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Archive for February 2013

Battle of the Bars: Bar Method, Physique 57, Pop Physique, and Cardio Barre

By Healthy Darling · Comments (25) · February 21st, 2013

Oh Bar classes, how I love (and sometimes loathe) thee. You kick me in the ass but give me a great one doing it- Poetic justice, if you will. But the Bar Wars! So many classes and options to choose from! What is the difference?! I have attended all of the above classes and many, many times at that, so please allow me to explain the variation of these bar classes.

Bar Method

Fisher-Price my first bar class! Bar Method is the original bar class and while challenging at first, it is also totally manageable. Bar Method has a basic vocabulary of moves that target each key muscle group of your body. Right when the going gets tough, the song changes to something soothingly slow and it’s time to stretch that muscle group. This method of breaking in between muscle groups to stretch is awesome-sauce, if you ask me. It allows you to focus on the task at hand, knowing relief is on its way. Eventually though, the basic vocabulary of moves becomes repetitive and only the spunkiest teacher can keep you coming back for more. Bar Method is great for first-time Bar goers and those who really want to focus on their tuckus.

Physique 57

Physique 57 is like Bar Method on Crack. Physique retains the resistance training that Bar employs, while adding on a whole other layer of cardio that simply seems non-stop. In short, it’s a Mother Fucker. I’m sorry, but there really is no other way to describe a Physique class without dropping an F-bomb. I utter it at least once in every class. Even the teachers seem like they’re on crack as they smile throughout the hour with sadistic glee. I find this mirth infectious though and totally up my alley. This class is great if (a) you like to torture yourself and do it with a smile and (b) if you want to focus on your quads (where I usually feel the most the day after).

Pop Physique

If the porridge at Bar Method is too cold, and at Physique 57 it’s too hot, then at Pop Physique it’s just right. Pop Physique is a little more closely related to Bar Method, with distinguishable (yet fewer) stretching breaks in between muscle groups. They aim to play hip music that’s well timed with each muscle group. This class also wins out for me since it seems to best target my own personal weak spots, arms and abs. That said, the teachers are a less hands on and I’m not sure what I think about the wood floors (I can’t woop and yelp without it bouncing off the walls and making me sound like a crazy-lady!). Also, you’re expected to spray and wipe the matts after each class. I know, so lame of me that I find that annoying, but I do.

Cardio Barre

Ok to be fair, I hated this class so much the first time, that I never went back. So here’s my take on one class only.

unfriendly staff
nowhere to park
crappy ’70s music
no adjustments from the teacher
overcrowded class
all flailing cardio, no resistance… just swingin’ my arms around, not feeling a work out

BUT- I did spot the blonde from Garfunkel and Oates in my class and I think they’re totally hilarious. So that was a plus.

Do you take any of these bar classes?! What do you think!?

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Top 10 Aphrodisiac Foods

By Healthy Darling · Comments (0) · February 12th, 2013

With Valentine’s Day coming up, I thought I’d share some sexy-time foods. Coming from the Greek name Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, Aphrodisiacs are foods that supposedly increase sexual desire. While scientific evidence doesn’t fully support these claims, it can’t hurt to try these selections and at least let the Placebo affect kick in. According to this article from Session Magazine, the following are the Top 10 Aphrodisiacs.

honey

Asparagus
Almonds
Avocado
Bananas
Basil
Chocolate
Figs
Garlic
Oysters
Honey

Click here to read why each of these foods stimulates sexual desire.

Bon appetit!

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How Pets Benefit Babies- From The Week

By Healthy Darling · Comments (3) · February 7th, 2013

My husband and I practically live for a our dog, so this article in The Week magazine about pets benefiting babies came as no surprise to me. (image: from blog.hannamac.com)

From The Week:

Living with a dog or a cat may bolster babies’ health. After surveying the parents of nearly 400 infants over the course of a year, Finnish researchers found that children who lived with a dog were 31 percent more likely to be in good health than those who didn’t. They are also 44 percent less likely to have developed an ear infection and 20 percent less likely to have needed antibiotics. Owning a cat offered similar, though less significant, benefits. The more times pets spent outdoors, the healthier the babies that lived with them were, which suggests that dogs and other pets may track in dirt and germs from outdoors that “stimulate the immune system” of babies “to do a better job of fighting off infection,” Danelle Fisher, a pediatrician at St. John’s Health Center, tells the Los Angeles Times. Previous studies have shown that babies who are exposed to pets and dust are less likely to develop allergies and asthma.

To see more about pets benefiting babies, click here.

To make your day a better one, click here to see my Pinterest board of Animals.

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