Because these are the kinds of fitness trends any health nut should be following
Photo by Frame Kings/Unsplash
1. Coaching by the numbers
Whether you’re a multisport athlete, individual swimmer, biker or runner, the support of our local coaching scene is continually growing and becoming more accessible. Enlisting the help of coaches or coaching groups helps individuals train smarter and plan ahead.
From assessing an individual’s lactate threshold and VO2 max to efficiently planning your workouts, these coaches now have the technology and know-how to maximize your efforts and guide you towards your fitness goals.
Check out Flying Don V Coaching by Don Velasco, a multiple podium finisher and coach, Endurance Lab, a collaboration between three endurance athletes with individual sports specialties or Inside Track Athletics spearheaded by three seasoned multisport athletes and coaches with an extensive amount of experience with local and international athletes. They don’t only focus on the performance of each individual but conduct an individualized functional screening process to ensure that each athlete is physically sound to engage in an injury-free training program.
2. Indoor cycling for cyclists
Let’s face it, being a cyclist in Metro Manila is not fun, especially when you’re training and need to put in quality miles. If you’re short on time and don’t want to take that drive down south to Nuvali or up north to Subic, find fitness facilities that allow you indoor cycling options tailored to your needs.
Maximus Athlete’s Shop Cafe along Pioneer Street in Mandaluyong is run by coach Andy Leuterio and now offers indoor cycling that taps into the inner gamer in all of us. Using the latest Tacx smart trainers paired with the Zwift software platform, riders can now compete in an online virtual course with users from across the globe without fear of getting hit by a car or death by smoke inhalation.
Tucked away in Pasong Tamo, Power Lab by Tri Temple with coach Raoul Floresca is a haven for triathletes who need to squeeze in that midweek bike by housing the Sufferfest Studio. As a bonus, the facility also contains a swim lab flow machine for swimming analysis.
3. HIIT with a twist
Over the past few years we’ve seen the expansive growth of CrossFit and functional fitness that foster a community spirit within workouts. For those of you who can’t get enough of these types of classes, The Movement Studio is an exciting newcomer to the fitness scene opening in mid-2018. From Olympic lifting and kettle bells to body weight movements with the added twist of cardio intervals on the latest Woodway Curves, their classes are expected to burn off that guilty dinner and massive dessert you may have had.
4. Tech that gets you in the mood
Combining music and GPS watch capabilities, the Garmin Forerunner 645 Music has the capacity to store 500 songs (great for the long weekend run) that streams to your wireless headset while retaining the advanced functions of the Forerunner 935, including the optical HR monitor, Firstbeat training metrics as well as tracking for swimming, biking, running, SUP, yoga, skiing, and triathlon. And if that doesn’t get your head in the right mindset, enter the Halo Neuroscience Sport, a headset that uses low voltage electric signals to prepare the brain’s motor cortex to put you in a temporary state of “hyperplasticity” that is meant to speed up your muscles’ ability to learn and adapt, optimizing your overall workout.
5. Not your momma’s Zumba class
Combining musical beats care of “rip stix” (a version of exercise drumsticks), Pound is a new class-based workout that utilizes full body movements that merge cardio conditioning and strength training with yoga and pilates-inspired moves to burn as much as 900 calories in a one-hour session.
6. Make way for the Spartans
Tired of the usual five-kilometer run around the block or road races that have you pounding pavement around the metro? There is now a more adventurous alternative for those who want more than a flat surface to run on. The Spartan Race brand has made its way to the Philippines with courses as short as five kilometers with 20 to 23 obstacles. Each participant is met with not only the challenge of having to run the distance of the course, but they have to smartly negotiate each obstacle along the way. You’ll definitely tap into that inner warrior for this one.