Eat REAL Challenge, Recess, and Chocolate Treats

Can it be true? An actual blog post?

Yeeesh. Sorry, kids, it’s been too long. I have a list of excellent excuses, but excuses are for party poopers. Let’s move on to the news from the last month or so, shall we?

1. StrengthBox and Recess! have merged and become one and the same… the inimitable Death Track Dolls are continuing to kick ass and take names, and recently mopped the floor with the Venus Fly Tramps (check out some fantastic bout footage here). I credit burpees, of course.

2. I made these:

Paleo. Peppermint. Patties. (I consider very very dark chocolate to be Paleo. So shoot me.) Yes, you read that right. I modified this recipe from Elana’s Pantry slightly (sub 2 tablespoons of honey for the 1/4 cup agave nectar, sub unsweetened or 90% Cocoa Camino baking chocolate for the 73% chocolate, more peppermint oil to taste, and for half the batch I added a bunch of finely shredded coconut and vanilla instead of peppermint to make a “Mounds” style treat).

3. The StrengthBox Eat REAL Challenge is wrapping up this Saturday! We’ll be repeating the baseline workout to see who’s moving faster and feeling stronger… which StrengthBoxer and which Doll will take home the ultimate prize (one month of FREE unlimited group training at StrengthBox)? Stay tuned for updates!

This month has been full, busy, and completely amazingballs (my new favorite word), and next month will be even better.

“Let’s Pretend We Have No Legs!”

The above quote was repeated with much hilarity at yesterday’s Recess! session… I believe we were coming down the stairs headfirst at the time, reminiscing about the pretend games we all played as kids. As adults we get hung up on rules and scoring systems, but kids play in a way that is unhindered by this “logic” nonsense. Kids’ play is all about exploration and joy in movement (two themes we hit on all the freaking time at Recess!) Abandon your legs for a moment. How are you going to cross the room to get another cup of coffee? Try it out. I’ll wait here.

Um, try this at home, not at work or on the TTC. Just a suggestion.

The second leg of the wheelbarrow race showdown

More wheelbarrow race drama

Slam, grumpy as always

Jan shows the stairs who’s boss

Sharkey launches!

Leaping!

Flipping into the pit

The first leg of the wheelbarrow showdown

So speedy!

Want to find out more about natural movement and play-based workouts? Check out StrengthBox, my baby in East York. Want to come Recess! it up with the Death Track Dolls? We run around on Saturday mornings at 10:30am at The Monkey Vault, 213 Geary Avenue.

Exciting Cliffhanger: Update!

Ok, we all know that Recess! is awesome. (If you don’t already know that, you really need to come out and try a class). We’ll continue playing tag and flying into foam pits at The Monkey Vault (Saturday mornings, 10:30 and 11:30, come on down, $15 cheap) until it’s no fun anymore (never!). But what would you say if I told you that Recess! will soon have TWO fantastic homes? That’s right, kids, the Big Exciting Cliffhanger announcement is here:

The Original Recess! will continue, at 10:30 and 11:30am at The Monkey Vault. Recess II: Son of Recess! will begin in the not too distant future at our (prepare for Epic! Announcement!) Very Own Training Space in East York. Greg Carver (he of MovNat fame) and Howie Tse (firefighter extraordinaire) are joining me in opening StrengthBox, a training facility that will redefine your very human existence.

StrengthBox will emphasize natural movement, powerful strength development, high intensity intervals, and gymnastic skills. We’ll be working in small groups and one on one… We are open and available to any and every skill level, and we’d really like to welcome you to the StrengthBox family! Life should feel good, people. Let us show you how to get lean, strong, and capable of superhuman feats.

Our logo, shiny and new...

Recess! Redux

This Saturday’s Recess! was a blast and a half. The Death Track Dolls kicked major butt in a tough circuit workout, then still had enough gas in the tank for a vicious plank-off! The 11:30 class brought us The Do. Crew, and after conquering the climbing wall and stairs they performed admirably in the team challenge… and finally, points were awarded for style as they leaped into the Foam Pit of Doom!

Next Saturday will find us goofing around and getting real strong in the process… come check us out, won’t you? Recess! at The Monkey Vault, 213 Geary Avenue happens on Saturday at 10:30am and 11:30am. Can’t come at that time but have a group you want to rile up? Email me at marthadonkey at gmail dot com.

What’s Shakin’?

