UNDERCOVER: FITTER LONDON

You know when you book into a Saturday morning class and as soon as your alarm goes off on Saturday you regret it? Well that didn't happen to me. I'd e-mailed Matt at Fitter London at the beginning of the week and he told me to just turn up to class and that there was no need to book. I had heard from the Fitness Freak team that I was in for an intense class. I still wasn't dreading it. I woke up before my alarm so ate my breakfast then strolled to the tube. I was pretty excited, despite being slightly fueled by last nights' cocktails.

I found the Fitness First where the classes are held. It wasn't until I queued up outside the studio where the previous Fitter London class was happening (10.30am circuits) that the fear began. The room was full of sweaty people working ridiculously hard. They were smiling and having fun but I instantly wanted to kick myself for the extra couple of cocktails last night, no matter how fun they were! On Saturday mornings Fitter London's classes happen at Fitness First. Very easy to find and the gym has  nicest front of house staff I've met in a long time. Very friendly and really helpful. The first class is free and you don't have to book. But don't let that put you off or worry you because the studio is a good size and there is plenty of equipment for both the 10.30 and 11.30 class so you will get in. 




                    

The instructor, Matt, was really thorough and helped the newbies with technique but also made sure to push the regulars. I was told the format of the class changes on a weekly basis but that they work on lots of glute activation and abs/lower back. Which is perfect for me as I know my glutes can get lazy. The class also seems to target that under bum bit that appears when you've treated yourself to too many cakes... In the class itself we used giant kettlebells. Not the pretty, colourful ones I was used to. The weights are the same but they look like Russian weightlifting kettlebells. So I felt pretty awesome swinging them around. We partnered up and took turns to perform reps of different exercises. Whilst your partner is doing one exercise, you do another. The sections were between 5-8 minutes long so having a partner really helped you push yourself, as you knew you had to switch with them soon. 

The class is different to any other kettlebell class I have taken before. I have never been in a class where so much attention is paid to the muscles that people don't know how to active. At the end of the class lay on mats and used the kettlebells to work on our arms, abs and backs and I could really feel everything engage properly. As a result I was able to challenge myself and use a heavier weight (when Matt passed it to me I thought he was mad, but I survived!). I absolutely loved the class. It was hard core and really works on endurance as well as strength. On Sunday morning when I woke up even my forearms ached, so you know it was a good class. I really want to try the circuit class next and think I may become a regular.

Best bit... The intensity of the workout

Worst bit...Not being able to book

Good for..abs, arms, glutes, thighs

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: A workout thatʼs like cycling in a nightclub?! Boom! Cycle

Saturday 19th May 2012 at 2pm - FREE for members of Boutique Sport website at BOOM! Cycle Studio, Shoreditch. 

Check out Boutique Sport and Boom Cycle for more details. I found out about the event by subscribing the Boutique Sport mailing list & responded as quickly as possible to secure a spot! (But as an undercover agent, I gave a fake name and wore a disguise!). Apparently, they were inundated with responses so had to put on two events in the same day!

If you havenʼt been to a spin class, you havenʼt lived. Itʼs one of my favorite ways of working out, and as someone who has struggled with creaky knees over the years, I know that cycling is a sure-fire way to build up the muscles that support your knee joint. Boutique Sport, the sports events company run lots of free events in London and they teamed up with Boom!Cycle in Shoreditch to run special Saturday classes recently, and you got a goodie bag with lots of lovely makeup, magazine, shower stuff & some Vita Coco as a reward too! 

As with all good spin classes, the music was pumping, the room was dark like a nightclub, and you hop on, pedal away furiously and burn a gazillion calories. The difference with BOOM! Cycle is that you donʼt waste your time working only your lower body; you also use weights to exercise your upper body whilst pedaling on the static bike. You kill two birds with one stone, hurrah! The class could have been tougher, but thereʼs also no reason why I couldn't have cranked the resistance up on my bike, or used heavier weights, if I wanted to make it more challenging. 

 

The instructor was really enthusiastic and encouraging, and looked the part. I actually overheard a girl say afterwards, that the instructorʼs perfect biceps kept her going when the class was tough! Iʼd say thatʼs a good point. I know some people find the constant pedaling tedious, but I love it. And, the addition of the arm and core exercises mean that itʼs not monotonous as all. The studio was perfect for spin - dark! The event was really well organised too.

You want a nice warm shower after a sweaty workout like that, but the changing rooms were packed (and the showers were almost communal) so I decided to get freshened up at home instead. 

Best bit - getting more out of a spin class than usual (and the freebies).
Worst bit - not being able to get into the changing rooms/shower so leaving very sweaty
Good for - exercising with a nightclub vibe. 
Score - 8/10