fbpx ;

Equinox Ends

equinoxLeaving California was tough. We uprooted ourselves to head to the East Coast, leaving not only friends we’d made in the two years we were there, but also the glorious weather and sites and sounds of Northern California. I was also bummed to walk out of my Equinox gym for the last time, leaving my awesome trainer, Jayme, behind. (It’s times like this that I lament the fact that I’m not super wealthy and can’t just fly her out to train me every week.)

What I loved most about my training was that no two sessions were the same. From sprints outside the building to TRX training to Pilates core sessions and yoga cool downs, Jayme spiced up my workouts and kept them interesting. Well, except for the repeated step-ups onto the bench; I must have done thousands of those. But because of our sessions combined with a huge variety of fun classes, I’ve never been in better shape.

Midway through our training sessions, Jayme put me through another fitness assessment to see if I’d improved. My cardio conditioning had improved markedly, and it took me a full two minutes longer at a much quicker pace to get my heart rate up to 80 percent of my max. It was nice to have concrete numbers and be able to see how much I’d improved.

Also cool? I took before and after photos so I could see my progress. While you couldn’t pay me enough to post them on here—ok, maybe I would have a price, but it would take a LOT to post swimsuit pics of myself!—I can report that I could definitely, absolutely see a difference in my body. I only lost a pound or two from the start of my training through the end, but the changes in muscle tone were there. My arms and back are significantly more toned; my butt looks perkier and my thighs are slimmer. Not to mention that my waist has lost an inch or two as well.

Credit: lululemon athletica

But the absolute coolest thing? That I gained the strength to do crow pose.

When I tried crow a few months ago while doing this yoga DVD, all I could do was laugh. I absolutely could not do it. About a month into my training, I mentioned to Jayme that I couldn’t do crow pose and she got in the pose with ease. I was impressed. She explained that it takes balance combined with core and upper body strength. I assured her it was an impossibility for me.

So I went home, telling my husband about the elusive crow. I got on the floor for the express purpose of demonstrating to him how I couldn’t do it. Only…I did it. And did it again. Granted, I can’t hold it for five minutes at a time, but I can hold it. And I’ve done it again and again, just to prove to myself that I can. Now, no yoga pose seems quite as impossible as it did before. —Erin

FTC disclosure: We often receive products from companies to review. All thoughts and opinions are always entirely our own. Unless otherwise stated, we have received no compensation for our review and the content is purely editorial. Affiliate links may be included. If you purchase something through one of those links we may receive a small commission. Thanks for your support!