Welcome to the World of peerFitting

Follow the lives of peerFitters and the founders alike as we continue to bring peerFit to more cities and the stories of our users who change their lives with group fitness.

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Workout wear on a budget by Brittney

After chatting with some of you group fitness lovin’ ladies this week I learned three things:

1. As females, shopping is the only thing we love more than a hard workout

2. Buying new workout clothes gives us extra motivation to go to the gym

3. Purchasing good quality workout wear on a budget is difficult

We can all throw on that old t-shirt we’ve had for years when we decide to go to the gym. But sometimes that’s boring, unflattering and doesn’t inspire us to get off the couch. Of course working out isn’t about how you look… but it is about how you feel. So why not feel cute and comfortable while doing it?

An added bonus is knowing that you got that cute sports bra or good-quality tights for cheap. I went on the hunt this week to out-of-the-box places to see what I could find. I was stoked when I discovered that Forever 21 has a sport line. We all know they make good-quality, in-style clothing and I wouldn’t expect anything less for their workout gear. Better yet, everything is under $30! From yoga mats to duffle bags, they make more than just clothing to meet your needs.

Of course I couldn’t resist grabbing a couple things while I was there, I purchased these athletic capris and coral racerback tank… 

                                                                    Forever’s activewear is well lined and breathable. I love my purchases and will definitely be going back to grab one of their athletic jackets or hoodies as we head into fall weather.

Get motivated ladies! Happy peerFitting!

 -B

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The First Step to Anything: Motivation by Nicole

Woody Allen said it best: “80 percent of success is showing up.”  The more group fitness classes I attend, the more I’ve come to realize how hard it is to muster up the energy to go to class.  Motivation is the key to starting anything you need to accomplish; yet it is one of the hardest things to get past.

So how do you get motivated to go to group fitness classes when you don’t even feel like getting off the couch? One way that always works for me is finding inspiration. You can read fitness magazines or research success stories about ordinary people who have accomplished the same things you hope to.

Very rarely do you find someone who truly enjoys undertaking something alone. Another way to get motivated is to gather support. Finding a healthy support system, either physically or virtually, can help you find and keep the motivation you need to reach those fitness goals.

Reward yourself for tiny successes, like going to one group fitness class! This will build some motivation for you towards the beginning of your group fitness journey. Work hard, then relax and reap the benefits of your personal reward.

Muster up the motivation using these three easy techniques and the rest will effortlessly follow. Good luck, peerFitters!

  Check back next Monday for Nicole's weekly post!

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A Cycling Obsession by Kari

They say wine gets better with age…and so do cyclists?! Who knew!

Recently, I have been experiencing what I call a cycle obsession, fixation or maybe even an addiction. In doing some cycle research, I stumbled upon an article that explains how cyclists do in fact get better with age. According to the ESPN article,

cycling is an endurance sport that not only requires the muscle strength, but also the psychological skills to endure through a long, tough ride.

Now, this is my effort to rally the troops to cycle! Whether you have or have not tried it, give it another whirl. Cycling could be just what you need at this stage in your life.

I challenge you all to take a cycle class in your area this next week! Respond to this post and tell me what you thought of it. Don’t forget to review it on peerFit!

Stay fit and be well!

  Check back next Friday for another post by Kari!

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Sticky Sneaks by Brittney

During my classes this week, I decided to chat a little bit with the girls around me about different aspects of group fitness. We talked about everything from instructors to the intensity of the class and energy of the room. But a common topic that came up was shoes.

Why shoes you may ask? Mainly because females have an obsession with any and every form of footwear. The girls loved chatting about what shoes to wear while working out; which shoes were the most comfortable and which brands had the cutest stuff.

One issue that was brought to light was the problem of wearing tennis shoes in classes like Zumba. With all of the movements and pivots, regular sneakers tend to stick to the floor. This can cause the chance of injury to your knees since there are a lot of side to side movements. So for those “dancy” cardio classes, try to wear a pair of supportive fitness shoes that allow you to pivot your feet easily.

Since I myself have a bit of a shoe obsession, I looked into dance shoes and found that there are actual Zumba shoes that you can buy. If you are a regular in these classes, check ‘em out and maybe they will enhance your workout!

Check out this site, http://www.zumba.com/en-US/shop/.  They have cute shoes and lots of other fun and funky workout wear like these:

Z-KICKZ II

Z-KICKZ Original

Keep those feet moving! Happy peerFitting!

-B

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Exercising at Bayside by Ed

No, I wasn’t with Zach Morris and the rest of the Saved by the Bell crew; I went to Tampa Bay to experience group fitness near the water.  LA Fitness has recently acquired Lifestyle Family Fitness, so I tried out one of their signature locations: the Hyde Park district.

