A Lady Goes West

A healthy lifestyle blog by Ashley Pitt

The weekend, my workouts + the new VINT app

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Hey, friends! I hope you had a great weekend. I’ll catch you up on mine, and then we’ll get into some talk about fitness.

On Friday night, Dave and I went to a little sushi spot near our house, where we had delicious food and even better service. The best part? There was a koi pond in the center of the restaurant. On Saturday, during the first part of the day, I taught a BODYPUMP class, and Dave golfed in a tournament. In the afternoon, we ran a few house-related errands and bought a new grill, which we just can’t wait to use. On Saturday night, we went out to dinner and redeemed a Travelzoo voucher I bought weeks ago. (Isn’t it funny how a meal can seem free even though technically it was just pre-paid?) On Sunday, during a torrential downpour, we hung around home and then went to a Grammy-watching party at a friend’s house, featuring pizza, salad and of course, wine. It was a good weekend for sure, with plenty of down-time. Now let’s get to fitness …

Trying out the new VINT on-demand fitness app

I’ve got something to tell you about, and it’s called VINT. VINT is an on-demand fitness app, which started in Stockholm, Sweden and is now available in San Francisco. Even though the company currently has a small footprint, (which doesn’t apply to many of you), the folks at VINT have plans to grow, so I figured it was worth sharing. And being that I’m a big supporter of any kind of app, program or website that encourages more people to get moving, I was happy to learn what VINT is all about.

I was given a chance to try a month of the VINT service for free, thanks to the lovely founder and creator, Louise Ericksson, who reached out to me via email well before the holidays. Before I decided to review VINT, I actually met with Louise, had coffee with her, and we did a workout together. This beautiful blonde Swedish woman may be small, but she’s powerful. In addition to running marathons, competing in triathalons and planning an amazing wedding in Europe, she also has a history of starting, growing and selling successful companies like VINT. Pretty awesome, right?

Louise saw a void in the marketplace, and that’s how she came up with the idea for VINT. After spending a ton of money on personal training sessions, she realized there had to be another way for people to access small-group or one-on-one attention outside of a big corporate gym. That’s how VINT is different. It’s not just another fitness website where you can book workouts — it’s more about connecting you with personal and small-group training sessions catered to your needs, done anywhere. Using the app, you can book a personal training session for that very same day, or browse through upcoming sessions focused on Tai Chi, Yoga, Boxing, Running, Jump-Rope, Kettlebells and much more, which never have more than four participants.

Ashley with kettlebells via A Lady Goes WestOne of my favorite sessions I attended through VINT was a 45-minute personal training workout called “Kettlebells for Her” led by Linda at the SkyeFit gym in the SoMa neighborhood. Linda was friendly, knowledgable and had me do more than 100 kettlebell swings, as well as other powerful moves. And I mean, pink kettlebells?

The details on what VINT offers

Here are a few things you should know about the service:

  • You can try VINT unlimited for free for a week. Just download the app and enter a credit card number. Then you can cancel after your week is up.
  • The monthly subscription fee for unlimited sessions is $95.
  • If you don’t see a session offered at a time that works for you, you can request it and will hear back in about 24 hours.
  • The instructors are all well-vetted, but they may not be certified personal trainers. They may just be athletes or people who are passionate about fitness. However, everyone I worked with was certified. (Something that is important to me, being that I am a certified fitness professional myself!) 
  • All of the booking, searching and account functions must take place on your phone via the app, so you can’t do any of it on your computer.
  • The app is pretty easy to use, as you can search by a map, time or focus of workout. You can also leave feedback on a session and ask questions right through the app.

Overall thoughts on using the VINT service

The best part about VINT to me is the personalized attention. All but one of my sessions was just me and an instructor one-on-one. In addition to that, when you book a workout, you will likely get a message from the instructor asking if you have any injuries or if there is anything that they need to know about you, which I really liked. And after a few of my sessions, I even received a follow-up message from the instructor, which is such a nice touch. Finally, there is a “Fitness Concierge” named Elsa, whose job it is to reach out to VINT members and help them find what they’re looking for. Elsa was super helpful to me, and set me up with an awesome yoga class on the Bay that I otherwise may not have considered.

VINT workouts via A Lady Goes WestShown above from top left to right: One of my fun VINT instructors, Enrico, a look at where I took yoga on the Bay, the inside of The Corner Studio and beautiful Yerba Buena Park, all of which were settings for my workouts.

