CityShape One Month Review

I am now officially one month into my CityShape membership and I'm here to give you the lowdown on my experience so far....

The classes I have taken, the different perks I have taken advantage of, and my thoughts going forward! Here we go!:

CLASSES

City Gym - Video Cycle

Location: This gym is located in Waldo - a quick 5 minute drive from my house which is GREAT for a "mom-on-the-go need to get a workout in and be back home again quickly" like myself! There is also a City Gym located downtown as well.

The Studio: located in this local gym, I was really impressed with the setup of the spin room. a large sliding "barn door" is the entrance from the gym to the room and the lights are low, the bikes seem pretty new and ride smooth and there is a large projection screen that the instructor uses to A) show the music videos of the songs played and B) show your stats (ex: Power, calories burned, speed, etc) at different points on the ride. 

The Workout: the class I took was a power ride, which meant lots of hills, some sprints, and interval work. I felt like the time just flew by because the videos played were a fun distraction from my legs burning in the meantime! I loved checking in on my stats, to see if I needed to push myself harder on an interval or climb.

Would I do it again?: YES! I had a lot of fun, and felt like I got a great workout in. I left sweaty and happy.

Barre 3

Location: Even CLOSER to my house than City Gym- Barre 3 is location in the Brookside shopping center.. literally 3 blocks from my home - walking distance (in warmer temps! ha)

The Studio: Barre 3 is pretty new to Brookside, I think when we first moved here 2 years ago, this space was still empty. I had been wanting to try it for forever since its so close to home! The studio has 2 classrooms,  childcare area (super bonus!!) and little boutique in the front area with cute leggings, tops, and other workout gear.

The Workout: The class starts with a warm up - lots of movement to get your heart rate up and just loosen up your body. From the cardio portion of the class you then move on to a variety of movements done with weights - 2 or 3 pounds depending on your preference and ability. Now this is where I think I was fooled initially by barre because the movements are small and controlled and done with light weights, but because of the repetitive nature of the movements, your muscles start to burn pretty quickly and its challenging to keep going! Lower body work (booty and legs) is done at the barre - again small movements that make set those muscles on fire!! The final section of the class is dedicated to ab work (Raise your hand if you have a love-hate relationship with ab work like me!) This hurt so good! I haven't had such a great ab workout in a very long time. I was sore almost immediately after! **Barre 3 wins the award for best workout for pregnancy & post-partum**

Would I do it again?: Yes! The next few days I really felt the heat in my abs, booty, and shoulders. Now that I am 6 months post-partum (and summer will be here before we know it) I am ready to get my middle section stronger than ever.

Power Life Yoga

Location: There are two Power Life Yoga locations in KC - one in Prairie Village at Corinth Square and one on the Plaza. The class I attended was at Corinth Square.

The Studio: As soon as I walked in I was greeted by friendly faces welcoming me and offering me a tour of the studio since it was my first time. There are locker rooms complete with showers -which is needed after the amount you sweat at a hot yoga class! There are a couple of classrooms and daily you can find a packed schedule with tons of options from hot yoga, to power sculpt (which combines yoga with core and interval work), to barre/cardio barre, and beginners yoga (not heated)

The Workout: I chose a "Candlelight Yoga" class which ended up being a pretty difficult class because instead of "flowing" (like I am used to!) but instead we held postures for longer periods of time. It was a welcomed challenge, and I actually really enjoyed the different structure! 

Would I do it again?: Absolutely! I wasn't able to do hot yoga while pregnant (the high temperatures are a no-no) and I really missed it! Power Life has a variety of classes and I want to try them all! Next I think I will try a Cardio Barre or a Power 2 class. 

MOJO Cycling Studio

Location: Located on the plaza above the Sprint Store

The Studio: With a cool "loft" feel, Mojo looks out onto the Plaza and has one classroom with stadium style seating - three rows of bikes. Lights are kept low but the instructor can change the mood lighting throughout the class. Music is loud and fun, and the bikes are very sleek and ride smooth. There is also a boutique of cute clothing items in the lobby. You need to either bring a pair of clip-in bike shoes with you, or proper shoes can easily be rented at the front desk for 2$

The Workout:  Mojo's class structure is similar for each ride they offer (again- lots of classes offered throughout the day from early morning to night!) Ranging from 45 min to an hour - the class is high energy throughout and includes a lot of "choreography" (think pulsing from side to side with the music). One song is dedicated to upper body work where you use light hand weights while the instructor guides you through bicep curls, shoulder presses, tricep kickbacks, etc. Your upper body is definitely not neglected, which is great since most spin classes don't tend to work your upper body. I left the class drenched in sweat but feeling super accomplished and motivated for the rest of my day!

Would I do it again?: I have been back twice already! Mojo is a great mood-booster. If you are looking for fun music, a full body, high intensity workout, MOJO is for you!

 

Now onto.... THE PERKS!

 

Unbakery & Juicery

Discount: 10% off

A cute little cafe located on Meyer and Holmes... Unbakery has an uber-cool-vibe inside the cafe - a great place to set up shop with your computer and get some work done - but also has a drive through for grabbing something on the go. I stopped in after my Barre 3 class (it's like a 2 minute drive) and picked up a fresh juice and protein ball (went for the chocolate peanut butter and it did not dissapoint!)

Skin KC

Discount: 20% off

If you followed along when I took over the CityShape IG last week you saw me stop over at Skin KC for the first time.. and was totally impressed/ embarrassed for not stopping in before now- especially since it’s located so close to my house! RIght in the heart of Brookside, Skin KC offers locally made lotions, soaps, and lots of beauty products that smell and feel amazing. There is a large section of tester products and I think i made my way through them all! I left with the coconut lime body butter and a bath bomb. (The body butter is to die for, highly recommended ) Also - an EXTRA perk- if you mention you are a CityShape member you not only get the discount but your first time in you get a gift bag full of samples! 

Enjoy Pure Food+Drink

Discount: 15% off

Enjoy Pure Food+Drink is located in the Mission Farms shopping center which is a 5 minute drive from my office and has quickly become one of my favorites since joining CityShape! Enjoy offers Fresh juices, bowls, salads, sandwiches and lots of other healthy eats. My favorite is the "Take on the World" salad add salmon. Tons of veggies and leaves me feeling totally satisfied until dinner time! I have yet to try them for breakfast but I hear great things, so that is next on my list!

This month I have so many classes on my "need-to-try-next" list...including Cardio Barre, Pilates, and more hot yoga classes. (plus so many eateries and perks to work my way through!) As always I'll be sharing my experiences on my IG so go follow along if you aren't already.