What is Barre?

You might have seen Barre classes on our schedule as a recent addition at our Glenville location.  We were lucky enough to inherit dance studio bars in Studio B from a previous tenant, and our awesome instructor Gabby Hogan achieved her Barre teaching certification to make this class possible!

If you've never taken a Barre class before, you might be wondering what it's all about.  Luckily, we've asked Gabby to answer some common questions about Barre!

What is Barre class?

Barre is a workout that is inspired from ballet, pilates, and yoga. It focuses on strength, flexibility, and muscular endurance. In a Barre class, we are targeting the slow twitch muscle fibers with high reps and low intensity movements to push the muscle to the point of exhaustion, which means, yes, you are doing it correctly if your legs start to shake!

What are the typical exercises you do in a Barre class?

The typical exercises we do are always changing! We do a lot of pile squats, which look a lot like sumo squats that we do in our Girl Fight classes. For many of the exercises, we use the barre, as well as blocks and balls, to help make the movements that much more fun!

Is a Barre class okay for beginners?

Absolutely! With the Barre class, any level can take the class. We focus on smaller ranges of motion with higher reps. There are many modifications to all the movements.

Do you have to be coordinated or have dance experience to participate? 

No! All you need is yourself and be ready to have some fun!

What is your favorite thing about teaching Barre?

My favorite thing about teaching Barre is hard to choose. There are so many things I love about teaching it! I mean, for starters, I love the energy with each class and with everyone taking the class. I love the fun we can bring to the class with a little sing-a-long dance workout listening to Grease! I love it also because it helps you become more self aware of your body and focuses on the smaller ranges of movement, which is so helpful when taking other workout classes!


We hope you consider coming and checking out a class with us soon!

Building Strength for Women

As women, sometimes it's overlooked to focus on muscle strengthening... until our doctors tell us to do it.

Or maybe you understand the importance of it, but just don't know how to get started.

The great news is it's very easy to get started.  Even just incorporating 1-2 strength workout sessions per week can make a huge difference in your fitness.

Not only does lean, toned muscle help protect your bones and joints (think of it as armor around your body), but performing weight-bearing exercise prevents against weak bones and diseases like osteoporosis and osteopenia -- which is increasingly important as we age and our hormones change.

Here are some quick and simple workouts that you can add to your weekly rotation to make sure you're strengthening your body.

Basic Strength Training Workout

Perform each exercise for 30 seconds each, moving quickly from exercise to exercise. At the end, rest for 60 seconds and repeat 1-2 more times (depending on time and fitness level).

• Squats (with or without dumbbells)
• Pushups (feet or knees)
• Lunges - left leg only (with or without dumbbells)
• Dumbbell overhead shoulder presses
• Lunges - left right only (with or without dumbbells)
• Dumbbell curls
• Lying leg scissors
• Triceps pushups (feet or knees)

Time-Crunch Strength Training Workout

For busy women short on time, this workout combines two movements in one to make sure you get a great workout in less time.  

Perform each exercise for 30 seconds each, moving quickly from exercise to exercise. At the end, rest for 60 seconds and repeat 1-2 more times (depending on time and fitness level).

• Squat with an overhead dumbbell press at the top
• Plank with alternating dumbbell row (feet or knees)
• Woodchops (with dumbbell) - left side
• Woodchops (with dumbbell) - right side
• Dumbbell curl to overhead press

The Most Important Love is Self-Love

It’s that time of year again when all of the roses, chocolates, and candies come out to celebrate love on Valentine’s Day. Whether you live vicariously through America’s notorious rom-coms or enjoy dinner out with a loved one, we want you to remember that it’s not just about showing love and affection to others. Self-love is important to your journey on this crazy ride we call life and not just on the 14^th, but always.

