Tag: fitness tips

Fitness: Pure Barre Update

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2016-02-28 12.06.32

It’s been a little over a month since I started Pure Barre classes in San Rafael and I have to say that I’ve noticed a change in my body already. While it’s helping kickstart my weight loss goals, it’s also allowing me to tune into my body more than I ever have. I know how each and every muscle feels and when I’m overdoing it or need to push myself more. In March they had a “March Madness” challenge where you had to complete 20 classes in 31 days. I made it to 15 classes, which is pretty great for me.

Incorporating Pure Barre classes into my work-life schedule wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I’ve committed to going at least four days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, repeat), and I’ve only canceled my reservation twice for good reasons (swollen ankle and a cold). If I miss a Wednesday or a Friday class, I push myself to make it up during the weekend, like tomorrow, for example. I skipped this Wednesday’s class because I wasn’t feeling well, so I’m going to class tomorrow morning to make up for it.

Each class I attend has a different instructor, so no one class is ever the same, and I’ve gotten to know them fairly well. I know that my instructor on Monday might focus a little more on core than my instructor on Wednesday who might focus on toning your seat and my Friday and Sunday instructors might incorporate new moves to challenge students.

Lift. Tone. Burn. That’s the motto at Pure Barre and even after a week you feel your body toning up and your flexibility getting better. I can’t forget to mention that if you do sign up for a Pure Barre class, be sure to bring or purchase a pair of sticky socks – otherwise you’ll be sliding all over the place since there are no shoes allowed in the studio.

Have you taken a Pure Barre class or a class like it? I’d love to know about your experience.

xoxo,

Leigh

30 Day Challenge Update

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CSatt challenge tank

I’m officially past the halfway mark in my 30-day challenge, and I feel amazing. It definitely hasn’t been easy fitting workouts into my schedule 6 days a week (especially when they last from 1-2 hours), but I’ve learned to drag myself out of bed at 5:30am when I have plans after work so that I can still get my workout in.

The food portion of the challenge has been relatively easy. I’ve had the occasional cravings I’ve had to overcome (one day I exclaimed to my husband, “I just want some tortilla chips!!”), but I’ve realized that if I just stay strong they’ll pass, and in the end I feel better for not giving in. Or if I really need a crunchy chip-like snack, there are always rice cakes. I’ve found while watching what I’m eating that we don’t eat out anymore, as it’s just easier to cook at home and control the ingredients going into our food. However, we get one “treat” meal every week, so that’s when we’ll take advantage and go out to dinner or order our favorite takeout.

My biggest takeaway from Cody has been “Stay off the damn scale!” He preaches this constantly, and it’s so true. Muscle weighs more than fat, so if you’re lifting weights you might actually end up gaining a pound or two before you start losing the weight. But your body shape will be changing for the better and you’ll be losing inches even if you’re not losing pounds. So the best way to track progress is through before/after pics and body measurements.

I’m really excited to see how I’m feeling at the end of the challenge on March 8th! If this halfway point is any indication, I think “amazing” will only begin to describe it.

xoxo,
Veronica

P.S. Short story about the shirt pictured above – Cody has a saying at the beginning of each challenge that we write on a piece of paper and hold up in our “before” pics. A member of the group found a shirt at Target that had this challenge’s EXACT saying written on it, so of course all of us ran out to buy it. We plan to all wear it in our “after” pics!