In the spotlight: Core Collective
Meet Core Collective: "fitness changes everything"
Core Collective is one of our favourite studios in London, which is why we're so excited to have collaborated with them on our limited edition Boutique Box. Inside you'll find a £10 gift card to use towards one of their classes, and a complimentary post-workout smoothie (trust us, you'll need it!). Why do we love them so much? Read on to find out...
C/C was founded on the belief that fitness improves every area of our lives – exercise makes you feel and function better both mentally and physically. Amen to that! We know that fitness means something different to everyone, but moving your body and challenging yourself in different ways within a community of like-minded people can (and will!) make a difference to your mood, sleep, productivity, health and happiness.
Yin meets yang.
Like us, C/C believe that variety is key to getting the most from working out. Cardiovascular, weight, mobility and flexibility training are all equally important. Slowing it down in a Yoga class can be just as beneficial as speeding it up in one of their Lift+Row classes (a high intensity interval training class, combining a sequence of weights and floor exercises with rowing intervals). Carl van Heerden, Core Collective’s Head of Lift+Row explains why Yoga is the perfect ‘ying’ to his high-intensity ‘yang’:
“The combination of Lift+Row and Yoga is more than just combining your strength and conditioning training with recovery and flexibility. The two actually offer a lot of complimentary benefits. If you usually opt for cardiovascular or weight training similar to the Lift+Row classes, you've probably done your fair share of pushups, kettlebell swings, squats and rowing. But when was the last time you attempted a downward facing dog or busted out a chaturanga? We know Yoga is good for us no matter what other workouts we do. So, here are a few reminders as to why you should hit the yoga mat after a Lift+Row session…”
Here's why you should hit the yoga mat after a Lift+Row session...
1. The stronger you get and the more muscles you build, the less flexible and more prone to injury you become. Basic poses like down-dog, warrior II and pigeon can increase mobility in places like the hips and shoulders, which are necessary for plenty of Lift+Row exercises like shoulder presses, squats and rowing.
2. You’ve been breathing your entire life, but what you may not know is that how you breathe is a major determining factor in your workout success. Yoga teaches you how to breathe and move effectively so you can go deeper into postures. Breath oxygenates your muscles and also calms your mind. So, whether you’re trying to move deeper into your backbend or complete one more burpee – how you breathe matters.
3. Lift+Row unlocks potential you didn’t know you had, so does Yoga. Here’s the secret, Yoga is not all stretching, it can be super challenging. Arm balances and inversions like the crow pose and forearm stand involve strength and mental determination that compliments the strength and determination required to push through a Lift+Row workout.
4. Expand your community. It may sound cheesy, but sweating it out with a group of awesome people on a regular basis makes you work harder and more accountable. Creating good vibes with the same people you do Lift+Row with can take the community feeling of your workouts to the next level.
What can you expect from a Lift+Row class at Core Collective?
The Lift+Row workouts are programmed by Carl. Each workout incorporates a rowing and full-body mobility warm-up. Workouts vary daily and have a specific strength, endurance or skill-based focus. Whether you are coming for the first time, or you are a regular, the instructors know how to get the best out of you and scale the workouts to your ability. Every workout will leave you feeling like an athlete.
Because Lift+Row workouts change daily, you can incorporate it as a regular part of your fitness regime. In addition to increasing your cardiovascular conditioning, the combination of rowing intervals and weight training will tone your body like no other workout, developing long, lean muscle and massive power output.
Carl enjoys hitting a few Lift+Row classes every week in addition to his own training. "The rowing machine just doesn't lie, so I can't cheat the workout. I love putting in the hard work, testing my body and experiencing the energy of a class full of people doing the same". At the same time, Carl is diligent about his stretching. "I'm the first to admit that I'm not a natural yogi, but that's why I love the Power Yoga and Stretch classes at Core Collective. I love the feeling of walking out of a Stretch class feeing all flexi-bendi and knowing that what I just did was good for my body".
Fancy trying out a class? Visit their website here.
