Friday night, Gia and I had the wonderful opportunity to host 20 of our readers and fellow bloggers for a complimentary Hot Figure Four class at Pure Yoga East with the lovely founder, Kate Albarelli.
Who knew so many other ladies would be interested in breaking a sweat on a Friday night? Maybe they were taking our word for it or maybe they checked out this You Tube video in advance!
Now, I must admit, that it was probably a bit risky of me to co-host a workout class that I hadn’t previously taken myself. But, I knew we’d be in good hands, as I took one of the first Figure Four classes when it originally launched at Pure East last May through Well&Good NYC! You can see my full review here but suffice it to say, I loved it and felt it took the normal barre class to the next level!
But, the one twist in store for Friday’s class was the hot part. This is a new addition to Pure which has been wildly popular due to the detoxifying affect and the heat’s ability to loosen the muscles.
At 6:45 when class started, everyone glared at Gia and me as Kate cranked up the thermostat. Within minutes we were drenching sweat as we started the class.
While I would love to tell you exactly what to expect when you try the class, each Figure Four class is a bit different than the next. This allows teachers to challenge regular students’ muscles daily in different ways and keep things interesting. But, I will give you a loose description of what normally takes place during the normal hour class while students sweat and grimace through challenging moves paired with an amazing playlist.
Dynamic warm-up consisting of leg raises, twists, etc
Quick round of abs/pushups/breathing break
Leg work at the bar (squats, plie, calf raises, deeper squats)
Quick round of abs/pushups/breathing break
Arm work in the center of the room using light weights (tricep, bicep, chest)
Quick round of abs/pushups/breathing break
Abs (done on a foam mat in traditional form, focusing primarily on form while targeting both abdominals and obliques)
Quick round of abs/pushups/breathing break
Glutes (lots of butt kicks and pretzel type movements)
Blissful stretch and cool down session
After class the group socialized over wine and snacks upstairs in the Pure lobby. The space is gorgeous and very spa like. It was so nice to put faces with readers and fellow bloggers whom I’d never met before while catching up with familiar faces like Laura! The generous Erica Sara even raffled off a gorgeous necklace for one lucky attendee!
We can’t thank everyone enough for joining us Friday night and so look forward to the next event. Our goal is to co-host monthly events that will leave your muscles quivering while allowing an opportunity for readers and bloggers alike to spend time socializing with like minded people. Hopefully you’ll join in our fun next time if you’re based in NYC. If you’re not a local, I can’t recommend Hot Figure 4 enough. It will leave you feeling limber, lean, and humble. There wasn’t a single person in class who wasn’t quivering! Check out this link to enjoy your first class at Pure FREE!
