CLASSPASS: FINAL THOUGHTS

*FTC Disclosure: I was provided a month free of classpass to try out in exchange for promotion of the program, all opinions are my own.

There was supposed to be a "Classpass: week 2/3" post but.. here we are in February. Woops. 

I've wrapped up my month trial with classpass and want to get some of my final thoughts.

Perhaps the biggest thing I learned through this process was a) what type of workouts I enjoy and b) what type of exerciser I am. 

Here's a confession: in the last year+ at Lifeitme, (not including barre classes or yoga) I have pretty much solely ran on the treadmill or eliptical for 30 minutes and then been done. When I think about what I'm paying a month for my Lifetime (which is onyx level.. so.. $$$ cha-ching $$$) that is hardly maximizing my time or money. 

The plain truth is when I'm not in the confines of an hour long structured class-type workout, I just don't push myself. I make excuses, "oh, NEXT WEEK I'll research those weight machines that scare me and start doing that on certain mornings as well as running!" Turns out, "next week" never came. 

The BEST part about classpass for me, and what differs from Lifetime, is the sheer number of types of classes at certain time slots. If I decided I wanted to work out after work on a Thursday and was browsing for a 5:30/6:00 class, Lifetime may have 3-4 options, but none that interest me that particular day. Classpass, the conversation is so different. Instead of, "well, out of step class, spin and water aerobics.. I guess spin sounds fine today." It's, "hmm, which of these 6 spin classes at 5:00, 5:15, 5:30 or 6:00 do I want to attend." 

Despite this realization, it was still hard for me to come to terms with the idea of canceling Lifetime, for a few reasons. First, even if my workouts were piddly, I loved the routine of the mornings I DID drag myself to the gym: running, showering, getting ready around other people. I felt accomplished those mornings. The reality of classpass is a majority of the gyms I want to attend don't have showers, which makes it a virtual impossibility for me to workout int he morning. 

Second, I learned a little bit more about classpass's structure that made me a little nervous. The participating gyms don't get compensated for being a part of classpass. The incentive primarily is advertising, getting new people to the gym, and then perhaps selling ancillary services. I do see the value in the advertising (perhaps not AS much as my advertising husband would) but I started to wonder- with classpass being a "newer" idea, what if gyms decided they didn't see the return they wanted to and pulled off classpass? I have absolutely no reason to think this (*besides my general anxiety about money that I apparently projected onto small gym owners...?) but it was a thought of mine.  This was even more prevalent when I thought -what if it were my more favorite gyms? 

Ultimately though I can't stay at a gym that I'm not maximizing and that I'm paying $30 more a month than a classpass monthly membership would be (onyx level.. kills me...), based on these fears. I've reassured myself that IF something goes terribly wrong with this classpass model, Lifetime will ALWAYS be there. I can always go back. But I owe it to myself to try something that really motivated me, even if it meant giving up a few nights a week to attend classes- something you'd have to drag me kicking and screaming to do post-work at Lifetime (the parking lot. so busy. so anxiety inducing- also why I would run for 30 minutes and want to go home). 

In the confines of a group fitness structure though, those anxieties about getting home late dissipate, or at least the class goes by so fast that it doesn't register.  

So, since I was behind the 8-ball and waiting on some job stuff.. (#vaguemention) I've already paid for the month of February at Lifetime. I'm going to force myself in there sometime this month (before March gets taken out) and try to "quit the gym."

I can't thank classpass enough for offering me this opportunity. It seems trite to say it was life-changing, but it certainly has the possibility to be! It's gotten me more excited about fitness than I had been in, well, ever. 

CLASSPASS

*FTC Disclosure: I was provided a month free of classpass to try out in exchange for promotion of the program, all opinions are my own. 

Every once in a while this little blog affords me the opportunity to do something really neat. 

This is one of those times. 

I was contacted by Jess to participate in the launch of classpass in Minneapolis. 

What is classpass? 

Since they'll explain it better than I ever could: 

Basically it's a REALLY SWEET alternative to a traditional gym membership. 

I have a lot of friends who love Pure Barre and Corepower Yoga, and other boutique fitness clubs. BUT like most people, I love some variety. This is, in large part, why I haven't ever committed to joining a single studio. Classpass lets you do just that: for LESS than the cost of a traditional gym membership, you get to take unlimited classes at multiple types of studios (no more than 3 times at each studio). 

Another plus is it lets you discovery new studios that you may not have otherwise had the opportunity to attend! AND even better? No yearly membership requirements. It's month by month, no commitment. 

Check out classpass.com to see a list of participating studios as well as the FAQ page for more details! No better time to start on those New Years resolutions...right? ;-) AND Classpass is already in NINETEEN other major cities- check out the FAQ for a list of the cities! 

Me? I'll be yoga-pilate-cycling it UP this month. Follow along on IG (kellybea14) with #classpass  #livingthesweatylife #ClassPassMinneapolis. I'll post some studio reviews and updates on here as I go as well!

