NYC Fitness & Food Guide
Did you guys know that (according to the Huffington Post) Washington, DC is the fittest city in America? What about the fact that New York City didn't even make the list for The Top 10 Fittest Cities in America? Well, Huffington Post, I beg to differ. I took to the Big Apple the past weekend to try out some of the best workouts and trainers (and you better believe there was a lot of eating in between).
First up, SoulCycle! If you live in a city that has SoulCycle and you haven't been, what have you been waiting for?! I won't lie, it's a little intimidating at first but just remember that all of those people in the front row who look like pros were beginners once too! My first time ever trying SoulCycle was actually in NYC last summer with Trammell (@m3ll212) as the instructor and Jera (@workoutbean) riding podium before she became an instructor. So, it was pretty bittersweet that I got to come back and take BOTH of their classes. Everything about their classes from music to the motivational messages were just spot on. I can't say enough good things about these two! TIP: if you're going to go to take a SoulCycle class in NYC be sure to book your bike right at noon on Monday the week of!
Saturday morning was a full body bootcamp with Akin (@akiniko) at Studio B which is located above Bandier in Flatiron. Let me just say...it was HARD. The workout was 90 minutes long and incorporated weights along with different exercises like pistol squats, bicep curls, plyometric push ups, roll up burpees and more. Luckily, there were people of all fitness levels there so if you had to modify certain exercises it wasn't an issue! If you can't make it to a bootcamp with Akin, he is also a master instructor at SoulCycle (one of Kelly Ripa's favorites, along with Trammell).
The second workout of Saturday was Rumble which recently opened in January of 2017. The boxing-inspired workout was about 50 minutes and consisted of 10 rounds where we alternated between bag work and strength-based floor work. It was really high intensity and high energy which I loved which was partly due to our awesome instructor Ashley (@ashleyguarrasi).
Workout number five, and the last one of NYC, was an event hosted by a couple of friends Ellie (@eliannealexander) and Brooke (@bamfitnyc) at CrossFit Union Square called FitWithBAE. It was a high-intensity workout which included five circuits with three moves in each. It was probably my favorite part of the weekend because I got to see so many friends and work out next to 90 other inspiring women (and it helped that we got a free pair of leggings thanks to Sweaty Betty who helped sponsored the event). Brooke and Ellie plan on having these meetups once a month so I definitely suggest checking it out if you're in NYC, especially if you want to meet new fit friends!
Maybe you don't want to work out when you go to NYC and just want to eat? I've got you covered too! Obviously between all the working out, a lot of eating had to be done. So here are a few of my favorite places I went for food and snacks:
- Hu Kitchen: Paleo-based/whole 30 approved food, which we all know is so hard to find. Great for any meal AND they have butter aka "crack" coffee! If I could have eaten here for every meal, I TOTALLY would have.
- Jack's Wife Freda: Amazing Mediterranean-American food, also a good option for any meal.
- Pressed Juicery: AWESOME froyo alternative that is vegan, dairy and gluten free - no added sugar or anything! Just made using juice from fruits, veggies, almonds and coconuts!
- MatchaBar: So many different Matcha concoctions and treats! A good place to stop when you need an extra boost between workouts. Get the iced matcha latte with almond milk ;)
- The Smile: The best brunch and it was the most adorable little place that you would never know existed. I got steak and eggs with a sweet potato hash - YUM.
Aside from all of the working out and eating, the best part was getting to see old friends and make a whole bunch of new ones! NYC has a special place in my heart and I can't wait to return for my next workout and eating marathon weekend!
xx,
Erin