Lexagator Loves

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Flywheel Opens in the Bay Area + Free Class For 11/24!

November 24, 2014 · 31 Comments

Spin studios have seemed to open at a amazing pace across America. One of the latest addition to the craze is Flywheel Studios which just opened their 31st studio in Sunnyvale, CA. I have taken their spin classes in Seattle and NYC so I was stoked that it made it’s way to the Bay Area. Want to take a Class for free tomorrow? Keep reading for details!

 

photo 3
Flywheel’s First Bay Location in Sunnyvale, CA

Flywheel is a spin studio based out of NY, founded by Ruth Zukerman. Most classes are 45-60 minutes which combines racing, climbs, and  a arm workout. The layout of the studio is stadium style, meaning that bikes are on platforms so you can clearly see the instructor and don’t feel too cramped.The backbone of the workout (and something close to this author’s heart) is the music. Today’s class’s playlist include Lil Wayne to Steven Stills. I love that the music is varied and customized to what activity you are preforming on the bike.

 

Board
Schedule and sign up area (also includes area for shoe pick-up)

What I really think sets Flywheel from other spin classes is the technology. Not only to they have a app just for classes but each bike has torq screen. During the class the instructor will tell you to turn up or down the resistance and increase or decrease your speed. You will see your “Power” score and you can use that to compare yourself to others in the class. If you are feeling competitive you can opt in to the in studio Torqboard which is a large display that will list your user name so that you will see how you compare to others in the class. After the class you can check the app for a personalized results from your ride (RPM, miles, calories burned, etc).  I love that each ride you can exactly seen how well you have performed and how you can improve.Last part of each class includes a short arm work with bar weights that are on the sides of the bike in the below picture. By the end my arms were burning and it was a struggle to keep going.

photo 2
Close-up of the Bike’s Torq Screen

Today’s preview class was taught by John Wellmann who normally teaches out of NYC. I loved his class. The pace was perfect, he gave a great introduction on how to change the torq and proper form. I was very impressed with the class as most were newbies and when John threw in a few tap backs (you tap your bum back into the seat while standing on the bike) the class seemed to keep up. I also loved that he threw in a few fun personal stories to keep you going when you started to tire out.

The studio itself is very nicely laid out. There is a area in front to relax before or after classes. There are four private showers (for folks working out then going back to work) and four bathrooms.  They have soap, hair-ties, mints, and hair-spray to help you feeling fresh after class. Also included are towels, shoes, and water. After class there was apples and bananas to take with you. I also love the retail area where you can purchase Fly Gear. Items seem to range for $40-$70 depending on what you want to purchase. They have everything from sports bras, pants, shorts, shirts, tanks, and sweatshirts.

Fly merch available for purchase
Fly merch available for purchase

The only bummer is that this studio is about 30 minutes from where I live so this is only something that I will be able to do on the weekends. Pricing is comparable to other studios. Classes are $25 a pop with a few package deals for a slight discount. Once you have a account you can refer a friend and if they spend $50 you will receive $50 towards classes!

photo 4
Thanks For the Swag Flywheel!

Lucky for you Flywheel has one more day of FREE previews. See the below image for information on booking your FREE class. If you sign up please let me know!

This is my referral link for a Flywheel account http://flywhl.me/cfsp

Fly

Happy Flying!

Filed Under: Health/Fitness, Lifestyle, Outside The Venue

Soul Rebels At The Brick And Mortar

August 11, 2014 · 30 Comments

I have mentioned in a earlier post my obsession with New Orleans and especially the music that originates from there. I have seen The Soul Rebels once before at SXSW but only for the last 15 minutes of their set because the venue was already filled to capacity by the time I arrived! I had heard about this show last minute as I was checking tweets around Outside Lands and wasn’t attending so thought this show could be the next best thing.

The Venue

I had never been to the Brick and Mortar  before so I did a quick social media cruise through before I arrived. It only took a few reviews on Yelp and Foursquare to make note that most fans complained about the staff, especially the door crew. I can second the rudeness of the door people as I got told to “Move and close the door” upon arriving and waiting in line. A simple please would have made the world of difference. Brick and Mortar is also extremely small and hot. During the entire opening act (that played for over an hour) we were stuck in front of the bar which is the exact wrong place to be. You are either dodging folks going back to get a drink or coming back into the crowd with drinks. I learned quickly that in order to actually enjoy and see the performer that off to the side is where I should be.

The Crowd

I also got stuck in the middle of a young couple’s first date and a crew from NYC that made it clear they weren’t interested in the music. During Jon Cleary’s opening set I was either overhearing the couple’s life story or a gal spouting off how amazing but cold SF is. Once the annoying couple left to buy more drinks I turned to the gal next to me and said “Do not let them back in.” Glad she agreed.

