SWEAT IT

where to sweat it out

CICLOTTE MODERN EXERCISE BIKE

The majority of home gym equipment design focuses on function, neglecting aesthetic appeal and lacking the ability to blend into a home’s decor.

Introducing the exception: the Ciclotte could carry the superlative of best looking or possibly best all around. This design-y exercise bike came from one of Milan’s leading designers, Luca Schieppati, and produced by the Italian Lamiflex Group that debuted in 2010. Ciclotte coexists with a home’s design just as would another piece of contemporary furniture.

The center wheel is reminiscent of a 19th century monocle; the bike features sleek design elements such as the carbon handlebar, a touch screen display, and stylish supporting fins for stability.

Style did not impede the functionality; designed to reproduce road bike dynamics it is ideal for high intensity spinning workouts. Ciclotte operates on an epicycloid system, which works by generating a concentrated magnetic field using a copper ring that is rotated at a high speed in front of five magnets. The resistance can be controlled via the touch screen.

Ciclotte will likely retail for £6,800 (read: not cheap) and is available in Carbon, Silver, and Purple. This design has secured a spot as part of the permanent collection on display at the Triennale Design Museum in Milan.

 

 

 

Game On – Single vs. Doubles

Sometimes we just need a little love:love. Wether you are in the mood for singles or doubles here is where you can get on the court in and around the BIG APPLE.

TENNIS

Indoor

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Outdoor

 

Zara Active Arrival

Zara is the latest big name apparel brand to join in on the ever expanding activewear marketshare.  The capsule includes 56 pieces of gymwear apparel and accessories now available for pre-order HERE.  Every item remains under a $70 price point and from the looks of it will hold true to the standard Zara hallmark – minimal, modern in style silhouettes (simply simple) that will satisfy the need it now retail therapy  without breaking the bank. Until these athlesure pieces reach the consumer a complete review is in queue –  performance tbd. If in fact Zara’s gymwear is inline with functionality – we will can release a review of – into it (pending performance).

 

Zara’s full active capsule caters to outfitting; training, tennis, swimwear, dance, yoga, footwear and select accessories.

For a look at Zara’s first active gymwear arrival collection visit Zara.com.

Nix Netflix and Chill for…

Whether travel, never-ending work hours, or a generally all-over-the-board schedule, there is a lot of pull on life that can leave your workout routine neglected. The simple solution may be streaming. Whenever, wherever workouts and classes accessed anytime/anywhere (with space for a yoga mat and a solid WiFi connection). Here are some viral options for you to try out.

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  • YogaGlo

    YogaGlo’s online classes range from 5-120 minutes, and students can pick between super physical “body” classes to more spiritual or meditative mind and heart classes. The big selling point, though, is that they fly in some of the country’s best yoga teachers, so you get access to incredible resources. In addition, members have access to lectures and workshops by yoga scholars.

  • Tracy Anderson

    This option needs little in the way of introduction: This is the workout that GP does, made available in living rooms everywhere. Tracy films her weekly Master Class, which means that you’re getting the same routine as what goes down in the studio classes—and like a traditional membership, the moves change every week. Die-hards can actually install the signature cardio fly floor in their garages or spare bedrooms for the full experience.

  • Ballet Beautiful

    It’s not really surprising that Mary Helen Bowers’ ballet-based workout chain is growing like crazy; her body does the advertising itself. The streaming workouts are interactive, meaning that thanks to the magic of Skype, instructors can actually see you in your home and offer real-time feedback on your form.

  • Pilatesology

    Since everything happens on the mat, Pilates has lent itself nicely to at-home videos since the days of VHS. For devotees of the old-school style, streaming service Pilatesology is truly an indispensable resource. Workouts can be tailored to fit time availability, skill level, and equipment availability; a membership affords access to everything from beginner mat classes to advanced reformer work.

  • Daily Burn

    At $12.95/month, Daily Burn costs about as much as you’ll probably spend on lunch today, but the payoff is significantly more substantial. The website offers diverse workouts from a stable of in-house instructors, including classes in Pilates, yoga, weightlifting, and cardio. Easy-to-follow meal plans are also included.

  • Yogis Anonymous

    Yogis Anonymous is based out of a homey Santa Monica studio, and the videos on their site are footage of their actual classes. New classes are uploaded frequently, so there’s no risk of boredom, and the lack of staging makes the entire endeavor feel very comfortable and a lot less cheesy. If you live in LA, it’s easy to supplement the convenience of the digital classes with the community of their real-life studio.

