First Impressions: I knew very little about Beyond500 before using my ClassPass to book the class. The nuggets of information I have heard were about their unique treadmill that is often called the “human hamster wheel” and how one can burn 500 calories or more in a single session. It was a Friday and thought this would be the best way to start my weekend.
The Class: Beyond 500 offers Pilates inspired interval training while incorporating cardio on their special treadmills. This particular Friday night class was called Stacks. We started on the treadmill they call the Curve. Unlike normal treadmills where you hit the start button and adjust the speed and incline as you are running, the Curve is self start and goes as fast or slow as your pace. I was told the curve burns 30 percent more calories than normal treadmills. If you hate treadmills, this might be worth trying. Anyway, after a quick warmup, we hopped on one of these bad boys and did a one minute sprint, followed by one minute of walking. Then two mins of running, one minute of walking and ended it with three mins of running/jogging. Whew! Eight minutes doesn’t sound that hard, but talk about calorie torcher.
The cardio was followed by strength training. We used kettle bells and the Pilates chair that had an adjustable resistance bar. Similar to the cardio segment, we would do three different exercises. Start with exercise A, followed by one minute of active recovery, then back to exercise A and then B, one minute of active recovery and finished with excises A, B, and C. All exercises are done for 45 seconds to one minute each. After a moment to grab some water, we hopped back on the treadmill for a second set of cardio and a final segment of strength training with different exercises. Talk about efficiency!
The exercises each targeted at least two muscle groups for maximum calorie burn and efficiency. There are different weights of kettle bells to choose from and to push yourself with.
Here’s a sneak peek into the stacks workout. You can see how we used the Pilates chair and the Curve. I had Catherine demo some exercises. At this point, my body was done. I almost fell off the chair btw!
The Space: It totally reminds of me a Vegas night club. Sleek design with colorful lights and loud music. I loved it. There are a total of 10 stations. The studio is one big open room and kept very clean. There are cubbies to stow away your bags and purses. Beyond500 is located on lower Henderson next to The Gin Mill.
The Instructor: Catherine is gorgeous and incredibly nice. She is also an instructor at City Surf Fitness and totally rocked the class. She is a great motivator and definitely encourages you to push yourself to the limit and think about your goals. Also, she rocked these super cute pair of workout tights with mesh panels…I WANT.
How It Went: I am a huge fan of weight/strength training mixed with cardio so this was totally up my alley. I’m a huge believer in adding weights to a workout regime for results.
Loved: I really liked using the Pilates chair. I’ve never used it before, so it was great getting to know a different piece of equipment.
Hated: The last 3 minutes of running. Longest 3 minutes of my life!
Difficulty Level: I’d say it’s an intermediate level class. While you can slow your pace down, you don’t really want to stop completely in the middle of any exercise. I can see this being difficult for newbies. It is a great class for anyone looking for a good workout.
The Next Day: Certainly right after the class, my body was jello. My legs were shaking during my walk back to the car. The next day, I have that loving soreness in my butt and legs and some in my upper back.
Cost/Parking/What to bring: Intro class is $15 or get the trial package for two weeks at $50. You can check out the pricing here. Parking is deceiving. There is actually parking spots in the back, along the side of the studio and in the front. You can also park across the street if it gets crowded. The classes are optimal for 10 people, but I believe it can hold up to 20 people. Definitely bring your own towel and cold water. If you aren’t familiar with the class, show up a few minutes early so the instructor can give you the lowdown of what to expect.
In order to review the Beyond 500 studio, Deep Fried Fit used her complimentary ClassPass membership.
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