Today was the first day of the new class calendar, which means all the regulars were in for a completely new experience just like me (haha victory!). This class, Total Body, turned out to be very tough. The instructor warned us it was like the old class, but with less rest….yikes.

Every few minutes we switched from burnout on legs, to burnout on arms, back to legs, until we finally got to do some core work on ground. Oh wait, our instructor had the same plan in store for us there, burnouts! All in all, we probably did over 100 curls, squats, lunges and overhead presses multiple times.

After hearing all the talk before class…: “Oh, a new class, I don’t know about this.” “New instructor? I might not stay.”

Compared to the talk after….: “Oh, I like this class better than the old one.”

…reminded me that you must keep an open mind when trying a new class. The familiar is comfortable, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best. Keep it up peerFitters, and send us YOUR stories of the first time you tried a new class.

Ed's review is based on the 8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. Total Body Conditioning class at LA Fitness - Hyde Park.

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More than what meets the eye by Nicole

For Michael Liuzzo, a fifty-two-year-old chiropractor, walking into a hot yoga studio means much more than simply exercise and calories. To him, hot yoga is his lifesaver.

At age 43, Michael endured a horrible skiing accident that left him with a reconstructed knee and the inability to do any physical activity without immediate pain. His doctors warned him that with this type of disability, his only option was to wait until age 60 to conduct knee replacement surgery.

In 2000, Michael was introduced to Big Ron’s Hot Yoga Studio and began practicing every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 9 a.m. After only 6 months of this routine, Michael’s knee was restored back to 98% of his pre-injury status. By 2002, he became a licensed yoga instructor and has been teaching at Big Ron’s every Tuesday and Thursday morning since then.

On Thursday morning, I walked into Big Ron’s and expected my usual two things: to gain 90 minutes of refreshing exercise that will leave you extremely drenched in sweat and to burn a ton of calories. Instead, I met Michael and was given the opportunity to be instructed by him for my 90-minute practice.

His story and his view on yoga changed my impression of the practice of yoga as a whole. Yoga is more than mysticism and western practices. It’s restorative and has the ability to be the most effective form of rehabilitation if you allow it to. Michael did, and today he can do physical activities he never thought he would ever be able to do again in his lifetime.

Hot yoga may not be my lifesaver…yet, but you never know what lessons you might learn when you’re walking into a place expecting so little. 

Liuzzo performing the Natarajasana pose.

Check back next week for Nicole's weekly post!

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Kari's Training Camp

Do you have a weekend away in your future? I bet you do. Does your weekend have a fitness plan? I imagine that to be rather unlikely...

Well then, take some advice from me, the fitness-obsessed. 

This past weekend I found myself at home in south Florida without a group fitness class to take or a gym to go to and, needless to say, no plan of action. So I pulled out my phone, called my mom and friends into the room and pumped up the jams! I led them through a Nike Training Club workout. Nike Training Club is a smartphone app you can download that creates workouts specific to your needs. It’s a quick, easy way to workout, especially while in a group setting, peerFit style!  

Check out my video to see how my class (did I mention it was in my living room) went!!! No excuses, peerFit everyday! 

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Friends don't let friends workout alone! (Taken with Instagram)

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The Fashions of Fitness by Brittney

This past week didn’t go as planned for me; I had all kinds of fun group fitness classes on my calendar, but couldn’t attend any of them thanks to pneumonia. On the bright side, this enabled me to take a step back and check out what’s trending in the world of fashion and fitness.

With the recent Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, everyone is all hyped up on the latest trends for Spring 2013. Athletic wear obviously isn’t as prominent on the runway, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take some of the hot trends into the gym.

For starters, bright hues popped up everywhere. Don’t be afraid to rock neons to your Zumba or hip-hop class. I know everyone loves the “matchy-matchy” workout outfits, but don’t shy away from mixing it up. Colorblocking is in, so don’t hesitate to wear different hues all at once, as well as different brands. We saw a lot of dresses over pants this year. For those kick-butt classes that we all love, why not wear your cute shorts over your tights or bright spandex shorts? That way when you are doing hard-core abs on the floor and your shorts ride up, you’ll be super stylish underneath.

Keep up the hard work boys and girls. Happy peerFitting!

-B

Keep an eye out next week for more fitness fashion advice from Brittney!

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Life Without peerFit (For a Weekend) by Ed

This past week Matt and I traveled to Pittsburgh for my birthday to watch our friends play for the Steelers. Sounds like an awesome time, right? It was except for one key factor… I’ve become totally dependent on peerFit when I want to find fitness classes. Sadly, Pittsburgh isn’t one of our current cities.

Each morning, I woke up wanting to find a place to workout and start my day off after being out the night before. My attempt to use Google, which barely shows me locations, let alone which classes are good, proved futile.

Imagine trying to get the latest media updates without Twitter? How ever could you friend-stalk without Facebook?! This is the feeling of helplessness I felt because I am used to having peerFit to find the latest and most popular classes.