During the course of my VINT membership, I did the following five sessions: “Fit 60” (cardio and weights), “Booty by Jeri” (Pilates reformer), “Hearts on Fire” (cardio and weights), “Kettlebells for Her” (weights) and “Authentic Hatha Yoga on the Embarcadero.” Two of my sessions took place outdoors in lovely public parks, and three others took place in small studio gyms. I really enjoyed all but one of the sessions, especially because they had me doing things I don’t normally do, like running stairs in a public park and doing box jumps onto a cement ledge.

The high point of my VINT experience just may have been my one-on-one Hatha yoga session on the grass on a sunny day looking out at the Bay. Not only did I love the setting and friendly instructor, Hannah, but I also loved that she helped me get into a pretty difficult headstand pose, which I held for a while. Good stuff! But overall, I learned a little something during each workout, and I booked them all with ease.

Try a week of VINT unlimited workouts for free 

I wish Louise, Elsa and the entire team at VINT luck in growing this pretty cool idea. If you’re a Bay Area reader and want to give it a try, download the VINT app today for your free trial week. I hear the “Yoga Sculpt” class with Brittany at the VINT headquarters is awesome, but I didn’t get around to trying that one. Nonetheless, thanks VINT for letting me take the service for a little test-drive.

Switching gears, let’s get to a look at all of the ways I got moving over the past week, in my regular “Weekly Workouts” recap.

Weekly Workouts from A Lady Goes West

Weekly Workouts

  • Monday – Practiced one hour of BODYATTACK at home
  • Tuesday – Taught one-hour BODYPUMP class, foam rolling
  • Wednesday – Taught one-hour BODYATTACK class
  • Thursday – Did 30-minute CXWORX workout + 20 minutes of Gigabody yoga at home
  • Friday –  Taught one-hour BODYATTACK class, foam rolling
  • Saturday –  Taught one-hour BODYPUMP class, foam rolling
  • Sunday – Rest day

What was good about my week of workouts?

Well this was a Les Mills group fitness week of workouts if I’ve ever seen one. I taught and/or practiced Les Mills classes six days this week. I had some good variety this past week, with three sessions of cardio (BODYATTACK), two sessions of weights (BODYPUMP) and even some core (CXWORX) and flexibility (yoga) training. I started a new teaching schedule at all new-to-me gyms, which was certainly a lot of fun meeting some new members. With a full rest day and plenty of diversity, overall, I felt great, sticking to no more than one hour of working out each day. I’m not going to be teaching any regular double-header back-to-back classes any longer, which will probably do wonders for my recovery between workouts.

What could have been better about my week of workouts?

I only did 20 minutes of yoga, which is certainly better than nothing, but I prefer to get in a full one-hour session for all of its benefits (and because it’s one of my goals for the year). Also, I prefer to do three sessions of resistance training, rather than two. Although CXWORX does include some work with a resistance tube, I’m not counting that toward my true weights work. Overall, this past week was fine, but I hope to get in an additional weights session and a full hour of yoga this week.

There you go! This was a long one for your Monday, wasn’t it? I hope you have a great start to the week, friends!

Questions of the day

Do you prefer working out alone or in a group setting? What was your last workout? What did you do this weekend?

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Comments

  1. Hey Ashley! Sounds like an awesome weekend and week of workouts last week. It most certainly was a full schedule! VINT sounds really cool! I look forward to watching their expansion and success. They seem like a few other fitness apps I’ve seen but a little more personal and less complicated. I enjoy ease of use and agree that I would only want to work with certified professionals as well. Hope you have a great day!
    Jenna recently posted…Heart Health Month- Cardiovascular Exercise BasicsMy Profile

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  2. You always have the BEST workouts! Seriously though, of every workout recap I read, yours always win. SF has some amazing gym options out there 🙂 And I much prefer to workout in a group setting. I push myself harder and love having my form corrected because we often “think” we’re in the right position but more often than not, we have some correcting to do!
    Becky @ Olives n Wine recently posted…10 {Ir}rational fears of a soon-to-be motherMy Profile

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    • Hi Becky! Thanks, and yes, of course, I WAY prefer the group setting, both taking and teaching. We do have some great studios here in the Bay Area! I LOVE it. Hope you have a happy Monday! 🙂

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  3. I love working out by myself at home or with my classes. I love the feeling of teaching others and being in the front watching them break a sweat! I so wish we had les Mills here! That would be so fun to have and get trained in. I’ve never heard of that app but it sounds really fun! I don’t live in San Fran though, sadly 🙁 Maybe it will become more global!
    Heather @Fit n Cookies recently posted…An Ice Cream Sundae Baby Shower kind of weekend + Susie In Town!My Profile

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    • Hi Heather! Me too! I love watching people work hard right in front of me. It’s awesome! And I hope you get to try some Les Mills classes one day — they are game changing. Thanks for stopping by, and have a very happy Monday!

