Holistically Katie

About 6 months ago, I was craving another workout program. As I’ve blogged about previously, unfortunately Tracy Anderson wasn’t working for me anymore. But- I wanted to continue a program in that same style, just not as expensive or time-consuming.

Enter: The Workout LA.

About The Workout LA: Nicole and Ashley are best friends that have been working in the fitness industry for years. Their workouts are a beautiful blend of dance, pilates, HIIT and ballet- set to high energy music that helps motivate you. No matter the workout, I leave a sweaty mess. They are both super adorable, always filled with positive energy and encourage nothing bit self-love but at the same time are very results-driven. The workouts are no joke and will kick your BUTT.

What is it exactly?

The Workout LA is an online studio. They offer workouts on demand, but also sometimes will conduct live classes you can sign up for ahead of time. You will find their signature workout which is Sculpt, along with Strength, Barre, Yoga, Stretching and more!

There is also an app available that allows you to book classes and access the workouts. I typically save workouts on the app, but will use my laptop for streaming. They also drop programs throughout the year, which I love. For example, they recently released a ‘Travel’ program which is perfect timing as I jet off to Florida today. These workouts are low-impact and require no equipment, so no excuses to get moving even when you are not at home.

How much does it cost?

I have the monthly membership which is $30 a month. They also offer an annual membership which is $300 per the year. I feel that the price tag of $30 per month is very reasonable for the amount of content you get. Compare that to Tracy Anderson for example, which is $90 a month and the cost feels much more feasible.

Pros

• High energy, Highly motivating workouts: These ladies play the jams! Expect to hear Drake, Beyoncé and top hits on their rotation. They do talk throughout the workout to encourage you to focus on form and to cue the next couple of moves, which I actually find helpful.
• Focused on sculpting beautiful muscles, no heavy weights needed: You will use light hand weights and wrist weights throughout these workouts. They have some classes where you can use up to 10-15lbs, but majority of the time, it is lighter weight. You will do jumping jacks where you punch the weights up, punches, jump squats, leg lifts+fire hydrants (sometimes with a double ankle weight- OUCH)- just to give you an example of the moves. The fact that you are constantly moving around, rotating moves, switching sides keeps things interesting for me and ensures I never get bored. It also means my heart rate is PUMPING the entire time, maximizing the calorie burn!
• Weekly plans and diversity of workouts: They drop a weekly schedule and new videos regularly. You can pick a slower, sculpt workout or a high energy cardio workout, depending on your mood. Since there are so many different options and styles of videos, your muscles will constantly be challenged and not plateau. I decided to try some of their barre workouts and OMG- I was burning for days.

Cons

• Does require equipment: You will need to invest in ankle/wrist weights, light hand weights and a resistance band. This investment is well worth it to ensure you are getting the most effective workout. While you could technically do their workouts without the weights, I’d highly recommend not going without them.
• May not be the best for those who struggle with joint problems: If you have issues with your wrists or knees, you likely will experience pain with these workouts. With pretty much all of these workouts you are on your knees for a portion of it. You could invest in a knee pad, which would definitely help. Since you will also be planking constantly, that could cause pain for your wrists and hands.
• Hard to save ahead of time: One thing I really like about Heather Robertson’s workouts on Youtube for example is not only the fact they are FREE, but the fact you can screenshot the entire workout, because she always puts it in the description of the video. This means that if you wanted to listen to your own music but follow along with instructions at the gym, it is not a problem to do so. One issue with these workouts is that it is very difficult to manage this ahead of time if you wanted to listen to your own music. You’d have to watch the video through at 2x speed, and it is very likely you’d miss something and not get the same impact, even if you tried your best to jot everything down on your notes app. It is ultimately best to be able to watch these from your laptop/phone or even stream them to a larger device, which is sometimes not the most convenient scenario.

Summary: Is it Worth It?

In my opinion, YES. I thought I was in decent shape before starting these workouts, but I have been HUMBLED. These are very challenging, but also fun! You’ll be sweating, dancing, planking, jumping and smiling throughout these videos. At the end, you’ll feel so euphoric for completing it. It’s hard to explain; you’ll just have to try it yourself. Please note, they do offer a 7 day free trial so that you can see for yourself. At the end of the day, if you are looking for something fun and different to challenge yourself in the New Year and achieve a beautiful, sculpted body- I highly recommend TWLA!!!