#refine method

Take This Fun Workout Test To See How Fit You Are

From Well + Good: A fun way to measure all your gains in the gym.

You sprint and squat all over town, but do you ever stop to think about what all of that sweat is actually doing for your body?

While almost all exercise is good for you, understanding your strengths and weaknesses is key if you’re looking to create change and make progress (and avoid injury!), says Refine Method founder Brynn…

Describe your perfect Saturday. Does it involve a solid workout followed by a delicious brunch with friends? For me, that’s an ideal weekend itinerary so this weekend I joined Ketanga for a Brunch & Burn event: a sweat session at Refine Method followed by a group brunch at Westville.

We met at Refine West Village at 12:45 and went through a 50-minute HIIT workout. I’ve taken a few classes are Refine and am a fan of the style. It’s intense without being impossible and you leave feeling like you got a really good workout, yet not like you’re going to die. Since we didn’t shower before brunch, it was a perfect type of class to take for a Brunch & Burn, even though we worked hard, we weren’t disgusting at the brunch table :)

This was my first time at the West Village Refine and it’s really nice. The studio space is clean and bright, there’s a small shower area with two showers, nice bathrooms and easy to use lockers.

After the workout we walked a few blocks to Westville. I LOVE Westville, I’ve never gotten a bad meal there. This round I got the hakshuka and a bloody mary. A perfect way to refuel after Refine.

Going beyond the workout and meal, Ketanga brought together a great group of people! I brought one friend along and was happy to have the opportunity to meet new NYC fitness fanatics. If you’re looking to connect with new people in the city, whether you’ve lived here for years or are new to the area, this is a great introduction.

Ketanga hosts fitness retreats as well as a variety of NYC events. This event was $40 and included class at Refine Method, a cocktail at brunch, your next class free at Refine and a bonus little gift from Lole Yoga (hairbands and a coupon), you pay for the actual brunch.

Thanks Ketanga for having me and I look forward to attending future events! 

I took a Refine Method class yesterday, and I can say this is just the class I was looking for to add to my routine. It's that great combination of HIIT and Circuit Training that really allows you to build strength and endurance. It really is that workout i've been looking for to add to my workout repertoire. 

After a 10 minute warm-up, Refine has 35 minutes of power cardio segments spiking the heart rate to near 90% of its max, combined with strength segments both in a high intensity circuit training format. there are 2 or 3 segments of each consisting of 2-3 exercises each. Things like medicine ball throws, planks, burpees, lunges, etc. All of this is finished off with 5 minutes of ab specific work, then 10 minutes of stretching. 

It really was a tough and super efficient workout. And it went by extremely fast. Not without leaving me drenched, guzzling water, and praying for air. It was amazing.

Now do i believe in her stance on bar workouts? Not at all. My opinion doesn't come from being bias, but from me having seen people's body change from bar, including myself. First, 80% of your body is how you eat. if you don't have a proper diet then you can't expect any workout to be the miracle answer.  Also, there is a lot of strength and anaerobic activities in barre workouts that build muscle and what has given me and others an athletic form for the past year. But that's because we've taken ourselves to that uncomfortable place. In any workout, you get out of it what you put in. And also, even moderate-intensity activity is proven to burn excess fat (even more than HIIT workouts during the activity), so it's better than doing nothing. But HIIT workouts like Refine have the benefit of burning fat and carbs throughout the day by boosting your metabolism. 

This morning I checked out a class at the new Refine Method studio, located on West 72nd Street (previous home to Soul Cycle). The class was unlike any I've taken before. Read on and see if this might be a good workout for you.

About Refine Method:

Refine is a boutique fitness studio (3 NYC locations) leading small group classes in a seamless circuit-style workout (otherwise known as Metabolic Resistance Training). The studio is new and likely still gaining a following so there were only 4 students in my 7am class, which allowed for a lot of one-on-one attention. This was great for a newbie like myself since our wonderful instructor Nicole helped every student establish the correct form. Even if the class was at capacity, there are only a small number of stations so even at it's biggest, the class would still be intimate.

The class started with about 10 minutes of stretching (with and without a foam roller). Once we were nice and loose we began our circuit training. Each student has their own area to work in which includes a pulley system, a mat, kettlebells and sliders. There are other pieces that are used in the workout, depending on what circuits you are completing (each class is different so the equipment varies per class). The circuits this morning were a combination of cardio moves (running in place, jumping jacks, jumping squats, etc), weighted moves with the kettlebells and pulley system (squats, lat pulls, etc), push ups and planks. Some moves left you out of breath, others lead to shaky muscles. The class used a variety of moves to work different parts of your body. The class ended with about 10 more minutes of stretching.

