My Favorite At Home and Studio Workout Programs

My "Best of 2019" Guide

I have to admit, this year, it took me a little bit of time to get back into the swing of things. Well to clarify, I was in full swing planning and goal setting, I tried a few new approaches this year that were really fun and effective in getting me to think about exactly what I wanted out of the year and how I can break that down into manageable chunks to get there. See the full posts here and here. 
 
So now that planning is officially finished, or at least the annual one (I like quarterly planning too, sorry it must be the project manager in me) I am taking action once again. One of the goals on my list this year is to do an intense workout 3-4 times a week, something that elevates my heart rate and burns lots of calories.
 
Fitness has always been a big part of my life, I was even a barre instructor for a couple years, so I’ve tried quite a few workout regimens/classes. I like to switch it up often (I normally stick to something for 3-6 months and then fall off/get bored so by switching things up I keep it fresh and coming back for more).

​Also, depending on my schedule, at home workouts are sometimes much easier to fit in then a studio class, so I incorporate those in as well. At the end of the day, I really hate being in a gym solo (even virtually solo). If you're like me and need someone talking you through the different postures and motivating you to work harder, then the list I've compiled here is for you.

These are some of my favorite spots, ranging from local San Diego treasures to national chains and home programs. I’ve tried them all and compiled a review for you to find the one that works best for you. None of these are sponsored, just a look back at my experiences, what I like/liked and what I didn't. 

At Home

​Aaptiv

I loved using Aaptiv when I was running outdoors more often. It's an audio program that allows you to just plug in your headphones and move on the treadmill, outdoors, or through strength training workouts.

Pros:

• All you need is your phone - easy for on the go
• Awesome playlists and great motivational coaches 
• Planned programs to help you reach a goal (5K to Marathon training programs)

Cons:

• No visuals sometimes made it hard to know if you were doing the right thing, especially with the strength training or yoga videos

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Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide

If you haven't seen this on instagram before, just check out the hashtag #bbg and prepare to be bombarded with tons of amazing transformations. This Australian powerhouse created a home-based workout (and now super cool app) that combines high intensity days with low intensity days for a balanced but still intense program. 

Pros:

• Engaging app ($20/month) that has really good visuals (posture gifs) combined with audio cues. 
• Great schedule with 3-4 days of the training program from the app and 3-4 days of walking or light running. You definitely get sore from the workouts but the day in between helps to release some of the lactic acid. 

Cons:

• The audio doesn't really leave you feeling inspired or push you to work harder. It's more of a posture guide than a "class".
• There aren't any great playlists unless you hook up to apple music, but Spotify does have some playlists made from other bbg fans that are good. 

Kait Hurley

​I met Kait back when I was a barre instructor and always loved the way she cued postures. I was doing her program back when it first came out and was just on the online forum. I absolutely loved how the class mixed high intensity, with long strengthening holds and finished up with a solid 5-10 minutes of meditation at the end. I've always been bad at incorporating meditation into my life so having this as part of the program really helped. 

Pros:

• Great energy and ability to really connect with your breath and body both mentally and physically. 
• Meditation section at the end (you can also do the meditation segments by themselves but I always liked to do it with the movements)
• Classes with various time allotments (10 min, 30 min, and 60 min formats)

Cons:

• Limited classes (this was just my experience when I first started it, the program was new so after a while, I had done all the videos a few times, she has grown it quite a lot since then, adding an app and running section so this is likely . not a con anymore, to be honest, it will be something I try again soon to incorporate into my rotation of workouts)
• Sometimes the postures were a bit complex and moved quite quickly, so I had to slow down and take it at my own pace. 

Beachbody OnDemand

Yes, this is the same Beachbody as the home video DVDs, but now their On Demand platform gives you unlimited access to all the programs in their archives. There is a range of difficulty levels, props vs. no prop classes, and nutritional guides and supplements to pick from. 

