FlyWheel, new book, food, faves and weekly workouts

Hi, my friends! And a very happy end of the week to you! How have you been?

Let’s pause for a second and think of one thing you are grateful for this week … got it? Okay good, hold onto it! Now, back to business.

I’ve got a few faves coming at you today. 🙂

Book Club

Next A Lady Goes West Book Club book

Our book club is pretty informal, so if you want to join the next one, order the book and start reading at your leisure. We are going to be reading “The Body Book: The Law of Hunger, the Science of Strength, and Other Ways to Love Your Amazing Body” by Cameron Diaz, which is an older book from 2013 and a New York Times bestseller, but full of science. I already started reading it to make sure it was worth recommending, and it is.

It’s great for someone with no health knowledge or for a health enthusiast who wants more research and details on how the body works — somehow, it seems to speak to all levels. I’m about halfway through and totally enjoying it. I’ll be sharing some tips and thoughts on the book in the A Lady Goes West Friends Facebook Group, if you want to join there. Otherwise, just read the book when you can and expect a discussion review and recap on the blog in a few weeks.

Fitness

Trying out FlyWheel’s new Tempo class

Earlier this week, I was invited to try out a brand new cycle class offered at FlyWheel Sports called Tempo45, and I brought my friend Kicki with me. I hadn’t been to FlyWheel in more than two years — wow! While cardio-based classes are not my favorite, I liked the challenge of Tempo45 — it was harder than your average cycle class. We were both totally red-faced and spent when the workout was complete.

All 45 minutes took place on the bike and included a lot of intervals, with sprints and longer holds for endurance training too. There was no arm track, like there is in some other FlyWheel cycle classes, and the class is targeted toward the more advanced rider, with plenty of tap-backs and pulses as well.

My favorite part about FlyWheel classes is that you have a digital monitor on your bike telling you how much torq (resistance) you have on and how fast you are going (RPM), which really holds you accountable, so you aren’t just guessing if you are going at the intensity that the instructor is asking. I also think this makes you work harder, especially if you are competitive and always try to get the top range of the speed and resistance that the instructor offers.

The instructor of the class that I attended, Jess, had a great playlist and was very clear and easy to understand, as well as a good motivator. I tend to be VERY critical of other instructors, and I thought she did an awesome job. While spinning/cycling will never be my top choice of a workout, I like that it’s easy on the joints and gets you S-W-E-A-T-Y, and Tempo45 is a tough cardio experience. (Here’s my original review of trying a FlyWheel class a couple of years ago.)

Weekly workout recap

Now on to the fitness.

Here’s a look at my workouts from last week …

• Monday: 30-minute full-body weights workout, 11 a.m.
• Tuesday: 30-minute BODYATTACK, 30-minute CXWORX, 9:30 a.m.
• Wednesday: 1-hour walk, 9 a.m., 1-hour weights workout class, 7 p.m.
• Thursday: Taught 1-hour Bootybarre class, 12 p.m.
• Friday: Rest day
• Saturday: 2-mile Hanging Lake hike in Colorado, 9:30 a.m.
• Sunday: Rest day

Well this last week of workouts was a bit different, with two full rest days for travel and a long outdoor hike too. I fell short of lifting weights three times, but I still got in a decent amount of movement. I see some changes coming in my workout routine in the near future. I’m not sure what, but I’ll keep you posted, because I’m feeling the need for a refresh!

Food

Veggie chips

These little chips from Rhythm Superfoods are so tasty and super clean. I picked up some samples at IDEA World last month, and I do plan to get them again. Beets and kale — can’t pick a fave. I had them with lunch and with dinner for an extra crunch on my plate.

Healthier crackers

I hate to break it to you, but a lot of the crackers in the store are made with crap oils and fillers. But not Simple Mills! I love these crackers and have enjoyed many of the flavors, so I was excited to find out they come in little single-serve packets now. Clean ingredients too!

Matcha lattes

I make a matcha latte using Vital Proteins matcha collagen almost every day, but I love the treat of getting one while out and about. I had a lot of Starbucks matchas on our trip, but perhaps my best matcha was from Coffee Bean at the Denver Airport. The matcha powder they use is already sweetened, and I asked them to make it with coconut milk. Then I added some plain collagen peptides and cinnamon and a tiny bit more stevia, and boy was it one delicious drink. I always go to Starbucks or Peet’s, even though there is a Coffee Bean near me, so maybe I should add a stop there into my weekend rotation. Yum!

Fashion

Colorado daytime outfit

Truth be told, I only really change out of workout clothes maybe once or twice a week, and that’s on the weekend. So it was nice to wear normal clothes while we were away in Colorado. I wanted to share the links to each of the items for the following outfit here …

My super light and comfy sweater, jean shorts and shoes.

Suggested reading

Best links from around the web

• Push-ups. There are some people who think that doing push-ups on your knees is useless. I disagree, and I think any type of a push-up is good for working your core and upper-body. Here’s some more information to back that claim up.
• Dance. This is old, but I love to watch the evolution of dancing through the years. A good one to click on if you need some entertainment.
• 4-day work week. Having been a full-time corporate gal for many years, I know the struggle of working every single day in an office and having literally no time to yourself. Well, New Zealand just tested out a shorter work week, and it went great. I love this idea. Anyone else?
• Happiness. Speaking of working less, this article is an overview of how people achieve happiness in the Blue Zones of the world, and I love that the author found that social activities, health, working less, educating women and more are parts of what make people happy.

A Lady Goes West favorite archives

• What a fun trip, with such pretty views … “Family road tripping to Glenwood Springs, Colorado.”
• Are you are foam rolling? The benefits are endless. Here’s how to get started … “Foam rolling 101: How and why you should be using a foam roller.”

Hope your weekend is fabulous, my friends! I’ll be teaching my usual Saturday morning barre class and going to a fun outdoor wine event with Dave and another couple. Take care!

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Questions of the day

How was your week?

What was your best workout of the week?

What’s something you’re loving lately?