2. I have a new job! And my new office apparently has a swanky gym with a trainer that comes twice a month. More to come on this soon.
3. I like kettlebells. Sort of. Erik and I did a workout with Ryan Jankowtiz from Dynamic Performance a few weeks ago. Ryan did an awesome job of breaking down a kettlebell swings and incorporated other exercises to improve our kettlebell performance. I’m not sure if I’ll be doing the Turkish Getup on a daily basis, but it was nice to have a kettlebell experience that was informative and fun.
4. I signed up to become a Schwinn certified indoor cycling instructor! The certification class is in August and I”m super pumped.
5. Since my better half has a membership at XSport Fitness, I’m starting to love the gym experience again. There are so many classes! How do I choose?
As you can see, life is busy, but don’t fear – I have many more workout stories to tell!
Check out the awesome new video collab between two Wonk faves Spiritual Gangster and MC Yogi! His rockin’ tunes paired with some sweet new SG gear (anxiously awaiting the mailman) makes for a great week.
This is a long overdue (as our posts have been recently). Between leaving the old job, starting the new job, transitioning roommies, teaching yoga, sleeping, eating and exercising I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Somewhere in the midst of all the craziness, I have found some time to work with a personal trainer. As part of my year of transformation I have embarked on quite the physical fitness adventure. My friend Lindsey and I decided that we would try the training thing for a few sessions after joining Vida. It became apparent after the first ass-kicking that this was something we wanted to continue. I was optimistic about the process and was not expecting such a systemic shock. While our first workout lasted a short 30 minutes, I could neither lift my arms nor climb stairs for 3 days.
When we met Brandon he had a faux hawk. He assured us that it was for an upcoming Tough Mudder but it lasted well beyond. Tall, ripped and scary – nerves set in incredibly quickly. We chatted for about 25 minutes and Lindsey and I confidently shared our fitness background. Competitive volleyball for her, a sorry attempt at varsity basketball for me (that is a story for another blog) and years of hot power yoga, we felt good and prepared. Then TRX happened…
Suspension cables fully equipped with handles and bright yellow markers (as if the sunshine yellow is supposed to make you feel better about what you are about to put your body through) kicked off our training journey. Kristine is familiar with TRX but this was my first experience. It started out really fun… and then I started sweating, my muscles began to shake and we were only halfway through the workout. Needless to say this was motivation to dedicate myself to a new and diverse training regimen.
Going through this kind of torture with a friend is incredibly crucial. We motivate one another and more importantly laugh… a lot. Especially when it comes to the ridiculous gravity machines (more on that later), there is always a lot of giggling. Brandon thinks we are trouble, we think we are awesome and completely angelic.
There are many more workouts to discuss. TRX, gravity machine insanity and circuit training to name a few. Plus there are the intricacies of our training dynamic. Lindsey sometimes requires a booster seat (depending on the exercise) due to her height and I’m a stickler for time – 10 seconds means 10 seconds… not 30 seconds.
I find myself looking forward to training sessions even if they are at 6:30 on a Firday morning. Maybe this isn’t so bad after all?
Photo caveat: By the time I remember to snap a pic of the training madness, I am in rough shape. Maybe this week I will take one before the real torture ensues. For now, here is a lovely picture of Vida.
Sorry for our lack of consistency here at Workout Wonks in recent weeks. We have a lot of big changes happening!
First, Lexie is teaching again! You should check out her hot power yoga class at The Studio DC in DuPont Circle on Mondays at 7:45pm and Sundays at 10:30am. If you’re a yoga lover you won’t regret it. It’s a challenging sweat fest accompanied with some great tunes.
Secondly, both of us have new jobs! That’s right – we’re leaving the firm that brought together the Workout Wonks. Kristine is going to another public affairs firm to manage grassroots campaigns for an automotive client and Lexie is going to a digital communications firm to work on digital marketing and advertising. We’re very excited! It feels very grown-up and couldn’t be more thrilled!
As much as things change, some things will stay the same. We will both continue to fitness fiends, eager to tell stories of our workout adventures in our nation’s capital! And, as always, we want to learn about new workouts, classes, and exercise trends, so please send ideas our way!
