Tag: hollywood

NBC Strong & SoulCycle x Sweetgreen Event Recap

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I had every intention of today’s post being an exciting recap of the two events I attended this past weekend. Unfortunately I decided to forgo one of said events for brunch…whoops. But, either way, I had a great couple days of rest, relaxation, food, and, of course, sweat.

There’s a brand new show airing on NBC tomorrow called Strong where contestants are paired up with trainers in order to lose weight and transform themselves both mentally and physically. I’m actually 99% sure that they reached out to me when casting the show—I had to turn it down because of the time commitment (I have a full time job, people!). Unlike the Biggest Loser, the show aims to display how regular people who don’t have 100+ pounds to lose also have the ability to change their ways and reach their full potential.

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All of the trainers are LA based including some of my favs, Wes Okerson from LIT Method and Ky Evans from Studio Lagree. I would say other than the airing of Hollywood Cycle filmed at my go-to spin studio Cycle House, this show really reminds me of how funny it is to live in LA and be surrounded by “the industry” every day.

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The event took place on Saturday at The Grove, one of our many outdoor shopping plazas. Of course, typical dry and sunny LA decided to shed some rain, forcing the organizers to set up a tent—however the tent was smaller than the workout space. Since it was chilly and many of the yoga mats were soaked, I stayed for the meet and greet and then headed to 3rd street for some brunch followed by a killer Supraformer class at Lagree.

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On Sunday, two of my favorite brands teamed up for a SoulCycle x sweetgreen ride to welcome the new seasonal salads. The event took place at the SoulCycle in Hollywood—a shopping center that I would do anything to live above because it’s packed with my favorites: Barry’s Bootcamp, Pressed Juicery, Dunkin Donuts, Greenleaf Chop Shop, and even Shake Shack and a nail salon (both coming soon!).

Unfortunately, I was given a bike in the back row but that didn’t stop me from riding my little legs out and trying to take in every second of the motivational class. I’ve noticed that hitting up SoulCycle on the weekend really helps me get in the spirit for the upcoming week.

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Upon finishing, we headed into the lobby and grabbed salads. I gravitated towards the “spring chicken” packed with organic mesclun, kale, zucchini, squash, asparagus, basil, shredded carrots, parmesan crisps, and chicken with pesto vinaigrette dressing. Um…YUM! The other two options were the Strawberry + Feta and Umami Grain Bowl.

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This was one of those “so LA” weekends and I loved every second of it! Even waiting in line for 90 minutes on Sunday night to try out the brand new Shake Shack in West Hollywood.

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Cheers to a great week!

Five Things I’m Loving Lately — April

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Healthier alternatives to not so healthy dishes.

Now that summer is coming, I’m trying to be a tiny bit more aware of what I’m eating. Unfortunately, I’m still left craving some of my high calorie favs. Thankfully, it’s 2016 and bloggers and recipe inventors have been busy trying to tone down our favorite dishes to make them less caloric but still tasty! Right now I’m loving buffalo cauliflower (an alternative to buffalo wings) and buffalo chicken stuffed spaghetti squash (to replace buffalo chicken dip). Both are amazingly delicious! (Although the pizza and wine isn’t necessarily hungry, here’s a pic of the yummy cauliflower I had this weekend at Mohawk Bend in Silverlake)

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Curling my hair with a straightener.

I have naturally curly, frizzy, and unruly hair so when I finally mastered the art of straightening during my junior year of college, I thought I was set for life. That is until the trend turned from straight locks to casual curls. I went out to TJ Maxx and got a curling iron and tried time and time again to become a pro. It usually involved me and my curling iron and flat iron and ended an hour later with some burnt finger tips and crazy looking hair. Fail! I stumbled upon this video while reading some new blogs and knew I had to try this technique. After three trials, I can finally say that it is easy and creates gorgeous curls with my Chi!

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Spending more time outside.

