Babies, Fitness & Grits

It's Monday.

Last week was crazy busy so let's do a recap and remember why we love each other and keep this relationship going.

My good friend from college was in town with her new baby, Nate. We met. He drooled. I played with his hair. I feel like the whole meeting went extremely well. I admire Shelby and her continued wisdom she bestows upon me. One day I hope to have a new baby that can journey with me to Houston to meet her and her family. 

Y'all, I got the baby fever. My body has taken over my brain and all rationale because I want a baby and I don't care about anything else. I always laughed when women would bring up having baby fever and how ridiculous the whole concept was to my robot heart. It's not ridiculous. It's real. And it got me good. That is, until an "evil" child ruins it for all of the other adorable, quiet babies.

I've been using most of my free time to workout. I have Class Pass and tried out a couple new gyms last week so be looking for those reviews later this month. It was Tax Free Weekend in Texas this past weekend so I got some new running shoes. I'm supposed to be training for the Disney Land Half Marathon I'm running over Labor Day but I keep just going to cross training classes instead. My bad. I have high hopes of running this week even if it's on the treadmill instead of outside. It's just too hot. The high over the weekend was 106F and that's just disgusting. It's not even satisfying to go cool off in a pool because the pools are like bath tubs this time of year.

My parents have been getting out of their comfort zone on the weekends and trying new neighborhood's hotspots. On Saturday, I joined them for lunch at Hattie's in the Bishop Arts District. Hattie's is southern-style comfort food. I had the fried chicken. My mom had shrimp and grits because she can't resist grits and my dad had pulled port and grits. I tried everything. Everything was delicious. It's a fancy southern place so I recommend it for special occasions. I was slightly disappointed that they do not serve brunch on Saturdays because brunch is my favorite. Guess I'll have to come back on a Sunday.

I'm in the process of packing up my apartment because I'm moving in September. As I'm packing, I'm trying to purge. I want to live with less and join up in the minimalist trend. I like things. I like clothes. I like shoes. I like make-up. Purging pretty things is difficult for me. So far, I've taken an old computer to the electronics recycle. I have also donated 30 pairs of shoes to Salvation Army. Let's see if I can keep this pace up. This week I have every intention of purging old sweaters and other winter weather clothing. I'll let you know how it goes.

How was your week? Ready for school to start back up? Or maybe your commute to be worse since school is starting back up? I know I'm not.

xoxo,

Liz

I finally did Cross Fit

I was and am still skeptical of CrossFit. I know too many people who have injured themselves while trying to keep up with a class. But, there are CrossFit gyms included in Class Pass so I gave it a try. The first class I went to was their Performance class which is more for lifting heavier weight and doing more intense things. I chose the class because of the time it was offered. I didn't look at the description. The instructor, Joe, was patient and gave modifications to myself and another newbie so that we wouldn't strain our bodies. Awesome. It was my impression that instructors often forget about the new people and just push them to do what everyone else was doing. This was a pleasant and welcome surprise to the class.

Yesterday, I went to the their Fitness class which is the stereotypical fast paced, many reps class style that most people associate with CrossFit. It was awesome. Again, Joe gave me modifications for some of the moves because I'm new to CrossFit and also because I'm short. 

I attempted a pull-up for the first time in my adult life. It was hard. I have a goal now to be able to do a full pull-up in the coming months because wow, I could do those when I was a kid and I like doing things that the kids do.

So here is my review broken down like all of the other classes I've been taking recently. 

Cardio - We started class with a quick 400m run down a portion of the Katy Trail that's next to the gym. My pace is slow and even slower for a warm-up but I didn't feel like I was holding the pace back for the class so that was good. At the end of class, we did a 5 min interval moving quickly through 3 exercises to see how many times the set could be completed in the given time. This was a burst of cardio with strength mixed in. It pushed me but again, I felt that I kept up with the pace of others in the class.

Toning - CrossFit is a class for building strength. We did lunges which contribute to tone and then also did pull-ups or modified arm exercises that will eventually tone these wings of arms I have. 

Studio Accommodations - The studio is a garage in the back of an older house adjacent to the Katy Trail. The equipment is well organized. They have restrooms and a shower and a water dispenser. 

Instructor Energy - The instructor had high energy and was encouraging for every member of the class. He made us feel like we were working toward a team goal in addition to our individual goals. Joe corrected people's form and pushed people to go faster or do more weight which is exactly what a good instructor is supposed to do. He never checked out throughout the entire hour long session.

