Happy Monday!  It’s the start of a new week, which means that we have the perfect opportunity to re-focus or to focus on something new.  My big goal this week is to catch back up after being away for a week.  Luckily, I didn’t fall too far behind, but there’s always a few things to catch up on when I’m out of town for a period of time.  We have a review of The Dailey Method below (including a code for a full week free!), but first let’s get to the weekend catch up!

Weekend Catch Up

After over a week in Chicago, I ended the weekend with a little bit of relaxation and a little bit of college-style craziness along the way.  (I say that in the most conservative way possible.  Note: I’m almost 30.)

Friday, I attended a pop-up shop opening along with my cousin and our mutual good friend.  My friend from college/Cincinnati has since become my cousin’s close friend, as well, and it’s been so much fun to have catch ups across the city together.  Gotta’ love it when friends become friends!

Saturday was my friend Ann-Preston’s fully planned 30th birthday party.  And she pulled out all the stops!  “AP” provided a three-course meal, wine & beer, and an awesome ambiance & experience for 40 friends and family.  Afterwards, a group headed out to a couple of her favorite stops downtown and we had SO much fun.  I’m so honored to have been in town to celebrate!

Sunday was a more relaxing day filled with church and seeing some of my old small group girls in preparation for my travel day today.

While I LOVE being back in Chicago, I cannot wait to be back home with Ray in our relaxing abode. : )  And now (drum roll please) to our studio review!

Studio Review: The Dailey Method

You guys… I’m literally obsessed with this studio.  It has everything and I cannot wait to shout it from the rooftops.  I had taken a class from The Dailey Method when I lived in Chicago a few years back, but I hadn’t tried the new studios in Denver.  I’m very pleased to say that the classes lived up to the hype!

Each hour-long class I took in my two week trial flew by in a split second.  And since I had several of you ask for more information after seeing my posts on SnapChat, I wanted to provide a more detailed run down on the class format and my thoughts on The Dailey Method workouts.  (Format inspired by Julie.)

What is The Daily Method?

The Dailey Method (“TDM”) is a barre fitness studio that uses movements and methods from dance, yoga, kinesiology, and pilates to create efficient and effective full body workouts.

The studios, and the whole brand in general, pride themselves on being at the forefront of fitness research.  They consistently evolve their methods based on what is the best human body alignment and overall body strength to result in better posture and movement.

How did I find the studio to be unique?

While I’ve been to several barre fitness studios, I always find some slight differences between the brands as a whole.  Specific to TDM, the primary difference that I found was that the class focuses on a slightly different posture than most of the barre classes that I have attended in the past.

At a high level, the posture suggested by the TDM instructors relates more to relaxing your pelvis (other barre classes often have you tuck your pelvis), and TDM focuses on tightening your inner abs.

The posture within TDM felt a lot more natural and like I’ve always thought of being the “right” posture.  Hands on correction from the instructors made sure that I stayed in accurate alignment throughout the whole class.

What is the flow of a TDM class?

While there are multiple types of classes available, I found that most of them followed a similar general overall flow.

All classes begin with some slight cardio as a warm up, followed immediately with high rep movements within a small range of motion.  The instructor goes through working biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest, back, seat, and legs to provide a full body strength/resistance workout.

The difference in the classes, that I noticed, is that some classes spend more time at the barre for a more traditional barre fitness type class, whereas other classes spend more time in the center of the room focusing on movements that are more familiar to traditional resistance training.

Would I make this “my” studio?

100% YES!  The studio I attended offered wonderful classes with instructors I trusted.  Plus, they offered child care, fantastic pre- and post-natal modifications, and modifications for those with limited range of motion, meaning that I’d be able to attend for several more years, as well.

I, however, would not make this my everyday workout.  Within my two week trial, I found 3-4 days/week to be a good balance for me, replacing my traditional strength-training sessions.  I would still want to incorporate more cardio-focused workouts into my routine.

Tips for your first TDM class:

• Arrive early for your first few classes to let the instructor know you’re new.  They’ll help you to get used to the positions and postures across the class.
• Don’t stress too much about which type of class you’re attending immediately.  But DO try to attend a variety in your trial period to see if you prefer one type of class over the other.
• Bring traditional barre socks if you have them (the ones with the sticky dots on the bottom.)  Regular socks work, as well, but they won’t provide you with resistance in planks, so just be ready for that.
• If possible, I’d recommend wearing leggings (capri or pant), and a tighter workout top.  The instructor needs to be able to see your posture, but there’s a lot of bending, squats, etc, so shorts may be uncomfortable.

Pricing & Locations

As far as I can tell, pricing varies across locations.  However, I can tell you that I know it’s not a cheap workout anywhere.  I would definitely try at least one class prior to make sure that the format works for you before investing.

Within Colorado specifically, there are studios in both Boulder and in the Denver-Highlands area.  If you’re interested in trying the classes at the Denver Highlands location, the team has offered a FREE WEEK with the code SWEET.  (Go here to register.)  The code is good through Friday, so book your free week quickly!  Your week won’t start until you decide to attend your first class, and you will be covered for 7 consecutive days.  Whether or not you’re able to use this deal, the Denver-Highlands studio will offer $20 off of your new client special if you say you heard about them on Semi-Sweet Tooth.

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Create a great life!