It is no secret that I like my workout clothes. But what you might not realize is that I am neurotically particular about material and cut, and I go crazy if I feel like anything is touching my skin too much. It is for this reason I can’t wear running tights (and most running crops) or higher-wasted bottoms, and it is the reason I will never, even wear a short sleeve top for exercise. It has to be a tank and it has to give me room to breathe. If I am wearing yoga pants to a class, I will roll up the bottoms so they aren’t touching my legs. Another quirk is that I absolutely have to wear a headband when I work out. If too much sweat touches my face I get nuts. And you better be sure all the clothes are very moisture-wicking or I will claw at myself.

I also don’t sleep in underwear, I take off my pants and jewelry the second I get home from anywhere, I never wear tights or stockings, I never wear socks at home and I always wear a big sweatshirt to travel so I don’t have to wear a bra. But those are stories for another time.

My point is, I am very particular about what I wear to exercise. So when ellasport reached out to me to review some clothes, I felt a mix of excitement and apprehension. Excitement because someone wants to send me free things! Free things for exercise! My dream in life! Apprehension because I knew there was a chance the clothes would cause one or more of the problems outlined above.

But when I read through their website I was impressed. Especially when I saw the company’s mission:

ellasport’s mission is to provide women with technical athletic apparel that is designed for a woman’s body and makes her feel good about herself.

ellasport’s goal is to give you the confidence and motivation to push yourself further than you thought possible, to help you release your motivated inner self and unstoppable confidence that knows no limits.

I love what ellasport is aiming for with their brand. This is exactly the type of product I’d like to promote. I browsed through the website and there are really great elements included with the products, such as that awesome, useful and cute back zipper in the New Power Capris.

I received two products to try — the Gramercy Racerbank Tank and the Workout Skirt.

The Review

Gramercy Racerback Tank in blue.

The Gramercy Racerback tans provides ample support with an attached bra that gives full coverage across the chest. The bra is made of the same fabric as the tank. The hip is wider than the waist and top so it stays in place and does not ride up. The Gramercy Racerback tank has a feminine, sexy look with its square neckline.

   
[Photos from ellasport.com]

When I first tried this top on I wasn’t sure if I liked it. It fit very well across the top, but the bottom was a bit baggier than I usually wear. But it was comfortable and the built-in bra felt relatively supportive.

I wore this tank top twice to spinning and once to do the 30 Day Shred DVD. When I did the DVD — which includes lots of jumping jacks — the shirt was comfortable and surprisingly supportive during the jumps. I wouldn’t run without another bra underneath, but it was more than sufficient for this particular workout. I tweeted:  “Just wore my new @ellasport tank for my workout. Comfy and surprisingly more supportive than it looks.” The top was extremely lightweight and almost felt like I wasn’t wearing anything at all — exactly my type of clothing!

The first time I went to spin with this on, I couldn’t stop looking at myself in the class mirrors. This shirt is even more flattering that I originally thought, and it has a really great fit. I actually liked the slight bagginess that I was unsure about at first because it hid some areas I’ve been self conscious about since Cookie-Overload Oh-Eleven, and it didn’t feel uncomfortable in any way.

After class, I tweeted again:  “Another note of praise for my @ellasport top – it is so moisture wicking, I thought I just didn’t sweat much in spin. Until I took it off.”

True story — the inside was soaked! The sweat-wicking abilities in the Gramercy Racerback Tank far surpassed what I expected based on other workout clothing I’ve worn.

Workout Skirt

The Workout Skirt™ falls just below the waist and has compression shorts attached – made of the same fabric as the skirt – that provide light compression to your leg muscles to help fight fatigue. The compression shorts hit at the mid- to high-thigh and have a mid-rise. The skirt portion is an inch longer than the shorts for just the right coverage.

I also tried the Workout Skirt for running. The skirt was long on me, longer than it looks in this photo. I have to admit that I like really short shorts and skirts when I run. A big part of exercising for me is feeling comfortable and sexy. So while this skirt certainly felt comfortable and looked flattering, I knew it wasn’t something I would choose for myself as I would the top.

While the material is not particularly lightweight, the built-in compression shorts under the skirt really make this a standout item. They are long enough that you’d wear them as shorts on their own (if they came that way), eliminating any fears of flashing strangers as you speed by. They’re comfortable and do not ride up at all. And like the top, the Workout Skirt is incredibly moisture-wicking.

I went for a quick treadmill run with this skirt. As I suspected, the longer material made me a little crazy as it touched my legs during the run. But that is my own quirk and I think for women who prefer longer shorts and skirts, this would be a great piece to try.

