Only Overweight Clients Allowed at This Dallas Gym

Liz forwarded over a press release this morning with this tidbit:

Downsize Fitness is a Dallas gym that caters to those 50 pounds or more overweight until they ‘graduate’ to a goal weight of 220 lbs. It is a revolutionary concept that is capturing local and national attention… Each Downsize Fitness member has a coach that helps them each step of the way, with exercises and nutrition programs geared towards their members.

I don’t mean to sound out of the fitness loop–okay, I’m out of the fitness loop–but, I didn’t know this existed. I know there are gyms exclusively for ladies, but overweight-only fitness studios are news to me. I like the concept. The Dallas location of Downsize Fitness on Inwood Road is one of three, and it emphasizes three components: fitness, nutrition, and support. I wish more gyms offered a comprehensive program. (Having a juice bar doesn’t count.)

A D Staffer Works Up a Sweat at the New Bodybar in Highland Park

Summer is over. Our mission to procure a few visible ab muscles for poolside soirees has been replaced by hunting down the perfect boots. But we’re not letting ourselves go, altogether. No, we’re just waiting for the perfect fitness class to fall in our laps and make exercise during our chaotic holiday season convenient. Could Highland Park’s new Bodybar be the ticket? Chelsey Plumlee reports on her experience:

A fit and savvy coworker recently invited me to join her for a class at the new Bodybar studio in Uptown’s Travis Walk. Business developer Laurie Gatlin and Pilates master Kristin Moses have collaborated to bring Bodybar’s “Beautiful. Athletic. Real.” concept to life. The studio offers workouts that mix traditional Pilates, barre, yoga, and their signature “Burst” cardio segments between sets. A boutique entrance instantly drew me in with an earthy collection of jewelry, cozy active wear by Saint Grace, and a raw juice bar, but around the corner stood twelve of the most intimidating exercise machines I had ever seen. I spent the next fifty minutes jamming to pop music and following along while our instructor walked us through the “Reformer Jump!” class.

First Five Minutes of Class: Leaping up and down off of the “Jump” board was really disorienting at first, so naturally I laughed at how ridiculous everyone looked rather than focusing on the first few sets. Imagine jumping as high as you can then being pulled back down by weighted springs, all while lying flat on your back. Weird.

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Get Juiced After Your Bar Method Workout

photography courtesy of The Juice Extractor Report

No, no, you lush. I mean with real, organic fruit and veggie juice, hand squeezed, blended, and poured from behind the new Juice Bar at The Bar Method in Inwood Village. Why we don’t have more juiceries in Dallas is beyond me, but thank goodness for Bar Method’s husband and wife team, Tom and Lisa Hennings, who realized we need a hot spot that doles out (get it? “dole?” like the banana?) pressed juices, smoothies, kombucha tea, and specialty concoctions like oat shakes, coconut water, and green lemonade. Tom’s own Dallas-made Groovin’ On Granola will also be in stock, along with other healthful, refueling, on-the-go snacks in the newly expanded space. Getting a sculpted rear end at The Bar Method was already delicious, but I can’t wait for The Juice Bar, which opens on April 2.

A Girl’s Dream Gym Workout

You know the kind I’m talking about. It’s the workout that seems to elude us when we actually get to the gym. It’s short, but sweet. (Hey, we’re busy girls.) It hits all the sexy areas (well, soon-to-be-sexy areas). And it’s includes a serious cardio blast that makes our blood pump and our skin sweat glow. What we don’t is what we often do find at the gym. A hairy guy that just left his driblets behind on the treadmill. A machine that makes us look dumb as we stand around fussing with its stubborn gears. The perky blonde with full makeup, dangly earrings, a purple sports bra—midriff for the viewing—hardly breaking a sweat (so you know she’s not working hard) but she still looks better than you sans clothing. Am I right? All this is a prelude to this introduction: Tread Fitness. Now, most of you have probably heard about Tread, but I’m assuming lots of you still haven’t given it a try. It could be the holy grail of gymercise. It’s part indoor boot camp, part luxury gym experience. Basically, the one-hour classes are themed (arms/abs, butt/calves, back/shoulders, or whole body) and spent in quarters:  15 minutes on the treadmill, 15 minutes off, repeat. They’re hard, but tailored to beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Everyone faces a mirror, so no one is watching you, and your own personal fan, attached to the wall, is aimed right at your pretty punam. Machines are cleaned before and after classes, the bathroom is musty-smell free, and the two cuties operating the joint (owners Bart and Brandon) are fun to look at during class. I have one little issue. I think the prices are a tiny bit pricey—first-time Tread-ers can try the class for $10 right now, though—but I’ll let you decide for yourself on that one.

