Round 2 with ULA and Us was last Saturday at Oola Distillary in Capital HIll. What better way to kickoff the weekend then some quality time with Ula and Oola!? I had never been to the Oola Distillary before so was impressed by the space. It was GORGEOUS. When you first walk in, you walk into a smaller space that serves as the tasting room. The space is set up beautifully with a bunch of shelves that display all of their liquors. From Vodka to Scotch to Whisky, they offer a great variety. When you walk through a large door to the left of the front room, you walk into a huge open space that houses all the barrels. It was the perfect ambiance for a fun Boot Camp class with Christy and Ives.
Christy and Ives had set up to the far back of the room and had us lay out our mats in 4 rows facing them. There were about 15 people there and it was the perfect number. We fit into the space nicely - not so tight that we felt like we couldn't move around during the cardio portions but enough to feed off one each other's energy.
Christy and Ives kicked off the event, as they always do, with a quick intro of themselves and their mission for ULA and Us. Proceeds from his event would go to Global Giving to help the various hurricane victims across the country.
We started off with a 5 minute warm up and then went right into it - a 7 minute (YES 7!!) ab series. They had us run through 7 different exercises for one minute each. It was actually a great way to get started and warm up our bodies.
We then moved to a partner series for legs. This was the hardest series for me mostly because one minute feels like an eternity when you are used to 20 second tabata sets!! In this partner series, one partner took a band over her/his knees and in a low squat, took the same leg out to the side, back to the center, out behind them, back to the center and went through this series for a full minute. Meanwhile, the partner would do Around the World jump squats. In the next series, the partner with the band would switch legs and go through the same exercise while the other partner would hold a low squat and pulse. Then the partners switched and went through the same two exercises.
The next series was one of my favorites. We alternated between push ups and the Sphinx (as Darsenio calls it). This move has you start in a plank and then move to a forearm plank and then back to a full plank. Ideal both arms move at the same time. A modification is to move one hand. It's TOUGH and one of my favorite core moves.
We wrapped up with a few tabata series that kept the energy up and fun. There was a 4 round series with just burpees, which you know I LOVED. But I was glad we only did 4 rounds. I don't think I could have gone 8 full rounds!!
We finished up with a fun plank series with the option to hold the plank during the 10 second break. You know I loved that!!
Similar to the last Boot Camp, the music was awesome, always the right beat for the exercise and they did a great job with the sound system considering it was a space that is not normally used for a workout class. I'm always impressed at how Christy and IVes are able to keep the energy up and the people motivated in a new space. They don't miss a beat and always have an unbelievable amount of energy. One of them is always going through the exercise so you can see the correct form and the other one is always running through the crowd pumping everyone up.
This was the first time I was able to stay after the workout and mingle a little bit. What was truly evident was the incredible community they have created. They truly believe in creating an opportunity to connect and it was obvious in the way the group mingled and the way they both interacted with each and every one of us. They went out of their way to get to know everyone (or find out more about people they already know) and find a connection.
In a time when so many of us are lost in our own worlds and glued to our devices/phones, I am grateful for these two ladies. They have created an incredible forum to allow us to connect with other human beings and remind us what life is really about.
Workout Scale:
Cardio: 3/5
Core: 3/5
Legs: 3/5
Arms: 1/5