WHAT NOT TO DO AT THE GYM

In honor of the fact that I actually dragged myself out of bed this morning to go to the gym (for some reason it's been terribly difficult lately) I thought I'd share this super helpful post I've had drafted.

It's called, what not to do at the gym (but perhaps not what you're expecting it to say):

1. DON'T BITCH ABOUT 'YOUR SPOT' IN GROUP FITNESS
For all you know the person 'taking your spot' has been TERRIFIED of participating in a group fitness class for this very reason and has been avoiding trying one out for weeks. They finally work up the courage and there's the know-it-all gym douche shooting them daggers for stealing their 'spot'- news flash, you don't own shit at the gym, let alone a spot.

2. (on a similar note): DON'T BITCH ABOUT PEOPLE WHO BUMP INTO YOU DURING ZUMBA/BARRE/WHAT-THE-F-EVER CLASS
Again, maybe this is their first class. Maybe you should cut people some slack. Maybe not everyone can hip thrust to the beat JUST.LIKE.YOU. Maybe you are the reason they're scared to try a group fitness class. Maybe you should get over yourself.

3. DON'T TALK SHIT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO TEXT ON WORKOUT EQUIPMENT
Maybe they're having a really awful day and needed to talk to someone about it. Maybe they're figuring out logistics for dinner with their husband. WHATEVER the reason, it DOES NOT AFFECT YOU- so stop being an asshole about it.

4. DON'T JUDGE PEOPLE WHO LEAVE THEIR HAIR DOWN
This could be the ONE DAY in their ENTIRE LIFE they forgot a hair binder, but you still take it upon yourself to judge them. Maybe they have a birthmark they're embarrassed of and don't want to put their hair up. Bottom line is- you don't know and again- IT DOESN'T AFFECT YOU.

5. DON'T JUDGE PEOPLE FOR WHAT THEY'RE WEARING
So sorry, don't have a trust fund, can't fucking afford a wardrobe packed with neon lululemon. Also, sorry if you think someone is wearing the "wrong type of top" to be wearing for running, I didn't know the gym had a wardrobe police.

6. DON'T TELL PEOPLE THEY'RE "DOING IT WRONG" IF THEY'RE NOT SWEATING
Sorry that you have out of control sweat glands.. but news flash: not EVERYONE sweats like a hog. This does not mean they aren't feeling it in their muscles or they're not working hard. Also, you have NO idea where they're at in their health journey, and you have NO idea how hard that "easy looking workout" may be for them. Come up with a better metric for measuring "gym success", gym douche.

7. COME JANUARY 1, DON'T LOUDLY PROCLAIM THAT YOU CAN'T WAIT UNTIL MARCH WHEN ALL THESE NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS "FALL OFF THE WAGON"
There's really not enough acceptable profanity to express how much I want to hold these people underwater when I hear this phrase. People are giving fitness an honest to god run during new years? GOOD FOR THEM. But you, gym douche.. you need to let everyone know YOU'VE been there since last summer. You work out 5 mornings a week and will be here in March when some people lose steam. YOU can go jump off a cliff.

8. (not "gym" related, but work out related): STOP CORRELATING WORKING OUT WITH, "BECAUSE, POOL SEASON!" 
News flash: not all women work out to look good in a bikini. I understand that's not the entire reason YOU even work out, so why are we perpetuating that stupid phrase? Want to know the number of times I find myself in a bikini for prolonged periods in the summer? Probably 5. Unless I happen to be at/near some kind of beach vacation. Even then. That was something I found far more common at 22, 23. At 27? Not so much. If you're 27+ and make that a priority? Great! I just don't find myself near water all that often. I work out to feel better, stronger, and oh yeah- because my dad had a major heart attack 6 months ago and the docs said it wasn't diet or exercise, it was his genes. Boom, genetic lottery. (Also, this is a shout out to the people who tell me "you don't even need to work out!" --- I didn't know heart attacks cared about your waistline...#weird).

This post was brought to you by the gym douches: self righteous bitches who lord their health and fitness over you, who act like they own the gym, who bitch about things that DO NOT AFFECT THEM. Am I a perfect gym goer? (WHAT?! You didn't know that I went to the gym about 3-4 times a week? Is it because I don't talk about it EVERY DAY? Weird.) NO. But I do my damndest not to side eye people exhibiting peculiar behavior (of which the bar is VERY high for me, since I am very peculiar) because I sympathize MORE with them, than the gym douche decked out in LuLu. (Obviously I know not everyone in lulu is a gym douche, I'm using it as an exhibit).

When I went to my first Barre Fusion class? I was TERRIFIED. I had SO MUCH anxiety about knowing what to do when I walked in the room, being in the right room, grabbing the right items. I actually got there 25 minutes early, thought I was at the wrong room, asked the help desk, and then THANK GOD set my mat down in the PERFECT spot where the bar was about to be set up so I actually don't think it was super obvious that it was my first class but I was SO scared. I know that sounds idiotic but do you want to know WHY? Because of all the bitches who have ever written a "what not to do at the gym" blog post, like they invented the idea of working out.

JUST STOP.

/end rant.