Sharing a review of Spenga and if I’d recommend adding it into your fitness routine. 

Hiii! How are ya? I hope you’re having a lovely day so far. I’m headed to a barre class and looking forward to family dinner later tonight.

For today’s post, I wanted to talk a bit about Spenga! I heard about it years ago, and it was always in the back of my mind as a format I wanted to try. Recently a friend moved back to Tucson – we went to middle school together! – and Spenga is her workout studio of choice. She invited me to join her for a class, so I was pumped to finally give it a try. I have to say, it exceeded my expectations and I can’t wait to go again.

What is Spenga (and would I recommend trying it)?

What is Spenga?

Spenga, short for Spin, Strength, Yoga, is an innovative fitness concept that has been rapidly gaining popularity in recent years. It’s a group fitness program designed to offer a complete workout in a single session, providing the benefits of cardio, strength training, and flexibility work.

The Spenga Concept: Why Was It Created?

Spenga was created with the aim of offering a time-efficient, effective, and enjoyable workout routine that maximizes the benefits of different types of exercises without overloading on any one. The concept was developed to cater to individuals who may not have the time or inclination to participate in multiple types of classes or visit multiple facilities to meet their fitness goals.

What Does a Spenga Class Look Like?

A typical Spenga class is a 60-minute session that is divided into three equal parts:

Spin:

The workout begins with a high-energy spin cycling session. This part focuses on improving cardiovascular endurance, boosting metabolism, and burning calories. This component included lots of sprints and heavy hill climb; it went by so quickly!

Strength:

The spin is followed by a strength training circuit using a variety of equipment like dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, and bodyweight exercises. This segment is designed to build muscle strength, improve bone density, and enhance overall functional fitness. Our particular workout had a combination of functional and compound movements, like renegade rows, pushups, and biceps curl to press.

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For today’s Focus On post, I’m thrilled to share my Orangetheory Fitness experience with you! I’ve actually wanted to try an Orangetheory workout ever since I first heard about it, and was so excited to see that there is an Orangetheory studio in Point Loma.

This workout is a game-changer, perfect for anyone looking to maximize their calorie burn and reach their fitness goals. In just 30 minutes, I was able to achieve my maximum heart rate while doing intense strength training. And the best part? I spent 12 minutes in the orange zone, which has been proven to have an excess post-exercise oxygen consumption effect (EPOC). Meaning I’m still burning calories long after the workout. Orangetheory definitely lived up to the hype – it’s an incredible workout that keeps you on your toes.

I took my first class last week and here’s what I thought.

Orangetheory Fitness

(Photo Source: Orangetheory Fitness)

What is Orangetheory Fitness?

So, picture this: You’re at the hippest fitness studio in town, Orangetheory Fitness. And boy, do they know how to make you break a sweat!

It’s a heart rate-based interval training session that combines the best of rowing machines, treadmills, and an impressive array of strength equipment. Talk about a full-body workout that hits all the right spots! Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned gym-goer, the beauty of Orangetheory Fitness is that it caters to all fitness levels. You can even keep track of your intensity levels with the ingenious green, orange, and red zones displayed right in front of you. It’s like a traffic light for your fitness journey, guiding you towards maximum burn and exhilaration.

Signing up for a class is a breeze, and once you get in there, get ready to unleash your inner beast – from sweat-drenched sprints on those trusty treadmills to powerful strokes on the water rowers. The name of the game here is high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and the result? A workout guaranteed to leave you feeling like a superhero. Can you say, “Kapow!”? So if you’re ready to level up your workout game and conquer any challenge, Orangetheory Fitness is the place to be. Say goodbye to mediocrity and hello to a body that’s glowing with strength and vitality!

What to Expect at Orangetheory

A calorie scorcher and a major sweatfest. Like any workout, you get out of it what you put into it, but Orangetheory is a wonderful blend of heart-pumping cardio and muscle-building strength.

When you first arrive, you receive your heart rate monitor (“pod”) for the day. You attach it to your chest strap and during the class, your name and h

Sharing a review of Les Mills Pilates on LesMills+. If you’d like to try the platform -the workouts are AMAZING – use my link for 30 days free.

Hi hi! How are you? I hope you’re having a lovely morning so far. I have a couple of conference calls and am looking forward to a hot yoga class. I’d love to hear what you’re up to!

