TIGER FIT!Nutrition, Moves & Motivation!

5 Fit & Fun Review plus something NEW!

Last week, I recommended 5 Fit and Fun Things to do in the LA area:

• 1. Salsa Lessons with Samantha
• 2. LA Fitness Expo
• 3. Bikram Yoga Studio
• 4. Runyan Canyon
• 5. Capoeira Classes

This week, let’s review and I’ll recommend something NEW!

This weekend, I did 3 of the 5! Feel free to read on about whatever you were curious to try. I know I write a lot!

Bikram Yoga

Last Friday, I took my first class in Bikram Yoga Downtown LA. It was a little tricky figuring out where the parking garage was but the attendant was friendly. Since I’m always at least 5 minutes off my mark, I sprinted through the garage, through the court area to arrive to the store front studio. There was a nice reception staff and I could see people already lying on mats waiting for class to begin. I placed my mat, towel and water bottle by a mirror and started undressing to the skimpy gear everyone was wearing since it was already sauna hot in there. It was not the cleanest smelling and the light stayed on the whole time. In the mirror, it was astonishingly clear my body resembled AWAL Marine or Crossfit Games contestant by comparison.

The instructor made a point to mention my muscles anytime I was able or not quite getting these new moves. I find it fascinating to un-train my muscle memory with a new approach so I took it in stride. I’m inherently extra flexible in and out of shape yet I realize more is always possible if we allow ourselves to try something new. People there were all shapes, sizes, and ages- none so muscular, so I guess I was representing. The instructor hemmed and hawed the instructions over the room and sometimes she herself had appeared collapsed by a pillar shouting commands for the poses. If there was no sound, you would think she was calling out for water!

The class goes on for 1.5 hours and you will get a good sweat, lots of challenges to your core strength, balance and flexibility. I have 4 more sessions purchased. Nice people and something new. I would like to try out an early morning session next. Who’s with me?

LA FIT ExPo

Look! I am still posting photos on my Instagram of all the amazing people I met! Got to meet Adela Garcia, Jim Stoppani, Dexter Jackson, and Dana Linn Bailey to name a few on my list and even some I didn’t even know would be there!

This was the 11th Annual event for the LA Fit Expo hosting at least 100 fitness and health company vendor booths featuring industry experts and celebrities, fitness challenges, exhibitions, and even a live body competitions! The special guest list included many of my favorite www.bodybuilding.com Fitness Gurus and Body Competitors. My third time attending, my agenda was not samples or spectate a show but to meet other successful professionals passionate about fitness. The convention center was extremely crowded and though, I live for the stage, I was feeling a mite dizzy and anxious being thrust here and there in the crowd. Just when I was thinking every line was too long and some of my favorites were on lunch breaks, I turned and saw Ashley Horner, Professional Trainer, WBFF Competitor and Fitness Guru (the list goes on)! Well, long story short, she invited me to skip over the line for a photo and from there it was non-stop meeting all of my favorite people and meeting more favorites after that. I ran into body competitors from my gym by chance to see one win the Abs contest and another win 1st in Women’s Figure/2nd Overall! It was emotional to realize this is something I so want to do and here I was seeing someone I know, WIN!

I got tips and encouragement from so many awesome IFBB pros and Fitness Models such as Jessie Hilgenberg, Kizzito Ejam, Zhane Hadzic, Jennifer Rankin,  and NPC champ Mina Arroyo even gave me a lesson in bikini posing and stage strut. On my way leaving, Alicia Marie emerged from the crowd and I could have fallen over. Instead, I asked her about her current projects and got advice on my aspirations to compete. Next time, I will bring water since I floated out of there high on pre-workout juice and full from protein bar samples.

Runyan Canyon

If you ask me, “Wanna go to Runyan?” The answer is yes! In reality, it is a little tough to get me to my favorite canyon/dog park because I’m not good at parking on hills and there is a pool on my roof. Yes, I’m that honest! Yep, I’m one of those transplants living in a pool topped loft downtown. No hate!

What I love about Runyan, is just the sense of safety, the views, and giving my dog a chance to socialize while work my quads and heart climbing these hills and passing around the bends of this canyon. There are a couple more canyons I’d like to try yet I always appreciate the ones that are dog friendly since Charlie is a city loft dog since he was 8 weeks old. He cannot even enjoy wind on his face. He gets so disturbed he cannot wait to go back inside!

Well, Charlie took off and we recovered him at the second lookout point. He was eager for me to put his leash on as if he had finally exhausted his enjoyment of so much freedom. We followed up our hike with a large pizza at a joint in Hollywood. I will update the name later but the treat was sweet!

Something New

1. Griffith Park

2. Capoeira

3. Trampoline Bootcamp

4. Spin class with Kristie

5. Salsa with Samantha

More to come with details on these. Back to getting it done in the gym no matter the weather.

Let’s get it on!!!