Music -  The music was high energy and nostalgic, my favorite combination. There were new rap slash hip-hop songs as well as songs from my high school years. It allowed me to give my brain a break and sing along when I could. I appreciate mental breaks sometimes more than physical ones. 

Confidence - I know it sounds cheesy but today, I feel stronger. I'm really, really sore but I feel stronger. Watching others with similar body types to my own pull their bodies up to a bar and hold weight above their heads is encouraging. I understand the high that most people get after a class like this. I feel accomplished and I'll be back. 

Overall, I give CrossFit Katy Trail five out of five stars or flexes or whatever scale I'm using to judge these classes.

I wish I had a buddy to go with me but everyone in the class was so nice and encouraging. The community around CrossFit is pretty cool. I like this gym. I can't speak for all gyms but Katy Trail is just right for me. 

Go out and get fit, y'all!

xoxo,

Liz

Pilates is Hard

So today, I figured I would review the most recent class I took which was Beyond Preston Hollow.

Per the website, this workout is described as "Pilates Hybrid Interval Training on the REFORMER and CHAIR. No cardio equipment in this workout. Highly recommended 1x week as an active recovery day." I had never been to a strictly pilates studio before so I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. Let's just say, my abs hurt today and I don't think I need to do lunges for a few days. :)

Cardio - This type of Beyond class was more about toning through resistance. There was one 4 minute interval of cardio that was all. Which is stated in the description so I wasn't disappointed.

Toning - Wow. My butt and legs are still sore from this class. I worked hard. I strongly suggest this type of workout for toning.

Studio Accommodations - Boutique-like studio which has a welcoming tone and staff. There was a place to put your personal items and no space was wasted. 

Instructor Energy - The instructor was high energy, positive and aided attendees in finding the correct form for each of the movements.

Music -  The music was upbeat and songs that you could sing along to if you weren't concentrating too hard on the movements. I had to concentrate pretty hard because I had never used the pilates reformer before. I enjoy music where I could sing if I needed a distraction from the pain.

Confidence -  I felt great after class. I was sweaty, sure, but I walked out with my head held high. It was obvious to me during class which muscles I needed to pay more attention to in order to become stronger. It appears that I have been neglecting my abs (which I knew) and my back muscles. The two kinda go hand in hand so I wasn't surprised, I had just ignored them in order to work my thighs. Everyone has that one part of their body that is visible to them in a not so positive way. For me, this is my thighs. Now, I know that I can't just work my thighs if I want to be stronger. Thanks, pilates. 

Overall, I give Beyond Preston Hollow Pilates Remix five out of five stars. I'll be going back. 

I also love Beyond 500 Henderson and that review will come out soon! :)

Happy Workout Wednesday!

xoxo,

Liz

Hi, Blog! It's me, Liz!

One thing I wanted to do when I started this blog was review all of the workout studios that I stumble into. I've recently become a Class Pass holder which allows me to go to all kinds of workout studios. 

Within Class Pass, you can favorite specific studios.

And see your schedule for the week.

So today, I figured I would review the most recent class I took which was Pure Barre.

I'm going to try to standardize my reviews so let's dissect Pure Barre based on overall cardio, toning, studio accommodations, instructor energy, music and confidence.

Cardio - I moved the entire class time. There were glimpses of standing still but that was it. Each set was brief and there was zero time to get bored.

Toning - This is the goal of barre class. To tone. To tone women's bodies because butts and thighs are our problem areas. I hope I get toned but as far as I know, Pure Barre instructors don't take the time to make sure participants are in the proper form. While positive feedback from the instructor is always welcome, there were zero corrections made to people's form. I think that's a little odd for a class whose main purpose is to tone.

Studio Accommodations - The studio was cute and neat and modern in appearance. There was merchandise to buy as well as cubbies for personal items. 

Instructor Energy - The instructor was positive and lively. She cheered us on while still being firm on when to make changes to the next series. At times, she had to almost yell because the music was so loud.

Music - Too loud. And like a club but without any vocals or semblance of a melody. At times the music didn't even have a beat. The whole class style relies upon a beats per minute or bpm to keep everyone in sync. 

Confidence - Are you confident when you leave class? Do you feel good or feel defeated? I felt good but I think part of it was because I had been to a barre class before and knew where my body needed to be. 

Overall, I give Pure Barre 3 out of 5 stars because it was fun but at the same time a little frustrating. I've been to better barre studios. And by studios, I mean The Bar Method. 

If you have the option to go to either, I suggest The Bar Method. 

My face pretty much sums up the impression the class made on me.

Go workout, people. It's fun and weird.

xoxo,

Liz