LIFESTYLES | EXERCISE
SWEAT METER
Burn off the holiday pounds with our favorite workouts ranked by sweat levels BY C AT H E R I N E T R I F I L E T T I
Flywheel’s mantra is “Power Your Life”
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here’s nothing like a good schvitz, but it is not an essential element of all workouts. Sometimes you want to unload the toxins and sometimes (maybe on a good hair day) you don’t. We put ourselves through the wringer to identify the respective classes that left us drenched or dry: the beauty is that it doesn’t matter either way. Celebrity trainer Monica Pampell, president of wellness company Pentafit preaches that you can have the sore without the sweat. >>
EARTH TREKS 1235 S. Clark St., Arlington, Va., $25 day pass Scoop: Miley Cyrus said it best “Ain’t about what’s waitin’ on the other side ... It’s the climb.” At this indoor climbing gym, it’s all about core power and agility. Brute arm and leg strength won’t propel you to the top of 35-foot walls, strategy and technique will. Try your hand at a variation of color coded routes ranging from easy to difficult.
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Verdict: Experts say opening the car door at the end of a climb proves to be the most painful part. We concur. Sore forearms and fingers are a real thing. Sweat Level:
sweat sessions. Mini movements signature to barre give way to quick transitions and choreographed steps. Verdict: Expect dance fever Sweat Level:
PURE BARRE
FLYWHEEL
Multiple Locations; 55 minutes; $29 Scoop: Small controlled movements have big impacts as you isolate specific muscles to bear your body’s weight, often utilizing the studio’s ballet barre for balance. Shaking is the goal in this class. If you don’t find your muscles trembling, you may not be in proper form. Verdict: Feeling as sculpted as a Michelangelo masterpiece. Sweat Level:
Multiple locations; 45 or 60 minutes; $28 Scoop: Relying on a more technical process than other spin classes, each Flywheel bike is equipped with a small screen that keeps you in check with regard to your torque (resistance) number and how much power you are exerting (RPM). Encouraging instructors will push you through high intensity races where scores are projected overhead. Verdict: Motivated to return and make those numbers jump. Sweat Level:
XTEND BARRE 2008 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va.; 55 minutes; $25 Scoop: A hybrid of choreographed moves, pilates and barre, Xtend classes feel more like high-energy dance parties than standard
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
SUFFERFEST 905 U St. NW; 50 minutes; $22 Scoop: Don’t be deterred by the name. The
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