I have a 9-5 full time job that keeps me inside ALL DAY LONG. Coming from teaching in an elementary school where I rarely sat down and was able to get out during recess, this has been very challenging. Since the time change means more light in the evening, I have been hungering for time outside. In the past few weeks I’ve hiked, run, and taken walks all after work gets out. Just a PSA though, Runyon is temporarily closed until July.

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Snapchat.

I thought I was already addicted to social media but I’ve become even more obsessed—it’s about to turn unhealthy! I love Snapchat because it gives insight into what really happens behind the scenes. While Instagram shows one perfectly crafted pic, Snapchat uncovers a bigger story. It’s also funny to see people do goofy things like singing along to their radio! Add me: sweatandrepeat.

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Barry’s Bootcamp.

I go through a lot of Pilates funks where I take so many reformer classes each week that I never spend time getting unusually sweaty. Barry’s used to intimate me but now that I’ve become more confident in class, I’ve realized how beneficial it is for my body. I spend so much time lifting three-pound weights most of the week, but it’s the heavy lifting that actually changes my body. The cardio component is also so important and I walk out feeling so accomplished every time!

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sweetgreen & SoulCycle Event Recap

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Last week I had the chance to host two amazing, healthy-living inspired events: a dinner at sweetgreen Hollywood and a ride at SoulCycle CLVR.

sweetgreen + Sweat and Repeat 

Sweetgreen is my absolute favorite place for a nutritious bite to eat in LA. Not only do they source local and organic ingredients, but their salads are also reasonably priced—most between $9-12, including a protein. You can find me regularly at the Hollywood location fueling up after a sweaty spin or Pilates class nearby.

To ring in the new year and the launch of the sweetgreen winter menu, I hosted an event with ten local fitness enthusiasts who were quick on their feet and RSVP’d to my Instagram invite. We all met up on Thursday evening and sipped on frescas while munching on delicious salads.

The sweegreen winter menu uses in-season fruits and veggies to create a one of a kind flavor that excites your taste buds. The star of the table had to be the Grapefruit + Avocado packed with arugula, endives, citrus shrimp, red grapefruit, mint, avocado, cucumber, and walnuts coated with a lemon garlic chili dressing…oh my!

Thanks to all who came out and to sweetgreen for providing us with a delicious dinner!

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SoulCycle CLVR + Sweat and Repeat

Some would argue that SoulCycle is the crème de la crème of the boutique fitness scene, and I might have to agree. With gorgeous, sleek, modern décor, fragrant candles, and phone charger hook ups in each locker, it’s no wonder that each bike goes for $30 a class.

When SoulCycle CLVR asked if I wanted to host an event to celebrate their opening, I couldn’t say yes fast enough. I posted the invite here and on my Instagram and was inundated with RSVPs—I knew it would be a killer group!

The studio is located on the second floor of a currently vacant but soon opening shopping center—The Platform—that reminds me of a mini Grove and will be home to many upscale, unique tenants.

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Despite it being a Sunday morning, the vibe was pure excitement as people put on their spin shoes while listening to beats spun by a live DJ and snapping pics in the animated photo booth (check them out here).

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The energy only continued to build as we clipped into bikes and Julia started blasting her upbeat tunes. For 45 minutes we pedaled like nobody’s business, taking short breaks only to towel off the insane amount of sweat or give a loud “wooooo” cheer. Midway through class I literally got chills from the incredibly motivating, dedicated, and inspiring atmosphere.

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photo by Judy at Werkout LA

We ended class with a much-needed stretch and a final breath of gratitude before heading out to mix and mingle!

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Thank you to SoulCycle CLVR for welcoming us into your space and to everyone who was able to join!

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photos by Bethany at GlamPacked

Start the Year with Sweat & Repeat

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Every new year brings new goals and increased motivation to reach those goals. January 1st can be a much-needed kick in the butt especially after a month of indulging (yes, I did eat about a pound of cheese fondue on New Years Eve, oops).

Two of the most common and arguably most important goals are to eat healthy and exercise more often and I am so excited to be hosting two events this week that can help jump start your resolutions for 2016! See below for details, and I hope to see you there! Did I mention they’re both FREE!

