Hi guys!
Hope you have enjoyed the weekend so far!
As you know, I teach exercise classes part-time at the
YMCA Greater Boston Oak Square Branch. I often get asked how much it costs to belong to the Y. Well, if you haven’t heard already, the YMCA is lowering its membership rates for the new year! This is REALLY exciting news. They’ve also added a new “Young Adult” category, so if you are between the ages of 18 and 29, you can join the Y and pay only $40 a month. I think this is a fabulous deal, considering all the amazing group ex classes, programs, pool, and more that the Y offers. Bonus – if you join in January, your joining fee gets waived!
For anyone in the area, this should be great motivation to jump-start your 2012 fitness goals!
Another great thing that the Y has done recently is expand its health and wellness area! There is a newly expanded fitness space called “The Annex” right near the group exercise studio and the downstairs weight room. This space is great for specialty trainings, a more “private” workout area, and new equipment including kettlebells, punching bags, and more bosus. The Y is also starting to hold smaller classes in this area – some of which include Barre, Weightlifting for Women, Ropes & Straps, and more! Last week there were free demos being held for all of these specialty classes, and my friend Jen and I decided to give TRX a whirl.
All I have to say is:
Holy hard!!!
Have you guys heard of TRX before?
Born in the Navy SEALs, Suspension Training bodyweight exercise develops strength, balance, flexibility and core stability simultaneously. It requires the use of the TRX® Suspension Trainer™, a highly portable performance training tool that leverages gravity and the user’s body weight to enable hundreds of exercises for every fitness goal.
- Get a fast, effective total body workout
- Benefits people of ALL fitness levels (pro athletes to seniors)
- Can be set-up anywhere (gym, home, road, outside)
Source
I mean, this demo was only 30 minutes and I definitely could tell that all the above is so true. Ed did a great job explaining how to use the suspension straps properly, demonstrating different variations of exercises that can be done, and advocating for the program!
Participating in this demonstration was actually quite humbling! Normally I pride myself on being able to plank for minutes, do a lot of pushups, and having strong arms. I know that I’m still building my shoulder strength back to where it was (it’s almost there! So exciting!), but wow the TRX arm stuff is tough. I could barely do more than a few reps without needing to stop – completely different from how I normally train!
I wish that I could commit to every week of this program, but unfortunately I can’t – too much on my plate! I am excited though that they will be leaving some of the suspension straps hanging for general use so I can do some of this on my own. If you guys haven’t tried TRX before, I highly recommend it – what is better than getting to work on strength, balance, flexibility, and core stability simultaneously?! It would be a great challenge for a new year.
Anyone ever tried TRX before? What did you think? Are you joining a new gym or starting any new fitness programs for the new year?
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday – I’m off to study and try a new pasta recipe tonight!
That’s a really good gym deal! I’m going to have to give that some serious thought… thanks for sharing!
aww I miss my old gym:( and really wish they would have had the ‘young adult’ fee option when I went there!! I’ve been dying to try out a TRX class– as soon as i get my AFAA exam out of the way i’ll have more time to experiment with that stuff!