Keep Your Muscles Guessing with TRX Training

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Those two straps, hanging innocently, have the ability to quickly remind you that there are muscles you haven’t used in ages.  As part of my partnership with the YMCA, I attended a TRX Circuit class after work at the Prospect Park YMCA. As soon as I walked through the studio door, I could tell this class was popular. Tickets were required in order to snag a spot in the packed class, meaning that it often fills to capacity. As I waited for the workout to begin, Juanita, the friend and experienced instructor warned me that I’d be sore the next day and sweaty by the end of class.

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In case you aren’t familiar with TRX this acronym stands for total body resistance exercise.  Invented by a former Navy SEAL, this tool makes common exercises more difficult by forcing you to engage different body parts as you engage your core since you are often suspending your legs off the ground or leaning into the strap which changes your center of gravity. Trust me, this strap made the minute long exercises feel like five minutes of work. Similar to the megaformer at Brooklyn Body Burn, it left me trembling.

During the course of the next 55-minutes, she laughed, danced and motivated us through a workout that reminded me very much of the personal training sessions I took during 2011-2013 as it combined cardio, strength and TRX movements to keep our muscles guessing and ensure that none of the students were ever bored. After splitting the class in half, she explained that we’d rotate constantly between the front of the studio (TRX) and the back of the studio (kettlebells and mats) completing one minute of each movement.

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The TRX exercises included the TRX push-up, chest press, inverted row, tricep extension, low row, frog, pike and bicep curls. In the back of the room we used the kettle bells to add an extra level of difficulty to common moves like Russian twists, squats, and lunges before focusing on more kettlebell specific moves like swings.

Once again, I was amazed at how easily Juanita made everyone in the class feel comfortable regardless their fitness level. She was constantly helping people make the moves easier or harder and reminding everyone that they should be proud that they showed up and only compare their ability against themselves, not the person next to them.

Since they offer this class multiple times per week and at multiple locations, I look forward to taking it again soon!

If your local YMCA or local gym or fitness studio offers a TRX or TRX circuit class, it is a great opportunity for you to challenge your body in a new way. If you want to learn more about TRX before going to your first class, this Greatist article outlines the five easy to follow TRX moves.

Greatist Full-Body TRX Workout

Interested in trying this class out for yourself or visiting your local YMCA of Greater New York? Head to their website to try your local YMCA for free!

What’s your favorite way to use a TRX strap? 

Disclosure: This post is part of a sponsored partnership with the YMCA of Greater New York.

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Getting Out of My Comfort Zone with Trampoline Fitness

Even though I have access to hundreds of different classes in New York City, it is easy to find classes with which I’m comfortable and schedule them on repeat. One of my goals for this year is to challenge my mind and body in new ways. In February, this meant taking four classes at Brooklyn Body Burn, a class which humbles me and leaves my entire body quivering as I do my best to complete the Mega Former class. During March and April, in partnership with the YMCA of Greater New York, I will take four different group fitness classes or workouts that I haven’t tried previously. With 24 locations throughout the boroughs of New York City, there is likely a YMCA location within a few blocks of any locals reading this post.

Dodge YMCA outside

For many people, a YMCA membership can be a great fitness option as it often provides access to childcare, aquatic facilities, group fitness classes and cardio and weight machines. They have classes that are accessible for people with any ability ranging from children focused classes to senior citizen classes and everything in between. They also pride themselves on the sense of community within each YMCA location. Many of the staff members are locals, so they can become rooted in the community, helping ensure that the branch meets the neighborhood needs. Due to the pool access, Bo and I have discussed having a membership to our local YMCA, the Dodge YMCA location, in addition to ClassPass.

Dodge YMCA
The first new to me class was Trampoline Fitness at the Dodge YMCA location. This 30-minute class, taught by Jennifer, one of their lead group fitness instructors, is offered six times each week. Each student uses a mini- trampoline and mat during the low impact aerobic workout.  This trampoline may look innocent but believe me; it will help get your heart pumping and make you sweat in a shockingly short time.

