Speedplay Challenge

If you follow our Instagram (@exercisewithextrafries), you probably know that we decided to participate in a 30-day challenge at Speedplay with our friend Julie. The challenge was to gather a team of 3 and take as many classes as you could between 1/10 and 2/10. Whichever team took the most classes during that period would win a photoshoot, $100 credit to Speedplay, and most importantly, bragging rights.

Speedplay has 2 locations in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Downtown LA. Each class is 60 minutes. Their signature Speedplay 60 class is half cardio, on a Woodway Curve treadmill and a C2 rower, and half strength, mixing barbells, dumbbells, body-weight exercises, and TRX. They also offer a Speedplay Strength class, which has no cardio.

Here are 10 things we learned from this challenge:

1. Rest days are a must.

Initially, we planned on working out 30 days in a row. We both ended up getting sick and had to take a few rest days. There were a lot of times we were mentally and physically exhausted from work and school and all we wanted to do was take a day off. Listen to your body!

2. Nutrition and diet are important.

Everyone’s favorite question during the challenge was, “do you have abs yet?”. While we feel so much stronger after this challenge, we didn’t clean up our diet too much, so no abs yet!

3. Stretch, stretch, stretch.

Joanna: I don’t stretch or foam roll, ever. So by the end of the first week, my legs were not happy. I went to StretchLab (8317 Beverly Blvd LA, CA 90048) twice during the challenge and they did an amazing job stretching and foam rolling me. I recommend the 40-minute session so they can really focus on the problem areas.

4. Grace is really competitive.

Grace: Don’t challenge me in class because I will go all out just to prove you wrong. I especially don’t like it when instructors only tell the guys to grab heavier weights. I can lift just as much!

5. We still hate running.

Our running was the first thing to improve. Even though we do a lot of cardio normally since we spin often, we are horrible at running. By the second week, we saw a huge difference in the way we ran in class. But still don’t expect us to be lacing up and hitting the pavement anytime soon!

6. SoulCycle, we miss you!

We were planning on taking a break from all other classes during this challenge, but Akin, a NYC Master Instructor, came into town, so we absolutely had to go. We realized clipping in is our therapy. There’s something about a loud, dark room and being on the same beat as everyone that makes it easy to clear our minds and focus on the ride.

7. Make sure you have enough athleisure.

Doing laundry 1-2x a week really sucks. Also get a sports detergent, like Tide Sport since your clothes will be smelly!

8. We missed having a schedule.

After bouncing around from studio to studio for a while, it was nice having a set routine. We love ClassPass and the flexibility it offers, but having a schedule made it simpler for us rather than having to plan out our cardio and strength training for the week. Both of us will continue to stick with Speedplay as our main workout, but we’re excited we can attend fitness meetups and events on weekends again!

9. BCAAs and pre-workout are life.

If you’ve never taken pre-workout before, start with Vega Pre-Workout Energizer since it’s not as intense. Our favorite is Cellucor C4. Neither of us can function without some sort of caffeine. And BCAAs are a must for post-workout recovery! P.S. Supplement companies get at us for sponsorships! Lol.

10. PARK SISTERS NEED TO LEARN TO COUNT.

We kept calling it a 30-day challenge. It’s actually 32 days. Whoops…

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Would we do another workout challenge? Absolutely! This is exactly what we needed to get our motivation back after the holidays.

Have you guys done a workout challenge before, or are you currently doing one? Let us know your thoughts on them in the comments!

J&G