EAST LONDON EXPEDITION- ETHOS

This post was written by my friend, Dr. Viva. She's a recently qualified medical doctor and a fellow Jamaican girl in London. 

We normally do fitness adventures together, but honestly on this occasion I was just way too hung over to even leave my house!

She very kindly did a quick review of Ethos Gym in East London. 

Enjoy!

So decided to try a new gym this weekend, ventured east for a change. 

Ethos is a very impressive gym overall, and an interesting concept. They have yoga, TRX, spinning and barre based classes- all with a bit of a twist ("Warrior", "Detox" etc). They also offer nutritional services, general "wellness" services, and a cafe with food and smoothies. They have pay as you go class option (£20 a class), or you can buy a block of classes, or a monthly pass for £120 for 8 classes OR you can go in it through class pass - so quite a few options

The location is great- right in Spitalfields Market which is 5 minutes from Liverpool Street Station. The set up is quite "open" and relaxed, lots of glass and open windows makes it seem bigger than it is 

In terms of the class- I did a ballet barre blast class. I was expecting a chilled but challenging barre class but was pleasantly surprised (I say this in retrospect, at the time I was nursing a hangover and on 3 hours sleep). The class was hard AF. It was classical ballet music, and all ballet technique, but at a faster pace in a warm (hot) room. There was more cardio (think jumping and high speed leg lifts), with resistance bands for added boost. I loved it. I'm a past dancer and it was taught by an excellent and clearly very experienced instructor who I really admired. (She even sent us music and choreography after the class). I sweat more than in a spinning class (alcohol allllll gone) and felt sore but energised and well stretched. 

Overall-  very different and cool gym, with variety of classes (my next one to try will be a TRX personally). 

Peace out east London, for now... 

photos above from google.com/images

BODYISM, LONDON - Be Kind to yourself

Any fitness class that starts with a shot has to be a good time, right?

'Bodyism Warrior' is the signature class at James Duigan's Notting Hill members-only wellness studio - Bodyism. Before each class you are given a delicious 'Berry Blast' shot filled with acai, green tea and amino acids to rev up your metabolism, boost energy and help burn fat.

I  was invited to take a complimentary class at the studio after stopping by the 'Clean & Lean' cafe a few weeks ago.

Bodyism is famous for whipping super bodies into shape like Rosie Huntington-Whitely, David Gandy, Pippa Middleton and the forever iconic Elle Macpherson.

The lights in the studios are designed to provide additional Vitamin D and the air is specially purified and oxygenated for maximum wellness effect.

photo above from my gym twin @vivalevee 

Best guy, standing gaurd

We were greeted by a lovely girl (and that dog above) who gave us a tour of the facilities and explained membership options. She explained that the focus of the club is 'optimal health', and made sure to let me know it's exclusive and members-only. Membership includes a welcome pack, classes (depending on which membership tier you purchase) and discounts at the cafe and beauty treatment centre. Membership begins at £110 per month for the basic package up to £30,000 per year (yes, you read that right)

The signature class is about an hour long - it's fusion of yoga stretching, High Intensity Interval Training for fat loss (like high knees and even crawling around on all fours like an animal, that part was really funny) and Pilates for toning.

During the class it felt like we weren't working that hard. I wasn't panting or sweating like the classes at the other boutique gyms I've been to. But today, I can definitely feel it! Sneaky and effective.

After the class I treated myself to a gluten free, diary free, refined sugar free (fun free) yet somehow still delicious chocolate chip 'Life Changing Cookie' and a 'Body Brilliance' Smoothie - tag line: the Supermodels secret weapon (I'm a sucker for marketing)

We were encouraged to try the signature 'Bulletproof coffee' - shot of espresso, organic butter and coconut oil, but I wasn't feeling for any caffeine. Maybe I will try make it at home.

Sticker from Anya Hindmarch

Then we went to have a very late lunch at Granger & Co.which is only a few minutes walk away. Westbourne Grove is one of my favourite parts of London!

Photo above from google.com/images

Scrambled eggs and sourdough toast (with yummy melted butter)

Verdict

The experience was Amazing. I love the mantra - be kind to yourself and taking wellness as an experience and a lifestyle. 

Maybe one day when I have enough spare time and cash I'll take the membership... but for now the smoothies, and cookies will be just fine.

x o x o

ANOTHER_SPACE

Another gym post, but not just another gym. My new favourite!

Another_Space is located right in the heart of Covent Garden, less than 5 minute walk from Tottenham Court Road station. I've recently read that this gym has won prizes for being London's "most beautiful gym".

No memberships or joining fees, just the way we like it. You buy credits and credits = classes. 

They provide everything you need for a hassle free workout - meaning there is an entire section called "Pack Light" on their website. If you work in the area, or want to have a quick workout before brunch and a day of shopping, there's nothing better than not having the carry a heavy ass backpack around London. 

I'm talking Cowshed shampoo and conditioners, body lotions and facial cleaners, deodorants, fresh workout towels waiting in the studio, fluffy white towels for showering and biodegradable towels for your hair, cycling cleats and boxing gloves... the works!

This studio operates as a one-stop-shop for HIIT training, cycling and hot & normal temperature yoga. Their HIIT classes combine boxing and interval training, and the cycling is a similar set up to Psycle London (although I do prefer Psycle classes for how they choreograph with the music). I haven't tried a yoga class yet because yoga is boring

The Trainers are fantastic, they're super organised and the classes and explosive and well timed to the music so you leave the studio feeling like you gave it your all. 

