Fits Do Fitness Class Reviews: 20-20-20

By: LL
I was recently asked to work as a sub for a fellow trainer's 20-20-20 class. During my spin instructing sabbatical, I have relished every opportunity to teach and try new classes. However, since I have never taken a 20-20-20 class, I knew that I needed to try out a few before I would feel comfortable filling in. So the other day, I went to my first 20-20-20 over my lunch.

For those of you unfamiliar with the 20-20-20 (or Three Workouts in One), this fitness class combines 20 minutes of cardio, with 20 minutes of strength training, followed by 20 minutes of core/balance with stretching. The class fits nicely into the lunch hour and gives you plenty of time to cool down during the last 20 minutes.

I attended a class taught by Fonda, a petite blonde who's energy was extremely contagious. The cardio portion consisted of low to high to low calesthetics (i.e. burpies, jump rope, step ups, jump squats), which she smoothly transitioned into strength training as she introduced light hand weights into the step ups. During the strength training, she focused on the biceps/triceps, shoulders, hip flexors and lower back, using 3 and 8 lb hand weights and an exercise ball. By the end of the 20 minutes, my legs were tired and I was ready for stretching, but had to get through just over 10 minutes of scissor kicks, side plants, and boat rows.

Even though the class only consisted of about 12 minutes of high energy cardio, that combined with the strength training, core, and stretching made for a tough workout. And even though I knew that each portion would last no more than 20 minutes, it did not make it any easier to get through.

Conclusion: I think that a 20-20-20 class has a very similar structure to other cardio and strength training classes, but it provides participants with a precise timeline. Plus, it is great for a short workout because it combines all three essential exercise components into one power hour - perfect for the lunch hour.

Fit the Bill: Nature Calls

By: LL
How do you feel about wearing a horse-printed blouse? Or what about if it were dogs? Or butterflies, perhaps? Maybe as you read this, you are currently experiencing flashbacks to your favorite screen-printed t-shirts or embroidered cardigans from when you were eight years old.

Well, prepare yourself to start wearing these prints once again. But this time, they will be subtle, non-childish in the form of horses, dogs, birds, and butterflies; all of which are making an appearance in adult fashion, and showing up on fashion blogs (Kendi in Wild Horses or Jessica in Band of Horses).

As as spark to get you thinking about answering "nature's call" and adding these prints to your spring wardrobe, below I've listed a few different pieces that fit the bill.

1. Bird Print Charmeuse Top (Old Navy - $36.94)
2. Stallion Stampede (ModCloth - $59.99)
3. Butterfly Tie-Waist Dress (Old Navy - $34.94)
4. Navy Dog Print Tunic (Dorthey Perkins - $39)
5. Butterfly Print Blouse (Zara - $80)
6. Study of Shape Dog Print Dress (Anthropologie - $158)
7. Gallop of Style Romper (ModCloth $79.99)

Just another fun, affordable way to spice up your wardrobe.

Fits for Men: Craft Beer Festival

By Jessie

It seems very timely that LL just wrote about beer and running here, and then the next night, my husband and I were at a local Craft Brew Festival  I have titled this post "Fits for Men" because even though I enjoy a good microbrew, my husband is definitely the beer "connoisseur" of our relationship. He loves beer- loves drinking it, brewing it, talking about it, reading about it; this event was right up his alley.


The festival was held at the beautiful Minnesota History Center in downtown St. Paul.

Tickets sold out in about 10 minutes, but like I said, the D-man really likes beer, so he ensured we had two tickets in hand for this event.

This craft beer sampling event celebrates beer brewed in Minnesota by the breweries and brew pubs that are current members of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild. Chase out the winter chill with a multitude of Winter Warmers, hearty food, beer education, entertainment and music.


The participating breweries are listed below. Each one offered up endless 2 oz samples of some of their most unique and limited brews. We tried quite a variety of different brews, some good...some not so good. But fortunately the not so good ones could go straight into this "dumping bucket"

A casual event like this craft brew festival was the perfect opportunity for me to try out my new Stella and Dot necklace!

In fact, these two "German" beer girls said they loved my necklace...or did they love my husband?

There were quite a few people at the event. It spanned three floors of the museum. 

We also talked to some local "celebrities", like Omaur Ansari, owner of Surly Brewing. He also loves beer. And he is a runner. He ran the NYC marathon last year- check out his time here)

It was a fun event, especially for people who are interested in all the different varieties of beer.


And did I run better this morning, as LL's article would suggest? No, I definitely did not.

Participating Breweries:

• August Schell Brewing Co.
• Barley John’s Brew Pub
• Big Wood Brewery
• Boom Island Brewing Co.
• Brau Brothers Brewing Co.
• Carmody Irish Pub & Brewing
• Castle Danger Brewery
• Cold Spring Brewing Co.
• Finnegans
• Fitger’s Brewhouse
• Flat Earth Brewing Co.
• Fulton
• Granite City
• Great Waters Brewing Co.
• Harriet Brewing

• The Herkimer
• Leech Lake Brewing Co.
• Lift Bridge Brewing Co.
• Lucid
• Mankato Brewery
• Olvalde Farhouse Ales
• Rock Bottom Brewery
• Staples Mill Brewing Co.
• Steel Toe Brewing
• Summit Brewing Co.
• Surly Brewing Co.
• Third Street Brewhouse
• Town Hall
• Vine Park

Fits Do Fitness Class Reviews- Bootcamp Closing Remarks

By Jessie

Today was the last day of circuits for bootcamp. Tomorrow, we have a yoga sculpt class from 7-8 am, and a final fitness test (pushups, situps, and cone hops) to see if we have improved from the first day.