I know, I know… this doesn’t sound fitness related right? Well… At Girl Fight Fitness, we believe that a woman’s fitness journey includes overall health, mentally and physically. We all experience challenges in life that can result in neglecting ourselves. However, self-love can help us cope better with challenging days and keep healthy habits in place. Melanie Greenberg PhD, Psychology Today

Self-Love is about simply being kind to yourself, reminding yourself what you excel at, and making time for you. As a way to help through the hard and good times alike, we put together a list of activity-based self-love that may help you cultivate your relationship with YOU:

• Exercise
• Read
• Sing
• Dance
• Meditate
• Creating Art
• Journaling/Drawing
• Cook/Bake Healthy Recipes

While we certainly wish that “Netflix & Chill” could be on this list, make sure to do something active for your mind AND body often. You are your own powerhouse…so make sure to take care of yourself to sustain all aspects of life, both required and desired.

How To Keep Your New Year’s Fitness Resolution

Ever heard of the old saying “New Year, New You”? This statement alone is why we see an influx of people at the gym at the beginning of each year. However, even the best fitness resolutions can be tough to keep up with... a lot can happen in that year! Although keeping motivated can be tough, do not fret! Girl Fight Fitness can help you succeed by following a few simple guidelines:

1.    Set Timely Goals

It’s easy to get caught up in a big plan. “I’m going to go to the gym more often this year” is not a specific time or plan. Instead, try setting a goal more like: “I’m going to the gym four times a week”. This goal is measurable by time rather than having a broad goal that is hard to follow.

2.    Write It Down

Does this sound familiar? I think we’ve said it before, but writing down your goals really does help! If you don’t already have one, buy a personal planner. Not only can you keep your workouts organized, but you can write other things down (like birthdays too)!

If you’re more of the electronic type, you can always set weekly reminders on your phone’s calendar for the days that are feasible to fit in a workout. Our world is becoming increasingly technologically savvy by also having smart watches that will remind us of important events. If you own one, you can sync your calendar to your watch to avoid missing a workout!

3.    Give Yourself Powerful Messages

We all have quotes that we resonate with. We have ones that empower us, make us grateful, and motivate us.

This may seem silly, but hear us out! Take a stack of post-its and write down your favorite inspirational quotes. After you’re done (doesn’t matter how many you have), put them on your mirror at home, a desk computer, or in your purse. Each time you see/find these quotes, they will remind you that you are worth every minute you spend on yourself.

A Girl Fight Favorite is: Mind Over Matter.

Our bodies can handle so much more than we think we can. Just remember this quote and allow it to be the spirit of each workout that allows you to obtain your goal. What’s even better?...Our Girl Fight community members empower each other!

4.    Pick a Favorite Class/Instructor

Now, with this being said, we hope all trainers are your favorite!! However, we know there are certain styles of class/teaching that you will enjoy more than others! If you know that a certain day/time works for you and it happens to be your favorite class/trainer, book the class a month at a time*. For example, if you like the 5:30 class on Tuesdays, book it for the entire month of January. Then, towards the end of January, reassess the best day/time and book the entire next month for that class (keep in mind this can be done for multiple classes). Soon, it will be a habit and you will have to schedule other events around YOUR time.

*Please remember: If you end up having an unavoidable conflict and cannot make it to class, you have 2 hours before class time to cancel in order to not incur a $5 charge (Girl Fight Memberships)!

5.    Review

Set aside time to review your progress. This can be done monthly or quarterly to see where you think you need to improve or pull back. As always, our bodies tell us when we need to rest and when we can push ourselves. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! This is super important. If you push yourself when you are unable, that is when injuries can happen and impede the progress you’ve made. Therefore, it is better to rest a day or two, if needed.

We hope you follow these tips to guide your fitness success. If you need us, we’re here! There are also challenges that occur multiple times a year, like the 6 Week Weight Loss Challenge! Not only do you lose weight, but you can win cash too (subject to rules and regulations**). 

The first one of 2020 starts on January 21^st, so be sure to check it out now!

A virtual cheers to a very healthy and Happy New Year!

-Your Girl Fight Family

**Additional information available on website

How to Get Motivated to Work Out

We all struggle to get to the gym sometimes. We have work, kids, school, friends, event commitments…the list goes on. So how in the world can we get motivated to keep in shape or lose the weight we’ve always wanted to? Girl Fight Fitness is here to provide a few tips to current and future members on how to get to the gym and fulfill your goals.

