So far my “Tried it Tuesday” posts have covered products I have tried, or shared, for review. Today, I am going to tell you about some recent fitness experiences and one new product line that I tested. Let me know what you think!
I tried a bunch of new fitness classes here in Chicago at Sproing Sport, Chicago Primal Gym and Pilates Pro Works.
Emily and I tried Sproing Fitness at the new Sproing Sport in Chicago. We posted these pictures and got a lot of “what the what are you guys doing?” comments. Sproing Sport offers a very unique HIIT (high intensity interval training) class using the new Sproing Trainer. They say,
“These workouts feature intervals of high intensity cardiovascular exercise interspersed with strength and power exercises that allow maximum fat burning, muscle toning, and overall total body fitness in just a half hour. Unlike other forms of HIIT training the Sproing Trainer allows you to perform the king of all exercises which is running and specifically running on a soft surface which provides less than half the impact of any treadmill while greatly increasing muscle activation. The Sproing Trainer allows you to train harder, but land softer without an concern about falling, keeping up with the moving belt of a treadmill or worrying about having to wait for a treadmill belt to slow down after a sprint.”
Emily and I are both avid runners and we were a bit skeptical of this workout. We are both game to try anything new that could help our running and the first class was FREE. The founder himself showed us the features of the machine and how to get started. The class is tabata style with 20 seconds of running related activity, 10 seconds rest, 20 seconds core/strength and 10 seconds rest. Each set of exercises is repeated 4 times and the main work is thirty minutes. The running exercises are intended to enable a more natural form than treadmills (learn more here).
The verdict: I liked the workout and worked up a sweat. I think it would be great cross training and it was easy on the joints. That said, I could not see replacing running with this workout unless I was injured. They do not intend to replace running – just treadmills. However, if you live in Chicago, I think treadmills are a bit of a necessary evil especially in winter. This is worth a try for sure! Sproing Sport is offering complimentary first classes and if you like it, they are offering a Gilt City deal for 50% off so that is a great opportunity to try it, too.
Sean from Chicago Primal Gym offered the Chicago Running Bloggers a chance to check out his gym recently. Maggie, Erin, Emily and I enjoyed a functional fitness workout for runners with Sean. Sean spent a few years working in Finance and decided to pursue his passion for health and wellness. After several years of training and experience, he opened Chicago Primal Gym. The gym offers high intensity group workouts (max 12 people) and small group training (4 people) and special bootcamp classes. The gym is membership based and the classes are small enough to encourage individualized goals and attention. They also provide discounts on other healthy lifestyle programs and food from places like Finds’ fave Factor 75.
We started our workshop with some foam rolling and then worked on strength and balance exercises. These functional exercises are an important factor in staying healthy for runners. We did everything from cardio drills to plyometrics to strength and agility drills. This was also a tabata style workout with 30 seconds on 30 seconds off (I think) and rotating exercises. Sean is focused on form and quality of movement which I really liked. We also had fun – always a bonus for me.
The verdict: Chicago Primal Gym (3240 N Sheffield – near Belmont Red Line) is great for folks who are committed to incorporating this type of training and lifestyle changes into their routine. They do not encourage walk-in clients or once a week type of participation. I would like to do this type of workout (and I do) but with running, pilates and yoga, but given my running and other classes, I cannot commit to a gym with this format. I would recommend giving this gym a shot if you are less over committed fitness-wise than me. Any locals want to try it? They offer a free week and I have a $100 gift card that I can offer to the first taker!
On Friday, I posted about the app BurnThis which lets you schedule fitness classes from one app across many boutique studios in New York, LA, Miami and now here in Chicago. The nice folks at BurnThis asked if I wanted to use the app to check out some classes with new studio Pilates Pro Works (2128 N Halsted St.) I said “yes,” but before I did, I looked at the schedule. I saw that they were offering free classes all weekend for their opening. I recruited Stacy and we signed up for the TRX Pro class. TRX are the suspension training straps that are used for a variety of strength exercises using your body weight. This was combined with cardio and core in a fast paced, again tabata style, work out.
The verdict: I am sore. Seriously, this was a great workout. I have used TRX before but I think this class may have been pretty tough for newcomers, but Jeanine showed modifications. Running a 5K race in the morning before this class may not have been my wisest decision, but… The studio, is very clean and bright and the staff could not have been nicer. I can’t wait to try the signature Fitformer Pilates and Barre Pro classes using my special from BurnThis. The studio offers unlimited week specials for new students so you can try it out. Then, check out specials from BurnThis. You can get 5 classes for 10% if you sign up via BurnThis. They offer many other discounts and monthly specials in all of the cities they cover. Also a great way to try new studios when you are traveling!
The following segment was sponsored by Fit Approach on behalf of Vega. No compensation was received for this review, but product was provided free for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
Vega has recently launched a whole new line of bars including: VegaOne All-in-One Meal Bar, Vega Snack Bar, Vega Sport Energy Bar and Vega Sport Protein Bar. These are plant based, Non-GMO, gluten-free and made without artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners. I try to eat unprocessed, “real food” as much as possible and these are a great on the go solution for me.
I tried a bunch and shared some, too:
- On Saturday morning, I was in a hurry to meet the gang for a farewell run, so I grabbed a new Vega Sport Energy Bar for fuel as I was running (literally) out the door. The Apple Cherry flavor is really nice. It is sweet, but not too sweet, and a bit tart. The bar kept me full for the 9.5 miles run. All good!
- I grabbed one of the Cranberry Almond Vega Snack Bars on the way to a fitness class and after a run and it was the perfect thing to tide me over through the class and until lunch. It was like an old school snack bar but with more nuts and dried fruit and all superfood ingredients! I gave the Sea Salt and Dark Chocolate snack bar to Stacy and I know she will love it!
- I tried the Chocolate Cherry Almond VegaOne All-in-One Meal Bar one morning on the go with a banana. I was full all morning as this has 12 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. The bar was rich and delicious, but not too sweet for the morning.
- I still have the Vega Sport Protein Bars to try post workout!
These new bars will be available from Vega soon, so keep your eye out for them!
Have you tried any new classes or “fuel” lately? Tell me about it in the comments!
PS. Don’t forget my 22 Days Nutrition (last day!), LACE Studio Necklace and Erin Baker’s Wholesome Foods giveaways!