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Jennifer took us through a few moves before starting the class  to make sure we each felt comfortable on the trampoline. She also told me to think about it as rebounding versus bouncing. It wasn’t as much of a downward movement as it was an upward movement, therefore engaging more of my calf and quad muscles. Most of the class would be spent doing compound movements, to get the most out of our 30 minutes. This meant that while I was focusing my lower body on the rebounding, I’d be boxing and punching with our arms to the beat of the music.

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Que the laughter. As you guys know, coordination is not my strong suit.  Therefore I was constantly off-beat or a step behind the entire class. Luckily, Jennifer reminded me just to have fun with it and smile. I loved her supportive nature as without it I probably would have spent the class feeling defeated and embarrassed.

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We started with light jumping followed by rounds of intervals including jumping jacks, jump rope at different speeds, high kicks and sprinting. To control our bounce, we had to keep our cores engaged and focus on the small, tight, controlled movements. After the warm-up, we spent the next 15 minutes doing a series of boxing moves which included squats, punches, upper cuts and side kicks – quickly taking me back to the Tae Bo workouts I did in college. We ended the class with 5 minutes of ab work using our mat and trampoline to make common moves like planks and sit-ups more difficult.

The class was a great low-impact cardio workout that provided an effective workout without leaving me sore. Most of all, I loved the fun factor. Everyone in class, including the instructor, was smiling and laughing the entire time even during the most challenging moves.

Interested in trying this class out for yourself or visiting your local YMCA of Greater New York? Head to their website to try your local YMCA for free!

Have you ever taken a trampoline workout class? 

Disclosure: This post is part of a sponsored partnership with the YMCA of Greater New York.

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Healthy, Asian Tuna Salad

Working from home, I need to keep lunch interesting. I have the entire kitchen and refrigerator at my disposal, but still find myself making the same salad or sandwich on a daily basis. Getting in a rut is easy. But to keep my taste buds satisfied, which is part of my goal with intuitive eating, I’ve made it my goal to try something new each week.

This delicious and healthy recipe makes the perfect lunch. It takes just a few minutes, and I bet you have most of the ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry already. This recipe is nutritious, affordable, delicious, easy and an excellent source of protein which is always key. Thanks to ClassPass, I’m working out more than ever which means I’m always hungry. Ensuring that I have a source of lean protein, like tuna, at every meal not only helps keep the hunger monster at bay but also repair muscles.

Asian Tuna Salad Ingredients
The base of this lunch is an ingredient we always keep handy in our pantry – Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore in Water. Guys, if you’ve never tried this type of canned tuna you HAVE to add it to your shopping cart during your next shopping trip. It is unlike any tuna you may have grown up eating or avoiding. Trust me, as soon as you open the can you will be able to see the quality of this firm, chunky tuna. With a firm texture, light color and fresh taste – Bumble Bee® Solid White Albacore is the perfect ingredient to deliciously enhance almost any recipe, adding a variety of nutrients – including lean protein, healthy fat and important vitamins and minerals.

Healthy Asian Tuna Salad

 

Healthy Asian Tuna Salad

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

 

  • 1 can of Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore Tuna, drained
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha
  • 1/8 cup Grape Seed Oil or other neutral oil
  • 3 scallions (greens only)
  • 1/4 cup shredded carrots or Trader Joe’s Asian Slow mix
  • 1 tablespoon minced cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon cashews or slivered almonds
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Your favorite salad base (kale, mixed greens, romaine)

Instructions

  1. Place the drained tuna in a large mixing bowl, gently breaking the chunks up with a fork.
  2. Add the soy sauce, lime juice, sesame seeds, Sriracha and grape seed oil and toss well to combine flavors and ingredients.
  3. Place greens in two bowls, one for you and the other for a friend!
  4. Top greens with shredded carrots and scallions
  5. Place half tuna salad mixture on top of each bowl of greens and carrots
  6. Top with cilantro, nuts, salt and pepper
  7. Enjoy!

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Want to learn more about the quality and ingredients that go into each can of Bumble Bee tuna? Visit their “Only Bumble Bee Albacore Will Do” site.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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