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Jan 28

Open for Fitness: We Tried Body Balance’s Ass and Abs Class – HONOLULU Magazine

Fitness Comments Off on Open for Fitness: We Tried Body Balance’s Ass and Abs Class – HONOLULU Magazine

Cause its all about that base. Andddd six pack. And slimming thighs. And tight waist. You get the point.

By Stacey Makiya and Katrina Valcourt

Published: 2020.01.27 08:54 PM

Editors Note: Stacey and Katrina are at vastly different fitness levels (and ages) but both enjoy working out. We thought itd be fun for the two of them to try new or interesting workouts together each month. This time they took the Ass and Abs class at Body Balance in Kakaako.

Body Balance is a boutique fitness studio near Ward that offers small classes in barre, Pilates, cycling and more. We opted for the Ass and Abs classcause who doesnt want that J. Lo booty (and body)? Bridges, planks, squats, crunches and a few other exercises are all incorporated into this 45-minute workout. Power workout beats and having the lights down low help get you into beast mode.

Katrina: I like that this is going to be a very targeted class. We havent really done anything like it beforemost are full-body workouts. Those are great, but I think if were just focusing on two muscle groups, theyll get much stronger much faster. And its only 45 minutes, so even if its intense, at least itll be over soon. I made the mistake of going for a walk yesterday, so my shins and the sides of my butt are already a little sore. Yes, I get sore from walking. I need this class.

Stacey: Excited. As you get older, saggy-ass syndrome kicks in, and no one likes that. Plus, theres nothing lovely about love handles. They should be called hate handles so you get motivated to work the gut.

Our instructor, the lean and fit Noelle Naone, gave us each yoga mats (theyre free, no rental required) and instructed us to grab a block, two sets of weights and a red resistance band. We each grabbed 4 pounds and under and the stretchier, so easier, blue bands.

Stacey: There are a few stretches, but you pretty much go straight into bridge (lying on your back, knees bent and lifting your lower/mid back) exercises. Lift that booty and squeeeeeeze those cheeks.

Katrina: Then we moved into planks and mountain climbers to get our abs warmed up. I dont know how to do mountain climbers, where you quickly step forward with one foot at a time while in high plank position, without lifting my butt high in the air. I guess Im supposed to bend my knees more but I just did slow steps instead.

Katrina: We grabbed our first set of weights, then held them near our hips while doing squatsfirst big, slow movements, then tiny pulses, then holding our position. We did this pattern for pretty much every exercise. Even though squats are supposed to target your glutes, my thighs were BURNING. I kept stopping to massage them and tried to redirect my energy to push through my feet, as Noelle said. It helped, but it felt like I was on the verge of pulling something. Then we kicked up the intensity by tippy-toeing on one foot at a time, lifting our heels as high off the ground as we could. My legs were shaking like mad, which Noelle pointed outas a good thing!to the whole class. I tapped out to drink water during deadlift squats, where you pull your weights toward your chest while in a crouched position. Ready for the next exercise, please!

SEE ALSO: We Tried an Intense Cardio Workout at Orangetheory Fitness

Stacey: Im in love with ab twists. Swishing from side to side while holding one weight with two hands in front of your chest is one of the easier ways to lose the holiday flat tireand get back in my skinny jeans. My mom jeans will be happy to get a break.

Katrina: I started to regret this class as we moved into lunges. As a tall girl, Im especially self-conscious during workouts when everyone seems to be bending lower than I am. Its like I have to go even farther to get on their levelso not fair. But whenever I looked in the mirror, my angles were correct. I guess its harder for me because Im just not in shape.

Stacey: My 5-foot-3-inch stature is just fine doing lungesIm close to the ground. However, when we switched to crunches on the ground with our knees up and blocks between our legs, that was a challenge. Youre working your abs and inner thighs simultaneously. Katrina and I reviewed the video for this exercise aaaaaand no one should ever see it. Just like no one should see someone giving birthwhich is kinda what we looked like.

Next: flutter kicks! Lie down on your back, legs up and take turns crossing your legs at the ankle. Doing this is supposed to get rid of lower abdominal fat. Katrina has yet to get the lower belly bulge that comes with age. Bitch.

Katrina: Im sorry I dont have a ton of fat there (but not really). But neither does Stacey! I feel like strengthening this area would lessen menstrual cramps, so Im all about it. Next, Noelle instructed us to grab our blocks and put them under our sacrum. What the hell is a sacrum? I shoved it under my lower back, which felt a little awkward until she came around and moved it beneath my tailbone. I can do a bridge fine, but when she told us to do one with the block under one foot and then lift our other leg toward the ceiling, I bailed. This is probably why my butt muscles werent as sore the next day, but I couldnt even keep my balance or my leg straight so I just held a normal bridge pose. Ill work up to it.

Stacey: Plank jacks! Yuck. These are basically if planks and jumping jacks hooked up and created an exercise that is TORTURE: holding a plank while your legs are jumping out and in. I did the slow version because of my knee injury. Yep, I used my hall pass.

Katrina: I didnt jump either, just did plank steps out to the side. And then it was time to use the barre for some final moves. We put our bands around our ankles and practiced keeping our hips still and shoulders upright while kicking out straight, at an angle and rotating one leg at a time.

SEE ALSO: Want That Lean Ballerina Body? Then Try This Barre Class at Sweat + Soul in Kakaako

Stacey: Forty-five minutes came fast!! Im used to 90-minute workouts, so when we started winding down I was all, HAAALLELUJAH! We hit our mats and started stretching our legs with resistance bands. Never did this before, but it felt good.

Katrina: I wish Id grabbed a red band with more resistance for the final stretches. Lying on my back with my band around one foot pointed straight up, I thought I was going to accidentally let go and shoot it at the ceiling. And when I tried to lower my leg from side to side while keeping my leg straight, I wasnt really pulling against anything, so my knee stayed bent.

Katrina: My thighs were sore immediately, as I knew they would be from the way they shook during class. Kind of a shame though, since my thighs are neither my ass nor my abs but a workouts a workout! The next day, I was surprised that my triceps hurt from incorporating weights in the squat exercises. But they werent nearly as sore as my abslower, upper and back abs, if thats a thing. It hurt to laugh or bend, but in a good way. I wish I had tried harder on the ass exercises since those muscles didnt feel as painful. My thighs, on the other hand, burned every time I stood up.

Stacey: Good. I didnt feel that exhausted or sore since most of my workout classes incorporate those exercises. I did feel my ass perk up a bit and my stomach flatten a smidge. If my goal is to have a physique like Noellewhos one plank away from Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raidersign me up for a year of Ass and Abs!

Its $12 for the first class, then $27 per class. Packages, memberships and bundles are available; find all the options here. Ass and Abs is offered Mondays (with Noelle) and Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. See the current schedule onlineor download the Body Balance Hawaii app. You can also take advantage of snacks, a refillable water station and a chilled face towel at the front desk. Theres a small parking lotpark in the yellow stalls only. Come early in case you need to find street parking (bring quarters!) and walk.

1019 Waimanu St., #101, (808) 542-9597, bodybalancehonolulu.com

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Open for Fitness: We Tried Body Balance's Ass and Abs Class - HONOLULU Magazine

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