O is for Orange Theory Fitness

January 26, 2015.Reading time 3 minutes.

Sweat Summary
Website: http://www.orangetheoryfitness.com/
Address: nationwide (click here for KS locations)
Avg. length of class: 1hr
Drop in rate: $28 (first class is free)
ClassPass: No
Wtfartlek Sweat Scale: 7 out of 10
Best for: Cardio + Toning (interval training)

K is for Kri Chay’s Urban HIIT FITT

January 23, 2015.Reading time 1 minute.

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training and is a great workout for rapid fat loss. This is one of my favorite things to do with my sister. She has shed some serious pounds doing this workout. Urban HIIT FITT was founded by coach Kri Chay. He was rated Top 100 in Best Personal Trainers in Kansas City.

P is for Pilates 1901

January 23, 2015.Reading time 2 minutes.

I have to admit, I landed here because of Groupon. Nope, I didn’t even use LivingSocial like a classy lady. This was my first pilates experience with a chair and reformer. The staff is super patient and helpful. T school is unique because it offers a wide range of classes + personal training for all fitness levels.

H is for Health House

January 23, 2015.Reading time 6 minutes.

Sweat Summary
Website: http://www.healthhousekc.com/
Address: 8029 State Line Rd. KC, MO 64114
Avg. length: 30-45min
Drop in rate: $25
ClassPass: Yes
WTFartlek Sweat Scale: 10 out of 10
Best for: Cardio + Toning

F is for Fartlek

January 23, 2015.Reading time less than 1 minute.

So what the heck is a fartlek? Fartlek is Swedish for “speed play.” As a runner I am super familiar with this word and yes it still makes me laugh when I say it out loud. Unlike tempo and interval workouts the fartlek is unstructured. After you warm up, you play with speed by running faster for short periods of time followed by easy running for recovery. You can easily work this in during a training run or fun run. The goal is just to keep it free and unpredictable while pushing yourself during those speed bursts.

24 is for 24 Hour Fitness

January 23, 2015.Reading time 3 minutes.

Let’s start with the basics before we get crazy. 24 hour is cheap and affordable. There are locations all over the country and with a general membership you can pop in to a number of those locations across the United States. Each location is hit or miss and the quality of the group fitness classes widely depend on the instructor. I like to think of 24 as my home base. Shout out to my girl Jeanine at Ward Parkway. For the most part, the equipment is basic and the locker rooms leave a lot to be desired but you get what you pay for. If you’re on a low budget or travel a lot this is a good place to start. The type of classes offered vary by location but in KC here are my faves.

First blog post of 2015. Actually, first blog post ever.

January 23, 2015.Reading time 1 minute.

Over the years I have learned that the fitness industry has no limits. Every day I browse Instagram and Twitter and discover some crazy new workout. Um, who wants to be modelFIT? Me! Well apparently there is a dude in NYC dubbed the “The Model Whisperer” who can make that happen.