Ever since I was in middle school, I have been going to gyms. My friends Jamie, Molly and I used to be the cool 7th graders that went to the health club after school and watched all the cute high-schoolers play basketball. Swooning over sweaty teenagers and reading People magazine were our primary motivations for hitting the gym but the focused soon shifted to actual physical fitness. Whether it was prepping for volleyball tryouts or getting pool-ready for the desert summers, I always felt a sense of comfort strolling around the gym.
At Boston College, I frequented what was fondly known as the Plex. BC didn’t have a newly renovated state-of-the-art gym like many of our fellow universities. Instead it was a constant battle for a treadmill (and good luck getting on an elliptical). Trips to the Plex often reminded me of a middle school dance. Girls dominated the cardio area while the weight room was brimming with testosterone. Often times you could feel the sexual tension from regretful weekends past and awkward confrontations at Mary Ann’s, but that was part of the appeal.
I’m certainly not ashamed to admit that getting to survey the male-dominated weight room from the stairmaster above was a great way to end a day of class. Rugby and lacrosse team workouts always seemed to be an especially popular time for the female coeds to get in their Plex time (myself included).
When I moved to DC, I opted to not join a gym and instead focused on specialized studios. As great as this was, I found myself missing the gym environment. I longed for the ability to choose between a treadmill, elliptical, stairmaster, erg, weights or any combination thereof. After evaluating the local gyms in my neighborhood, I settled on Vida.
I am obsessed. The gym is huge. There is an entire floor devoted to cardio and another solely for weight. Plus a beautiful yoga studio, great spin room, pilates reformers, personal training spaces and an amazing locker room fully equipped with a steam room, sauna, showers and a life-altering lemongrass sugar body scrub.
They blend outstanding smoothies, the staff is phenomenal and trainers are top notch (which merits another soon-to-be-posted blog) and it just makes me happy. Bottom line – I am a gym rat at heart. I love the energy of a community dedicated to being healthy and working hard. Whether you are 17 and gossiping with your girlfriends on an elliptical, 20 and scoping out the boys rugby team or 24 and submitting yourself to TRX torture with your personal trainer, there is an underlying energy associated with the environment. Gyms are great, and being able to spend an hour or four with fitness geeks like yourself is a nice feeling.
The future of the Plex – for all my fellow Boston College grads
To celebrate the launch of FitDC, several fitness studios across northern Virginia hosted free classes throughout the day. We checked out a crossfit class at Verve Fitness. It was Kristine’s first crossfit experience and Lexie’s second. The class started with a warm-up — rows, burpees, and the like — followed by back squats, and, finally, the WOD (workout of the day). The WOD was no joke: 5 deadlifts, 5 push-ups, 5 sit-ups, then as many sumo deadlifts as you can manage — all within a minute. After ten rounds of those, you’ll feel like you’ve had a thorough ass kicking!
After a high intensity workout like crossfit, the yogalates event hosted by Mind Your Body Oasis was a welcome treat. Amanda, owner of Mind Your Body Oasis, opened the studio as a getaway from the hectic city lifestyle — perfect for busy wonks like us! The class began with an active yoga
Lots of resistance bands!
sequence, which was enough for us to get a sweat on. The second half of the class focused on traditional pilates moves. After class we were treated to some delicious snacks courtesy of Postmodern Food. Who knew blueberry vegan cheesecake could be so yummy?!
Led by Carmen, owner of Ambitious Athletics, the wonks spent an evening getting really acquainted with resistance bands. The first half of the 75 minute workout focused on bootcamp exercises with resistance bands that looked like enormous rubberbands. Just when we thought our arms were going to fall off, we spent the rest of the time in a full yoga class.
My mom has been a true fitness inspiration to me over the years. From carting me around to and from my sweaty lacrosse practices to teaching me about Richard Simmons and Sweatin’ to the Oldies, momma E has taught me the value of being active and getting a good workout. Here are s few things on my mom’s list of fitness necessities:
1. Resistance bands — Momma E doesn’t go a day without an upper body workout with a resistance band. She’ll have Michelle Obama arms before me in no time.
3. A good juicer — Mom is the juicing queen. Whenever I’m home we usually make an apple/carrot/celery combo.
4. Treadmill – While she’s now past her running prime, mom used to run 5 miles a day. I don’t think I’ll ever get into running the way she did, but I’m still impressed by her dedication.
Happy Mothers Day! How has your mom influenced your workout routine?
lacrosse practices to teaching me about 