Overall, I enjoyed the class. It wasn't the most strenuous workout I've ever had, but we'll see if I have sore muscles in the morning. As I did the moves I certainly felt it. I also liked that this was a unique workout. . I've done circuit training before but the style and set up at Refine Method was different than what I've done in the past. I also like that every time you go back you will get a different workout. The class was an hour and the time flew by.

I spoke with this mornings instructor, Nicole, briefly after class. I really enjoyed Nicole's style- she was very knowledgeable and sweet, plus she had a good playlist. She told me that most instructors, including herself, have a dance background but this class is unique in that it goes beyond the standard Barre Class- I completely agree.

If I could change something about Refine Method- I'd add some mirrors to the studio. I always find it helpful to correct my form when I can get a view of myself.

Is Refine Method For You?

This workout is great for all levels of fitness. If you are new to working out or new to circuit training specifically, the small group setting is perfect. You will get personal attention and will be able to master the moves with the help of your instructor. The price is a little steep- $32 per visit (but slightly cheaper if you buy a package). Unsure about shelling out the money? Luckily, your first class is only $16 (50% off the standard price) so get out there and give it a try! More pricing details available HERE.

*Photo Credit: NYMAG.com

Operation Look Not Awful in a Bikini In OBX/Run Strong And Awesome Races is well underway, and today I decided I desperately needed some more strength training.

After I blogged about Refine Method last time and that I wasn't the hugest fan, Brynn, the founder emailed me to say she was sorry to hear that and would love for me to try the class again, on her.

I realized early this morning that tonight would likely be a relatively early night and emailed Brynn to ask her if I could take her up on it tonight.

I will say this first: I went into the class tonight in a much better mood than last time, and I went in knowing what to expect. I also went in really wanting to like the class.

I took the 6:30 class with the adorable Emily Cook. In these boutique fitness classes, it's pretty common for the instructor to introduce herself to you so you feel like you're getting more personal attention when she says, "Good job, Theodora!" (And dude, it works. And I did get a "Good job, Theodora!" once or twice.)

So, since I didn't do a full review last time since I wasn't a fan, I'll give you a brief review now.

The sixty-minute class starts with a brief warm-up that includes some squats, jumping jacks and punches.

It's then broken up into three circuits of strength moves. Each circuit is repeated a few times (I lost count each time) before moving on to the next. The circuits included exercises like diagonal squats, push-ups, jumpbacks (burpees, basically) and a number of moves using their pulley system, which is sort like TRX but with more resistance.

[via Dori]

That's the pulley system, but that's in their UES location--I went to their Union Square location, which looks far less barre-y.

Edited to add: Dori tells me that that's their old set-up in the UES location. There's no barre there now either.

The last time I went, I definitely broke a sweat and it wasn't easy, but I got both a more enjoyable and a better workout tonight. Emily is incredibly upbeat and played so much cheesy music (by cheesy, I mean awesome) the entire time, that I couldn't stop smiling. She corrected me, but it felt like she genuinely wanted me to understand how to execute the exercises correctly. She also did a great job cueing the class, and pointing out things like "if you don't feel this in your core, you're not doing it right."

The class ended with some ab work, that included rolling from laying down to sitting up, hinging back slightly. (I did this against a foam roller to support my jerk of a lower back.) We ended with some stretches laying down, and Emily came around and gave us each a 30-second-ish quad massage while we were stretching. So random, so awesome.

Dori and her friend Melissa Z. were there, and Melissa said that something "felt weird" while she was doing jumpbacks, and Emily took the time to have her demonstrate her jumpbacks and where they felt weird in between classes so that Melissa could make sure she had the correct form.

FYI, they're doing a promo code "PREVIEW" right now to get 20 percent off class packages.

Why did I like this class so much more than the last one? Tonight's instructor just had a great energy--upbeat and the type that made you want to work harder, rather than the type to make you feel like you weren't working out hard enough, which is how I felt last time. I definitely see myself trying this class again.

Today I learned about a fitness philosophy where cardio meets resistance called The Refine Method. Taught by the founder in a little studio in the upper east side, Brynn Jinnett was a professional ballerina and can be spotted in one of my favorite movies ever Black Swan. After reading this article by Courtney Rubin I instantly related to her curious mind:

So she traveled around the country, studying kinesiology, how professional athletes train, and how that could be applied to mere mortals. "I wanted to know how the body works, and how you change it well and safely and efficiently," says Jinnett, who deferred and then turned down management consulting offers after graduation. "I didn't want to make a better barre class; I wanted to make something different."

So inspired, I just signed up for my first class this Saturday!