fithiphealthy

SAYEH'S LIVING ROCK STEADY! 1 May 2013

Rock Steady!

What you need: Wrist Bands! The new Thinny bands no longer have a foam cushion to protect your wrists (sanitary reasons). BYO or purchase them at the front desk for $6. They keep the delicate skin around your wrists from chafing from all the sliding the bands do in this high energy class. I highly recommend them. They make a world of difference. 
Props: Lithe Thinny Bands
Clothing Considerations: Whatever you're comfortable in 
Sweat Factor: You'll look like you just pulled the chain to dump water on yourself during your dance performance on stage a la Flashdance. 

I was a cheerleader once, for exactly 1 year. The 8th grade. We were the Mustangs. Who rocks the house? The Mustangs rock the house. And when the Mustangs rock the house...they rock it all-the-way-DOWN! Picture butts in the air and slamming the ground on the word DOWN. We were awesome. Except that we weren't. We kind of sucked. I just loved the uniforms and was excited to learn synchronized dances, but wasn't into my squad leaders yelling and screaming at me and would usually skip practice to fake inhale cigarettes under a bridge behind my school with all the 'alternative' kids. Which meant I was wearing a pleated skirt and coughing up a storm while kids cooler than me listened to Nirvana on their discmans in their flannel shirts.  

Fast forward ten years, and I was a first-year high school teacher a few weeks into the job when my principal called me into his office to ask me if I would volunteer to be the cheerleading sponsor for the school. Now, as a first year teacher you are expected to take on extra-curricular activities and really lend a helping hand. Something I was prepared to do, but high school cheerleading in Texas is NO JOKE. You guys saw the Lifetime movie. They kill for that stuff down there. I just looked him dead in the eye and said: Cheerleading? Do I look spunky to you? He chuckled, said Good point. And I decided to head up our school's chapter of Crime Stoppers instead. We stopped mo' crime!

But deep down I've always been drawn to the sport despite acting too cool for it when I was coming up. I watched the competitions on ESPN, secretly loved pep rallies where I could see all the amazing stunts and high flyers. I had to admit--even if just to myself. Cheerleaders, despite their various stigmas, were TALENTED ATHLETES. 

Enter Rock Steady. A microcasm of my relationship with cheerleading. When I first saw the video that Lauren posted of one of its CCS sequences, I was slightly terrified. Then when I realized they actually shout things out and stomp and clap, my too-cool-for-school reflexes kicked in. HEll NO! I thought.  But then true to form, my nagging inner cheerleader kicked in too. She was saying: Rocky Steady might actually be FUN. You know you want to. 

And she was so right. First, it wasn't nearly as difficult to remember the CCS sequences and keep up as I thought it would be. If you've been taking classes like Higher Power, Twiggy, Pom and Weightless and have gotten a feel for CCS, you will pick up the Rock Steady sequences quickly. If not, I still say give it a shot. You repeat the sequences so many times that you will certainly pick it up by the end of a class or 2. 

Like the aforementioned CCS heavy classes, Rock Steady breaks up the CCS sequences into sets. In other words, you do 10, 20, 30 reps of each move before moving to the next. You do that a few times before you break them down by doing one of each all in a row. And the CCS sections themselves are further separated by scultpting segments where you doing standing sculpting work or down on the mat doing abs and sculpting yourself from hip to shoulder. 

Class flies by and you're done and soaking wet before you know it. It definitely brought out my secret love for remembering fun routines. It was so fun to see everyone doing them in unison while a great play list blared around me. It definitely beats hacking away at Viriginia Slims in a cheerleading uniform and dodging the dean of students under a gross, humid bridge. Rock Steady definitely rocks the house. All-the-way DOWN!

See you in class!

SAYEH'S LIVING DUTCH! 3 Apr 2013

Dutch!

What you need: Just yourself! 
Props: Jump Ropes
Clothing Considerations: Cropped pants or tight leggings--flared pants will get caught in the rope, sneakers (tie your laces tight!), I wouldn't wear a hoodie as the hood will catch on the rope too 
Sweat Factor: Red-faced and sweat-tastic!

