Mat Talk
Are you looking for a workout that will help you build strength, make you stronger in all of your athletic endeavors, or maybe simply looking for a class that will give you 50-60 minutes of pure hard work and fun? Regardless, we have got you covered at the studio. We caught up with four of our superstar instructors of different mat classes—including Tone & Trim, Strength + Sweat, and Rêve HIIT Up—to talk about what you can expect when you step off the bike and onto the mat. In addition to providing a killer workout, these classes provide you with new challenges that will improve your strength and stamina on the bike—and in all of your everyday activities. Amber, Abbey, Jennifer, and Kat pull back the curtain, and give us a glimpse into what we can expect from their classes, how they find these workouts help them towards their personal fitness goals, and which moves make them extra excited. Read on!
What can someone who is new to your class expect?
Amber (Tone & Trim): A great total body workout that strengthens different muscle groups while using body weight, dumbbells, bands, and other props. Someone new can expect a challenging yet totally doable class where we move through different exercises combined with stretching. Tone and Trim targets large and small muscle groups which helps us build muscle while increasing mobility and flexibility!
Jennifer (Strength + Sweat): Jumping, dancing, and a LOT of sweat.
Kat (Rêve HIIT Up): You will get your heart rate up, work every muscle group in your body, and have fun doing it! HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. To get a bit technical here for a second, HIIT produces a significant amount of metabolic waste, including hydrogen ions and lactic acid. The major reason for an active recovery, or slower strength interval, is to remove these waste products to allow the involved muscles to perform the next high-intensity bout. As a result, HIIT workouts train your body to tolerate and quickly recover from periods of high-intensity exercise. You will burn fat--and continue burning for hours after class. In my class you'll alternate between short intervals of cardio and strength (typically 30 seconds of work) using weights and your own body weight for the first 30 minutes and then finish with glute & core work using resistance bands and other props.
One of the most common misperceptions about exercise is that it is necessary to spend hours busting your butt and sweating buckets to obtain benefits like weight loss, muscle growth and improved overall health and well-being. Even if you don't sweat--don’t get me wrong, you will in HIIT--you can still be getting in a great workout. HIIT is so effective because instead of working longer, you work smarter by using short intervals of extremely high-intensity exercise. Ideally, HIIT should only be performed two to three times a week with at least 48 hours between sessions to allow a full replenishment of energy stores and to repair the involved muscle tissue.
Abbey (Rêve HIIT Up): Like most instructors, I hope people know that coming to my class means stepping into a space where anything is possible. While it’s been called “HIIT” in the past, it blurs the lines a bit between HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and strength, offering something for everyone. Expect to get your heart rate up, try moves you might not be comfortable with, and recognize that you’re always stronger than you first believe. I strive to make my class challenging yet fun and approachable. I’m always ready to give modifications, alternative moves or whatever someone might be looking for. You’ll always find some burpees and plank variations--and some great music that’ll make you want to dance.
How did you get started with these kinds of workouts? What led you to decide to become not only someone who does them, but who also teaches?
Kat: I am the type of person who burns out quickly if I do the same type of workout too often. When I lived in Puerto Rico I joined a studio that offered HIIT, yoga, barre, strength, yoga sculpt and boxing classes. Every day I took a type of different class. I never got bored and saw amazing results from regularly switching up my routine and challenging my body in new ways. It's not often that you get lucky to find a studio that offers so many different class types. Rêve is truly special in that way! The owners of the studio in Puerto Rico took me under their wings and gave me my own class slot to teach what I wanted. It was a HIIT fusion class similar to what I teach today. I love inspiring others to be stronger and sharing my passion for fitness.
Jennifer: Last month, I got asked to be a last minute sub for Tone & Trim. I had been recently crosstraining with a smattering of different classes. What resulted was something that wasn’t quite Tone & Trim, but people really responded positively to this hybrid workout I had created. In the days that followed I started to hone in what I wanted Strength + Sweat to be, and continue to create the class as we go! I feel like as instructors we all teach the class that we want to take. For me, I wanted to take bits and pieces from other instructors and class that I loved to create this amalgam of styles as my own.
Amber: I began cross training about 6 years ago after I experienced my first injury. I had been training for a race by running 5-6 days a week without any sort of strength or stretching supplement. Fortunately, I was soon introduced to an amazing athletic trainer during that time who taught me the importance of strength training, conditioning, mobility, and rest. I quickly realized how beneficial it is to strengthen other muscle groups to prevent injury, and become a better athlete. Since then, I have become such a believer in strength training and mixing up workouts to feel our best! Fast forward to becoming a spin instructor, I knew that Tone and Trim was a perfect complement to riding. After taking Erin’s class regularly and seeing the impact it had on my strength and stamina as a rider, I decided that it was time to take the leap of faith and learn how to teach others what I had become so passionate about and expand as a fitness instructor!