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Soul Cycle with Sweat & Repeat

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Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you’re enjoying a day off and time with family and friends…maybe an extra helping of green bean casserole, too. Don’t worry, you have every other day of the year to push your body at a workout (but bonus points if you got your sweat on pre turkey binging!).

In the spirit of thankfulness, I wanted to bring you a little event recap and show my appreciation for my blog readers who supported me this week! Last Sunday I hosted my second Sweat and Repeat event at Soul Cycle Hollywood. I posted the invite on Instagram and ended up with an outpour of interest that quickly filled the guest and wait lists!

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Pure Barre Platform Preview!

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If you like Pure Barre…or just fun in general…you’re going to LOVE the new Pure Barre Platform class.

I had the opportunity to test it out at the Hollywood studio with Pure Barre Senior Master Trainer Shalisa (@shalisa_p) last week and not only had an epic workout but also had such a blast.

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The new platform is about one square foot around and six inches or so off the ground but it completely transforms the exercises, allowing you to have a much greater range of movement. The workout is still low impact but tiny pulses are replaced by quick bursts of high intensity movement. This leads to an increased heart rate and a lot more cardio than your average barre class.

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Studio Openings and Free Classes

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October seems to be the month of studio openings in my neighborhood and you won’t hear me complaining! Three awesome studios that keep the west side sweaty are moving inland to grace us with their killer workouts.

Basecamp Fitness
641710d618a1600e-07_white_sidelock2What: 35-minute workout rotating between 1-minute on stationary bike followed by 1-minute of strength training ending with a core-focused set
When: Opened October 10th
Where: 8714 Santa Monica Blvd
First class free

Orangetheory Fitness
OTF-LogoWhat: High intensity interval training based on heart rate target zones using treadmill, rowing, free weights, and TRX
When: Opening for founding members on Friday, October 16th offering three free classes
during a two week period before the official public opening
Where: 7950 Sunset Blvd

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unnamedWhat: High intensity interval training incorporating Woodway treadmills, bands, weights, kettle bells, and Bosu balls
When: Opening October 20th and offering unlimited free classes for the first two weeks
Where: 8969 Santa Monica Blvd

Enjoy and happy free sweating! I’ll be at each of these studios in the coming weeks so hopefully I’ll see ya there!

Platinum Pilates Hollywood

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At a Glance:

Website: http://www.pilatesplatinum.com
Address: 1330 N. Highland Ave, Suite B, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Length: 60 minutes
Price: first class/$10, one class/$30, 10 classes/$220, month unlimited/$225
Sweat scale: high
Energy level: medium

I’ve been searching high and low for tough yet friendly megaformer classes in Los Angeles. The “tough” part is NEVER a problem as megaformers are literally the most challenging machines I’ve ever worked on. So far, there are two studios that I swear by, but both happen to be 30 minutes away from my Hollywood apartment, which is why I was very excited to try Pilates Platinum, less than a mile from where I live. Continue reading →

Basics Level 1 at Wanderlust

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At a Glance:

Website: http://www.wanderlusthollywood.com
Address: 1357 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Length: 75 minutes
Price: one class/$23, 10 classes/$199, month unlimited/$129
Sweat: low
Energy: low

When Wanderlust opened a brick and mortar yoga mecca right down the street, I signed up on the listserv immediately. Little did I know, they would send everyone on the list a coupon for five free classes. SCORE! From yoga to meditation, breath work to “chillax”, Wanderlust has the most well rounded schedule I’ve seen at a yoga studio. Not to mention the space also offers a restaurant with seasonal food and fresh juices. You could easily spend the day there, and I hope to spend many days there.

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Soul Cycle Hollywood

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At a Glance: 

Website: http://www.soul-cycle.com
Address: 6201 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Length: 45 minutes
Price: first class/$20, 1 class/$30, 10 classes/$280, 30 classes/$780
Sweat scale: high
Energy level: high

Soul Cycle is the epitome of boutique fitness and I was DYING to try it. My wish finally came try and I’m already trying to figure out how I can add a class package to my wedding registry (hint…hint).

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