1. Write it down.  The first step to committing to a fitness goal (or any goal for that matter) is to write it down. Write your own personal goal (realistic please!) in a place you look at often. This place can be a journal, a planner, or on a dry erase board. Nevertheless, it will remind you of the reason you started. Also, keep in mind…people change, health and fitness changes, and these goals can change too. Just track your progress.
2. Hold yourself accountable.  Plan a schedule ahead of time. Pick your favorite workouts or class times and put them in your schedule as if they are important business meetings you must not miss. Imagine that your business meeting takes place at Girl Fight, your co-workers are your Girl Fight community and the topic of discussion for that hour is your trainer telling you how to effectively hit that bag for maximum effectiveness. At the end of class, you can check off your workout on your daily list! That will feel pretty good.
3. Don’t let a bad day get you down.  It’s easy to say, “I’m just going to go home because I don’t feel well”. Please listen when we say…THIS IS NORMAL. Try to come to class anyway and we may just prove ourselves to lift your spirits. Now, we’re not telling you to come when you are ill, but just recognize that we as humans aren’t going to feel 100 percent or do our best every day. In those “blah” moments, you have your Girl Fight trainers that can provide modifications in every class if need be and your Girl Fight community to support you. We promise that you will say “I’m glad I came” when you leave.
4. Find a workout buddy.  Schedule to meet up with a friend for a workout just as if it were a dinner date or a happy hour. You’ll be a lot less likely to bail on your workout if you know someone is waiting for you. Also, would it be too bold to suggest picking someone you like!?
5. Additional Girl Fight programs.  Don’t worry, we hold you accountable too! There are many additional Girl Fight Fitness programs that we hold sporadically throughout the year with built-in accountability. Some previous and current programs include:
1. Couch to 5K running.
2. 6 Week Weight Loss Challenges to win cash and prizes (stay tuned for the next on in Nov/Dec).
3. And, for those new to Girl Fight... 6 months of free personalized coaching with your membership!

If you ever have any questions for your Girl Fight team, let us know!

PSL: What does that mean for your workout?

PSL has become the highlight of autumn. It has even arrived at our local fast food chains earlier than years past. However, we wanted to know the nutritional value of pumpkin spice lattes and how you can still enjoy a seasonal beverage without costing your Girl Fight Fitness lifestyle plan.

While Starbucks and Dunkin’ have the standard pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin swirl latte (respectively), McDonalds is making its differentiating plunge into the 2019 pumpkin spice season by adding caramel as its standard fall beverage. We will break down the nutritional value of each of these medium-sized hot fall beverages:

Beverage	Cals	Fat	Carbs	Sodium	Sugar
Starbucks PSL (2%Milk)	380	14g	52g	240mg	50g
Dunkin’ Pumpkin Swirl Latte	340	9g	53g	210mg	52g
McDonalds Caramel PSL	290	7g	41g	190mg	40g

Keep in mind, Girl Fighters, these nutritional facts are based on a 2000 Calorie daily diet. This is the standard caloric capacity to maintain weight. Therefore, if your fitness goal is to lose weight, some of these beverages may negatively affect your goal depending on other daily meal choices. We are not saying to not participate in the fall indulgences, but we want you to be mindful of how drinks can impact fitness progress.

For example, if you are looking to eat only 1500 calories a day to lose one pound each week*, one fall drink ranges from 20%-25% of your diet for one day. You may say, “Well it doesn’t sound that bad because I’ll be working out later”. While that may be true, still consider that one PSL is generally equivalent to one Girl Fight Fitness class.

So, what can we do to still enjoy the pumpkin spice season and still hit our fitness goals!? Well if you’re a coffee lover, a Pumpkin Spice Coffee may just do the trick for your taste buds and cozy autumn spirit.

A medium size coffee at any of these three aforementioned chains range from 4-5 Calories, 0g Fat, 0g Carbs, 10mg Sodium, and 0g Sugar (unless you add cream and sugar to your order). So, by getting a regular coffee and adding the pumpkin spices to it, you can still participate in the craze with less impact to your fitness goals**.