The Giveaway

To enter to win the Gramercy Racerback Tank worth $68, leave me a comment in the comments section below telling me which color Gramercy Racerback Tank you’d most like to own. Visit ellasport.com to see the colors available.

Get up to three additional entries by doing each of the following:

• Follow ellasport on Twitter (let me know you did so in your comment)
• Like ellasport on Facebook (let me know you did so in your comment)
• Tweet the following: I want to win @ellasport workout gear #giveaway from @dysterious: http://dorishinyblog.com/?p=7752

I must receive all entries by 11:59 pm on Monday, January 23 and the odds of winning are determined by the number of entries received. No purchase necessary to enter. Open to US residents only.

I received these products from ellasport at no charge. I was not paid to write this review, nor was I obligated to write one. All opinions are entirely my own.

While it is no secret that Core Fusion is my preferred bar class of choice, I am always open to trying other studios out. In fact, Core Fusion was not the first class I tried. Prior to really getting involved in Core Fusion, I took two Physique 57 classes, one The Body class, two Nalini Method classes (not counting the third I recently tried). I reviewed those initial classes without having Core Fusion to even compare them to!

And while I enjoyed each of those experiences, I didn’t feel compelled to get memberships at the time. It wasn’t until I fell in love with the strength-in-stillness style and motivation teachers at Core Fusion that I knew this style of exercise was for me.

But just because I now know what I love doesn’t mean I’m not open to finding something else I love too. That is how I ended up at Refine after all, and I go there all the time now.

So when I met Physique 57′s social media manager at a Travelzoo blog event and she invited me in to try two more classes, of course I said yes!

With my hip injury, I can’t take a regular Physique 57 class right now, for the same reasons I can’t take Core Fusion. So I looked into my other options and found two classes that sounded like they could work for me: Mat 57 and Abs & Arms Booster. Mat 57 was offered at a time I could make it last week, and so I went.

From their website:

Mat 57® offers a:

Comprehensive workout. Mat 57® improves balance, posture, and alignment through targeted exercises that strengthen and lengthen every major muscle group. Mat 57® incorporates cardio, toning and stretching to intensify the workout and challenge each student.

Quick tempo. Mat 57® offers all of the proven benefits of Pilates while increasing stamina through a more athletic and high-energy routine.

Class was at the Spring Street location in SoHo. I had been to this location once before, and to the 57th street location once as well.

The Space

The good:

• The retail shop had a gorgeous selection of workout and relaxation clothing from brands like Splits 59, Lululemon and more.
• Locker room offers hair spray, hair dryers, deodorant, mouth wash, showers and hair brushes.
• Everything was clean.

Could use improvement:

• Locks are not built in to the lockers. For the price of these classes and a membership, I do think there should be locks. I was forced to leave my items in an unlocked locker. I had this same gripe about Pure Yoga.  I feel there are certain amenities that should come with the high cost of classes.
• There is no sanitizer to hold the hair brushes. Use the brushes at your own risk.

The Class

The good:

• Abs, abs, abs. This is a class for anyone who wants to get an intense abdominal workout. I wasn’t paying attention to the time, but we must have done about 15 minutes of devoted ab work in the beginning of class.
• Use of light hand weights to do familiar arm exercises like bicep curls and lat pull-downs during the abdominal work.
• Light weights are so difficult! When Natasha advised me to take 2s and 3s, I seriously doubted this and considered getting 4s. She told me not to. She was right. I was humbled. No more than 3 pounds are needed because it is hard work using the weights during abs.
• A couple of nice plank sequences.
• A long glutes section including foreram tabletop  and pretzel positions.
• The hour literally flew by. When class was over, I couldn’t believe it.
• The instructor was upbeat.
• Easy to modify for injuries.

Could use improvement:

• Instructor adjustments. Some of the positions we did on the floor for abs were unfamiliar to me, and the instructor did not correct or adjust me to ensure I was safely and effectively positioned. I had a feeling the entire time that I was not doing the exercise correctly, but I didn’t know how to fix myself.
• We did about 15 pushups total: 10 regular and 5 yoga-style (elbows squeezed close to sides). I incorrectly assumed this was the first set of pushups that would appear multiple times throughout class. More pushups — an excellent full-body exercise –  would provide more intensity and opportunity for a higher heart-rate.
• The squats and lunges sections seemed very short. I thought this class could have used a bit more thigh work.
• The abdominal section to start the class dragged on a little too long.

