Workout Hits Of 2011

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 2012 is here and full of potential. I don’t know about you, but I am ready for it all. One of my resolutions for 2012? To say “YES” more than “no”. To live in the world of possibility and to open myself up to more. Saying, “YES” forces you to step outside your comfort zone and allows you to experience all that life has to offer. In my life, I could use some work on saying “YES”. But when it comes to workouts, I’ll try pretty much anything once.  This past year, I tried a few new fun forms of exercise  and rediscovered a love for some of old favorites. Below are my workout “hits” of 2011 and the collection of songs that made every workout a blast.

VIPR

Ill have to admit, at first I was skeptical of this workout tube. But after a few workouts (and LOTS of butt soreness) I had become a VIPR convert.

ViPR is an acronym for vitality, performance, and reconditioning. It’s about VITALITY: a re-newed sense of energy and movement possibility. Its about PERFORMANCE: performing at the highest level possible with plenty to spare. Its about RE-CONDITIONING: Regaining the power to move effectively and efficiently once more. At the heart of VIPER is the concept of whole-body integration (WBI). There exists an old adage: “We are stronger as a whole than the sum of our parts.” I found out first hand this year – when you train with the VIPR you become stronger.  CLick HERE to read more about VIPR training and it’s benefits. Or watch my  nerdy VIPR demo video below.

 

Balletone

This dance-inspired workout, places heavy emphasis on foot strengthening, flexibility, and fitness for EVERYbody. I was first introduced to Balletone back in 2010 with mentor and friend Shannon Fable. This year, it continued to be part of my fitness regimen and has been a GREAT way to stay consistent with my BAREFOOT strengthening.  What started almost a decade ago as simply Balletone®, this dance-based workout, has evolved into a family of programs spanning several genres accommodating a much wider audience of instructors and consumers.

Balletone® Programs are fast-forwarding the mind-body & fitness movement as one of the hottest fitness trends worldwide. The Balletone program has been featured on NBC, ABC TV news affiliates, and Medstar Television as one of the nation’s hottest new fitness trends. Other media, including Club Industry Magazine, the New York Sun Times and Healthclub.com have also highlighted Balletone as one of the new and innovative fitness programs to watch. Balletone, developed specifically for the non-dancer, offers the best of dance conditioning exercises presented in a user-friendly fitness format. This “ballet-for-fitness” approach brings the benefits of classical movement and dance to people of all fitness levels. With an emphasis on form, quality and grace of movement, Balletone is designed to enhance body awareness and flexibility, strengthen core muscles, and improve overall conditioning. Balletone®  is often referred to as , deceptively challenging workouts that everyBODY can do. What exactly does Balletone look like? Watch the clip below for a quick sample of a Balletone fitness move:

 

One of my good friends and Balletone Instructor’s Ken Scott teaches local classes in San Francisco. Balletone also offers fitness videos for purchase that you can try at home (and yes I have used the Standing Flow DVD in my studio living room more than one time 😉

Read more about Balletone by visiting their website: http://www.balletone.com/ or checking out their FACEBOOK fan page! 

 

Anti- Gravity Treadmill

When I first stepped inside the M2 Revolution Endurance Performance Studio I felt like I was home. Runners, cyclists, and endorphin junkies come to this training facility to work with Coach Michael McCormack to improve performance in the sports they love. Endurance sports?! Yup… my kinda place 🙂 McCormack is a talented, professional, and passionate mentor and coach. I feel fortunate to have him in my life as a training partner and friend. In his studio he hosts indoor cycling classes on the CycleOps training bikes and is houses one of San Francisco’s only Alter-G Treadmill Machines. This Anti-Gravity treadmill is also known as “weightless running”. Unlike pool running, this machine actually allows you to REALLY RUN while unweighting your body as much as needed for your specific goal.

This un-weighting effect offers benefits while running that build run specific endurance without the pain and risk associated with full-weight impact on joints, bones, tendons, and muscles. With a simple touch of a button, a runner can reduce bodyweight in 1% increments, all the way up to 80% of bodyweight. Watch my video below to see how this revolutionary piece of equipment works:

 

Anyone and everyone can benefit from training on the Alter G Treadmill. Perfect for injured runners during rehab, athletes looking for performance benefits, older runners looking to be nice to joints, and fitness enthusiasts. Read more on the ALTER G and M2 Revolution here.  And THANK YOU Coach Michael for allowing me to experience “Running On AIR!”

Check Out M2 Revolution for Michael’s Incredible Coaching: http://www.m2rev.com/ 

BOSU

I LOVE BOSU fitness products and teach with them on a weekly basis. The “half-shaped ball” has been around for a while…. . yet many fitness fanatics are confused by this training tool.

“Is it a bouncy step or just another way to do a fancy pushup?” “Are there limits to what you can do with it?” “What the heck does ‘BOSU’ stand for?”