*Varies per person

**This information is based on nutritional facts obtained from chain websites as of 9/6/2019 and may change at any time. Please use the customizable nutrition facts on each site depending on where you obtain your coffee from to find the nutritional value for your chosen drink and additions like cream, sugar and pumpkin spices. This post is merely a demonstration of how pumpkin spice can be a part of your lifestyle while still achieving personal fitness goals.

10-Minute Workout When on a Time Crunch

Are you having a busy day and can’t make it to the gym? It’s okay! Girl Fight Fitness has you covered with a 10-minute workout (no equipment needed) that will keep you feeling good and on track with your overall fitness plan! Be sure to do each exercise for 60 seconds with a 20 second rest period in between each, unless otherwise noted.

Strength

·         Push-Up

o   Target Areas: Chest, Back, Arms

o   Instructions:

§  Assume plank position.

§  Hands must be directly under your shoulders.

§  Make sure your pelvis is tucked and your neck is neutral.

§  Lower yourself down, keeping your back flat until your chest nearly touches the ground.

§  Push yourself back up.

§  Repeat until the 60 seconds is up.

·         Modified Plank Jacks

o   Target Areas: Chest, Back, Abs, Arms, Shoulders

o   Instructions:

§  Assume plank position.

§  Hands must be directly under your shoulders.

§  Keep your feet together with a flat back.

§  Keep your abs engaged

§  Step out with your right foot and then bring it back in.

§  Step out with your left foot and then bring it back in.

§  Repeat until the 60 seconds is up.

·         Lunges

o   Target Areas: Glutes, Quads

o   Instructions:

§  With a straight upper body, shoulders down and back, abs engaged:

·         Step forward with your right leg, lowering at the hip with your knee right above your ankle, thigh parallel until it's at 90 degrees (make sure your knee is not in front of your ankle as this will cause pain and possibly injury).

·         Repeat, alternating between your left and right leg for the remaining 60 seconds.

·         Plyometric Squat

o   Target Areas: Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, Core

o   Instructions:

§  Stand straight, feet shoulder width apart, abs engaged.

§  Squat with knees bent at a 90-degree angle, thighs parallel (again, make sure your knee is above your ankle and not in front of your ankle as this will cause pain and/or injury)

§  Jump straight up into the air, using your legs to push up forcefully.

§  Land back down into squat position.

§  Repeat for the remaining 60 seconds.

·         Mountain Climbers

o   Target Areas: Abs, Arms, shoulders, Quads

o   Instructions:

§  Assume plank position.

§  Hands must be directly under your shoulders.

§  Keep your feet together with a flat back.

§  Keep your abs engaged.

§  Pull your right knee into your chest.

§  Place back on the ground.

§  Repeat, alternating between your left and right leg for the remaining 60 seconds.

·         Scissor Crunches

o   Target Areas: Abs

o   Instructions:

§  Lie down on your back (make sure there is no space under the small of your back).

§  Keep your arms palm face down by your sides.

§  Lift both legs up, keeping your abs engaged and the length of your back to the floor.

§  Lower your right leg down until it is just above the ground, keeping the left leg up in the air.

§  Lower your left leg down as you bring the right leg back up in the air.

§  Repeat, alternating between your left and right leg for the remaining 60 seconds.

Cardio

·         Jumping Jacks (45 seconds, 15 second rest)

o    Target Areas: Legs, Shoulders, Hips, Abs

o   Instructions:

§  Stand straight with a neutral spine and your arms at your sides.

§  Bend at the knee and jump out to a shoulder-width distance.

§  Bring your arms over your head simultaneously with the jump.

§  Jump back to center.

§  Repeat for the remaining 60 seconds.

·         Stationary Jogging (45 seconds, 15 second rest)

o   Target Areas: Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, Calves

o   Instructions:

§  Stand straight, feet hips width apart, abs engaged.

§  Start to kick each leg back towards the glutes, remaining in place.

Repeat, alternating your left and right leg for the remaining 60 seconds.