Thursday January 31, 2019

31 & Done Days of Digital Fitness!

 

 

The 31 Days of Digital Fitness are a officially a wrap! I went into this month having sampled just a few home workouts, and came out having tried them all! The digital fitness market has exploded with online workouts you can stream live or on demand; fitness apps that let you take those workouts to go; and high-tech interactive home gym equipment. Treadmill, barre, Peloton, rowing, HIIT, swimming, yoga, Pilates and more – all these workouts, led by the industry’s top fitness instructors, are now available for the sweating — any place and any time.

The best thing about all of these workouts is the convenience and variety. If you’re pressed for time, most offer classes or routines as short as 7 minutes, which can also be a supplement to your regular workout. Try quick Nike Training Club ab blast after SoulCycle or an AloMoves yoga stretch after a run. Ideal for travelers too, bring your favorite workout with you to do in the hotel gym or your room.

People always ask me at the end of these 31 Days features what my favorite workouts are. My usual reply is that it’s not really about me because we all like different things. I may hate barre class, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think it’s a great workout. I may love spinning, but a lot of people hate dancing on a bike. The beauty is there is something for everyone. The best exercise is the kind you do! Read More

 

Tuesday January 1, 2019

31 Days of Digital Fitness!

 

 

Happy New Year and New Body… or Get Back The Old Body! If you’re like most of us December jingles left some January jiggles, but luckily there have never been so many workout choices to burn off those lingering lbs.

Every January we offer a month’s worth of options in what we call the 31 Days of Fitness. With the boom in at-home fitness offerings, from high-end interactive equipment to online fitness classes to workout apps — we’ve decided to make our 2019 theme the 31 Days of Digital Fitness. As usual, your fearless editor will be sampling a different workout every day and highlighting all the fun and effective ways to get all our 2018 bodies into 2019 shape. With classes you can stream anyplace and anytime, there are no excuses!

So here we go! Most all of these classes are offering free trials right now so why not join us and give one or two a try! For easy reference we’ve marked each workout with a 👍 or 👎, and color coded them for ONLINE, APP, or HOME GYM machine. If you’ve got Roku, Apple TV, or Google Chromecast, the workouts can be synced with your TV too.
 

January 1: CLASSPASS LIVE. After a New Year’s Day run this morning, I decided some strength training would be the perfect compliment to my cardio. I signed up for the Classpass Live trial offering unlimited classes free for 1 month. Classpass revolutionized the fitness industry with a subscription service that allows members to book and take thousands of different classes at the most popular fitness studios. Now those options are available at home streamed live or on demand from wide selection of Classpass’s own workouts, as well as classes from other studios. I opted for Full Body with Alex Redelico, a compact 35 minute workout with light weights that flew by and hit all the major muscle groups. Alex was the right mix of pep and push, and I’d take this class again – definitely if pressed for time!👍👍 Classpass Live is $19/month with free 1 month trial. Read More

 

Monday October 1, 2018

A River Runs Through It

 

HYDROW

The latest entry into the burgeoning world of high-end home fitness is the Hydrow – a rowing machine meets Peloton concept that is unlike any indoor rower you’ve ever seen. This sculptural work of art features a sleek HD touchscreen monitor that delivers an immersive outdoor rowing experience at home.

Home fitness equipment is no longer related to the basement or closet with the evolution of machines so beautifully designed they become the focal part of a room. First there was Ciclotte that redefined the indoor bicycle with its striking and unconventional design. Then came Peloton, a SoulCycle-inspired indoor cycle, that was the first to integrate a sleek, oversized tablet-like monitor to stream both live and on-demand spinning classes at home. Coming soon is the Peloton Tread, the same concept on a treadmill, as well as Tonal that expands interactive home fitness to weight lifting, and Mirror that streams yoga, Pilates, barre, cardio, and strength workouts. Both of these turn the wall mounted monitor into an object of desire.
 

CICLOTTE, MIRROR, AND PELOTON TREAD

Launching nationally for pre-order on October 2nd, Hydrow takes home fitness to the next level with an indoor rower that brings the outdoors in. Hydrow offers over 100 rowing workouts, both live and on demand, from the waters of such rivers as the Charles in Boston, the Hudson in NYC, and the Miami River. Founded by CEO and US National team coach Bruce Smith, Hydrow instructors are all elite level athletes that include three-time World Rowing Championship silver medalist, Danielle Hansen. Hydrow delivers an on-river outdoor rowing experience that engages two times more of the body’s muscles than biking or running. A 20-minute workout on the Hydrow burns over 400 calories compared to 40 minutes on bike.
Read More

 

Saturday September 1, 2018

Hip Hydration

 

Image Map

CLICK BOTTLES TO SHOP!

As Solange Knowles highlighted on the red carpet last week at the Met Gala… it’s hip to hydrate! But forget those old plastic water bottles… the most coveted are those of stainless steel and glass, as refined as your favorite barware. Molded into a variety of shapes and sizes, from tall and sleek, to fat and stout, fill her up with one of these style-minded, eco-friendly vessels!

 
ROW 1: KLEAN KANTEEN INSULATED 20 oz. REFLECT $40.95. The Insultated Reflect water bottle comes in a brushed and mirrored stainless steel that features a sustainably harvested bamboo top. Non-toxic and BPA-free, double-wall vacuum insulation keeps beverages cold for 24 hours and iced for 40 hours.

HIP TRITAN 22 oz. $14.99. New from acclaimed designers Richard Smiedt and Karim Rashid comes the flask style Hip Tritan. In partnership with Water For People, this BPA-free, reusable and recyclable water bottle provides 2 days of safe drinking water to someone in need with every bottle purchased. Available in 6 stylish colorways too.

