Eleven years ago, Meredith Bass was experiencing some pretty severe back pain and was relying on her chiropractor for relief.  A friend of hers recommended that she strengthen her core muscles to support her back and suggested she check out a Pilates studio down the street from her office.  Meredith took ONE class and she was hooked!  She ended up working out with three different trainers twice a week and saw amazing results in her body and significant pain relief in her back.  She did Pilates until she was seven months pregnant with her first son, and now two kids later, she is teaching.  Meredith’s experience had been mostly with Classical Pilates, but she received her reformer certification from Balanced Body University.  She absolutely LOVES teaching Pilates and watching clients transform their bodies through the use of their core. 

I’ve done Pilates mat classes in the past and thought they were okay, but for the past year or so I’ve really wanted to work out on a Pilates reformer.  People rave about the reformer, but the two gyms I belong to do not offer classes.  So, a friend of mine recommended Meredith to me.  I recently spent an hour in her home studio in the Highlands under her instruction on the reformer, and it was one of the best workouts I’ve EVER had!  I’m not at all exaggerating. 

Pictures of Meredith demonstrating some positions we worked on during our session are below.  Watch her gooooooooo! 

After my session, I was sore in places where I didn’t even realize I had muscles – which means that I haven’t been engaging these areas in my regular workouts.  Meredith was SO awesome, and now I’m addicted to the Pilates reformer! 

Meredith charges $55 per one hour session or you can purchase a pack of 10 classes with her for $500.  This is excellent pricing for one-on-one Pilates reformer workouts, y’all!  I highly recommend.  Swimsuit season is right around the corner, after all…

Contact Meredith Bass at meredithpbass@comcast.net. 

xx, L

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In case you haven’t heard, Flywheel is now open in Buckhead and it…is…awesome. I went few weeks ago and can’t WAIT to go back.

Here’s the Q+DD on Flywheel: Crafted by Ruth Zukerman, legendary fitness instructor, Flywheel is a spinning “experience” that cultivated a cult following in NYC and is now out to claim the nation!

Each choreographed spin routine is 45 or 60 minutes long and includes arm work with weighted bars. Awesome news: the studio is set up with stadium seating, so no matter where you are, you’ve got the best seat in the house.

Big time bonus: One of Atlanta’s BEST spin instructors (and all around cool guy), Jeremy Levison is now teaching there (although I hear ALL the instructors are amazing.)  

If you’re asking yourself what’s different about this class than a typical run of the mill spin class, here are a few other things you should know:

1. You reserve your bike ahead of time like a seat on an airplane. This is HUGE for chronically tardy front row geeks like myself.

2. They rent you special spin shoes with clips

2b. If you are too blonde to get out of said clipped in shoes after class, some kind Flywheel employee will help you.

Don't worry, I'm not still here!

3. The tailor-made bikes are completely customizable to your preferences and have a “tech-pack” which shows your resistance (“torque”), your speed (RPMs) and your “power output” (current and cumulative for the class)

4. For the overly competitive, you can opt in to participate in the in-studio “Torqueboard” – a leaderboard that show’s how participants in the class are doing. BONUS: your stats for every ride will be recoded and made available in your private account on the website!

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE.

Also open: FLYBARRE

Billed as the perfect compliment to your Flywheel cardio, Flybarre combines yoga, dance, circuit training, pilates, and strength building and I am here to tell you that I was lucky enough to be invited to a class by my girls Hess and Kate and I think I speak for the group when I say: “Seriously, OUCH…but when can I go back?”

The studio is small-ish. Witness:

But no fear of running out of space - you reserve these mats airplane-style too and trust me, you are feeling WAY too much in your muscles to feel any claustrophobia whatsoever. Fact.

It was fast paced and fun and they do this super cool “dynamic arms” routine that changes monthly with the idea that you’ll come back enough times during the month to learn the routine and look like a cheerleading squad.  I like.

Confession: You do a full-on lights-off stretch twice in the class and I was a little heartbroken when I found out the first stretch wasn’t the end… but very proud of myself at the legit end.

They’re both incredible workouts and I’m SUPER excited to have our very own Flywheel here in the ATL!

Welcome, welcome, Flywheel!

xx, L

Flywheel Sports Atlanta
102 W Paces Ferry Road NW
Suite A
Atlanta, GA 30305

P.S. EXTRA BIG THANK YOU to Flywheel for donating a Spin Party for the silent auction I’m working on for The Tasting next Tuesday!  Please come to the event and bid on it… I will try not to elbow you out of the way or give you the side-eye if you outbid me.  

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Even though it took 4 showers and 3 days to get all the pink and blue off my hair and skin...I can’t WAIT for next year’s Color Run.  Check out our day in pictures:

Before

The course...

after the first Kilometer

At the Finish Line!

even Jamo got painted!

The event sold out at 10,000 runners…but never fear, Atlanta - there is an ENCORE next weekend! Click HERE for info.

It was an AMAZING day and I will be back for next year.

xx, L

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If you see me in Piedmont Park tomorrow covered in paint…here’s why:

Here’s the Q+DD on The Color Run: It’s a race that’s less about speed (thank goodness) and more about enjoying a run in the park and emerging looking like a bag of Skittles. The only rules are that you must wear a white shirt and end up covered in paint. Each kilometer of the event is associated with a designated color: 1k is yellow, 2k is blue, 3k is green, 4k is pink, and the 5k finish is a “Color Extravaganza.” I LOVE an Extravaganza.

Registration is closed, but please come on out to Piedmont tomorrow to witness and cheer on Team “We Dream In Color”

Should be hilarious!  

xx, L

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Lululemon is opening up in West Midtown.  Core Fusion Folks + Midtown Yogis + ITP-People-Who-Want-To-Look-Fab-In-Workout-Gear REJOICE!

I almost got in a car wreck on Howell Mill + 14th Street yesterday when I drove by the old West Egg space and spotted Lulu’s signature red motivational shopping bag plastered across the entire building!

OMG.  OMG.  OMG.  OMG.  OMG.

(I wonder if I can set up direct deposit each month for my paycheck with them to cover all the damage I am going to do there during slow workday lunches??)  Welcome to the WestSIDEEE, Lulu! 

xx, L

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