I am back in Gainesville and now I can get back to finding the toughest workouts. Be ready for next week’s post.

Ed and Matt showing off their peerFitted guns in Pittsburgh!

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Music: An Influential Part of Any Group Fitness Class by Nicole

Group fitness classes encompass a variety of different characteristics that influence how we feel about the class at its conclusion: the instructor, the intensity of each exercise, the amount of time in each interval, etc. However, we sometimes fail to realize the factor that I believe is the most important: the music.

I believe music is the most important aspect in anything we do.  During group fitness classes, it definitely plays a special role.

Music sets the tone of the class. It’s what keeps people motivated to complete each interval. It’s the basis of how we judge any instructor.  Most importantly, it can provide participants with an emotional connection to the class.

This week I took a 30-minute Core class at the Student Recreation Center. Walking into the class, I expected it to be nothing special…until the music started. When “Not Afraid” by Eminem came on, I immediately felt more motivated to start the exercises and give it my all.

I usually get lethargic by the middle of each interval, but thanks to the music Samantha played, I never felt this way. I felt more connected to the instructor because of our similar taste in music, and I never once had a frown on my face. Needless to say, I will definitely be returning to this class.

I have yet to feel this way about a class since I started regularly attending group fitness classes. I’ve noticed that it is pretty difficult to find a class that resonates with you on a deeper level, like this one did.

Maybe music affects me differently than others, but I have a feeling that I’m not the only one who pays special attention to the music that’s played during class. Music can affect us in mysterious ways, and it is definitely what keeps me motivated to keep peerFitting. Does it do the same for you?

This review is based on the Student Rec's Core class on Mondays at 1:00 p.m. Read more here.

Nicole and instructor Samantha after an awesome core workout.

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peerFitter Kari bringing group fitness to the living room!

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Making Fitness Fit by Kari

With school and work taking full speed once again, we must all say goodbye to summer until next year. But what we must hold on to is that time we set aside for ourselves each day. A group fitness class can last 30 minutes long, if that is all the time you’ve got in a busy day.

This week, I found myself busier than usual and so I challenged myself to make fitness fit into my schedule each day. I lifted weights for 30 minutes on Sunday, followed by a quick jog around my neighborhood. On Monday, my roommate and I did a number of different exercises on our living room floor. On Wednesday, I squeezed in a 45-minute spin class at Gainesville Health and Fitness and on Thursday, I did a 30-minute “lower body blast” at UF’s Student Rec and Fitness Center followed by some abdominal exercises I did on my own.

With a short group fitness class, you can push yourself to even greater limits, and you can get the most out of your free time. Especially during these busy times of year, it is important that we all remember to include that time for ourselves each day. Group fitness classes are the perfect added element to that busy schedule. They relieve stress, burn calories, and increase endorphins, to help get you through the day!

Check out peerFit to find the class that will best fit your busy schedule this week! Now, you can send yourself a text message reminder for the class, so you really can’t forget!

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Taking on Group Fitness by Brittney

Growing up as an athletic kid, I learned my way around the gym. With the treadmill and hand weights always being my go-to, working out solo was my thing. That all changed this week when the peerFit team got me into some group fitness classes here in Gainesville.  

First stop was Hip-Hop at the Southwest Rec Center. I have a background in dance, so grooving to the music and getting a killer cardio workout at the same time was a win-win. By the time our hour of dancing was over, I was drenched in sweat from the energetic moves the instructor had choreographed. Next week my girlfriends and I are grabbing our sweatpants and Nike high-tops to hit the class together.

On Thursday, Ed asked me to come out to Gainesville Health & Fitness and try Adventure Race Training, instructed by Andy Farina. This class takes place out in the natural atmosphere and definitely tests your stamina. From cargo nets to climbing walls, the obstacle course teaches skills and techniques that one would use in adventure races like Warrior Dash and Muddy Buddy. My favorite part about this class was the team environment created throughout the course. Everyone that participated challenged, pushed and encouraged one another.

Moving forward I want to try more classes that get down and dirty outside like Adventure Race Training. My goal for this week is to take a different friend with me to each class, as well as meet a new friend or two and see what’s trending. I can’t wait to expand my range and explore the wonderful world of group fitness!

Happy peerFitting,

-B

Read more on Brittney Noble's review of Southwest Rec's 9:30 p.m. Hip-Hop class here, or read more of her review of Gainesville Health and Fitness' 5:30 p.m. Adventure Race Training here.

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Extreme Fitness Classes by Ed

There are so many types of fitness classes to try now-a-days: the Zumbas, cycling, boot camps, CrossFits, etc. It can make your head spin faster than the pedals in Power Cycle Hour! A growing trend is really intense fitness classes. Outdoor boot camps and CrossFit seem to be leading the pack. While these seem only to attract a small demographic within the human race, the most hardcore of us, they can certainly push anyone to your limits if you are ready for it. Over the next few weeks I will be trying the most extreme classes around Gainesville.

