One of my goals for December was to keep up my workouts while on Christmas vacation in New York. Yes, I was planning on running in Central Park as much as possible, but I knew I also needed to mix it up. Enter Refine Method!
I’ve seen a lot of my twitter friends talk about the awesome workouts they have at Refine and I knew this was something I needed to try out while I was in town. Refine is a HIIT workout that will challenge you with a mix of strength and cardio. Your heart will be pumping, you’ll be pushing your body and you’ll have a blast while doing it. Every class is different and can use a combination of kettle bells, box steps, resistance bands, and these cool pulley systems where you can set your resistance by adjusting how many elastics you link to it.
Photo via Refine Method
With early morning classes at Refine and a husband that likes to sleep in I was able to get in my workout without it impacting our vacation time together. Getting to their location on the Upper West Side was easy and only a couple of subway stops away. I was a little nervous for my first class but my instructor Katie, showed me how the pulley system worked and kept an eye on me. While you will be pushed to do your very best at Refine you will never feel like you can’t keep up with the class. Plenty of modifications are given so you can adjust the class appropriately for you. I was surprised at how many muscle groups we were able to target in one exercise, like rows using the pulley in a kneeling lunge position. Not only are you working your back muscles, but your core and legs are working hard to stabilize you too.
I left my first class feeling sweaty and like I had really accomplished something great. It was a terrific way to start my day!
I even went back for a second session, this time with Refine’s founder Brynn. It was a totally new workout and it was a great challenge. Both Katie and Brynn were terrific about adjusting any issues with form or for giving you an extra push if it looked like you were ready (like increasing your kettle bell weight). They also knew everyone’s name and were sure to give encouragement. It is nice when a workout feels personal like that!
You can sign up online (so I had already committed the funds, meaning I wouldn’t be tempted to roll over and sleep in instead). Your first class is $20, other individual classes are $34 or if you are lucky enough to live in New York you can sign up for a package. There are towels and lockers along with two showers at the UWS studio, and you can purchase water if you forget to bring your own.
Have you tried Refine Method in New York? Did you love it? Would you book fitness classes on your vacation?
It’s been so long since I’ve done any kind of classes and I’d love to get back into it again. I’d love to pick up with pilates again but alas, the schedule just isn’t great for it right now. Fun that you got to try this out though!