I must preface this post by informing everyone that I don't run. Can't run. Not even to my mailbox--and considering my mailbox is a slot in my front door, that gives you some concept of what I'm talking about. Growing up, every Thursday was "running day" in gym class. I LOATHED it. We had to run around these four orange cones placed way too far apart in a field. Everytime we finished a lap, our gym teacher would hand us a popsicle stick. The goal, obviously, was to collect as many popsicle sticks as possible during the 45 minute class period--but the minimum was four. Four laps around the cones. In 45 minutes. Easy right?

Wrong!

Every Thursday, without fail, boys and girls ran past me...two, three times carrying fists full of popsicle sticks. Not me. I could barely collect 4. During the last leg of the 4th lap, the coach would cheer me on/yell at me. My friends would urge me forward, "Chariots of Fire" would play, everything would go into slow motion, and I would collect my last stick before falling into a heap just shy of the last cone while everyone else was headed back inside. You get the idea. 

So, when I showed up for Dutch, and realized there would be running involved, I was slightly terrified. All I knew of Dutch was what I inferred from the picture of Melissa jumping rope posted on the blog last year. I guess I assumed we'd be skipping down the street with ropes--which in retrospect was silly considering we ran down Spruce (from the RH studio)--and people wouldn't appreciate a gang full of rope wielding, fitness crazed ladies taking over the sidewalks (or would they?)

Thankfully, we alternated between a light jog for 2 blocks and walking for 1 block until we reached the Schuylkill River Park, so I didn't have flashbacks to gym class. In fact, even though I was dead last in the line of ladies, I wasn't as miserable as I thought I would be. Turns out all of the up-tempo Lithe classes have paid off. I felt like my lungs were keeping up with me (on the way there anyway), and that my legs weren't going jello on me like they did back in the day. 

Once we got to the park, we started jumping rope, and something happened with the space-time continuum. Have you ever been having an incredible time with friends or an amazing moment with your significant other--where you just wish time would stand still so that you could live in that moment forever? Well, I've found the answer for you! Start jumping rope! That's right. Want that goodnight kiss to never end? Bust out your rope and get to skippin! Want the incredible dish you ordered at your favorite restaurant to last as long as possible? Get to jumpin! Why? BECAUSE TIME STANDS STILL WHEN YOU JUMP ROPE!!

For example, Catherine, our instructor, would say now jump on 1 leg for 30 seconds! Oh, 30 seconds? No sweat! YES, SWEAT! MAJOR SWEAT! And don't even think you can Lithe stall your way through any portion of those 30 seconds. I blew my nose. Adjusted my sweatshirt. Tied my shoes. Untangled myself from the rope, and Catherine would shout, while looking at her watch, 28 more seconds! This goes on for 3-minute intervals. Three minutes of nonstop rope jumping. You do it in a variety of ways for the interval, then you hit the ground for push-ups, burpees, etc. in between each. Get ready to really test your endurance. This isn't your school yard jump-rope sesh. Oh no. 

Then you head to the riverside to do some sculpting work, which is a nice break from the jumping (but still tough), then it's another light jog-walk back to the studio. I again, was bringing up the rear. So much so, that during the walking portions...I had to run anyway just to keep up with the pack. Needless to say, it was a killer workout. I can imagine adding this to my schedule once a week, and watching the lbs melt off. Seriously. I could barely walk the next day, and had to cancel my Tuesday Skinny Mini since I couldn't even make it down my stairs. Lithe still makes me sore, for sure, but this was like first-time Lithing type of sore. I'm still feeling it. 

If you like to run, I think this class will satisfy that running-itch I always hear runners talk about. If you're like me and my account of middle school gym class sent shivers down your spine, there's no way you are worse than me, and I could keep up...so don't let it scare you. It's nice to be outside in the world and out of the studio even though Philadelphia refuses to acknowledge that it is spring, and let up with this cold weather. In fact it seems to be giving spring the middle finger ever time she tries to pop in for a few hours. But, she'll win out in the end (I hope), and Dutch is the perfect way to take advantage as the temperatures rise.

See you in class!

SAYEH'S LIVING HIGH WAISTED! 27 Mar 2013

High Waisted!

