i loooove y2yoga (and tanner’s teaching style, especially)! i was all geared up to go this morning but i have a cold. boooo. i can’t imagine a class that’s more physically challenging. i would DIE. do you think you’ll pair yoga with your marathon training? if so, i’ll go with you any time. 🙂

I haven’t gotten into any particular classes for a few years. I was attending some Pilates and dance classes earlier this summer, but running and walks took over; maybe when the weather cools down in the winter I’ll be more likely to hunt around for a yoga or Pilates class. Or Zumba!

I did a hot yoga class once and aside from shedding my weight in sweat, I felt so energized. I can see how that’d be great first thing in the morning. However. I could not get up at 5 to go. Getting up at 6 for work is hard enough.

i dont really take classes so I have nothing to base it on, but it sounds fun!

I’ve been itching to try hot yoga for soo long but I’m scared! When I had my 30 days for $30 at a new yoga studio nearby I went to one teacher’s vinyasa flow every week – absolutely love her. Too bad it ran out and paying for monthly yoga + gym is not in the budget 🙁 Wish I could try Tanner’s class since he’s so legendary!

I’ve tried yoga and Bikram Yoga at quite a few places, so I always compare them. I didn’t realize how different hot yoga and Bikram Yoga are until I tried Bikram. It’s crazy. I guess like anything else that involves a teacher, it always depends on what you prefer and what works best for you, but I think it’s human nature to compare.

the lavender towel sounds amazing!

Yoga is still kind of intimidating for me. I don’t want to rush into it and hurt myself but I also like to feel as if I did something semi-intense right away in the morning. (I’m not saying yoga isn’t intense by any means). I’ll try to find a beginners guide and give it a try; it looks like you had a lot of fun 😀

I just went to that yoga studio yesterday for the first time and loved it. I have a friend that teaches there. If you ever want to go again and want someone to go with, let me know! Have a wonderful day 🙂

I’m super attached to a spin instructor. She screams at you (in a friendly way), she hoops and squeals and plays awesome music. By the time I leave, I’m dripping with sweat from the workout and laughing at her. She’s out on maternity leave right now and I simply cannot spin with any other teacher.

That sounds so fun Caitlin! I used to go to a hip hop class when I was in college. I loveeeed my instructor — a cute little Indian ER doctor female. THEN, the following semester she got to busy and they hired a fellow college student for hip hop. It was allllll just weird and different and I couldn’t handle it. I also knew this girl personally through some school organizations and she acted completely different in class than how she would on campus!

A good instructor always makes it more fun.

Good for you for getting up early! Such an awesome way to start your day after all the running this weekend. 🙂

I like to switch it up with different classes, different instructors,etc.

Sounds great! I think I prefer a good, personable instructor who challenges me at the same time. I would miss the ab portion too though.

When I switched to a closer gym I was really disappointed in the spin classes. I like them now, but they still don’t compare to the old ones.

I don’t go to enough classes!

I’m pretty reliant on my yoga to the people podcasts, because I know what to expect and what the difficulty level of each podcast is. So, I can sort of custom pick my workout depending on the challenge level I’m after. I do like the camaraderie of a class, though!

Hi Caitlin – I’ve been a longtime reader of your blog but never a commenter, but you’ve been inspiring me so much lately, that I thought I better start!
I really enjoy spin classes at my university gym and aim to go twice a week during the school yr. I’m also a huge lover of yoga, and made a July goal for myself to do two of the Dave Farmar yoga podcasts a week throughout the month. So far so good! It’s a great stretch and definitely strengthens me when I don’t have access to the weights at the gym.

I really like to mix it up, esp when it comes to Yoga. The different perspectives and poses you can learn just from someone else really deepens our practice. This one studio near my home (it has since closed and I am desperatly searching for a new one) hosted many workshops with teachers from around the country. The learning experiences were amazing and I deeply miss that. I may have to go check out Y2 Yoga sounds great!

I LOVE my normal yoga studio and two specific teachers in particular… but I’m willing to mix it up a bit. However, the studio i go to doesn’t play music and I’m not sure I would bend on that one– I like the quiet and the sounds of ujaii breathing and whirring of the heater! Haha

I stick to the same Bikram yoga teacher whenever I decide to go. She’s the best and I find that I can get through class so much better when she’s teaching, so I’ll go out of my way to make sure I can attend her session.

I tried my first yoga class last week, and while I liked the middle, the beginning and the end with chanting were a little much for me.

I used to go to a yoga class with an awesome instructor and it makes a huge difference. I don’t have that gym membership anymore though, and he had handed those classes off by then anyway to open his own studio which is, unfortunately, not convenient for me.

I wish I could be a morning exerciser. I’ve tried it, but it makes me miserable so it’s just not worth it for me. 🙁

Oh man, I recently experienced a studio/instructor switch and am heart broken. I’m from California and at home I take a few Cardio classes at a local pilates studio. The instructors there are simply amazing. They have great energy, are personable, play sweet music and genuinely connect with each person in class.
I’m currently (semi-permanently) in Pittsburgh, PA and started taking some cardio classes at a studio near my work. The only benefit is that these classes are really inexpensive ($5 drop in; $25 for 6 classes!). The instructors are friendly but it feels like they forget they are teaching a class. There isn’t a lot of motivation throughout the sessions and the music blows. I plan to check out other places but for now the location and cost are keeping me at this particular studio….grrr.

I’m pretty much addicted to the spin class they offer at my gym. It’s a guarenteed good workout…good sweat, heart rate up, enjoyable!

I really want to try a Hot Yoga class!! They look really fun. Unfortunately, they don’t offer one around here…sad day 🙁

Sounds like a great class! I’m not hooked on a class right now, but I really want to become a regular when I move next month!

Caitlin, come try superflow or any of the 90 minute classes I teach. 1hr is very difficult to fit in a “complete” class. It’s more like a shot of a espresso! Also, I teach Ashtanga on Tuesdays 7-8:30. You should try that. There is no music, and an emphasis on breathe. These days I primarily practice ashtanga. It’s very difficult physically, trust me! Nama, TB.

I totally have attachment issues with certain instructors. For the most part I love all my arobic instructors, with the exception of one. I’m sorry but you can’t play enya during a spin class, zone out and not encourage us, that sh*t’s borning!
My hot yoga, I love the owner of my studio, she is absolutely amazing. Gives great cues for posture and step by step transitions between poses. She’s the best.

you seem like you’d be such a morning person! i think you’d probably love it if you transitioned into it, but it’s definitely a *transition* if you’re not used to it. i just graduated college and started my first real job (paid internship in my field of study whooooo! :)) and i now get up at 5:30am, am at the gym by 6, work out until 7:15, and am showered, dressed and on the bus to work with a coffee in hand by 8:15. you should totally trying switching to an early schedule!

and to answer the question…im totally attached to TYPES of workout classes, but unfortunately that means sometimes suffering through bad instructors just b/c i like the idea of the class. i do a step class twice a week, and while i LOVE step, the class isnt that great. and i totally signed up for a circuit training class (paid extra) without testing it out (youre not allowed, and i now see why) and it kind of sucks. i have to get to the gym early to get a workout before that workout

I was going to tell you to try bikram yoga, but they don’t have it in Charlotte 🙁

http://bikramyoga.com/studioSearch.php?address1=&pin=&studio_actual_name=&state_code=nc&searchBox=&btnSubmit=Get+Studio

I’ve been practicing all summer since getting injured during a marathon. It’s 90 minutes of hot yoga that changes everything!