Way (way way) back, on Day 28 Sculpt and Tone, I had tried a bit of a meh-class where the Instructor, Instructor Sam had suggested I try another class at the studios. And I'll be honest, if I hadn't purchased a 5-class package (for £25 - that's £5 a class - nae bad at all!) and published to the World that I would "certainly do that and report back," I might not have. But I did both so I did. And am glad for it because it's true, Day 28 was not a true represenataion of My Fitness Boutique.
When I went on Day 28, the class had 5 fairly unenthusiastic students (Admittedly, if was a random Tuesday 10.30am class in a non-heavily populated with worker bees area, but still. Those ladies did not really want to work out.). Today, the class was at 06.30am (why Paula, why so early when you are not working and can take a class whenever you want? For you my readers, it's all for you!) and to my surprise, the class was pretty much full to the brim! I had forgotten that most people with day jobs (and aren't flitting around from fitness class to class) actually have to go get their exercise fix before, or after work.
The class started in the spin studio (which I didn't even know the place had) - with the shutters down, coloured fairy lights scattered around the room, pulsating music, only a couple empty bikes and Instructor Sam shouting instructions and words of encouragement throughout, you quickly forget that it's 06.30am. By 06.35, the class was fully going, with various sprints intervals up hills, bursts of going side to side (a refreshing change from usual spin classes where you're told to try and keep body vertical, shoulders down, bum not touching the seat etc) or flat out sprint sessions. The energy in the room was high, you could tell people were really getting into it (and good for them - else what a waste of an early rise) and enthusiasm from Intructor Sam was infectious.
Now, I'm not that bike savvy - I remember seeing a bike in a window store for over £3,000 once (not even including VAT) and almost dropped my nutella filled crepe - but I liked these bikes. Pretty much for one main reason - the bikes had a numerical gear. Technically advanced or not, I have no idea, but from a practical point of view, it was really quite useful. One thing I've found with any class that uses stationary bikes (be in Day 42 Sweat Factory, Day 53 Frame Camp or Day 38 Boom HIP-HOP Cycle) is that the resistance dial is arbitrary. There's no way to measure what "difficulty" level you're cycling at (like the speedometer on a running machine) and so it's kind of easy to cheat yourself subconsciously. But not here at MFB, no siree, as Instructor Sam shouts out a level and a minimum rpm to be maintain, there be no cheaters here!
There is one thing to note when you sign up to the Beach Body Blitz class - if it is the spin and studio class, only half of the class is spinning. After 28minutes (thereabouts), we hopped off our bikes and moved to another studio for the toning part of the class. Using handweights, we did some lungey, squatty, curly exercises while the heart rate came down and we cooled down. The studio change was a tad sudden but all in all, for a time efficient morning class, it works. You get some cardio and you cool while you tone. And best of all, you're done by 07.30am!
The Need To Know:
- Where: My Fitness Boutique (www.myfitnessboutique.co.uk)
- Nearest Station: West Hampstead (8mins)
- When: Different classes 7 days a week
- How Much: Intro offer of £25/5 classes else £10/single class or various packages for 5 or 10 classes, monthly, 3-monthly and yearly.
- Special Note: You need to book classes in advance but there is an easy to use online system. Also, no contract and no monthly direct debits - you just pay for what you use!
The Want to Know:
- Who's it For: For those who can't decide between morning cardio or toning
- Sweat Scale: 7/10.
- Strength / Cardio / Flexi / Tone: Cardio and toning
- Complexity: 5/10. Perfect for 6.30am.
- Fun Factor: 7/10
- Changing Facilities: Two shower rooms and toilets.
- Instructor Inspiration: 7/10. Still didn't stop encouraging!
The Stats:
- Total Time: 51mins
- Calories Burnt: 205. A solid mid-range 4.0 calories-burnt-per-minute
- Average Heart Rate: 108
- Max Heart Rate: 139