What you need: Gloves! 
Props: Pom bands (the ones with handles), Calorie Trashers (if you got 'em)
Clothing Considerations: Cropped pants--lots of balancing, dont want to get tangled in too-long pants
Sweat Factor: Everyone in the room had a good sheen, but could also grab a drink after class without looking like they ran through a sprinkler a la Higher Power

If you've picked up a fashion magazine in the last couple of years, you've noticed the high waisted look is back, and I have to say that I've been wanting to get on board, but every time I eye a pair of high waisted jeans, images of poor Jessica Simpson flash before my eyes. You remember what I'm referring to, of course. The girl got skewered for wearing a pair of high waisted, so-called mom jeans. Now perhaps I have a soft spot for my fellow Texan, but I truly felt bad for her during that fiasco, and have no desire to repeat her fashion faux-pas. So, high waisted pencil skirts are more my speed. Although, every time I go to try one on, they present their own challenges too. Yes, they make me look little in the middle, but like I got much back...if you know what I'm saying. And highlight the saddlebag area to boot.

Enter, High Waisted the class. It works your entire body 360 degrees around your core down through your hips, saddle bags (not to mention full leg and arms and...wait that's your whole body). Most of the class is spent on one leg, balancing while lunging, raising up into liberty, arabesque, and folded over doing some pulses and kicks while using the pom bands for support and to keep your arms and back engaged. It requires some coordination, to be sure. Bari told us up front not to be discouraged if we felt a bit wobbly on one leg--that it takes about 3 classes to get the feel for the class--so that allowed me to relax and not pressure myself to feel like I needed to get it exactly right the first time. 

That said, the class was FUN, and actually not super crazy hard to get a hang of. It was definitely the first class that I really wished I had the Calorie Trashers because my range of motion is pretty crappy, and I could have really benefited from something to keep my muscles warm and increase my flexibility as I stood on one foot and folded over and kicked behind me. 

The class is upbeat, but not brutal in terms of cardio. It's the perfect combination of cardio and sculpting. At one point, a great song was blaring, we were combining all the moves we had just learned and I was in. the. zone. I woke up the next morning feeling sore in ways that I never have and eager to take the class again. A few more, and I'll be heading back to the racks for that pencil skirt minus the J. Simp flashbacks.

I highly recommend it. Let loose (literally) and have fun! 

And if you take High Waisted any time soon, I'll see you in class.

 

SAYEH'S LIVING PEELED! 6 Mar 2013

Peeled!

What you need: Peeled Sleeves! (These are optional. You can bring your own, or order them at any studio. Once you pay for them ($10 or $12) they will arrive within 30 days.)
Props: 3lb, 5lb, 8lb weights, Hipster box, gliders (purple pads from Short Shorts for those not wearing arm warmers) Grapefruit essential oil spray
Clothing Considerations: Whatever you’re comfortable in
Sweat Factor: Pretty good sweat (but you should be presentable public after)

Recently, I was treated to a very sweet V-day gift of a facial. Growing up with a mom in the beauty industry, I got facials regularly. My mother would spy a blackhead on my nose and send me marching to the esthetician in her salon. (Tough life, I know.) But, as an adult, I can rarely justify the expense or make time for them, so this was a wonderful relaxing treat...until the peel. 

If you've never had a facial before, typically you lay on a massage table face up with your hair in a wrap away from your face, under a sheet with your shoulders and decollete exposed. The esthetician then cleanses your face of any makeup, dirt and oil. All the while, a neat device sprays gentle steam onto your face to loosen your pores and make your skin more pliable. Your skin is then examined under a giant magnifier with lights (your eyes are protected of course) and depending on your esthetician's style, she'll go to work cleaning you out--removing black heads and squeezing zits with various tools and sanitary techniques that minimize damage and scarring to the skin. After which, she usually applies masks and gels and lotions and peels...depending on what you request and are hoping to achieve. 

Now you may recall a certain episode of Sex and the City where Samantha gets a chemical peel right before a big PR event and ends up with a crazy blueberry face forcing her to wear a veil like Lydia from Beetlejuice to hide the damage. The peel I got was nothing like that. (Although I hear those peels can do wonders!) It was a slightly acidic concoction that my facialist made and applied to my face to help slough off the dull outer layer of my face to make room for a bright new, shiny glowy me. Sounds like a great plan right? After having your skin poked and prodded, it felt like she was applying lemon juice and salt onto my raw and tender skin. "Is it burning?" she asked. I replied that it stung a little to which she casually responded: "It will get more intense, so let me know if you can't take it anymore." 

