The Key to Kicking Any Fitness Challenge’s Ass


Every week, Your New Favorite Playlist introduces you to workout-worthy tunes from a different fitness brand. This week, FlyBarre shares a playlist from one of its recent classes.

Real talk: The first time I took a FlyBarre class, I wanted to walk out of the studio before the second song started. It was that hard. But while I’m not a believer in the idea of only going big or going home in your workouts, I do think that there’s something to be said for giving a new type of fitness routine a few tries before deciding it’s not for you (it’s inevitably going to be uncomfortable/unfamiliar in the beginning—so I try not to judge a workout too quickly).

That’s why I was so excited when a rep from Flywheel Sports e-mailed and asked if any of the editors at WomensHealthMag.com wanted to participate in one of its new challenges: the Flywheel challenge (four indoor cycling classes per week for four weeks), the FlyBarre challenge (four barre classes per week for four weeks), or the brand-new FlyPlus challenge (three indoor cycling classes and three barre classes per week for four weeks). As a cardio queen working to reform my ways, the FlyPlus challenge instantly appealed to me; it was a way to continue a heart-pumping routine while also getting into the habit of doing more sculpting exercises. I convinced Alison Goldman, one of our senior associate editors, to join me. Here we are last week at our first class of the challenge:

 

Online editors @alisonmgoldman and @rhilmantel kickstarted the FlyPlus challenge at @Flywheelsports today! 3 barre classes and 3 indoor cycling classes per week for the next four weeks. They’re not tough, they’re #WHStrong!

A photo posted by Women’s Health Magazine (@womenshealthmag) on Jan 19, 2015 at 8:26pm PST

 

Some people sign up for fitness challenges because they want to lose weight, reshape their body, or get into a new fitness routine, but this one also gives participants access to experts who can give them individual feedback: Each week, participants have access to a conference call with Heather Bauer, R.D., who designed a nutrition plan for the challenge. And every participant is assigned a coach; ours is FlyBarre instructor Brittany Franklin.

“My favorite part about being a coach for the FlyBarre challenges is having the opportunity to connect on a deeper level with clients,” she says. “Understanding what they are seeking to achieve enables me to continue to help them stay motivated and focused on their long-term goals, even after the challenge has ended.”

Franklin’s encouragement has helped make the challenge more fun, for sure, but her playlists during class are also huge on the motivation front. “Music is the foundation, the driving force [of classes],” she says. “It’s also one of the reasons why I fell in love with FlyBarre myself. The right music can help you push even harder than you thought your body was capable.” Maybe that’s why the FlyBarre classes seem so much less intimidating now (okay, I’m sure going to them regularly to build up my strength is a big part of it, too).

We got Franklin to share the can’t-help-but-move playlist from one of her recent classes:

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You can download the playlist on Spotify. Not ready to sweat this second? Sample some of the songs:

FlyBarre has locations in Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chicago; Los Angeles; Miami; New York City; Plano, Texas; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Seattle.

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