STYLE of SPORT | Gear & Apparel Curated for the Stylish Sports Enthusiast

Imagine fitness in the future. You strap on a full body suit – a cross between motocross and scuba gear — equipped with electronic stimulation pads that pulsate and zap your muscles while you workout. Standing in one of 6 spotlights in a darkened room, you watch a screen with exercises to follow, as house music throbs, and a master trainer wirelessly controls how much electrical stimulation is given to each body part. In 30 minutes, a full body workout is delivered in what would have taken been 3 1/2 hours in the gym. Imagine fitness in the future is now.

Shock Therapy Fitness is the first workout to incorporate EMS training – or Electronic Muscle Stimulation – into a group fitness class. Those who have had physical therapy will be familiar with the “Stim” machine as part of their rehab, and EMS training has been popular in gyms throughout Europe for years. It was a company in Germany, Miha Bodytec, that first developed a full body EMS suit. Shock Therapy Fitness has created their own custom Powersuit™ that safely distributes electrical impulses simultaneously to all the major muscle groups throughout the workout for continuous full body training no matter which exercise is being performed. Over 300 muscle groups are activated in one 30-minute class, with 8 to 10 times more contractions than without EMS. Read More

1. RUNNER’S STRETCH

For those tight quads and hip flexors, place right

knee at 90 degrees with left leg bent behind at 90 degrees.

Hold for 30 seconds, switch legs, and repeat.

Ngo Okafor is the owner and founder of Iconoclast Fitness in NYC who has transformed the physiques of such celebrities as Brooke Shields, Iman, Mariska Hargitay, and Kate Walsh among others. Before any workout, he focuses on limbering up the body to prevent injuries and get it ready to go. We asked him for a quick warm-up routine to share with our readers. Here are the 6 total body stretches no workout should start without!
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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

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