Poletry in Motion: OC Pole Fitness - Huntington Beach!

I headed down to Long Beach to visit Wes and Larissa again last weekend and decided to take a class at OC Pole Fitness' Huntington Beach location.  I previously did a Poletry in Motion for the Aliso Viejo location of OC Pole.  I guess this isn't technically a Poletry in Motion since I didn't actually take a pole class.  Instead, I took a cardio cabaret chair class with Felicia.  However, there were poles in the room, so I'm still gonna call it Poletry in Motion!

First off, the current Huntington Beach location is kind of hidden in the downstairs of an un-manned gym.  When I arrived, there was not one person at the desk or working out.  However, the door was open and I could clearly see the OC Pole Fitness sign on the window, so I figured I was in the right place.  I waited a few minutes near the desk before I got brave and decided to go hunting for a room that may have poles.  I found a cool spiral staircase and decided to venture down them.  Once I got downstairs, I saw the OC Pole sign again, heard the music and realized another class was still in session.  So I got comfy and hung out until it was time for my class.

This Poletry in Motion will only be valid for a couple more months as I understand they have a new Huntington Beach location opening in January.  I am really hoping to make it to their grand opening party.  I imagine, however, that Felicia will remain an instructor, so then I guess that re-validates my review.  :-)

I liked the studio space with its red walls and ballet bars all around.  It was perfectly tucked away in that bigger gym with blacked out sliding glass doors so no one could peek in while you are dancing.  

I guess only one thing really needs to be said about this class, I SWEAT LIKE A PIG!  I had braided my new red hair all purdy so it would be wavy and sexy, all ripe for whipping around during class.  It was drenched within 20 minutes, so I did most of class with it wrapped in a bun so I didn't whip sweat into my own eyes (or even worse, into someone else's!). I definitely burned some calories (and my butt muscles). 

We learned three short pieces to a chair routine (each were four counts of eight), perfectly counted out for us by Felicia.  We practiced each piece, separated by some killer abs and other strengthening exercises in between.  At the end, we put the routine together. 

As I have said many times, I am not the best dancer, but I do enjoy dancing.  I am also pretty good about counting (since I essentially "grew up" during the step aerobics craze), and I can follow an instructor decently (so long as they don't say, "now its your turn!" and leave me to writhe in the middle of the floor while they watch).  I do miss little parts here and there but can usually catch up by the end and at least look like I was in sync for most of the routine.  The great thing about cabaret or burlesque is that there are usually a few spots where a pose is held and it gives me a split second to get back in line with the group. 

What I lack is some style...or personality or something.  I feel like I am just copying the moves and I wish I had a little more confidence and could just do my thang without worrying about whether I'm on the right move.  I feel like when I don't think about dancing, that's when everything comes together.  I, however, over-think EVERYTHING.

At the end of the day, though, I had a great time.  I loved the routine, I sweat my ass off, my abs and butt were sore and I had a lot of fun.  Felicia is adorable and I can't wait to go back and take it again (with Rita and Larissa this time)!

When zombie girls attack!  Oh, how I love my iPhone flash.

Rule Number 1: Cardio

So I never reported in last week about my weigh-in.  I usually weigh myself on Friday mornings (you know, before the weekend pigout-fest).  I weighed in two weeks ago at 224.0 pounds.  I was excited because I had lost over 4 pounds in that week.  So last week rolled around.  I did an unofficial weigh in on Thursday and I weighed 223.6.  It wasn't much but it was a loss so I was excited.  Well, the next morning came and I was up to 224.8!!  Overnight!!  I was so pissed!  

This week, I've been monitoring my weight daily but today was my official "weigh day."  I'm up to 227.4!  Now, according to the calendar (and my grumpy mood lately), this is my PMS week, and therefore the week I would normally gain some water weight...usually between 3 and 8 pounds.  But STILL.  I don't want to gain, I want to LOSE!

I know what my problem is.  I need to do more cardio.  I already know that's what my problem is, so why don't I DO IT?!  Well, because it's boring.  I'm definitely getting toned from Twirly Girls (and please don't tell me I'm gaining because muscle weighs more than fat...I'm not THAT muscular!!), but I need to get my heart rate up and keep it there for awhile.  I definitely get out of breath and sweat during pole class, but I also stop and chat and take pictures, so I don't keep it up there long enough.  

I can sit around and make all the excuses in the world.  I commute three plus hours a day roundtrip, work a full-time job, need to fit in family/friends, etc., I have yoga, I have Twirly Girls, I have this, that or the other.  I mean, I really DO have those excuses.  I generally get up at 5:30 or 6 AM, try to get in a workout at home (working out too hard at night makes me not sleep so I HAVE to knock it out in the morning), shower, drive to work, work all day, drive home (or wherever I'm going next), blah blah blah.  Every day.  More often than not, I don't get home until 9 or 10 PM.  Just in time to go to bed and do it all over again.  This is also why I can't re-join the 5 AM crowd.  I only live 10 miles from the gym but with stoplights, it takes almost 30 minutes to get there.  So, I'd have to get up at the asscrack of dawn to go to the gym.  And it's not worth the gas to drive all the way home again to get ready for work, so I either have to work out for two and a half hours and then shower at the gym.  Or just sit there for a couple of hours talking to myself.  It's really a no-win situation right now.   Plus, in order for me to get up at 4 AM, I have to be in bed at 8 PM.  I only get home that early about one night a week.  Anyway, regardless of all of my "excuses," I still NEED to work out.  I just need to make sure my workouts are efficient. 


I need to get my chubby ass out there and SWEAT.  There's a funny line I cross between 200 pounds and 225 pounds.  At 200, I just look big.  Not fat.  Not skinny.  Just tall.  At 225, I've crossed the line to fat.  I have that chub going on that I don't want or need.


So this week, I recommit myself to doing cardio (I have a 5k tomorrow morning to start the week off right!).  No, I don't see myself getting up at 4 AM to drive all the way to Bally to rejoin the 5 AM crowd (although I miss you guys because you kept it interesting and fun!).  I also don't want to bother driving to the gym every day to workout alone at 6 or 7 AM (plus, I still hate showering there before work).  

However, I will plan on going to the gym most Tuesdays mornings to do the stairs (in case I feel crazy enough to try Half Dome again this year).  And I have a bike here at the house and can go jogging.  If I do that every morning, and then do my recently-devised toning routine, I know I can drop this weight.  I'm very frustrated.  I don't want to be fat anymore.