So you want your body to change? You want to be stronger, more toned, have better posture, and be better able to interact with your environment? 

This is what strength training can do for you. 

Are you ready to do what it takes to make the changes happen? Are you ready to get out of your comfort zone and sufficiently stimulate your muscles for these changes to occur?

We have the tools to get you there. 

We have the coaches, the program design, and the community. Showing up is the first challenge, but now that you're here, it's time to ask yourself:

Are you getting the most out of your workout sessions? 

We are not in the comfort business. We are in the challenge-yourself-to-be-your-best business. If you've hit a plateau, then it's time to kick it up a notch. It you want to continue seeing positive change, you have to put in the work, keeping safety and form top priorities. 

Continue reading for some inspiration and advice, straight from co-owner and coach, Priest, to make sure you are getting the most out of your studio classes!

Prepare The Body.

Have a p re-warm up  routine . Whether you are young or  a bit  olde r, an athlete or a former couch potato , everyone has some  part of the body that needs a little extra attention.  Maybe it's an old injury, a tender area, some tightness, i t's what I call the weak link in the chain. So, get to class a few minutes early to address these issues. A little stretching or foam rolling can go a long way to prepare your body to move more  efficiently  and prevent injury.

Trust The Clock.
Now, don't get me wrong here. Take a break if you need it , especially if you are still learning the ropes . Pace yourself and fin d your rhythm. But let's be honest now. T hat time clock  on the wall  is there for a reason. Whether it is set for 20, 30, 40, 50, or 60 seconds, the re is a method to the madness. W e are training different energy systems  at  different classes.  Sometimes it's a sprint. Sometimes it's working on endurance.  So  condition  y ourself to get to your station on time and work  from bell-to-bell.  Make a full effort.  Trimming  valuable  seconds off the beginning and the  end or your set, will only hinder  your  fitness goal s .

Join The Resistance.
Sand bags, sand   bells, dumbbells, body bars, and body weight. A ll   of these are  forms of resistance. If your body is a work of art, r esistance training is how you  sculpt and define.  Again,  keep a close eye on proper for m , but how much weight should you be lifting? The answer is ,  you should be li fting as much as you can handle .  Not  to please your coach or  im press  you r fellow fitness enthusiasts, but if you don't ask your body to do more than it can do comfortably, you will never stimulate change.

Discover Intensity.
Once you are warmed up and you understand the exercises, hit it  hard. You can always pull back, if you need to, but what are you s aving your energy for? Give the  full effort . Find the edge. Discover what you are capable of. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable a nd reap the rewards  of your hard work. You only get  what you  give and you have to give to see what you've got. You get what I mean, right?

Mind Over Matter.
Now  her e is the best part. There is, or  can be ,  a  meditative aspect to any practice . There is a  sweet spot  where one finds  the balance between  effort  a nd   ease .   There is a  harmony between the movement, the breath, the heartbeat, and the mind.  It is a state of being where you are one with the experience.  The zone, runners call it, but it can be found in any workout, even in a high-intensity circuit training class.  Some of us live for this high.