I had SO much fun “researching” the hardest workout classes in Orange County. Y’all know I love to lift hard and heavy, do yoga, and play lots of sports, so trying more classes definitely got me out of my routine. Trouble is, I want to figure out how to add them all INTO my routine! Click here for the Orange Coast magazine list of five hardest workouts in O.C.
Once you read that, here’s EVEN MORE insider downlow on the classes I named:
SeaFit Pilates
Taught by my pal Jen Christensen, this Megaformer pilates-esque workout is a million times harder than it looks. It honestly left me more sore than any other workout I tried.
CrossFit Balboa
Duh, this is my gym (even though I don’t really go to classes any more). It has some of the best programming around, and the people are rad. Still hangs onto its guilty-by-association with CrossFit Football and Power Athlete, so it’s definitely more strength-biased than the average CrossFit gym.
Full Psycle
I hate spin. I absolutely, completely, abhor spin. I do not understand how people can love it. However, I tried it because lots of people do love it. Full Psycle tapped into my competitive nature, pushing me to sprint on the damn bike when I didn’t want to—and that’s all you can ask for in a class. I’ve actually been back (though only with friends, I don’t know if I’ll ever go alone). Quick thought on that other spin studio: SoulCycle was cathartic but didn’t feel like as great a workout.
Radiant Hot Yoga
While this is the studio where I tore my hamstring, I still find it to be one of the “hardest” yoga practices. These days, however, I’m not generally searching for hard yoga, I’m searching for restorative, meditative, balancing yoga—which can be equally hard, to be sure.
Fitwall
Some of my flag football friends are coaching this silly bootcamp-on-a-wall/ladder-like-thing class, so when they wanted me to try it, I was skeptical, to say the least. But I was thoroughly surprised by how much I enjoyed it and saw quick, actual, results in leanness (although, lots of factors). I was also impressed by the coaches’ emphasis on form rather than reps—rare for this format of class.
For the original notes, click here!