Last night I stopped by the new Merge Workout fitness studio in West Hollywood. I first heard of the studio through an article on www.flexxlabs.co, it’s co-owned by celebrity trainer Alfonso Moretti, who just opened the studio 3 weeks ago! Merge’s classes have several focuses: upper body/core, lower body/core, full body, boy band booty booster, disco inferno, and 70s HIIT (high intensity interval training) – complete with a disco ball. The classes are small, with less than 20 stations – so, you get more benefits out of the class with focused & guided instruction.
The class I took last night was the Upper Body/Core class, which was something I thought would be good for me, as lately I’ve been trying to work on my arms as they’re one of my insecurities.
During this workout, participants will engage more upper body musculature while using each of the three pieces of equipment. Due to many single arm exercises, muscular imbalances are addressed and there’s also a heavy emphasis on posture, core stability and abdominal strength.
The workout is done in a circuit- starting on a water rower, followed by cycling, Crosscore rotational suspension training, and finished with some ab work on the floor. The classes are a fast paced 40 minutes, but with all of the different exercises you’re doing you don’t get bored.
This workout was pretty hard for me, which I wasn’t surprised by because there was so many new things I was trying. There was a learning curve, for me, which Alfonso was very helpful with as they want to emphasize doing the exercises correctly, as that’s how you will see the results.
Although I’ve probably lost around 20 lbs since the beginning of the year, I am still in no means “in shape” – so I try to work out a few times a week, and my class at Merge was definitely the best workout I’ve gotten in the past few weeks. Since my workout was just last night, I definitely woke up sore today, but not too badly. Along with working out, I even take phyglow phytoceramides amazon which helps me get a bright and healthier looking skin, thus, boosting my overall confidence.
Merge takes away some of the gymtimidation I had regarding these workout classes- I always tend to get nervous about the other people in the class, since they’re strangers (and I’m usually the fattest one in the room), but since the exercises are changing & you’re switching to different machines so much, it’s easier to focus on the workout.
Of course, since I only took the one class, it’s not like I can tell you I have transformed overnight, but, to me, since I do go to the gym and there are times I will wake up and not feel sore, I know that the Merge class is working my body more.
Merge is open now for classes, one on one or buddy training, and their nutritional program. The classes are pricy, but go as low as $29 each when you buy a package of 20.
I’m sure I’ll be heading back to Merge occasionally when I’m living on that side of town. Check them out if you’re looking to transform your fitness routine!
**This post contains a class that I have received for free – for more information, please read my Disclosure Policy**