At a Glance:
Website: http://www.crosstrainla.com
Address: 7300 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Length: 50 minutes
Price: month unlimited/$199 w 1 yr contract, $249 w 6 month contract, $299 w no contract, limited membership (3 classes per week)/$149 w 1 yr contract
Sweat scale: medium
Energy level: medium

There are days when I crave a workout that is simple and familiar and then there are times when I know I need to do something that I’ll feel for days later. At Cross Train LA, I found the latter.

Pre Sweat

Dylan and David, who have backgrounds in Pilates and personal training, started Cross Train LA, where the workout changes daily and results come quickly. The studio just moved to a strip mall conveniently right near my apartment! There is a parking lot and street parking on the side streets. Bring a mat (or rent one for $2) and a water bottle (or purchase for $1) and grab a towel at the front desk. You can either go barefoot or keep your shoes on. Since we were doing TRX, I kept my shoes on, but most people went barefoot.

Sweat

The class was a pretty even mix of males and females of various fitness levels. We all set our mats up in a row next to the TRX straps so we were pretty close to each other. Dylan, our instructor, controlled a digital clock that timed each exercise in a high intensity interval training tabata style format (20 seconds of activity, 10 seconds of rest, 8 times).

We started with our feet in the TRX straps doing three 1-minute planks and two 1-minute intervals of inward crunches. Dylan demonstrated each exercise and explained how to make them more or less challenging. The warm up had me nervous for what was to come. During the rest of class we used the TRX straps to work our entire body with push-ups, tricep presses, squats, one legged dips, and side planks with hip drops. Each set was done tabata style. We also did a variety of crunches and bridges on the mat without the TRX straps. When we stretched at the end, I knew my body was going to be in major pain the next day (it was).

Post Sweat

Next door is a great sandwich place that recently opened up called The Carving Board. I just love the way they present the food (see below)! If you’re in the mood for ramen, Urban Ramen is also in the shopping center and though I haven’t been yet, they have a really trendy vibe and it’s always crowded. For a sweet treat, Pinkberry is on the next corner, and for a smoothie or fresh juice check out Open Source Organics four blocks towards La Brea (personal fav).

Tricks of the Trade

• They have a Groupon right now: $45 for a month unlimited! And yes, I convinced my fiancé to buy it and join me next time.