What is this? I thought. A spa or Guantanamo Bay? After a few minutes of wiggling my toes and gripping the sheets in discomfort, she came to my rescue and removed the peel with gentle pads soaked in...something. SWEET RELIEF. She then massaged my face and neck into a blissful oblivion. I emerged from this appointment feeling an odd combination of relaxed and slightly abused. It wasn't until I saw my skin in the mirror that I realized it was all worth it. It looked SO CLEAN, and fresh and glowing. Literally. It was incredible. The results were SO immediate, I couldn't believe. Totally worth the few minutes of the total discomfort. 

This is exaclty how I would describe Peeled the class. Incredibly painful, while being kind of fun, and leaving you feeling sore in ways you never knew you could be sore, but also emerging with immediate results like definition in your arms that you KNOW wasn't there the day before. It's crazy. 

You begin the class by spraying Grapefruit oil on your arms for beneficial toning, circulation and diuretic effects and slide on your arm warmers, if you have them. Then you grab your 3lb weights and do a series of standing arm work which incorporates the lower half of your body too. This portion left me wanting to suck my thumb on the mat until it was over. Then you bump it up to 5lbs for another series of arm, chest and back killers which will have you wondering how you are still able to get your limbs to cooperate. From there you take a quick "break" from the weights and so some sliding ab and arm work using either your arm warmers to help you slide on the wood floor or the gliders if you don't have any. After that, you pick up the 8lb weights, throw them onto your shoulders and do various squats using the Hipster box to guide you (you never step up onto it). This part was my favorite because I could give my arms a break, which at this point were telling me to go F myself, and use my legs and butt instead. 

I walked out feeling incredibly sore right away, and am still feeling it in my shoulders chest and back 3 days later. BUT, my boyfriend went to touch me on the arm yesterday and said, "Whoa Schartzenegger! Take it easy!" and couldn't stop gripping my biceps and feeling them in disbelief. So was it kind of agonizing? YES. Was it worth it and did I see results basically 5 minutes later? YES. 

You know what they say. Beauty is pain. But, Peeled definitely qualifies as the good kind. 

See you in class!

SAYEH'S LIVING FREESTYLE! 6 Feb 2013

Freestyle!

What you need: Gloves! (depending on the lineup this changes, but you should bring them since you won’t know ahead of time)
Props: Everything is game at anytime
Clothing Considerations: Whatever you’re comfortable in
Sweat Factor: Sweat-fest 2013

During high school, I went through a phase where I full on thought I was Aaliyah--the R&B protege of Timbaland and Missy Elliott who was allegedly romantically involved with R. Kelly when she was only 16--hence  her hit song, “Age Ain’t Nothin’ But a Number” (cuz a noun ain't nothing but a thang), in case you were curious about the logic. I wore Adidas track pants, and little white tank tops, hoop earrings and crispy white Adidas shell toes. I alternated this outfit with my Polo Sport getups and my Tommy Hilfiger overalls (one strap only) and CK One perfume/cologne. I hung out with a crew who also thought they were various R&B and hip hop stars. When we would all get together at a party or at a gas station (why did we hang out at gas stations?), the guys would inevitably battle each other in the form of freestyle rapping (it was the 90s, I have no other explanation). If this picture would lead you to believe that I grew up in a place straight out of the movie 8 Mile, guess again. We were as suburban as it gets. Don’t ask. Again, I blame the 90s.

During these rap freestyle battles, people would would oooh and ahhh over various vicious lyrics that were aimed at embarrassing the other rapper. We laughed and cheered while people’s mothers were bashed and every insecurity they never spoke of aloud was exposed for all to see.  And every once in a while, perhaps after one too many swigs of Fuzzy Navel wine coolers, some of the girls would jump in. I’m pretty sure one of the lyrics I “spit” (that’s what you do to lyrics) went something like: Step to me, girl, if you must. But if I were you, I’d make like Punky and increase your bust!” Ooooh buuuurn. Needless to say, I didn’t grow up to be a professional rapper or musician of any kind and was usually laughed out of the circle.

Thank God Lithe’s Freestyle has nothing to do with rapping, terrible malt liquor beverages or questionable 90s wardrobe choices. Although writing about Freestyle is equally challenging because it changes every week. It includes lineups from any number of Lithe classes, and keeps you guessing as to what’s coming next. When I took it this week, we used the dowel rod, pom bands, and did a combination of moves from High Waisted, Skinny Jeans, Thigh High & Split (that’s where I stopped counting).