*Pronounced “Bo,” like the boy’s name, and “Sue,” like the girl’s name, BOSU products have revolutionized the fitness industry.

What began as the launch of one of the most innovative products the fitness industry has ever seen turned out to be just the start of a journey that continues to expand, shape and define functional training. Invented by David Weck, the BOSU® Balance Trainer debuted in 2000 and quickly became one of the most successful fitness training products in the world. Originally the name “BOSU” was an acronym for “Both Sides Up.” It meant that the BOSU® Balance Trainer could be used on either side, the dome or the platform.

Today, the term “BOSU” has evolved beyond the product to now mean “Both Sides Utilized,” a mindful approach to exercise that is a step beyond traditional training. All of the BOSU® products and programming, are grounded in exercise science and proven in real-life application. Read more on the SCIENCE behind the products HERE.

It doesn’t matter if you’re facing the toughest competition of your athletic career, looking to return to a fitter you, or just starting out. BOSU® Training can see you through it all with new challenges and exercise progressions always just around the corner. I believe BOSU training will continue to expand, shape, and define what functional training is, what it can accomplish, and ways in which it can impact the human body and mind. I challenge you to take your diversify your exercise program – DISCOVER what BOSU® training can do for you! Next time you’re in the gym, give my quickie BOSU Balance Trainer Core Circuit a try, let me know how you like it!

Cycling… For a Cause

I’ve always loved cycling, especially when it goes to benefit others besides myself. Last year was the first Cycle for Survival event in San Francisco and it is one of my favorite memories of 2011.

This national, indoor relay-style team cycling event has raised more than $9 million in support of life-changing research on rare cancers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, one of the world’s premiere cancer research institutions. The event last March 2011 was incredible to participate in. Together we raised $200,000.000 for the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. It was an event to remember and got me excited to do it again bigger and better than ever before.

This year I will be riding in the event again with over 10,000 other cyclers from across the country and around the world to make a difference in the lives of millions of people affected by rare cancers. Rare cancers include cancers of the brain, ovarian, pancreatic, leukemia, lymphoma, sarcoma, all pediatric cancers, and countless others that all desperately need our attention and help.

Click HERE to visit my personal page.

Or view the team page for my team, FEARLESS FITNESS San Francisco

Id also like to invite you to join us at this year’s event. We will need all the cheers we can get!

Here are the details:

CYCLE FOR SURVIVAL.

Saturday February 4, 2012

10 AM – 2 PM

EQUINOX Fitness Club

301 Pine Street, San Francisco, CA

Sweating for a cause does a lot of good  for YOU and for others. Looking forward to another fun ride with Cycle For Survival 2012!

VIPR, Balletone, BOSU, and Running on Air. What a year of workouts its been! What was your favorite workout of 2011? Anything new that you tried that you fell in love with or decided wasn’t for you?

Last but not least, heres my “Best of 2011” Playlist. Below are a few of the songs that kept me motivated to SWEAT this year. Its a nice refresher of all our top playlist hits, 2011 was a year of great music!

  • Adele – Rolling In The Deep
  • Adele – Someone Like You Remix
  • Black Eyed Peas – Just Can’t Get Enough
  • Bruno Mars – Grenade
  • Bruno Mars – The Lazy Song
  • Britney Spears – Till The World Ends
  • Cee Lo Green – F* You
  • Enrique Iglesias – Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You)
  • Foster the People – Pumped Up Kicks
  • Jennifer Lopez – On The Floor
  • Jeremih feat. 50 cent – Down On Me
  • Katy Perry – Firework
  • Katy Perry – E.T.
  • Katy Perry – Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
  • Lady Gaga – Born This Way
  • LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem
  • LMFAO – Sexy and I Know It
  • Lupe Fiasco – The Show Goes On
  • Maroon 5 – Moves Like Jagger
  • Nicki Minaj – Super Bass
  • OneRepublic – Good Life
  • Pink – Raise Your Glass
  • Pitbull – Give Me Everything
  • Rihanna – S&M
  • Rihanna – We Found Love
  • titanium ( feat. sia) / David Guetta
  • Motivation (Rebel Rock Remix) [feat. Lil Wayne] / Kelly Rowland
  • Stereo Love / Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina
  • More (RedOne Jimmy Joker Remix) / Usher
  • Sweat (Snoop Dogg vs. David Guetta) [Remix]
  • Peacock – Katy Perry
  • Hello (Single Edit) – Martin Solveig & Dragonette

Well 2011, its been fun. But Im ready to move ON. CHEERS to a New Year full of great new workouts, power packed playlists, and saying “YES” to life.

Happy New Year to you all. Looking forward to a bright and blissful 2012 with you.

Caroline

Other Things To Check Out This week:

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