Pros:

• Intense circuits EVERY morning from 6-7 am and 7-8 am on Saturdays 
• The circuits change every day and the exercises keep your muscles "thinking"
• Instructors are really fun and nice people. Lots of good energy!
• Motivational emails from the instructors with tips and advice to stick with the program!
• Facilities were great- showers, locker rooms, plenty of parking (especially that early in the morning in Uptown)
• Equipment- The variety of equipment that we used for the bootcamp was great- Ballast balls, TRX bands, BOSU balls, EVERYTHING!

Cons:

• Price- Expensive. (Stayed tuned for an upcoming guest blog about a FREE bootcamp through Lululemon!)
• Lack of nutrition focus
• Super sweaty! The floors get pretty sweaty and slick. The instructors try their hardest to keep mopping it up, but it can still get slick and dangerous.
• Lack of individual attention: the last bootcamp I did through Corepower was much smaller, and the instructors definitely got to know each person a bit better than this one.
• Accountability to show up- Again, the last bootcamp I did through Corepower was smaller, so you did not feel anonymous, and weren't tempted to skip. Without my friend Amber at the bootcamp, I might have been a lot more tempted to skip. Luckily, we kept each other on track, but I don't think most of the other participants had the same motivation. In fact, there were a lot of participants who did not show up that often.

In closing, I would sign up for another Corepower bootcamp, despite the costs. There may be an indoor/outdoor one offered in the summer that I would be interested in. This one was a welcome kick in the butt, and I do feel stronger and more toned. I think it's a good thing to do before a special event (wedding, vacation, etc)

However, I would argue that a 3/week bootcamp for a longer period of time would probably provide better results, and would be more maintainable as a change to your lifestyle, rather than just a temporary change.

Fundamental Fit: Beer and Running

By: LL
An ideal topic for the end of the work week!

For many of us, the light at the end of a long (heck, even a short) road race is the requisite beer. It doesn't matter how early in the morning, or how grueling the course. For many runners, a congratulatory beer is part of the experience. The famous Hash House Harriers have made worldwide clubs based on the mutual enjoyment of running and a cold brew.

Cool J and I are definitely amoung the group that adds some "hops" post run. So, imagine our delight when Cool J came across this Runners World article on beer, running, and (gasp) performance enhancement.

Putting together a study of 5 men and 5 women, ages 29-43, all moderate drinkers (as defined in this study as less than the recommended daily limits of two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women), who ran at least 35 miles per week. The study started by figuring out what the "normal" amount of beer consumed post run would be - staying below 0.07 BAC.

The study consisted of a "beer run" of 45 mintues at a steady pace on a treadmill, followed by a cold beer or placebo and a carb loaded dinner. Then, the following morning was an "exhaustion run," where the runners ran at a fast pace for as long as possible. Researchers measured heart rate and metabolic factors. After calling it quits, the runner could go home and rest, only to return that evening for a second "beer run," followed by beer or placebo and carbs. The next morning, the runners would complete their second "exhaustion run."

The author of this article said that even though she felt as if she did worse on the second "exhaustion run" because of her beer consumption the night before, she was wrong. She was actually served a placebo the night before that second run, not beer.

The study, even though small, found that the overall difference between the two "exhaustion runs" was zero because the women in the study were able to run at that fast pace for longer (22% longer) after drinking beer, but the men actually ran shorter (21% shorter) time after drinking. Ratings of perceived exertion, however, showed no significant difference between the two runs.

So what does this show? Keeping in mind that it was a very small sample size, it showed that beer is good for women and bad for men! Well, kind of. But more importantly, it shows that if beer has a negative impact on performance, it is a modest one.

So quit worrying about a few beers post run!

Creating Fits: Knotted Necklace

By: LL
Taking inspiration from this Anthropologie necklace:

I decided to combine multiple different strands of beads into a knotted necklace. Whereas the Anthropologie necklace used pastels, I wanted to use up some of the extra beads that I had laying around, so I went for a more vibrant collection of colors in different textures, using turquoise, coral, brown, mustard, and silver.

The necklace is a bit heavier than I would have liked, and it was difficult to get the knot just right. But I think that it is still a fun statement necklace that will compliment multiple outfits. Here is one example of how I wore it the other day.

Details:
Wool Coat: Gap Outlet (2010)
Sweater: J Crew
Black Jeans: Old Navy Rock Star
Boots: Macy's (2009)

As you will notice, due to the heaviness of the knot, it pulls down to the center and doesn't necessarily stay offset like it is meant to, but that is something that I worked to adjust by shortening the necklace.

Failed Fit: Bikini Pants

By: LL
As I previously discussed here, getting the right fit in denim can be a challenge. Let's face it, skinny jeans - no matter how much they stretch - are not necessarily for everyone. Instead, the key to great jeans is finding the color, rise, cut, and leg that is appropriate for your body type.

Unfortunately, through a recent chain of events, it was brought to my attention (thanks primarily to Cool J's friend, Mr. M) that a new style of denim is creeping in by way of Brazil and Japan to wear stretch bikini jeans. And I'm not talking about swimwear. Think more along the lines of when a pair of jeans is too low of a rise, causing one's choice of undergarments to peak out. But done on purpose! Designed into the jeans in fact!! This goes against all concepts of the right fit of denim!

Let me introduce you to Blue Jeans Stretch Bikini Pants:

These could very well be the epitome of the FAILED FIT. There is nothing good about these, unless for a laugh or a Halloween costume, perhaps. Check them out for yourself here. These are real - and a real bad failed fit. I hope never to see someone wearing these! I am definitely not promoting them, but I could not resist sharing - kind of like a bad accident - you cannot look away and you cannot stop talking about how horrible it was!