cardio workout – Michelle Marie Health & Wellness

Exploring New Studios: Impact Fitness

A hidden gem in Sudbury – this studio is state of the art in functional and athletic training. I was able to attend two of their different classes in the past couple weeks; Cardio Sport and TRX Strength. Both classes were totally different but amazing workouts.

So, let’s start with Cardio Sport. This class is a “boot camp- like” style combining high cardio activities with strength training in two different 4 station circuits. Each class is different by changing the activities done in each circuit – in the class I attended we did everything from small sprints, rowing, pull ups, and box jumping. A lot of these exercises were new to me and I loved it. This class pushes you outside of your comfort zone but in a good way. The instructor is very well trained and extremely helpful with correcting form and technique while motivating the class in a positive yet discipline manner. The class was nonstop for 60 minutes – leaving me exhausted, out of breath at points, and drenched in sweat. It flew by and was lots of fun and a great workout. I am excited to get back to this class to see how it changes and how far I can learn to push myself in these new activities.

Okay next I tried the TRX Strength class taught by Kevin Duffy; this was a similar but somewhat different atmosphere. This class is a quick 45 minutes and is more focused on full body strengthening using body weight, weights, and TRX suspensions. Since the class is only 45 minutes it is faced paced with no breaks. The class began with some resistance band exercises to warm up then we quickly went through two different circuits with 5 stations in each. The first circuit was a set pace and the second was on your own; meaning, once you finished the rep amount you moved onto the next station as many times as possible in the allotted time for this circuit. Lastly, we ended with some core work on the floor and then quickly did a small round of sprints. This class was challenging but flew by and is the perfect workout to wake you up in the morning!

All in all, I am very impressed with this studio in Sudbury – if you live in the area, I highly suggest you check it out! It has an in house smoothie bar and a wide variety of membership plans as well as personal and small group training sessions.

Orange Theory Fitness

Have you heard of OTF? If not, you will very soon. Orange Theory Fitness is a boot camp style workout studio that started out in Florida & Arizona and is quickly opening many different locations along the East Coast as well as nationally. OTF opened in Boston just under a year ago and is opening a second location a little closer to where I live in Natick, MA. OTF Natick is scheduled to open sometime this April or early May, but in the meantime, they are putting on events in order to get the community excited about the workout. This past Sunday I attended their 60 minute boot camp workout at Athleta in the Natick Mall.

What is the OTF workout all about?

The workout is an hour and is composed of three parts; a session of treadmill intervals, a session of indoor rowing, and a final session of weight and resistance training. What sets OTF apart from all other boot camp studios is their state of the art heart rate monitoring system. Each client wears a heart rate monitor during the duration of class. Each individual’s heart rate is projected on a monitor seen by everyone in class. Having this feature allows you to aim to keep your heart rate in the target zone for each exercise; this maximizes energy levels and metabolism which allows you to burn the most calories. This heart rate monitoring is great for accountability, group workout encouragement & support, and of course, motivation.

Whether weight loss or increased performance is your goal, this workout will provide you with great results!

How was the experience of the preview workout at Athleta Natick?

Obviously, OTF couldn’t bring in any cardio equipment to Athleta, so the 60 minute boot camp wasn’t like a traditional class will be at the studio. This hour was broken into four sections: A tabata session, strength and toning session, jump rope and resistance band interval, and lastly a session of core and ab exercises. The 60 minute class was a great way to get to know the trainers and the overall style and atmosphere of OTF. It was a lot of fun, an awesome workout and the turnout was great.

Look for OTF studios near you and definitely give this workout a try. If you are local and interested in the new Natick location check out their social media sites!

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