Not knowing the sequence of events keeps class moving quickly. You’re not psyching yourself out about all the pain you know is coming next, so it’s a pleasant surprise when class is over before you know it. It’s also a great way to introduce yourself to classes that you haven’t taken yet. High Waisted, for example, is on the list of class I haven’t taken yet--but now that I’ve taken Freestyle I have an idea of what to expect when I do take it--making it feel less intimidating.

When you take Freestyle, you should come prepared for anything. You may stay on the mat most of the time; you may be up and jumping (so the instructors tell me). What I do know is that you will NOT have to bust out in a rap, or worse hear me rap. But I do think we should bring back one-strap overalls. Maybe a twist on the Calorie Trashers?

See you in class!

SAYEH'S LIVING LITHE 101! 30 Jan 2013

One of the best things about Lithe Method is that classes are always changing. Even a staple like Skinny Jeans is different depending on the instructor you take. The moment you think you’ve conquered as many classes as humanly possible, Lauren adds more. Enter Lithe Passport. I take every class Lithe offers and give you a little preview of what you can expect if you sign up. New reviews to look forward to? High Waisted, Rock Steady, Peeled, and Freestyle. But not today. Today I go easy. Today I review 101. It was my first class back after my epic fall off the wagon, and one that has changed since the last time I took it.

Lithe 101

What you need: Gloves
Props: 3lb weights, Every band (Thinny, Pom, Higher Power)
Clothing Considerations: Whatever you’re comfortable in
Sweat Factor: Light Sheen

We all know what 101 means. The basics. No matter what you want to learn, you usually start with 101. Wanna be a doctor? Biology 101 first. You’ll learn the parts of a cell--the building blocks of life. English teacher? English 101. Thesis statements, syntax...you get the idea. It’s no different for Lithe. It has its own vocabulary and structure. And if you don’t know the basics, you will find yourself feeling confused, uncoordinated and discouraged, if you plunge right in without a little background and practice. And since the goal is to not only get motivated to START working out (ahem, me), it’s also to STAY working out (shame wince).

The first Lithe class I ever took was High Mini (before Immersion was required and before 101 existed). I was the definition of a hot mess. My form--well there was no form to speak of. And when I realized we were doing 30 of everything, on BOTH SIDES, I almost passed out. The result? I was so sore that I had to crawl (no joke) up my steep stairs for a few days, and I didn’t go back to class again for a long time. Had I eased myself in, my entry would have been a little less traumatic, and I wouldn’t have felt so intimidated by the classes.

So as I sat with MindBody open on my computer for the first time in a couple of months, and stared at all the classes, I knew I didn’t want to do that to myself again. 101 jumped out at me as the perfect first class back after a hiatus. Back to basics like Ina Garten. Because although I know my Lithe vocabulary--the difference between neutral, imprint and tuck--I just wasn’t ready to jump right back into an insane calf-pumping sweat fest. The class started with brief background information about Lauren and the story of Lithe. One which, if you haven’t heard it, is really good to know. For me, it’s always easier to invest in something when I know where it came from and why. Then came the “six principles” of Lithe. Something I hadn’t heard before--at least not all together. Our instructor walked us through them--6 building blocks of the method--feet placement, spine alignment, shoulder placement and more--an organized list of all the cues I’ve heard for so many years. “Keep your shoulders away from your ears! Stay in one long line!”

It was the perfect refresher. I immediately remembered all the things I needed to keep in mind to get the most out of the workout. Then we dove in. The music was a little slower-paced, but the workout was still challenging. We did the standard ab-prep. Push-ups (if you can call what I did a push-up), see-saws, tricep dips...the works. Then up on your feet to go through each of the bands and do a series with each to familiarize or in my case reacquaint myself with each of the band. And to cap it off, some cardio cheer sequences. The dancey cheer choreography that pops up in many of the higher energy cardio classes. Sequences that can leave you feeling uncoordinated and lost, if you jump right in at full speed with girls that have been doing them for months. 101 was the perfect opportunity to remember and practice at a slower pace.

The best part about 101? It made me realize that yes, I’m rusty. Yes, the 3lb weights feel like small anvils. BUT I wasn’t as in bad of shape as I thought. I was keeping up fine and wasn’t as winded or sore as I thought I would be. In fact, it gave me the confidence (although still slightly terrified) to go ahead and take High Mini for my second class. And although it was tough, and I know I’m going to be super sore this week, I felt prepared for it.

