[workout wednesday] synccycling, yoga vida, and cko kickboxing

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[syncstudio: synccycling basics]     I had never taken a cycling class before, but people seem fanatical about them so I figured I must be missing out. Since I was a newbie, a basics class sounded like the perfect place to start. It was a bit of a hike from the train in Williamsburg, but the studio seemed fun and inviting and not too intimidatingly hip. The instructor was bright and peppy and was really helpful getting me set up on a bike. There were lots of what seemed like regulars, but I was thankful to see I wasn't the only spinning virgin. The class was really fun! The music was awesome and the moves weren't too hard to follow. It was kind of like doing dance moves on a bike--while riding really hard. The one negative was all that pedaling put a lot of pressure on my right foot (lopsided much?) so I stopped a few times to shake it out. I think having those snazzy clip in shoes would help. Other than that, I had a great time and got a stellar workout. While I liked the vibe of SyncStudio, I don't really see myself trekking back to Williamsburg all that often, so I hope to try the spin class at my YMCA.

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[yoga vida: flow with live music]     I convinced Kurt to join me for a weekend yoga outing (in Manhattan no less). I was really excited to try a live music class. Like I've said before, most yoga practices are a bit too hippy for me, so unless they called in a Buddhist monk to play some music, I was looking forward to something different. I'm glad we arrived early because the class was super full. The room was big but there must have been at least 50 people crammed in there. Our teacher was young and really approachable. Since the class was so full, she was walking around a lot and verbally instructed. Luckily, there were some more experienced people in class I could copy when I was lost with just her words. The class was a lot more active than most I've taken but not impossible. It was nice to be challenged but still power through the moves. My shoulders were certainly feeling it the next day though! And the music was really nice. We just had one guy playing a guitar and singing. I honestly didn't notice it all that often, but when I did, it was a nice addition. He was really talented! Live music yoga was great!

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[cko kickboxing]     Lesson learned: don't go out the night before you have an exercise class the next morning. I wasn't exactly in fighting shape when I arrived for kickboxing, so my lack of motivation can't be blamed completely on the class, but it wasn't my favorite. After a short orientation on the moves (jabs, hooks, kicks etc) I donned my puffy boxing gloves and started wailing away at these huge punching bags with the rest of the class. I'm not exactly what you would call "tough" so I felt pretty silly trying to beat up this bag. My neighbors were pretty serious about their battle, but I never really got into the fight. We mixed up the punching and kicking with planks and push-ups but they was super awkward with my gloves on. Plus, our instructor was kind of shrill (not sure if that is her nature or just my hangover talking) and I wasn't in the mood for her yelling. So needless to say, the class wasn't really for me. However, other people seemed to like it, so go into it with an open mind and you may awaken your inner boxing champ!