Categories: Fitness

An Uplifting Partnership

I have some exciting news for you (err, those of you in NYC and those of you who like to try new workouts when traveling and are coming to NYC soon!)

Remember when I tried Uplift Studios a few weeks ago?

Well, I enjoyed my experience so much that I’ve entered into a partnership with them! I mean…any fitness studio that also serves wine is basically right up my alley. In all seriousness, I love the work-hard, play-hard vibe this studio gives off.

For the next two months, they’ll be providing me free classes in exchange for me sharing my experience with you. But there’s more! For these two months, you can get a 10% discount on any 8:30, 10:30, 12:30 or 5:30 weekday class or any Sunday class with the code losingweightinthecity. (Why i have such a long blog name when I have a long real name too is entirely beyond me and also makes ordering blog business cards very difficult.)

(Truth.)

As I mentioned in my last post, they have switched to a two-class format. I last tried Uplifting – Cardio. I do plenty of cardio, so I tried the Uplifting – Strength class this morning.

Taught by Michelle Mason, their GM and Head Instructor (HBIC? except she’s not a B at all), this class was as much fun as it was ass-kicking.

The 55-minute class focuses on all of the major muscle groups through the use of bands, free weights and body weight, the heaviest weight of all. What I LOVED was that no exercise was ever repeated. As soon as you finished a set of tricep dips, for example, you were done. The class also had three sets of Tabata intervals thrown in between the sets working the major muscle groups.

There was a timer at the front of the room for each :20 interval, which was both the best thing in the world and the worst thing in the world, all at the same time. Twenty seconds of plank jacks? Really long. Twenty seconds of jumping lunges? Not as long. Thank god there were no burpees.

I walked into class sleepy and walked out wide-awake, sore and satisfied. I’d say Michelle did her job.

Do you prefer long, endurance workouts or short, intense workouts? I usually prefer longer, easier workouts, but sometimes shorter, more intense workouts are just so freaking satisfying in a different way.

Theodora Blanchfield

View Comments

  • Awesome partnership! You will definitely see some amazing improvements in your strength from these classes. I love the timer aspect - I feel like anything is doable when you know it is just for 20 seconds. Also, sometimes instructors say 20 seconds but then it ends up being longer, so this way there is no cheating. Sounds like a great class. I love Michelle!

  • definitely going to try a class -- I've been wanting to try a class there for a while (and its in our hood, right?).

  • Wish I lived in NYC :) While doing the very hard crossfit Open WOD this AM, my partner said, it could be worse, you could be at mile 20 in a marathon! I said, "That's actually easier for me than this!" The workout was 17 minutes and so hard. It felt good to max out my heart rate but sometimes I'm shocked how little time can seem so long after I've run marathons!

  • So exciting! I love Uplift and Michelle is an awesome instructor and trainer! Thanks for sharing.

  • Ohh sounds awesome. I love long-ish endurance (I'm still debating if I actually like the marathon or not, but I know I love the half), and super fast intense workouts ( lung burning crossfit WODs that last for 7 mins or less are the best!). I may be in the city on April, would be great to check Uplift out!

  • sigh if only I were in NYC, I could have so much fun with you testing out every conceivable workout under the sun!!!

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