So if you’re in my position, feeling daunted by coming back to Lithe...don’t sleep on 101. Take it and you’ll be shocked at how much better you’ll feel about mainstreaming back into the other classes. If you’re mainstreamed, but feel like you need a little refresher on form, 101 will do you wonders too. When I was in my Lithe beast mode I remember thinking 101 wouldn’t give me a workout, so I would shy away from it even though I had questions about my form. Taking one 101 will still not only still make you break a sweat, but it will help you workout more effectively in your tougher mainstream classes. It’s worth making the pit stop for because you’ll be doing things right and burning more calories in every class you take thereafter. After my experience this time around, I know I’ll certainly be there from time to time.

See you in class!

SAYEH'S LOSSES. 2 Nov 2011

Check out Sayeh's "before" images and follow her journey over the past 6 months!  I'll be posting more images over the next few weeks! 

Image of Sayeh wearing Lithe Wear's 'Leather' Leggings, Performance Bra and Rhythm Tee via Dominic Episcopo.  Hair & Makeup via Dawn Troccoli Episcopo

SAYEH'S LIVING LITHE! 12 Oct 2011

So although the Lithe Passport is officially over, there have been a couple of classes added to the schedule that were not available at the time we began our tour through the MindBody scheduler together. It’s actually one of the things that makes Lithe so unique and compelling: it’s always transforming and evolving. Whether it’s something entirely new, like the upcoming coaster class that I can’t wait to take, or an old favorite that’s been out of rotation for a while, you never have an opportunity to even consider getting comfortable in a routine. So really, never put your passport away. There will always be a new destination to visit, or revisit if you haven’t been in a while.

Melt

What you need: Nothing! Just yourself!
Props: 3 or 5lb weights. Small yellow ball.
Clothing Considerations: Whatever you’re comfortable in
Sweat Factor: Barely there.

Melting is a pretty amazing thing. Whether it’s a kiss that makes your knees go wobbly, or sitting on an incredibly comfortable couch after a long day on your feet, there’s nothing like the feeling of melting. Just the word itself evokes sensations of completely relaxing and letting go (and that Modern English song).

Recently, in Floored, Lauren asked us to put our feet on top of the blue ball--and to imagine that they were two pieces of cheese melting over it--and I couldn’t help but laugh to myself at the thought. (I then went to Sketch Burger over the weekend, and drew a picture of feet melting over a burger with the construction paper and crayons they give you while you wait for your food. It was incredible. I dubbed it the Lithe Burger. As if I needed to give my friends another reason to worry about my Lithe obsession.)

So given my love for all things that melt--ice cream, your heart when it sees a little puppy’s tiny baby face--it’s no surprise that Melt the class is one of my all time favorites that Lithe has to offer. Taught by Tif, a veteran Lithe instructor and licensed massage therapist, Melt is a MUST for anyone that feels that they carry the stress and tension of daily life in their neck, shoulders and back. (Is there anyone who doesn’t?)

Melt combines the tension release of a massage with the great workout of any other Lithe class. Think Floored--and how challenging it is--and add in a tiny yellow ball that you place strategically on your body where your muscles are super tight (under your neck, where your shoulder meets the top of your chest). You then roll around on this ball and feel the fascia (connective tissue) slowly release. Then you find a spot that’s particularly tight, and you just let your entire body melt over that small yellow miracle of rubber and plastic. Tif then comes around and helps you get deeper into that stretch with her magical, healing hands.

You leave melt feeling one hundred percent looser, more relaxed and with sore sore abs. So, if you are noticing that your shoulders are hiked all the way up to your ears while you’re working out at the barre, or that you’re starting to practically hunch over your keyboard at work, throw Melt into your rotation once a week, and you’ll be amazed at the difference in how you feel.

Tif will definitely stop the world and Melt with you! Take advantage while it’s on the schedule. I know I will!

Next up? Cowgirl! 

Images of Lithe Instructor Tiffany Nork & Lauren Boggi Goldenberg via Dom

SAYEH'S LIVING LITHE! 28 Sep 2011

Lithe Passport. 61 days. 32 classes. My trip has already begun.