Plus, there are there is a cafe that supplies food from The Natural Kitchen and mix-and-match smoothies for the perfect refuel. (My favourite is this breakfast smoothie with oats, banana, almond milk and almond butter)

photos from www.google.com/images

sweaty but smiling

The facilities combined with the effort and skill of the Trainers make this place my current numero 1 - if you haven't checked it out already get off your ass and get to it! 

Have you tried HIIT boxing, spinning or hot yoga? 

What's your favourite place to work out in London? Any recommendations? 

Let me know in the comments below! 

x o x o 

THE FIRST RULE OF FIGHT CLUB IS…

A few years ago, I saw a video of Adriana Lima and her preparation for the VS fashion show, standing in a boxing ring looking way too perfect for someone who just completed a day’s worth of training.

I’ve worked with a few trainers since then and I can honestly say boxing is one of my favourite exercises. I just picture some assholes face on the punching bag and jab, right hook, jab, jab -Frustrations out, sweat out, confidence up. 

Having a one-on-one personal training session every weekend is very expensive and unrealistic for my current budget and lifestyle. The boutique gyms around London give pretty much the same results without the price tag. 

Their facilities are immaculate and well designed, the trainers are attractive, friendly and the best at what they do. You can go to these spaces and do your class, have a special health smoothie, get some special health food in the special on-site café from their special on-site kitchen or even get your hair done in the salon surrounded by like-minded special people. Very LA.

My top picks for Boxing-HIIT combination classes are: 

• Another Space
• 1 Rebel
• Core Collective
• KOBOX London

My latest trip was to KOBOX on King’s Road, Chelsea. It’s sparsely decorated and very minimalistic, with a room for the classes and a boxing ring.

The fitness room is dark except for UV kind of lights, with big mirrors and colourful lights along the ceilings. My class had about 30 people, a mixed crowd of both men and women. My friends were quick to point out how hot all the guys were (apparently, an unusual phenomenon)

We did the full-body workout with a pint-sized fierce teacher called Maciela - it was so tough! We used weights, body-weight, punching bags, everything. You either start on the bags or on the wall and then switch after about 3 or 4 minutes with minimal rest in between.

Not looking like Adriana Lima after class

We pre-ordered our smoothies before the class so they were ready for us as soon as we were out. I had an almond-chocolate-protein-something and my friend had a coconut blueberry protein smoothie.

After we showered and cleaned up we took a stroll around Chelsea. Every Saturday there is a market by The Duke of York Square next to the Saatchi Gallery.

They have stalls with all kinds of food, from oysters and champagne to Ethiopian vegan wraps or crispy duck sandwiches. You can grab a bite and sit in the square where there is usually a live band playing. That afternoon a Spanish guitar group was playing The Gipsy Kings (my grandma loves The Gipsy Kings, who doesn't love the Gipsy Kings?)

SO good! But it was way too chilly to sit outside so we ended up having a long lunch at Nell’s further down King’s Road.

Do you like to keep fit with friends? Or maybe you prefer a strictly a boozy brunch or sleeping in all Saturday? 

Let me know in the comments below! 

xoxo

One Step, Two Step

Much to the dismay of all my English boarding school teachers, I - a 6 foot tall Jamaican - was NOT athletic. I was an uninterested, pseudo-rebel, I just did not want to do it. I spent so much time figuring out new, creative ways to get out of PE class and any games sessions, Joanne the Scammer would have been proud of me and the non-athletic rejects.

That all changed when I was in university and first started modelling. I was on the treadmill 5 or 6 times a week, running 5 or 6 kilometers each time. It was an obsession that became unhealthy. I went from being unfit and being insecure about my body to being super fit and even more insecure. I think when you're wrapped up in that kind of mentality nothing is good enough. No matter how many pounds I dropped, or bones I could count on my rib cage it did not seem like I had stopped being the girl I was in high school. Pounding my knees on those treadmills for many years made me develop some sort of tendinitis - I can't run 5 K any more.

Fitness is still a huge part of my life. I have a gym near my house that I try go to in the mornings before work. 6:15 am wake ups do not happen easily, so I don't go as much as I would like, and the pounds are visibly piling up.

What the Americans do the rest of us follow, and so the fitness-coconut-avocado-no-gluten craze has fully reached across the pond and cemented itself in our capital.

  Perfect sized portions at Detox Kitchen

This city has so many classes and studios to choose from. You don't need a membership, but the classes fill up quickly they have waiting lists.

One of my favourites is Psycle London Mortimer Street branch.

The classes are amazing - dark room, flashy lights, great music and at £20 per class it better be. They give you the cleats (spinning shoes) and can have your bike fully set up for your height before every class. Its a combination of using your upper body, lower body and some weights thrown for a full-body experience.

It is the only place in Britain I have ever heard a group of white people enthusiastically clap and whoop like a gospel choir. The facilities are immaculate white with clouds of freshly laundered towels, complimentary organic Bumble & Bumble hair products, dove deodorant, hair ties GHD hair straighteners and anything else a girl needs to grab a fancy-pants smoothie in the cafe outside.

The best part about the studio is the instructors. They make you feel like your part of a team, and when riding on the beat with 50 other tired ass people you really feel that way. I'll share my secret - if you like dancehall and hip hop, riding with Alana on Sunday at 11:45 on a Sunday is where you want to be.

Just try not to party all night and do a class in the morning.... trust me.