I have always been the avid gym-goer. My day just wouldn’t feel complete without a thorough toxin sweat, and of course, that amazing release of endorphins that always keeps my head in check. I would go to the gym about three to four times a week, each time for about an hour, whereby I would do a monotonous routine on each visit. A typical gym session would look something like this:

–10 minutes on the bike for a good warm up

–20-25 minutes of weights (Monday: arms, Tuesday: shoulders, Wednesday: Legs etc)

–20 minutes on the treadmill (brisk walking/light jog)

–5-10 minutes of abs and core

–10-minute stretch/cool down

I would spend about an hour at the gym each visit, and I noticed that after about a year or two, I would hit a plateau with regards to my physique and overall fitness. I had played sports competitively for a decade previously, and with a solid gym routine in place, I never really felt the need to change things up or explore other ways to exercise – until I met Ian and Brad of course (thanks to you, Alan Wong!).

When I first stepped into Ritual I thought to myself, “Damn this place has some solid vibes, but oh shit, kettlebells?? And where are the machines??” I was also never convinced that 20 minutes would be enough, let alone produce any results.  I do admit that I had never done any previous research on the benefits of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), so I thought I would test the theories and use HIIT as my sole form of exercise for a full month.

The results shocked me.

Not only was I cutting my workout time to a third, I also noticed that I was toning up my body to achieve optimal body composition. Having naturally broad shoulders, I would previously refrain from doing back exercises with fear that my back would get “bigger,” now I know that my thinking was far from logical. Ritual’s full body workouts have trimmed fat where it needs to be trimmed, and toned muscles where they should be toned. I was shocked to realize that my abs are more toned than ever without doing a SINGLE SIT UP! It’s just a fantastic, and effectively efficient workout. So effective that in only a month, my decade-long idea of what “fitness” really was had changed forever.

I feel so blessed to be surrounded by amazing souls everyday. I have become aware (and sometimes annoyingly so) about the value of nutrition, and I have said goodbye to sit ups and my monotonous gym routine forever. Although my relationship with the gym was a long lasting, healthy relationship, I don’t feel sorry to say that I will never return to my old workout routine.

I only need one machine to obtain the body I want, and it’s right here. Everybody has access to achieving the body they want; they just don’t know it yet.

So dust off YOUR machine, and get to work. 🙂

Be Brave,
Stephanie