Preppy Runner – Theodora Blanchfield

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.