Something NEW : BARREWORKS !

Hey all!

As you know I am all about FITNESS, and although I LOVE being in the gym & grinding it out with the weights & plyometrics, I'm always open to trying out new & different ways to get my calorie burn.  How else can I recommend (or warn against) my clients/friends/family trying stuff?

This week I tried out a BARREWORKS class with my ACES & my sister (*see her thoughts on the class HERE) at BarreWorks Toronto.

Walking into the studio you're greeted by smiling faces, bright high-ceiling spacious rooms and a gentle calm, while they ask that you remove your shoes. As the classes are done in bare feet (*or grip socks), it's nice to keep clean floors. Another nice plus, they sell their own snack bars, and they have the most amazing & Uber-green water filter unit, that shows you the number of plastic bottles they've conserved since Opening, which kinda makes you feel GOOD while you Hydrate. *smile*

Let me preface my review with the fact that based on the name & the picture on the card, I was REALLY expecting it to be dance based, more like standing Yoga. Slow & graceful, which I typically do NOT prescribe to where MY fitness is concerned, as I bore easily.

That being said, the class was AMAZING! We did the beginner class, and we were sweating up a STORM! Not only because the room was (comfortably) warm, and the class was full (about 15 girls) BUT because it was more like a Ballet-infused BOOTCAMP, than a "dance class".

Resistance bands, and weighted hand-balls gave us the restistance element, and the barre and a mat gave us options on the moves, using a LOT of core strength to hold the levels while doing the moves. You definitely get a GREAT burn through the legs, but with the Push-Ups and bands thrown in, even your arms & upper body get ROCKED!

Our instructor, Lina, was a spicy little Brasilian with a TON of energy! She made sure nobody stopped moving, and came around to make sure our form was on point. (*does that count as a pun, if I don't type it as "en pointe"? I digress...)

What I appreciated was the variations in pace & the ability to modify, up or down, for ANY fitness level.  Lina showed the class options on how to take moves from the standard to a little easier, if needed, the bands and balls had 3 weight options (*by color) and for those in the class a little stronger (*ok, just me... but I'm more jacked than the average yoga/ballet/pilates-er) we were able to double up the bands or weighted-balls to up the challenge.

Here in Toronto (*follow them on Twitter), they're located at Queen Street W, just west of Bathurst. near the Teaopia. Newbies can try it for the super sweet price of $10 for the first class.

I definitely recommend it! See if it's in your city and TRY IT OUT!

Medal-worthy Abs

Want the midsection of the world's top Summer Olympians?

First, and I've said it a million times before, EAT CLEAN & DRINK YOUR WATER!
Second, train your abdominals like they do! 

Here are the ways some of the worlds top male & female Elite athletes, get RIPPED.

The secret to American Swimmer Ryan Lochte's sexy six-pack?
He claims the secret to great abs: "whatever you do, make them BURN." Crunches, Leg Raises, Scissor Kicks, and weighted abs work are all killer moves for a strong core, which is KEY to fast swimming. All the power in your stroke starts from the core. His personal secret weapon? Underwater Dolphin Kicks. Off the block & after every turn, this move is key to moving the body forward without the top-water drag. Another plus, of dolphin kick? KILLER ABS.

Try this BEGINNER in-pool core-based workout:

• 2 laps (50m) Freestyle (*front crawl stroke)
• 1 lap Dolphin kick on your back
• 2 laps (50m) Freestyle
• 1 lap Dolphin kick on your Right side
• 2 laps (50m) Freestyle
• 1 lap Dolphin kick on your Left Side
• 2 laps (50m) Freestyle
• 1 lap Dolphin Kick on your front - start underwater, come up to breathe, return underwater.

BONUS:
If you've got the in-water fitness, repeat it 2-4x
If you're an advanced swimmer, throw this in the middle of any in-water endurance/strength workout & do the swim laps one stroke per round


Want to be Bikini-ready year round like Brasil's Beach Volleyball team?
Beach Volleyball Ladies not only have kick-ass BOOTY, but great ABS too! How? Simple... the key moves for BOTH are SQUATS (you had to see that one coming) and Leap Frogs!
Volleyball players spend a LOT of time in a midsquat to squat position, and doing Jump squats to build power for their strikes. In order to hit those high jumps and faster direction-changing dives, they need strong legs, glutes and core!

Try this Lower body blasting combo:

• 25 Bodyweight Deep Wide-stance Squat
• Go as low as you can with good form: shoulders over the midthigh, chest up, knees behind the toes & spine straight not hunched
• 25 LeapFrogs
• Start in squat position, arms down by your sides. Swing the arms up overhead creating momentum as you jump for height. Land in Squat position.
• 25 (per side) Squat to Curtsey Lunge.
• Get in a Close-stance squat, as you stand take your right leg behind your left leg in a curtsey manoeuver. Repeat for other side.
• 25 Wide Knee Crunches
• Lay on your back, feet on floor - knees bent to 90degrees, legs wide - hands on ears, elbows wide. Bring your knees to your elbows as you contract your abs in a crunch.

Try these out & "get the London Look" (*yes, I totally infringed from Rimmel... please don't tell them!)

xo - Mia

WEEK 3 - better late than never!

WEEK THREE
glad i had 'em posted as faves on Twitter!!

• Jan 16
• 50 Crawl PushUps
• 150 Back&forth Leap frogs
• 100 Cross-body toe touch
• 1arm/1leg ipsolateral (opposite-sided) jack knife
• 50 Star-pop burpees
• As you hop up spread arms/legs into X-position (head is 5th point of star)
• Jan 17
• 50 Pike PushUps
• 50 Seated V-Ups (like a seated snap - for Abs
• 50 Hands-down Pike Hops
• Jan 18
• 100 Plank SkiHops (50/side)
• 50 Spiderman PushUps (25/side)
• 200 side2side lunges (L&R =1)
• 200 Air Squats
• 50 Seated Legs wheels (25fwd/25bk)
• Jan 19
• 100PushUps
• 100 A2G squats
• 100 dips
• 100 (2:1) 45°Lunges
• 100 Leg Drops (lying on back, abs)
• Jan 20
• 400BicycleCrunch(2:1)
• 300Squats
• 200Lunges(2:1)
• 100PlankPikes (flat to invert-V/DwnwdDog)
• Jan 21
• 500 jumping jacks
• 50 Push & Pop-Ups
• 250 Overhead Press sitUps
• 80 Dips with Kicks
• Jan 22
• 50 Half-Jack knifes (25per side)
• 150 AirSquats
• 50 PushUps

Totally been slacking on my blog game!

Apologies my loves!

I will soon be adding new content - blogs, vids, pics and quotes!

Starting this week!

:)