Oh goodness, this Saturday is going to be fun. To start things off, the Death Track Dolls will be gracing us with their inimitable presence at the 10:30 Recess! class, and then the ever-fashionable, eco-conscious, radder than rad Do. Crew (check out their facebook group) will be tearing it up at 11:30.

Are you kidding me? This will be more fun than sweet potato fries and ketchup. More fun than talking through a fan to make your voice sound like Darth Vader. More fun than watching a bully try to kick over your snowman, not realizing you built it over a fire hydrant. More fun than any singing cat video you’ve ever seen.

What’s Recess all about? Well, Recess is a games-based gymnastic/Parkour/high intensity interval class which will restore your youthful vitality, reignite your love of movement, and get you freakishly fit. Have I set the bar too high? Come try a class and find out. 213 Geary is where it’s at.

If you have questions, or would like to schedule a private or group session, email me (Liz) at marthadonkey at gmail dot com.

Recess #2

Recess is now on Saturdays at 10:30 and 11:30! Come to The Monkey Vault at 213 Geary Avenue and see what all the fuss is about…

This week at Recess we climbed a rope ladder, learned how to do Jackie Chan-style parkour tricks, and played with throwing and catching… and then the brave, brave Death Track Dolls requested an ass-kicking. Five short (long) minutes later, I think everyone agreed that an ass-kicking had indeed been delivered. Don’t think Recess is all fluff and no substance! You may not notice how much work you’re doing because it’s all about the fun, but Recess will mold you into a lean, mean, fighting machine if you give it a go.

Throwing and catching

Stair crawling

Balancing…

The calm before the storm

Recess! Update

Last Saturday’s Recess class was a smashing success… I’ve been hearing reports that people were feeling a little achy the next day(s), and then got a message from one participant that now her legs feel so strong she could kick down a wall! That’s what I’m talkin’ about.

This Saturday will have a slightly different schedule: Two classes! TWO! You can get your Recess on twice in a row if you feel like it! Once at 10:30, and again for double the fun at 11:30. Bring your friends, bring your kids, bring your dog (wait, don’t bring your dog)!

Smack talk is encouraged, so start jotting your schoolyard disses down now.

Recess #1 Recap

Summer balances on a skyscraper...

If you weren’t at The Monkey Vault this morning at 9:30, you missed out on a real good time. Lesia brought a few of The Death Track Dolls, and Tyler and Laura’s daughter Madeline made an extra-cute appearance! Lisa and Summer rocked the backwards-up-the-stairs drill, and Terry’s flying leap into the Pit earned points for style. Team Bangs took home gold in the Vaulting for Volume event, but Team Hump closed the gap in the Wheelbarrow Race. The obstacle course put a nice button on the day as everyone showcased their own unique style of leaping into The Pit!

Recess is a return to play for grownups… you’ll get a great workout and use some new muscles as you run, jump, climb and throw. Classes start with a free-form follow-the-leader warmup, followed by several school yard-style games you probably haven’t played in years. The Monkey Vault has all kinds of cool toys: a climbing wall, a foam pit for jumping into, rope ladders, and the whole floor is soft and bouncy. Come try a class!

The next Recess will take place Tuesday at 9:30am, at 213 Geary. Come join us! There will be prizes!

Laura shows off her Pit-diving skillz.

Photos courtesy of Tyler.

Parkour

The amazing gym where we’ll be goofing off at Recess is called The Monkey Vault. The owner, Dan, seems like a very nice guy. Until, that is, he makes you run up a wall. Or go up and down a flight of stairs in ways you’ve never thought of. I left our incredibly fun Parkour 101 session with the certain knowledge of two things:

1. I am terrible at Parkour. But I really want to try it again.
2. I will be very, very sore tomorrow.

The Recess Bell is Ringing!

Time to tie up your sneakers, put away your juice box, and grab your coat with the mittens on strings… It’s Recess time! The very first Recess is this Saturday at 9:30am!

We’ll be playing, running, rolling, jumping, lifting and pulling, not to mention getting up to no good. Mostly, though, we’ll be having fun getting back to moving the way kids do. Getting fit shouldn’t be all about serious work and DOMS (although I guarantee you will be sore after Recess). Classes are $15 per, and will occur three times per week. Just like any good drug, the first one’s free. Come out to The Monkey Vault (213 Geary Ave, M6H 2C1) and play, won’t you?

Schedule, starting January 9th: Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 9:30am to 10:30am.

You’re free to just show up, but I’d love to hear from you, so drop me an email to let me know just how pumped you are.