For today’s post, I wanted to share a review of the Les Mills Pilates classes on LesMills+ (formally Les Mills on Demand) because I’ve been loving them lately! It feels SO good to get in a traditional Pilates workout at home, especially since Reformer classes near me are $$$ and I don’t know of any nearby mat classes. I’m sharing my full review in this post and if you want to give it a try, my referral link gets you 30 days freeeee.

Les Mills Mat Pilates Review

Pilates was one of my first workout loves! I would do Mari Winsor DVDs – what a legend – and loved that the movements challenged me in a unique way, targeted core strength, and didn’t get me super sweaty. 😉 (Sometimes it’s nice to go about the rest of the day without needing to shower, or looking like a wet rat.)

I also fell in love with Pilates at our LA Fitness while I was in college; an older gentleman, who was a veteran, would lead us through a mat workout that would have my muscles begging for mercy.

Les Mills Pilates classes contain many of the classic Pilates elements that many of us know and love: the hundred, teasers, side leg series, swan, roll-up, etc. It felt good to do familiar movements, but with the Les Mills incredible cues, instruction, and music that I love so dearly.

Here’s how the class is structured:

1) Warm up, featuring movements like hundred, roll-down, baby swan

2) Hundred strength, including hundred, arm pump, leg circles

3) Abdominal series, with moves like double and single-leg stretch, criss-cross

4) Side leg series

5) Back series with swan, single-leg kick, swimming, back extensions

6) Strength/power with movements like the roll-up, teasers, can-can

7) Cooldown, with stretches like the saw, spine stretch, and forward fold

The mat Pilates classes are all around 35 minutes.

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F45 is a high-intensity, 45-minute workout that challenges every muscle in your body. Learn more about the program, and tips for beginners and first-timers here.

Hi hi! Happy Monday! How was the weekend? I hope you had a wonderful one. Ours was packed with fun events: rehearsal dinner, Trevor and Danielle’s wedding, Liv danced in a parade, family brunch, women’s basketball game… it was so much fun, but a total whirlwind. I’d love to hear what you were up to!

Since I’m off to cardio day at F45 – let’s be real, I work much harder there for cardio than I do on my own – I thought I’d share some tips for beginners or for friends who are considering trying it out for the first time.

F45 For Beginners: What To Expect At A Class

What is F45?

F45 stands for Functional Training 45 – it’s a team training environment with a functional workout that only takes 45 minutes. Their little tagline/motto is: team training, life changing.

One of my favorite parts about this workout is that they don’t waste any time. They go through the demos, start the workout, and you GO. I LOVE that it’s not an entire hour – except for the weekend classes – which makes it more reasonable for my schedule. I typically go to F45 once or twice a week, usually on a pure cardio day and pure strength day.

You can check out my post comparing F45 to Orangetheory here!

How are the workouts structured?

One of my favorite things about F45 is that the workouts alternate each day, so you can go MORE days without risking overworking certain muscle groups and overtraining. The intensities also vary, as each day has a specific emphasis. (Unlike Orangetheory, which I think is best around 2x a week depending on your goals. I think it’s too much to do every day and can be counterproductive.)

A week at F45 *right now* looks something like this:

Sunday: Strength hybrid – 60 minutes

Monday: Cardio (High-intensity interval training)

Tuesday: Resistance training – full-body

Wednesday: Cardio (HIIT)

Thursday: Pure strength (upper or lower body)

Friday: Hybrid workout (total body cardio and strength)

Saturday: Total body cardio and strength – 60 minutes

How do you know what to do?

It’s a screen-guided workout, so once the trainers go over the demo, you follow the exercises for each station on screens throughout the studio. They also have a heart rate monitor option on the screens, but I find that a majority of people at our studio don’t use their heart rate monitor but rely on their own fitness trackers instead.

What to expect?

Classes are different every day, but you can expect to sweat in the 45 minutes you’re there. I feel like it’s a balanced and challenging workout for your entire body using functional strength and cardio exercises. They use ALL the equipment, too: ski erg, assault bikes, rowers, kettlebells, TRX, Y bells, dumbbells, sandbags, Revo bars, BOSU trainers, slam balls, and medicine balls.

Here’s what you can do if you’re a beginner or if you’re taking class for th