The Music

The opening act was Jon Cleary, a British piano player from New Orleans. He plays a nice mix of  funk and R&B with his trio. Unfortunately it was a bit hard to enjoy his set squished between a first date and a loud group from NYC. I also thought his set was a little too long and it’s hard to enjoy mellow music in such a tightly compacted crowd. The Soul Rebels didn’t hit the stage until 11:30 which is a wee bit late for someone who had been at work since 8am and would have to leave by midnight to hit Bart in time to get home. Despite all this I enjoyed their set. They played highlights from the New Orleans brass band songbook and some covers from their latest mixtape that I linked in this post. Even though I was exhausted The Soul Rebels gave me energy to rock out like the best of them. Their horn hooks are tight and their vocals are also on point. Hopefully the next time I seen them I’ll be able to enjoy a full set without having to be anywhere the next day and no Bart to catch because I feel like they are a great reason to sleep past your alarm the next day.

Filed Under: Bands, Concert Reviews, Concerts, Uncategorized

Contest Winner: 21 Drops

August 6, 2014 · 27 Comments

photo(46)I was so excited to win a contest on A Lady Goes West Blog to try out some essential oil rollers called 21 Drops. I was already familiar with essential oils before, as I have tried Aveda’s Stress Fix and Blue Oil. I tend to get migraines and the Aveda oils have been known to help me.

The Oils

I got two oils in this giveaway: Passion and Strength. Strength featured scents of Cedarwood Wood Oil, Rosemary Leaf Oil, and Rose Flower Oil, in organic Jojoba Oil. Passion featured Cardamom Seed Oil, Jasmine Flower Oil, Rose Flower Oil, and Sandalwood Wood Oil, in organic Jojoba Oil.

What I Loved about 21 Drops

Strength was my hands down favorite! I loved the Rosemary and Cedarwood scent. It reminded me of a Cedarwood scented spa I tried out many years ago in Vegas. I also really liked the bottles themselves. They are 8ml with a nifty plastic container that seems sturdy and conducive for travel. The scent lasted for hours and did make me feel like I was a stronger.  Although these drops are slightly larger and more expensive ($29 per vial) than the Aveda ones, I think I would buy some of their other scents such as Headache or Sleep.

Many Thanks to A Lady Goes West Blog for hosting this awesome contest! If you don’t follow her blog, you should!

What 21 Drops scent would you like to try?

Filed Under: Health/Fitness, Outside The Venue Tagged: Essential oil

No Cameras Allowed Trailer-The Music Industries’ Best or Worst Nightmare?

July 30, 2014 · 28 Comments

I’m very intrigued by this trailer; talented photographer sneaks into some of the the biggest festivals in the world and captures some amazing raw footage of our favorite artists. Not only that but this documentary on MTV will give me a reason to watch the channel for the first time in years.

Accomplishing sneaking in and getting access to the photo pit at one of the these festivals is no small feat. One of my very first intern assignments was media relations at Ozzfest. I was assigned several press people to “watch” and make sure they obeyed all the rules. Some of them were: 1. Don’t photograph Ozzy, 2. You can only shoot the first three songs, 3. You can not shoot pictures from the crowd (pit). I got my exercise that day in 100 plus heat chasing the press out of the pit.

You can’t really be any old photographer to get a press pass. You have to go through the publicist and sign a waiver to make sure you won’t sell the images. They will want to know how you plan to use the images and if you have a blog what your following is like.

One my friends Jason Miller takes amazing pictures of bands and showcases his work on his blog.

He recently had a interesting encounter with a band using a image he shot without asking permission. Read here to find out more about additional guidelines you need to know about sharing copyrighted images.

With all that being said it looks like this guy captured the trust of Mumford & Sons enough so they invited him on tour to capture content for their own use. I’m very interested to see what exactly he captured and how it is being used.

 

Filed Under: Bands, Concerts, Music Industry

SXSW 2014 Instagram Snaps

July 5, 2014 · 2 Comments

It’s been a few beats since SXSW 2014, now a distance memory but luckily even though that week was jam packed for me below are a few highlights as documented in my Instagram feed.

Hozier
Hozier

Hozier lit up Maggie Mae’s at SXSW featuring a full band and a background singers.

The Revivalists
The Revivalists

A show with a pet pig at a BBQ place in Austin? Yes, it happened and both the Revivalists and Strange Talk remained the star of this BBQ.

Strange Talk
Strange Talk
The Hot 8 Brass Band
The Hot 8 Brass Band

One of the most interesting venues for a performance at SXSW was actually the convention center for the Hackathon. Best part of this venue is that there was seating, which if you have done a week of standing is what the doctor ordered!

Big Freedia
Big Freedia

 

 

Filed Under: Bands, Concert Reviews, Concerts

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Lexagator Loves

Aloha!

Expert concert goer, SLOW Runner, Hawaii/NOLA dreamin', Tiki drinker, Peloton enthusist, Former Band Nerd, Devoted Disney fan...

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