YETI RAMBLER 26 oz. $39.99. Known for their supercool coolers – temps that is – Yeti water bottles are equally matched. Sleek and durable, double-wall vacuum insulation keeps beverages cold (or hot) for days, with no sweat tech to prevent moisture buildup. Available in three sizes: 18, 36, and now 26 oz.
Read More

 

Saturday March 10, 2018

W.O.W! Working Out With Bob Harper

 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL WILLIAMS 

On January 31st of last year, day 31 of my 31 Days of Fitness challenge, I worked out with Bob Harper for the grand finale. Bob is one of the most famous trainers and personalities in the fitness industry, having starred on “The Biggest Loser” for 17 seasons. The workout did not disappoint. Bob lived up to his all-star billing, pushing my body beyond what I thought it was capable of in a high intensity circuit workout that kicked my butt after 1 round. Relentless but nurturing he kept me going for 3 more — dropping my time with each round.

12 days later Bob suffered a massive heart attack on the floor of that very same gym.

Bob calls it “the heart attack heard round the world”. It was the top story on every entertainment program, morning television, and the evening news. The last thing you ever expect is for one of the world’s most famous trainers to have a heart attack. Bob had what is known as a “widow maker”, which usually has about a 6% rate of survival. He credits the doctors who happened to be at the gym that day. and the AED (defibrillator) on the premises, for saving his life. He has since said he won’t ever work out at a gym that doesn’t have one.

When Bob woke up from a coma in the hospital two days later, he had no recollection of what had happened, nor anything about that day. He confessed recently he didn’t remember our workout or how we had met, as his short term memory was affected by the heart attack. Since then, however, he has been making steady progress, documenting on social media what has been both a physical and emotional journey back to health. Confronting his mortality and the realization that despite his physical fitness he could not avoid his family history of heart disease has been extremely challenging. His mother died of a heart attack and his priorities have shifted dramatically. He doesn’t sweat the small stuff, and he doesn’t sweat the big stuff either.
Read More

 

Friday March 9, 2018

Two Trainers, Two Books, Two Friends

 

BOB HARPER & STACEY GRIFFITH

Photo by Debby Hymowitz

Super trainers Bob Harper and Stacey Griffith have been friends for over 20 years with a lot of history between them. Two of the most recognized faces in the fitness industry, they first met at Crunch Fitness in West Hollywood in 1996. Stacey was there to take Bob’s spinning class as part of the audition process to be an instructor. Crunch was looking for a new star, Stacey told the audience in a conversation between the two at the 92nd Street Y, someone to be the next “Bob Harper”. Bob jumped in aghast, “Isn’t that awful? I would have said, I don’t want to be him. I want to be me!” Stacey would get the gig, and go on to be that fitness star by being her. Bob and Stacey were recently on the 92Y stage together to talk about their new books. Stacey’s first book, Two Turns from Zero: Pushing to Higher Fitness Goals — Converting Them to Life Strength is now out in paperback; and Bob’s newest book, his fifth, The Super Carb Diet: Shed Pounds, Build Strength, Eat Real Food was published in December.

Stacey Griffith is one of the founding Senior Master Instructors at SoulCycle whose popularity helped create the boutique fitness behemoth the brand is today. With a cult-like following whose classes are sold out within moments of sign-up, she is an expert motivator and self-empowerment guru. Stacey was a featured trainer on one of Oprah Winfrey’s “Live Your Best Life” tours, teaching to audiences of more than 15,000, and now a motivational speaker as well, regularly invited to lecture at various universities and corporations. Not bad for one who admits she didn’t even go to college. Read More

 

Tuesday December 5, 2017

The SOS Gift Guides: Fit, Fab, Fun!

 

Image Map

CLICK ITEMS ABOVE TO SHOP

FOR THAT SPECIAL SWEATY SOMEONE,

IT’S OUR FAVORITE FITNESS GIFTS OF THE SEASON!

 
CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT: PELOTON BIKE $1995. The Peloton Bike has revolutionized the stationary bicycle, delivering an at-home workout as strenuous as what you’d get in a SoulCycle class. This state of the art indoor bicycle features a gorgeous tablet monitor with classes available to be live streamed or downloaded anytime. For those who like the convenience of working out at home, it’s like having a cycling class come to you!

TORY SPORT RUNNERS TOTE $148. Designed to carry all your workout essentials, and organized with multifunctional mesh pockets, this lightweight metallic nylon tote has such playful style it need not be for the gym only!

KT TAPE PRO STRIPS $19.99. For injury treatment and prevention, Kinesiology Tape is designed to reduce pain and inflammation, while supporting muscles in movement. KT Tape Pro Strips offer the convenience and easy application of pre-cut strips, in all sorts of fun colors. Unlike traditional sports tape, KT Tape is non-restrictive and allows for full range of motion,  and will stay in place through the most demanding workouts. This editor been using it to rehab her own hamstring strain! Read More

 

Wednesday October 11, 2017

Use The Force!

 

 

STAR WARS KETTLEBELLS

While the internet lights up with the release of the trailer for the new Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi, fitness company Onnit has gone to the Dark Side with the release of a new series of Star Wars themed kettlebells, a slam ball, and a yoga mat.

Meticulously sculpted into 50, 60, and 70 lb. black cast iron kettlebells are a bounty hunter, Imperial Stormtrooper, and Darth Vadar himself, ready to wreak havoc with your workouts. Not to be mistaken for toy souvenirs, these soon to be collector’s items are high quality and chip resistant, built to withstand the most ominous workouts.
Read More

 
 

BACK TO TOP