Abbey: I have been strength training for a few years to compliment my athletic endeavours, but being a lifelong athlete, I wanted to do more. HIIT workouts are as challenging as you make them, and the results that they produce are truly all about the effort you’re willing to put in. Knowing how much they’ve impacted my life personally (and my weird obsession with them), it felt like it only made sense to share that passion with others. It’s so motivating to watch people push themselves in a way that might be new, to step out of their comfort zone and ultimately, get stronger!
How do you envision that your workouts enhance your overall fitness?
Amber: If I could spin 7 days a week, I would do it in a heartbeat. Some people do, and I am endlessly jealous of that! But the truth is my body needs other forms of exercise; overuse and overworking muscles can lead to injury if you’re not careful. Spinning and running can make us really quad dominant, which means that backside could really use some extra TLC :) My Tone and Trim classes really focus on building strength in our core, glutes, hamstrings, hips, and upper body which can create more balance in the body.
Jennifer: As someone who teaches spin, my body really started to crave a workout that would supplement the work our bodies do on the bike. If you spin a lot, you work your quads a TON and really only work on one plane of motion. I make a point to focus on lateral movements and a lot of hamstring and glute work, as well as core focused exercises to help balance out the spinning.
Kat: My running & spinning is stronger and faster, and I have control over my breathing. I talk about breath A LOT in my classes. Often times we hold our breath without realizing--bringing awareness to this will help you get through your days with a little extra ease. To be honest, I feel stronger in almost everything I do. I am able to pick up my 30lb dog, hike, ski, and if I slip on the ice during the winter my core immediately switches on and I can quickly regain my balance.
Abbey: HIIT has changed my fitness. There’s some extensive scientific research on the benefits of HIIT, but I think they’re fun, which is the key thing that keeps me coming back. Plus, they’ve made me feel stronger in every other physical activity I do: teaching on the bike, running, swimming, weight lifting, etc. They’ve also add a little ease to my everyday life in ways I don’t always recognize, including lifting heavy items, carrying 10 grocery bags at once (who wants to go back to the car more than once? Not me!), etc.
Do you have any particular fitness goals right now that these workouts are helping you towards?
Abbey: I do! I’m doing the Tri for a Cure again this year (author’s note: Abbey crushed the race last year, taking home a third place finish). I am super competitive with myself, and have set a goal to beat my time from last year. I’ve also signed up for a few additional Olympic distance triathlons. For those longer races, my goal is to feel strong and confident. I also want to get a higher box jump this year than last. From a wellness perspective, one of my goals is to listen to my body better than I have in the past. Taking rest days, continuing to fuel myself with wholesome foods and, aside from training, make sure that workouts continue to be fun.
Jennifer: The older I get, the more I am able to take a step back and think about how “cool” the things my body lets me do are. I’m motivated to do more by focusing on things I want my body to do. Whether it‘s attempting Peaks to Portland (a goal for this summer), being able to do a pull up, or just having more energy during the day, I’m always considering my body as a partner that I get to do things with. The more I work with it, the more I can do.
Kat: My goal is to be strong and confident in both body and mind. I think in fitness there is too much stress/pressure on our physical appearances (for women especially) and if you can get past that mindset and really focus internally and on how you feel on the inside you'll have a much better relationship with yourself. My favorite fitness instructor, Shona Vertue, puts it well: "We live in our bodies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it is more valuable than any car or house"—or any other material objects for that matter. Be kind to your body and fuel it properly. Some days you feel better than others and on days that you might need to move slower or take a break it doesn't mean you're failing or taking steps backwards, it just means you've come to know your body better and are doing what is best for it.
What is your favorite move that you incorporate into your class?
Jennifer: Jumping jacks! I used to think they were so silly and pointless, but if you really jack it out, it is SUCH a great way to get your blood flowing and get your body moving head to toe.
Abbey: I am that crazy individual who loves burpees. They are such a good bang for your buck, plus there are so many variations that work your whole body: full burpees with a pushup, burpees on a medicine ball, burpees with a donkey kick, burpee to a tuck jump. We could do them all day!
Amber: I really like doing glute bridges with the band. It works the whole back side and it feels so good especially if you’ve been sitting all day! I also love plank work. My new favorite thing though is going through a strength flow right before we stretch. I incorporate weights in with yoga-style movement and it really focuses on enhancing your range of motion while finding stability.
Kat: I love planks and squats. I do both in every single one of my classes. Planks work every single muscle in your body and well executed squats get the glutes to fire up which is especially important for many of us who sit most of the day in our regular jobs.
Finally, these 4 powerhouses combined to create an amazing playlist of some of their current favorites! It’s the perfect soundtrack to your next at-home workout—or just to add a little motivation to getting some of those chores done!
Check the schedule for all of our mat class offerings, which are offered throughout the week! We can’t wait to see you on the mat.