This week I did a Tuesday/Thursday fitness series. Tuesday, I attended Ultra at Gainesville Health and Fitness. This is their take on a garage-style circuit workout. It really kicked my butt (still sore!) with all the different circuits and box jumps. While each station was mainly meant to kill you physically, I would like to see more cardio stations in workouts like this.

Thursday, the peerFit team along with Olympic Gold Medalist, Conor Dwyer, joined us at Adventure Race Training. This is an outdoor boot camp style class which is meant to get anyone in shape for the long grueling stuff Adventure Races will throw at them. Love this style of class, strength stations with sprints every few minutes. Luckily for us, the Florida heat wasn’t too bad and we actually had a breeze! Next week I hope to try the local CrossFit facilities out, as there are three in Gainesville. Be on the lookout for my reviews of each and how they stack up against each other!

These reviews are based on the Tuesday 6 p.m.-7 p.m. Ultra class and the Thursday 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Adventure Race Training class, both at Gainesville Health and Fitness.  Read here for more of Ed's review on Ultra, or here for a further review on Adventure Race Training.

Ed (left) and crew post Adventure Race Training.

Ed and Conor Dwyer getting their peerFit on at Adventure Race Training.

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Zumba Perceptions vs. Zumba Reality by Nicole

Even if you’re not a group fitness junkie, the word ‘Zumba’ immediately sparks a certain image in your mind: an image of a diverse group of women gathered in a room, dancing to the rhythm of latin music. This particular image is what draws in those who love cardio classes, those who simply enjoy dancing, and those who are group fitness junkies to these Zumba classes.

However, the more Zumba classes I take, the more I realize how different each class can be. Surprisingly, they continue to get altered way more than I’d expect from a specific dance-fitness program.

For the most part, Zumba instructors create an hour-long dance routine that is latin-inspired, easy-to-follow and made to burn a ton of calories. Yet, each instructor’s routine varies so greatly that every Zumba class results in a different workout.

This past week I took a Zumba class at the Student Recreation Center on UF’s campus. The instructor was a sweet Asian woman named April Lee. Her routine consisted of pop songs from the 90’s, paired with repetitive movements focusing on simple dance moves. There was no latin music involved, and not one of her routines was one of the classic Zumba rountines that I’ve danced to in previous classes.

Yes, I do realize that every instructor can use their discretion on how to choreograph these dances. But I also know that the people walking into a Zumba class are expecting a certain standard, and if that standard falls short, it causes people to question the style of Zumba classes as a whole.

Regardless of the instructor or the facility that you go to, Zumba will always be associated with a certain perception. But just like any other thing in life, Zumba reality can sometimes be different than our perception of the class.

This review is based on the 3-4 p.m. class at the Student Recreation Center. Read here for more on Nicole’s review.

Nicole and April Lee peerFitting post-Zumba.

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Christy's Choice for Top Instructor

One of my favorite classes this summer, Body Ultimate, happened to belong to a special kind of group training class at Gainesville Health & Fitness.

Harriet Hogsette, who I had the pleasure of working with at Body Ultimate, has been part of the GHF program for two years now. When I asked her what she loved most about her job, she simply expressed how much she enjoyed being able to work closely with her clients and using her keen “people-person” skills to get them through a good work out.

Harriet said her love for fitness all started when she found herself making daily trips to Gainesville Health & Fitness in order to better her own health condition. After some time, she began working at the gym and used her own relatable past to help other gym-goers better their own health and physical condition.

The group training classes she now directs allows a small group, usually 8-12 people, to get a good work out without having to bump elbows with a room full of people. These smaller classes allow for Harriet to correct the posture of every person in her class and make sure they are getting just the right amount of weights into their exercise.

Harriet said some of her classes tend to have a core group of people that regularly attend. Through going to her class myself, I realized how closely knit these frequent-attendees were with both Harriet and others in the class. Harriet’s willingness to explain an exercise and be encouraging along with everyone else in the class helps keep the class motivated and willing to tough it all out.

When speaking with Harriet about her experience and thoughts on group fitness, she brought up a point that had never actually crossed my mind. How many times have you thought the music choices in one of your fitness classes was not exactly your cup of tea?

Harriet’s class, by far, had the most original and tailored music that I had ever come across in any other fitness class. Harriet explained that the music playlist she uses in her classes is made up of songs that her regular class attendants either request, have liked in the past or contain motivating words to get them through a tough work out.

You know your class instructor cares when she has taken the time to dig through music that she knows will get you going. So, if your looking for an instructor that can get you through a fun fitness class, look no further than Harriet!

  Christy and Harriet at GHF!