Higher Power

What you need: Gloves!
Props: Lithe Higher Power Band System (blue bands)
Clothing Considerations: Whatever you’re comfortable in
Sweat Factor: You’ll look like you were attacked by someone with a super soaker.

I didn’t grow up in a religious family. In my house, our mother just told us there was a higher power, and to always do the right thing. So, as a result, I grew up keenly interested and curious about all things spiritual--both traditional and alternative, so horoscopes were always a source of light-hearted fun. They were the first things I would read in Teen or YM magazine (well right after the “Nightmare of the Month” column. I’m still scarred by all the tampon horror stories I grew up reading as a child.)

So it’s no surprise that when I’m not lithing, or writing about lithing, I’m the resident astrologer for the National Constitution Center. This means that every month I write a column for the NCC’s blog, Constitution Daily, analyzing a zodiac sign and using it to think about events of the past, instead of attempting to predict the future.

Am I extensively trained in the art of reading the stars? Not a whit. But that’s what the internet’s for, right? (The way I see it, if Kris Jenner can become an ordained minister, I can sure as hell try my hand at a little astrology!) As for me, I’m a Taurus. A true Taurus. Bull headed, but caring. A teacher. Jealous and a bit possessive, but loyal with a slight penchant for nice, material things. Taurus likes? Stability, comfort and pleasure (duh, who doesn’t like those things?) Taurus’s dislikes? Being “pushed too hard.”  

Well it’s clear that Liz Galbally didn’t get that memo! I took Higher Power with her last week, and nearly died! I’ve taken it before, but Liz just took it to the next level. It is 60 minutes of intense, practically non-stop cardio using the bands. According to various reports on Fit.Hip.Healthy, it burns around 600 calories in an hour. This doesn’t surprise me in the least. Between the endless Clam Diggers and jumping lunges and cheer sequences, calf pumps, lift and pulls and more, I didn’t think I was going to make it through side number 2, after finishing the first.

No amount of star gazing could’ve prepared me for how nuts Higher Power was, but hopefully this post will help you see into the future a little bit better than I did, and prepare you for what lies in store!

Sleeveless

What you need: Nothing! Just yourself!
Props: Step 8, 3 and 5 lb weights
Clothing Considerations: Whatever you’re comfortable in.
Sweat Factor: Ever taken clothes straight out of the washer and put them on? It’s like that.

Ever since I’ve been lithing consistently, my favorite thing to do is make people feel my arms. My biceps. My shoulders. My triceps. The whole thing. I warn them of course, that squeezing my arms may cause them serious pain...because they’re so rock solid!! (Seriously, I do this. All the time. My friends just shake their heads and indulge me.)

The thing is, I’m proud of myself! I’m no Angela Bassett or Madonna (thank God), but if my friends did as many Crazy Arms series, push-ups, tricep dips, and band classes as I’ve done to get my arms in shape, they would insist that people squeeze them as well! When I look around class during weight work, every woman regardless of weight or size, has incredible arms. Lithe Method doesn’t mess around when it comes to them.

Sleeveless for example will not only kill your arms, but burn some serious calories. The first 20 minutes of class is serious, fast-paced cardio which includes things like Rockette Kicks and a Kick Cross Step that I’ve never done in any other Lithe class, so is a little tricky to get at first.

Then the class moves into heavy weight work, and slows down significantly, using 8lb weights the whole time. Basically, I thought my arms were going to fall off. After that we dropped it down for push ups (which is killer after all the weight work) and then picked up the 3lb dumbbells for another set of weighted cardio. To top it off (or should I say bottom out?) we ended, with wide-second work, lunges and squats to round out with a lower body workout.

Needless to say, incorporating Sleeveless into your repertoire will have you wanting to sport tank tops through the winter so you can flash your incredible arms! And maybe ask some innocent strangers to squeeze them, or at least tell you which way to the gun show.

Next Up? A-List Abs and Short Shorts!

See you in class! 

Images of Lithe Instructors and Anna Marie Chang, MD via Dom

SAYEH'S LIVING LITHE! 14 Sep 2011

Lithe Passport. 61 days. 32 classes. My trip has already begun.

Wings

What you need: Nothing! Just yourself.
Props: Velcro wrist weights, 3 and 5lb weights
Clothing Considerations: Whatever you’re comfortable in.
Sweat Factor: You can make plans after this without worrying about needing a shower. Minimal sweat.

