GETTING FIT WITH YOUR FITNESS FAM

Let me start by saying I have been a member at your "typical gym" now for YEARS. I moved to Los Angeles 2 years ago and instantly signed up for an amazing deal! An unlimited packaged at LA Fitness for $34 a month. Of course I could manage to afford that! I had access to all the LA Fitness studios in the state of California! So awesome! I went to the gym everyday before work, ran 3-5 miles, and was feeling energized and great! Well... that only lasted a few weeks. I started to feel like a ROBOT. I did THE SAME THING EVERYDAY! It didn't take long for it to start to feel extremely boring! I just didn't know what else to do at the gym, it was too early for any of their scheduled classes and there wasn't an open space for me to take my weights and even attempt to do my own thing, so I just did what I was comfortable with....going straight for the treadmill. I started to get extremely frustrated because I wasn't seeing any changes. My progress pics never showed progress.

I decided that I had enough and made the decision to take advantage of a Groupon my brother bought me before I moved to LA for an all women's gym in West Hollywood called Pink Iron! It looked so fun. They offered a Lean and Mean Bootcamp, Yoga, and a  Pink Fit weight lifting class. All the gym equipment was bright pink and was just so cute. I was actually really excited to check this place out. This particular gym had only a schedule of classes everyday, so right away I noticed it wasn't your average gym. This was an organized 60 minute class, coached by a certified fitness trainer, and filled with other women all eager to work out! At the beginning of my first Lean and Mean class the coach read the daily motivational concept on the white board and it said "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you." Then it HIT ME! I wasn't challenging myself at LA FITNESS by any means. I went in there everyday and ran my miles like it was nothing. No wonder I wasn't seeing change!

The reason I liked Pink Iron so much was because it was a CHALLENGE! I was always pushed beyond my limits, the trainers took the time to get to know me and my fitness goals, and they got to know me as a person. I also loved the sense of community! It didn't take long for Pink Iron to start to feel like family to me. They even had a Facebook Page for all it's members to join, chat, and stay updated on fun events and activities like Bring a Boy to Pink Iron Day, Holiday Parties, Competitions, Races, Events around Los Angeles like at Athleta at The Grove, and so many more cool, fun things to be a part of. Another amazing thing about Pink Iron is YOUR FIRST CLASS IS FREE!!!! They also offer an AMAZING $99/month unlimited for new clients if you decide to join and I promise you it is well worth it! 

But what if you are in love with more than one fitness community? NO PROBLEM! After seeing a new fitness studio called Orangetheory appear over and over at The Melrose Farmers Market in West Hollywood I decided to check it out, I mean why not?!?! They were offering 5 free classes! Wasn't about to pass that up! After the first class I felt exhausted AND I got my ass kicked, BUT the trainer was eye candy, the music was amazing, the workout was phenomenal, and well... lets just say I WAS SOLD! I joined! At the time I felt so overwhelmed in the world of fitness and was invested in so many other places so I got a class pack of 30 classes plus 8 free classes for signing up as a founding member of the studio! After months of going to Orangetheory the classes continued to get more challenging which I loved! (Orangetheory never repeats the same class! The workout template always changes.) I found myself doing things in a group workout session that I would never in a million years had done alone at the gym, like rowing, and weight lifting, and TRX! And best of all, I found myself making SO MANY new friends (not an easy thing to do in a big city like Los Angeles), having so much fun, and learning so much about myself and my body.

As the gym got more established they started some really fun things for all it's members! Orangetheory Fitness Los Angeles has monthly hikes and beach days (UP NEXT: Saturday July 30 Temescal Canyon Hike @ 9:30AM followed by some fun in the sun at Will Rogers @ 12:00PM EVERYONE IS WELCOME!) , vino and vinyasa classes, holiday parties, charity classes, fun fitness events around LA, and I even went to a class recently organized for a friend's birthday! And that isn't even all of it! They have held triple buddy challenges where members are encouraged to team up and attend 15 classes a month each and Spirit Week where 80s and 90s themed classes were held! They also have a $50 referral program for new members you bring to join. The first class at Orangetheory in LA is $12 (some locations even offer a first free class!) and they let you borrow a heart rate monitor to try out the class! And don't freak out ...this isn't just an "LA" thing. Orangetheory has locations all over the country and the world! One even just opened in my hometown back in Indiana! 

I understand that Fitness can get very expensive but I will say if you can find a way to fit it into your budget it is one of the BEST INVESTMENTS you can make. Your health is everything! A fitness community like Pink Iron or Orangetheory can range from $169 to $209 for a month of unlimited classes (if you invest in a year plan its always on the cheaper end of that spectrum) but I PROMISE you, you are getting what you pay for. At LA FITNESS I wasn't seeing change, I was simply showing up at the gym and going through the motions, I had no one there for motivation, I wasn't being given individual attention by a coach or trainer, and I wasn't given the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends because everyone at the average gym was "doing their own thing" and "marching around with headphones on". Since moving to LA one of the most important aspects of my life has become my Fitness Families and with that being said this month was my last month as an LA Fitness Member! Do yourself a HUGE FAVOR and take the time to find what works for you and what makes you HAPPY and FIT!

Stay FIT my FRIENDS.

XoXo, Brittney