Earlier this year I went on a fab month-long trip to the U.S., when I returned to Australia I declared the following to Customs: three less kilograms than when I left. Wait… What? The portion sizes in the U.S. are Large. And sides? They’ve got plenty. Where on earth did the 3 KGs go?
I followed an all American ‘diet’ (involves eating whatever you feel like only upsized), so it must have been the American A-team work outs… While in the U.S. of A I sought out and tried the full buffet of hard-core fitness fads available and since I’ve been back in Sydney have tracked down similar souped-up options. Herewith the list:
1. FULL BODY BURN:
In New York City Barry’s Bootcamp is It. I signed up thinking the ‘hardest work out in the world’ tagline was merely “sales talk”. Turns out they were underselling. Not only was this work out hard, it’s done New York style. Competitive. That Tonya Harding thing made alot more sense after working out with this group…
The work out: 1 hour of treadmill sprinting at inclines and speeds I didn’t know existed, interspersed with strength training on the floor – think weights, squats, sit ups, push ups. The room was super dark, the music LOUD, the instructor FIT. At the end of the class, the instructor gave me what I took as resounding applause, “yeah, you made it.”
Locally get it here:
Agoga Bondi. Similar genre including blacked-out room with pumped up beats; work out includes treadmill interspersed with strength and core work. Standout class? Signature, it combines plyometrics, strength, and cardio. Then repeat. Pack a can of industrial strength deodorant if you plan to be anywhere near people afterwards. www.agoga.com.au 164 Bondi Rd, Bondi.
Or, Damien Kelly Fitness. Studios in Bondi Junction and Coogee, www.damienkelly.com.au
2. IT IS ABOUT THE BIKE:
Seen a snap of Becks lately? Odds are he’s coming out of a SoulCycle studio. If it’s good enough for Becks… Need I say more? Okay. Abit more. I mentioned SoulCycle in my LA post, but in case you have temp memory loss here’s the low down: I took a SoulCycle class in LA, which couldn’t have been more different from my New York work out. The super svelte instructor kicked off with a suitable ‘LA’ greeting, “I love you all!!…”
The work out: 45 minutes of cycling incorporating hand weights and push ups while cycling. The room was (of course) dimly lit with rock concert level surround sound. Two lucky/unlucky riders got selected to cycle on stage with the instructor to showcase how fast legs can work when an audience is involved. True to the warm fuzzy vibe of SoulCycle, at the end of class I received a round of applause and a sweaty victory high five from every cyclist in the room.
Locally get it here:
Vicious Cycle in Bondi has a similar vibe sans the love in and victory high five. www.viciouscycle.com.au 155 Curlewis St, Bondi. Alternatively most gyms offer spin classes. Not nearly as cool but still a good workout.
3. BALLET BUTT BUSTER:
Let’s talk tone. Barre classes are the new ‘thing’ to get the toned, flexible physique of a ballerina minus the bleeding toes of actually being a ballerina. I test-drove this at Pure Barre in Aspen.
The work out: 1 hour of strengthening and toning exercises at the barre and on the floor incorporating a medium sized ball, small hand weights, and a rubber rope instrument of exercise torture which really came into its own during a particularly challenging set of legwork. The instructor actively encouraged the class “to keep going through your muscles shaking… and then do another 20 reps!” This class was hard, fun and it worked. My arms, abs and legs felt instantly more toned… after they stopped hurting.
Locally get it here:
Xtend Barre has several studios in Sydney and is a fab ballerina-worthy work out, www.xtendbarre.com.
Or, Barre Body which is a boutique outfit with studios in and around Sydney, www.barrebody.com.au.
4. HYBRID HEART STARTER:
The hybrid work out is the newest kid on the block and unlike the hybrid car, it’s super cool and doesn’t creep up on you… I took an Express Pump/Yoga class at an old school country club in Aspen which catered for the après-ski set – the fashion was 70s, the work out was not.
The work out: 30 minutes of weight lifting followed by 30 minutes of power yoga. I felt pumped and relaxed at the same time.
Locally get it here:
Flow Athletic in Paddington – the ‘fit sparre’ class is a complete body blaster – 30 minutes on the bike, 30 minutes in the yoga studio at the barre. Cardio and toning: work out win-win. www.flowathletic.com.au 134 Oxford St, Paddington.
Of course along with a great work out, there’s the issue of looking stylishly while you sweat, tune in later this week for the post on ‘Athleisure: the studio-to-street fashion trend making it okay to wear yoga pants all day…’
Final words: if you’ve found a Sydney work out so rad you’d like to share – please do so in the ‘comments’ section at the end of the post. Love to hear from you! xx