This portion of the blog should be read while listening to the incomparable R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly” (from the Space Jam soundtrack. Never seen it? It combines 3 of my favorite things: cartoons, basketball, and of course R&B. Netflix immediately!)

When it was time for me to take Wings last Saturday morning at 9:45, I was hating life. I’d had a long week and not enough sleep, so when my alarm went off, I wanted to throw my phone across the room. I didn’t have the arm strength required to pull on spandex pants, let alone go to a class I knew would be 60 minutes of bicep blasting exhaustion.

Needless to say, I forced myself anyway knowing that I would be so glad I went, as I always am on days like that. I had just laid myself and my bad attitude down on the mat, when the lady next to me asked, “are you the woman who writes that blog?” (First, I was taken aback by the word “woman.” I’m okay with the plural of the word. “Women” is great! Women’s rights. Independent women. But woman makes me feel like I should be carrying a crazy purse and talking to myself. Perhaps I’m suffering from Britney Spears Syndrome--not a girl...not yet a woman. I always listen to her when considering the existential.)

We got to talking and she told me that she really enjoyed reading my blog (a compliment I’m always grateful for) and that she was Lithing her way through a divorce. She shared with me (and gave me permission to share with you) that she couldn’t have made it through the process without it. She told me that when she first started, a certain song would come on during class, and she would find herself crying through a series at the barre.

My heart went out to her as I myself have recently gone through a breakup--the upheaval of which is always life altering--even when it’s for the best. But as we started out standing on the mat, doing the Thriller and the Crazy Arm series with weights attached to our wrists, I couldn’t stop thinking about her situation. My situation. I looked at all the women in the room, and thought to myself that at some point or another, we’ve all been through something extremely difficult: divorce, break-ups, family issues, health scares, work angst. And how some of us were probably going through any one of those things at that very moment, while using the five pound weights and pushing through the pain in every muscle in our arms.

As I walked over to the barre to finish up the class with some Lunges and Sumos while holding a 3lb weight (like in Sculpt, but you keep the Velcro weights on too), I couldn’t stop thinking about how we were all in there doing something more than trying to lose weight. We’re trying to gain or keep control of our lives.

I know that in the last few months, as I’ve strengthened my body, I’ve also strengthened my resolve and outlook on life. Feeling in control of my weight, my energy level and having something so consistent and dependable in my life like Lithe has helped me to feel confident about my ability to face, navigate and overcome the big things, like a break-up or the small things, like easily lifting my carry-on bag over my head and slipping it into the overhead compartment on my recent trip to California.

Not only am I grateful to the workout, but to the women I meet and the conversations I have with them before and after class. So yes, after I put down the weights in Wings, my arms felt so light and so strong, that I thought perhaps I could fly, but it wasn’t until my conversation with a Lither who generously shared something so personal with me, that I felt lifted up.

Watershed

What you need: Nothing! Just yourself.
Props: Cellulite rubber prop--a small ball covered small nubs/spikes
Clothing Considerations: Cropped pants, or yoga pants. The ball is spiky and tough on bare skin.
Sweat Factor: Not much sweat here either. You could meet someone for drinks after without being offensive.

It seems only appropriate to talk about Watershed after getting emotional in Wings, but this class isn’t about shedding tears, it’s about getting rid of fat-trapping fluids that cause the dents and dimples on the butt and thighs that we all hate so much.

Think of Watershed as part Skinny Jeans--with some barre work, and part Floored--with lots of sculpting down on the mat. In between each of the signature Lithe series, you place a small spiky ball under certain problem areas and roll around on it. Sound easy? It’s not. You have to use your arm strength to keep yourself lifted as you roll the ball up and down the back of your legs or butt, so you get a a great arm workout while you’re getting rid of cellulite.

I’ve taken Watershed whenever possible since I started Lithing, and I can honestly say that you can see a BIG difference in how smooth your legs are when you have the ability to take it consistently.

In fact, any time it’s gone off the schedule, I’ve contemplated tracking down one of those blue or green balls on the Internet and continuing to roll around on it at home on my own. I highly recommend it. It’s a fun departure and different workout than you’re probably used to at Lithe, and will definitely smooth out your issues.

Next up? Step Rally and Skinny Jeans!

See you in class!