Pros:

• Super affordable. It's $100 for the year to get unlimited access to a variety of classes. I basically just keep my subscription for the days I can't make it to a studio or when I want to do a casual at home yoga session, I can use their videos. 
• Mobile, computer, and if you have a smart TV, it can connect there as well making it easy to hear and see all the moves. 

Cons:

• I don't know why, but I just always get bored of the programs really quickly. I have never been able to finish one of their scheduled programs, but I love to randomly pick and choose a new workout to add when I miss a day at the studio. My favorite program so far has been Core De Force (I stuck with that one the longest).

In Studio

Relevate

If you are in the San Diego area, you have to go check out the Relevate studio (and if you are visiting you should go too!) It's one of the most intense barre, yoga fusion classes I have ever taken and yet I somehow leave feeling restored from the ending stretching and meditation session and forget all about the burning moves that took place for the majority of the class. Shannon, the founder, is soo welcoming too so whether you are a regular or it's your first class you get the same personalized attention.  Oh and there is pilates there now too! I haven't squeezed in a class yet, but heard it is so good and can't wait to take one. 

Pros:

• Great mixture of intense, heart-pumping workout with restorative stretching and meditation to close class. 
• Lot's of community events and featured classes that make membership engaging and fun. One of the classes I can't get enough of is the Reiki classes, these ones are special events so don't happen too frequently, but I love mixing them in with the rest of my workouts. It's amazing what spending an hour really stretching does for you. 

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Cons:

• Only one studio in San Diego (it's awesome though!)

Orangetheory

This has been my go-to workout lately. I'm a pretty competitive person and the real-time metrics happening in this studio let me compete against myself every single class. I love that I can measure in real-time what my effort is equaling on the output of my heart rate and calories burn. I go to the La Jolla and Point Loma studios in San Diego and the coaches are so awesome too!

Pros:

• Metrics tracking both in class and outside of class. After every class you get an email with how you did and comparing to your last class, last week, last month etc. So great for tracking
• App that counts splat points outside of the studio. This is awesome so that you can still keep your tracking strong with outside workouts too
• Memberships work at studios across the nation. This is awesome for me since I travel a lot, so I can take a class almost anywhere across the country. 
• Lots of challenges throughout the year to keep pushing to achieve something new.

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Cons:

• It's so popular, classes can be really crowded at prime times so you have to sign up well in advance, especially for the Point Loma studio.

 Soul Cycle
 
So far, I've only done a couple of Soul Cycle classes when I'm traveling with friends or family but I can totally see why everyone loves them. They are such awesome workouts and the music is so good! I also love that you cycle to the beat and incorporate weights at the end. I haven't tried other spin classes yet, but plan to and will do a review later comparing them. 

Pros:

• Awesome club-like vibe with great music and hitting the beat as you ride. 
• Burns tons of calories. 

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Cons:

• Super expensive and not a lot of discounting opportunities even if you become a member. 
• Equipment - I have to rent shoes every time I go which adds to the already expensive class. I'm sure the regulars have their own shoes but for drop-in classes, it's a nuisance. 

 ClassPass 

This a new one that I am really enjoying mixing with my Orangetheory membership. It allows you to go to lots of studio options without the super heavy membership rates of individual studios. I really like that they have a lower priced package for $40 a month that gets you 2-4 classes at a studio. This helps me mix my high intensity Orangetheory classes with more restorative sessions on ClassPass. 

Pros:

• Ability to mix it up between different types of workouts
• Flexible pricing depending on your needs
• Huge selection of studios so you can find something that fits your location and time for a class. 

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Cons:

• Limited to smaller more boutique studios, not a lot of major franchises. It's not necessarily a con, but if it had more of the bigger studios I like with the smaller ones, it would be perfect. 
• Changing studios, sometimes you find one you really like and then they aren't a part of ClassPass anymore so that can be a bummer. 

These are just some of my experiences over the last couple years of training. There are so many other programs out there, both small and large and I’d love to hear some of your favorites to add to my list of workouts to try! Let’s hear it in the comments! 

xoxo,
​Jessica