are chosen to fit the exercises/pace and stage of the class. In the studio you don't hear the pumping music from Gymbox, just the great soundtrack. I love Pilates but I have to say some classes I come out feeling like I worked hard but not too intensely throughout. After this class I knew that I had worked every muscle in my body from the start. Within the first 15minutes I was shaking and I have to say it is a good job the music is there because it definitely helped me push through and enjoy it!

When I was booking the class online, before paying, I was taken to the deals page. I loved this as it meant that the class was only £10 as I was a first timer. Annoyingly I had to book a 45 minute class in order to fit it into my lunch break but I wanted more! The classes aren't divided into level but the teacher, Gina, adapted exercises for the beginners and more advanced people in the class. She also explained everything really clearly so the class still moved quickly. Lunch times tend to attract beginners apparently so if you're more advanced I'd head to a morning or evening class. However I felt the burn, got the shakes and definitely sweated so any class would work!

Best bit... feeling the burn to the music

Worst bit... wanted more! I should have booked an hour class

Good for...bums, thighs, arms, abs

UNDERCOVER: I wanna make you sweat! Bikram Yoga.

As the weekend kicks off, you might be more likely to work up a sweat on a nightclub dancefloor, but I chose my ‘zen goddess’ over my ‘dancing queen’ and spent last Friday night doing Bikram yoga. That’s yoga in 40 degree heat!

It being a Friday, I assumed the class would be pretty quiet as everyone else would be getting the weekend underway. After getting a bit lost I managed to find the studio and buzzed to be let in. I made my way down to a small reception area and joined the long queue of people who had also decided to give Friday night’s drinking session a miss.

Once I reached the till, I filled out a registration form (as I was a first- timer) and was asked whether I had enough water and towels. A friend of mine had (with a knowing look) advised me to take two towels and a big two litre bottle of water.  I thought that seemed a tad excessive, but ended up being VERY glad I had stocked up.

The reception area started to get very crowded by around half past six, but soon enough, they opened the studio doors and let us in. I took a deep breath as I was dreading entering the studio. I expected to be hit with an overwhelming stench of sweat but I smelt nothing! It was incredibly hot in there, but you would never have known forty people had just spent the last hour and a half sweating like lunatics!

I’m not much of a prude (as I’m sure you will all know about me by now) but as I entered the changing rooms I was not prepared for the level of nakedness that faced me! Communal showers and small changing spaces led to a lot of up close and personal moments. But it didn’t seem to bother anyone, so I decided that if you can’t beat them, you just have to join them!

Lisa, our teacher for the session, was really friendly and made sure she knew who the first timers were before we began. She explained to us that staying in the room for the full 90minutes should be our aim for the session and that if we felt faint or a little light headed at any time it was normal, so we should lie down. The lights were turned off except for a few fairy lights that ran along the top of the mirror (it was a twilight class) and the class began.

For those of you who have never done a class, Bikram is made up of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, one at the start of the class and one at the end. Two sets of each posture are performed with a 20 second ‘Savasana’ (laying flat on your back to return body to its normal state…that’s the best bit) between each set.

After 90 minutes of stretching in 40+ degree heat, my heart was pumping and the sweat was pouring off me. The class ended with a short prayer and we were allowed to lay in ‘Savasana’ until we were ready to leave.  It was a pretty exhausting class, so I had a lovely rest to round the class off!

Best bit – the positive feeling you have after the class all that stretching is good for the mind! And the fact that you burn waaaaaay more calories than a normal yoga class.

Worst bit – the communal showers and THE SWEAT!!!!!

Time – all ‘proper’ Bikram classes are 90minutes long.

Location – Vestry Street (near Old Street tube) but also locations in West London, North London and Primrose Hill 

UNDERCOVER: Trying to stay away from the pub. Tri Yoga

You just walk in through the door and immediately feel a bit calmer. Triyoga has got that real yoga studio vibe; it smells fragrant, there’s a whiff of joss sticks, people talk quietly etc. The classes are all walk in so you have to get there a few minutes early to make sure you’re all paid up and ready. Although I have done yoga for years, it had been a very long and very bad week at the office, so I thought I’d do a level one class so that I could choose how hard I worked. These classes are open to everyone, but mainly targeted at beginners, or anyone seeking a more gentle practice.

After paying up, I soon realised that he changing rooms are tiny! They have two huge yoga studios, the number of people getting changed was a serious issue post-class when both sessions finished at the same time, and others were about to start. It was like Piccadilly Circus in there!

Having said that, the actual yoga studios are spacious and well-lit, and they have high quality mats and all the bells a whistles you might want to help with the workout (blocks, bands, even little lavender scented eye masks). They packed a lot of people in to the class, but there was still enough room to do all the moves without banging in to your neighbour.

The class was very relaxing and the instructor was so kind and friendly. She noticed that I could do a lot of the moves, yet I wasn’t pushing myself very hard, and she came over to encourage me! In the middle of the class, we did a lot of the same moves over and over, which did feel a little repetitive (I remember thinking ‘one more crescent moon and I’ll scream’) but I know there is repetition for a reason! A lot of the other moves were excellent, and there were always alternatives for people who felt uncomfortable doing shoulder stands or headstands.

The one issue with going in the early evening, in such a great location, was the noise that drifted in from the nearby pubs as the evening progressed. I think that’s my fault, not theirs though…who goes to the gym on a Friday night!?

Best bit – calming class & great instructor

Worst bit – packed changing rooms

Good for – relaxing and reviving
Score – 7/10