      Reply

  4. So awesome that you teach body pump, Ashley! I prefer to work out on my own but there are a few group classes which I love- body pump is top of that list. The last workout I did was a legs workout this morning from Kayla Itsines’ 12-week guide. The next workout I do is a long walk which I am setting out for as soon as my podcasts finish downloading! Happy Monday :)!
    Khushboo recently posted…Homemade burritosMy Profile

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    • Hi Khushboo! That sounds great. Walking and listening to a podcast? I’ve NEVER done that and really want to try downloading some good ones soon to listen to. BODYPUMP is the best, I’ve been teaching it for almost 6 years, so I LOVE that workout. Glad you’re a fan as well. Happy Monday!

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    • Hi Stacie! Yes, I think some people feel that way. And the good thing is, variety is beneficial for your body — so you can drop into a class whenever you feel like it. Hope you have a Happy Monday! 🙂

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    • Hi Jen! I’m a group fitness lover through-and-through, but sometimes it’s important to take time for yourself and really work on what you need to work on. So there are benefits to both. Happy Monday!!

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  9. This new app sounds really cool – what I like about it is the size of the group. It allows for a way more personalized experience, and for you to really connect with the instructor and group.

    I hear you on the yoga – I practice transcendental meditation which is supposed to be 20 mins 2x day, but I haven’t even squeezed in 10 lately. Yikes!
    Jill @ Champagne for Everyday recently posted…Spiral into Fit – I Spiralized Every Meal For a Day!My Profile

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    • Hi Annette! I don’t have a regular CXWORX class yet, but I like to do it every once in a while in case I need to sub. It hurts when you don’t do it very often! hahahah! Happy Monday! 🙂

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    • Hi Sara! You and your Sproing! heheh It’s good to do a combination of group and solo workouts, so you’re right on target with what you like. Happy Monday!

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    • Hi Megan, Yes, it’s hard for us group fitness instructors to correct everyone (especially in a Les Mills format when you teach from the front of the room mirroring the workout). Sometimes I like to talk to people before or after class to help them, but it doesn’t always happen. That’s why it’s good for most people to have some personal attention here and there with a small-group workout or personal training session, which can teach them the things they need to know for classes. Modifications? Always important too. Happy Monday!

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  15. Completely agree – 20 minutes of yoga is better than nothing, but an hour of it always feels more energizing.

    As for individual v. group workouts – I prefer running alone, but doing yoga, spin and weight lifting with a group. Last workout was a run this AM, which is always feels good on a Monday morning

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  16. VINT sounds awesome! I would love one-on-one attention for yoga. I always feel awkward when I try certain poses and I know my form needs improvement. Plus, you can’t beat workouts in the fresh air. Leave it to Silicon Valley to be on top of the newest fitness and app ideas!

    And you look so cute with those pink kettlebells, haha! They’re bigger than your head. 🙂
    Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health recently posted…Healing Moroccan Lentil SoupMy Profile

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  20. As much as I love group cycling and boxing classes, I would love some one on one time with a personal trainer! I feel like it is so much more beneficial to learn exercises the right way and getting a workout tailored to your goals! VINT sounds awesome! Now if they would just make it to Ohio 🙂
    Hilary recently posted…Marathon Training Week #4My Profile

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    • Hi Hilary! YES! You can learn so much from even a couple sessions from a personal trainer, especially when they do assessments on you. I hope you get the chance for one soon. Sometimes when you are new to gym you get a free session? Anywho, cross your fingers for a VINT-like service to head your way. Happy Monday and happy running to you! 🙂
      Ashley recently posted…The weekend, my workouts and the new VINT appMy Profile

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    • Thanks, Katie! It helps that a lot of my workouts come from teaching great classes. And if I could, I’d do yoga twice a week for sure. The few times I’ve done it more than once a week, I’ve felt fantastic. One day maybe! You probably need some yoga in between Crossfit sessions. Hope you have a good night! 🙂
      Ashley recently posted…The weekend, my workouts and the new VINT appMy Profile

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A Lady Goes West is a personal blog meant for entertainment purposes only and does not serve as a substitute for professional advice from your own doctor, trainer or nutritionist. While I'm a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor, the workouts, food and plans I post are what works for me and may not work for you. Please enjoy these stories and tips from my life, but proceed with caution. Also, know that affiliate links and sponsored posts appear from time-to-time, and I appreciate your support. For more information about how your data is stored, visit my Privacy Policy. Thanks for reading!