Overall thoughts:

Throw everything you think you know out the window. In spite of the name, no mats actually make an appearance in Mat 57!

While Mat 57 was definitely a challenging workout that will tone your body, I didn’t feel the cardio intensity or increased heart rate that was advertised. It is a good change of pace and nice alternative to a regular bar-style class, and I would definitely do it again.

Keep in mind I only tried this class one time with one instructor, and every instructor has her own teaching style.

As for the space, it also comes down to personal preference. Physique 57′s environment is very much about the workout. Get in, work hard, get on with your day.  While I prefer a warmer environment, I know that this style would appeal to many people.

I am excited to go back for my second Physique 57 class in this two-class pack.

I’m beat, kids. My first day at my new job was yesterday and I still don’t know where the bathroom is. It got to the point where I couldn’t even ask because it would have been like “What? You haven’t peed in over 6 hours?!” I mean, I know the general area where it is, but none of the doors seem to be labeled. Other than that, the gig seems really great and just what I needed. I might even get to meet my favorite imaginary friend Rachel (who coined the term ‘imaginary friend’!) later this month because of work-related travels. And I am taking this new job as an opportunity to reinvent myself as someone who wears mascara.

I ran the NYRR Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff 5 Mile race on Sunday. Perfect perfect perfect. That is all I have to say right now about the race, the weather and the PLAYLIST. Full recap next Tuesday once, you know, I get my official photos. I might be the vainest runner out there, but at least I own it. I run for professional photos of myself. Racing is my Glamor Shots.

Now is probably a good time to tell you about a fun and hard workout class I tried back in September called Rockin Models thanks to Bess. When I met Grace Lazenby, celebrity personal trainer and talent behind the class (and DVD), my first thought was “How does she get her arms to look like that?” My second thought was “I can see her abs THROUGH her shirt.”

[Source: Beauty News LA]

The class was great! A very fun change of pace from my normal routine and luckily I had my Missy next to me. I am always more comfortable to workout with the support of my friend. We started the class with a burlesque style warmup. While the moves were fun, my body is so awkward and stiff when it comes to any type of sexy dancing (unless I have my vodka, in which case I AM AN AWESOME DANCER) that I just had to smile and go with it. I knew Missy understood. Even though she is better than I am at the sex dance, she isn’t that much better and I knew she felt my awkwardness.

The rest of the class was a mix of fast, sweaty yoga flow with periods of intense pose holding; difficult thigh moves reminiscent of Core Fusion but with a body bar instead of a ballet bar and seductively swaying our bodies down it in plies; challenging glute work that left me feeling sore; a nice abdominal section and even more burlesque — legs straight up in the air, legs wide open, legs back up in the air. Any workout where I get to spread eagle is my kind of workout.

Grace was nice enough to offer me a DVD to review as well. The DVD is actually pretty awesome. The music is exactly the same as in the class and it is outstanding! You guys know how I love my music, and this did not disappoint. As each new section and song begins, a credit appears on the screen just like a music video. Mad props to Grace for securing some awesome music. Workout DVD music can sound not unlike porn music because it is hard to get the rights to the big songs, but Grace secured some great ones. Also of note in the DVD, the fun lighting and the use of top hats as sexy props. Well done.

A couple of minor issues I had, however. We did almost no upper body work in the class. When I take class with someone with arms like Grace, I want to do the workout she does to GET those arms. I still do not know what type of arm workouts Grace does because we didn’t do a single one in the class. Not even a stray pushup or a plank, aside from during the yoga flow section, but those poses weren’t held for long. I would be OK with this except that Rockin Models markets itself as a full body class.

The thighs section was very good, but there was no mention of form. From my extensive Core Fusion experience, I know how important form is for these types of body weight as resistance exercises. It is all the difference between effective workout and injury. I knew the correct form, so I wasn’t worried about myself during class, but I was concerned about the other people as I looked around the room. I saw a lot of poor form and there were little to no corrections.

That said, Rockin Models is a fun, different workout. I recommend the DVD. You will work up a sweat, get a fantastic abs, thighs and especially butt workout and learn some fun burlesque. The best part — Grace is not in any way annoying! If you are someone who likes exercise DVD you will enjoy this one — and still get a tough workout. Just keep in mind when you do the thighs section to track your knees over your second toe and keep ears over shoulders over hips.

You can watch a preview on YouTube and order a copy on Amazon. Read Bess’s review here.

See you next week with my race recap, slow songs playlist (obsessed, still listening, love) and photographs of me.

*Update – today is Election Day in the US. Please go vote. If you don’t vote you can’t complain.