Free “Booty Camp” Class

We’re doing a boot camp right now. It’s kicking our butts, but we’re loving the aftermath. (We’ll keep you posted on the final results.) That’s why we think you should absolutely, one hundred percent, take advantage of the following opportunity. As part of COREhealth Wellness Center’s health menu, Dr. Peay’s now offering “Booty Camp,” an exercise camp created with all shapes and sizes in mind. The first round of the six-week camp already passed, but Dr. Peay is offering a second series starting May 10. All first-time campers can try out one Booty Camp class for free during this first week. Your options are plentiful, so there’s no good excuse not to test out the hiney-hardening course for free.

Morning sessions begin at 5:50 and end at 7 a.m. and are offered Monday through Friday. Evening sessions are offered Monday, Wednesday and Friday only. They begin at 6:20 and end at 7:30 p.m.

All you have to do is send an RSVP email with the camp date of your choice to billy@bootycampcentral.com. This could be the motivation you need to get yourself ready for bikini season. (We don’t like thinking about it approaching, either.)

Free Classes at the GetReFormed Pilates Studio Grand Re-Opening

The GetReFormed Pilates Studio is moving to a new, larger location (at 4681 Ohio Dr. in Frisco) and they’re celebrating with a grand re-opening on Saturday, January 23 from 3-6pm. The par-tay is open to the public and will offer free training classes that day at 3, 3:30, 4, 4:30 and 5 pm. They’ll also be having a Lululemon trunk show featuring Pilates-wear, a book signing and lecture with Dr. Sarah Samaan, author of The Smart Woman’s Guide to Heart Health,giveaways and much more. You know you need to get off your butt and work out so why not let this be the impetus? Gather the girls, stop by, and see what GetReFormed has to offer.

Holiday Specials from Equinox and The Spa at Equinox

Did you know that Dallas now has two Equinox locations, one in Highland Park and one in Preston Hollow? Me neither. But now we do. And did you know they have a ton of special holiday offers right now? In fact, there are so many I’m not even going to try to summarize them. I’ll just list them as they were sent to me. Jump for the deets. (more…)

Wilhelmina Hot Body Model Search

Noted modeling agency Wilhelmina Models is looking for you. Well, maybe. If you’re a man or woman 18 and up with a hot bod who lives a “healthy and fit lifestyle,” then they might be looking for you. Wilhelmina will be at the Plano Gold’s Gym on Saturday from 10 am-3 pm as part of its nationwide Hot Body Model Search. It’s an open casting call, so everyone is welcome. Go here for more info on the open call event.

Equinox Spa Throws A Glam Slam

If you have a few free hours on Thursday and an extra 60 bucks in your pocket, have we got a deal for you. The Spa at Equinox Highland Park wants you to come out from 5:30-8:30 pm for Glam Slam, a “luxurious evening of beauty, fashion, and fun.” Attendees will receive two mini spa treatments, makeovers with Chanel Cosmetics, discounts on spa products and duds from The Shop at Equinox, plus free Cosmos and snacks. For reservations—which are required, by the way—contact spa manager Holly Gordon at 214-443-9009 or Holly.Gordon@EquinoxFitness.com.

Another Quirky Dallas Workout: Hilton Anatole’s Aqua Zumba Water Aerobics Class

If you’re going to be sweating, I can’t imagine it feeling better than if you are in a swimming pool. The Verandah Club at the Hilton Anatole has created a water aerobics class that features fun moves to Latin tunes and supposedly can help you burn up to 500 calories per class. This doesn’t sound like some old lady lift-weights-to-disco-fever-songs-in-the-shallow-end course. A membership to the Verandah Club’s fitness center is $118 per month, which includes fitness classes, but you can purchase a $16 day pass to check out the class, too. Hilton Anatole. 2201 Stemmons Freeway. 214-761-7855 or www.verandahclub.com.

