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

UNDERCOVER: The need for speed. Move your FRAME

If you’re feeling a little on the wobbly side…why don’t you go the whole hog and shake it on a power plate?!

For those of you who haven’t hopped on board with this trend, it’s a plate that you stand on and do a succession of one minute sets. It vibrates underneath your feet as you do the moves, which makes them all more high impact and works the whole body, without appearing to require huge amounts in the way of effort. I’m not saying it’s easy though.

The weirdest thing that happens is how itchy and tingly your skin gets, apparently this is because your circulation is pumping faster. It’s not a big deal, just quite strange!

This class was at Frame, which is one of my fave gyms in London. Very low-key and small, nice staff, clean changing rooms, and loads of fun and crazy dance-based classes.

I went for the Tuesday lunchtime ‘Arse and Abs Vibe’ which focuses on (yes, you guessed it) getting the booty and belly under control. There are only four of you in the class, which is why it’s a bit pricier than their other classes, but you do get looked after well. My instructor was attentive and encouraging and seemed like an all-round nice bloke.

The best thing is that although some of the moves can be tough, each exercise is over after a minute. For example, lifting your leg sideways, as high as you can, whilst using a resistance band, and standing on a vibrating plate…ouch…but brief!

If you want a quick lunchtime fix, this is the class for you. You do work up a bit of a sweat, but not a crazy amount like you would get from a cardio class (you’ll need a quick shower before going back to work, but the hair and makeup won’t need re-doing).

Best bit – Fast, but felt like I’d done a proper workout for my core & felt it the next day.

Worst bit – The vibe studio isn’t as nice as their other studios at the venue.
Good for – If you feel the need for speed

Score – 8/10

ARSE AND ABS VIBE @ FRAME

Frame, 29 New Inn Yard, Shoreditch,EC2A 3EY

Tuesday lunchtime, 1.30pm, 30 minute class

Cost: £15