  • Peloton

    The concept behind Peloton is pretty genius if you’re a spin fan: purchase one of their bikes for your home, and you’ll get access to live and on-demand spin classes taught in their New York studio from the screen mounted to your bike. Those with a competitive streak will appreciate that metrics are displayed throughout the ride (if you’d rather not know, you can always collapse that view). In addition to their classic indoor classes, they offer outdoor-style rides with professional cyclists through their partnership with the Garmin team.

     

Sweating ADay

Heel-Side is taking a look at the fashion fitness label ADAY.  ADAY targets the millennial consumer (or those that have acclimated the characteristics embraced by this generation) of the work hard – play hard a constant push-pull of work life balance and flexibility. So much to do and so little time.

A-Day

Founders Nina Faulhaber and Meg He partnered up while working at Goldman Sachs over their mutual love of boutique fitness. The developed the line to solve a daily struggle of their own; intelligent busy women with endless work life balance, exercising and staying healthy being one of them. The current marketplace athlesure offerings were lacking the versatility of  fully active clothing that doesn’t look active. Leaving you with the choice od lugging around daily workout clothing changes or not working out – far from ideal.

ADAY took away that obstacle with their performance fabrics you’re meant to sweat in and transition seamlessly from day to night – fully active clothing that doesn’t look active. Placing equal emphasis on contemporary ready-to-wear design and high performance quality pieces won’t hold you back from whatever your daily daily calendar throws your way – and through all of the beautiful chaos in between.

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Check some of the ADAY 2016 season online now. The design speaks for itself at ADAY. Consensus here at Heel-Side, “we’re into it.”

The team at ADAY also curated WANDER – a global content edit on where to work out and the spots to wear it out. Sharing these places and spaces that focus on spots where the ADAY fans can do business, grab a bite, sweat it out and travel to.

 

Sweating Shadowbox NYC

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Heel-Side got in the ring with Shadowbox NYC this past weekend – the newest boxing gym dubbed the ‘Soul Cycle’ of its creed.

The class process breakdown starts when you reserve a class online. Pick a bag (akin to grabbing a bike for spin). The 20 min early arrival for new Shadwboxers is a wise suggestion to allow enough time to get equipment (if you don’t have yours in tow): wraps and glove rentals, both needed to participate in class. Navigating the traffic is a bit overwhelming on the first go – one packed class is assembling while soaked boxers are leaving the single studio.

Each class is directly related to the instructor’s perception of students’ abilities: catering to the more advanced but keeping the beginners in the ring as well. Here is where you may need some skills under your belt. If you have never boxed before, technique and cardio sequences can quickly get lost. The bags make instructor visibility difficult at times depending where your bag is and if you have no clue about how to properly execute a jab, cross, hook, or uppercut you could be asking for an injury.

The studio seems to offer night club ambiance: dim lights and stacked sound system. Music is legit – great remixes never miss a beat throughout the class. Five minutes before the class starts, instructors offer a quick orientation on correct stance, types of punches, and combinations you will encounter throughout the class.

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Go time – kick off with cardio planks, squats, burpies, and jumping jacks. These cardio sprints come back into play throughout the workout. Each new sequence is brief and the instructor will announce the sequence combination before each boxer is released to put their own spin on it (pick it up or slow it down depending on your experience/fitness level). The instructor navigates though the bags during each sequence before instructing the new combo doling out some tips and tricks.

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The soundtrack was steady, the sweat was heavy and the workout was intense. Heel-Side left with good feeling workout that will keep us coming back into the ring for more.

Après-ski

The last stop, final run of the day – Après-ski. Head to toe slope style in affluent abundance during this peak style social stop. The labels gracing these style savvy snow goers are both old school privileged prestige brands along with some new mountainside players. Take a look at the 2016 snow school brands making up the slope side Après-ski competition.

HEEL-SIDE

Bogner

Fusalp

Jet Set

Kjus

Lacroix

Moncler

Perfect Moment 

Toni Sailer

NIKE x Pedro Lourenço

Pedro Lourenço x NIKE collaboration collection launched in January 2015 –  on point and worth a re-visit. Lourenço 12 capsule sportswear collection delivered what it is that athletes want; design and functionality. Model Karlie Kloss’ campaign further highlights the clean,modern aesthetic through geometric movement and applied technique. Somehow this year-old ad campaign is still in the game.

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