Champion4Fitness Opens at Shops at Starwood in Frisco

Nope, this isn’t just another gym, people. The official word:

The facility  includes a sports apparel retail boutique with lines such as Sergio Tacchini, Tail, andFila, to name a few; a proprietary LifeStyle Performance Center providing extensive scientific and fitness testing; fitness and nutrition counseling; a selection of supplements from Vemma, Verve, and Advocare; private one-on-one personal training in four different studio settings; and sports massage.

Champion4Fitness offers clients an innovative scientific approach which integrates fitness and nutrition with science and technology at a personalized level like no other wellness resource in the market.  Each client receives a framework of support from industry leaders utilizing a fully integrated testing, training, and nutrition system.

Among the Champion4Fitness leaders are chief medical director Jeffrey C. Caruth, M.D., chief of staff in the Ob-Gyn department at the Medical Center of Plano and founder of Plano Aesthetics. You might also recall the article about the Dr. Ted diet in D Beauty. That was Dr. Caruth, too.

Find Harmony at Karmany

In the current issue of D Beauty we wrote about the new pay-what-you-can yoga studio, Karmany. In light of the current economic situation I really appreciate these folks for being willing to help us de-stress even if we’ve been laid off, given a pay cut, forced to work an extra job, etc. These are the times we need yoga the most – to help us focus on all the good things in our lives instead of  the bad. And to treat our mind and body the best we can. So let’s give them some love. If you’ve been thinking about getting into yoga, or if, like me, you got out of your normal routine (over six months ago!), Karmany is providing the opportunity to get back on track with several different classes offered all week long. Their Level I class on Wednesdays at 5:45pm is fantastic. Instructor deAnna, takes time during the class to make adjustments when our poses are off and to help us twist and bend further than we ever thought possible – all without making us curse her out in our heads! The studio is bright and airy thanks to a big picture window, and very peaceful. See you at class!

Mother’s Day Idea: MomFit at Vert Fitness and Wellness Center

Buying a woman an exercise package as a gift is tricky. Either she’ll hate you (do you think I’m fat?) or she’ll love you for giving her the jump-start she needed. That said, purchase at your own risk. However, these programs, designed for new moms and moms-to-be, are pretty cool. Vert. Fitness and Wellness Center–which we wrote about in the current issue of D Beauty–is offering MomFit Workouts, including Mom & Baby Programs and MomToBe Pre Natal Fitness, which cater to the needs of new moms and pregnant women. That means a regimen designed specifically to whip your post-baby body into shape, plus they can make childcare arrangements if need be. For moms-to-be, Vert has trainers with pre- and post-natal certifications. These MomFit packages have been discounted for Mother’s Day, which means three months at the studio, fitness assessment, and 10 specially designed programs for $700 (a discount of $25 per session).

Free Circuit Training at Aeon in May

If the words “free” precede some type of fitness activity, then I’d say you’ve run out of excuses not to exercise. AEON Studio, which we wrote about in the current issue of D Beauty, is hosting complimentary hour-long circuit training classes every Saturday in May, at 9:30 and 10:30 am. Classes include a combo of boxing, cardio, weights, medicine balls, and full body workout. You must reserve your spot to attend. Just send an e-mail to info@aeonhealth.com. Also, in conjunction with their sponsorship of the Katy Trail 5K on May 14, AEON will donate $50 to Friends of the Katy Trail for every additional member who joins, and those new May members receive three complimentary services such as musculoskeletal evaluation, nutrition analysis, personal training session, physical consultation, or Pilates and yoga.

Sweet Deal: Join Planet Fitness for Just $1

But hurry because the offer expires soon. April 1-7, you can join Planet Fitness for only $1. (Regular initiation fee is $59-$99.) And here’s some better news: the monthly membership fees start at just $10, and there are no contracts. If you upgrade to $19.99 a month, you get access to all 266 locations across the country, plus unlimited tanning and unlimited guest privileges. Talk about affordable fitness! Planet Fitness has two locations in Dallas-Fort Worth–one block north of the Galleria at 5301 Alpha Rd. and 6101 Windhaven Pkwy. in Plano. You’re officially out of excuses. Start exercising!