Fitness Update: a New Name for a Familiar Workout

As I reported in my last fitness update, my new freelance schedule has really thrown a wrench into my workout routine. For every other aspect of my life, I am 100% happier being completely freelance and am shocked and amazed at how well it's going. Fingers crossed it remains this great for a long time to come!

But I was really bummed to leave my gym and trainer behind, and as much as I have tried to get to the gym, I just could not seem to make it happen. I think it all stemmed from the perception on the word "gym" and what that was to me, and what it should be moving forward.

The gym I belonged to in Atwater Village was a nice, medium-to-small sized mom & pop operation. Haley and I always referred to it as being like Average Joe's Gym from the film Dodgeball. We meant that in the best possible way, as it is a comfortable place to be yourself in a world of mega-gyms. But unfortunately, near my home are mostly the big mega-gyms. I read review after review of the 24-Hour Fitness nearby and the other similar type establishments in my neighborhood, and though they were affordable, they did not excite me in any way. Aside from the fact that the reviews were mostly horrendous (staph infection waiting to happen type reviews), I really wasn't excited about just going and being a gerbil on a treadmill.

So I stopped for a second and rethought what the gym is to me. First, I asked myself: what did I like best about my old gym? Answer: my trainer workouts. Next question: did I enjoy the gym part of the gym? Answer: kinda. Hmmm... What were my favorite things to do at the gym? The challenges that my trainer set for me, walking away sore and feeling strong, like I had gone beyond what I thought I could do. Okay, now I'm getting somewhere... So the conclusion I came to was this: my favorite part of the gym were my trainer workouts. Bottom line.

So if this is true, why was I looking to join a boring mega-gym where I would go from machine to machine? Clearly I needed to rethink what kind of place I wanted to be part of. Also, it's probably not a big mystery that I don't make millions of dollars, so of course, price was a consideration. However, while I had the inexpensive monthly fee of my old gym burned in my head, the reality is that I never actually paid that little to go there, since I also ponied up for personal training sessions. So the real truth was that I could afford more than I thought I could.

Back to Yelp I went, looking beyond the predictable gym experience, searching for what else might be out there. What did I like in my workouts? Jumping rope, punching and kicking, general circuit training and hand weights, and jumping on planks. We almost never used gym equipment since my trainer was martial arts trained, and we did basic but effective things.

After some searching, I found Function 5 Fitness, a mere half mile from my home. I didn't initially consider them, because their specialty is Muay Thai, which basically looks like boxing or kickboxing. I thought, no, that's not for me. I've never hit anyone, nor was I looking to be punched in the face. Moving on.... But wait, perhaps I'll just watch the video on the homepage (embedded below) and see what this is about. And am I glad I did.



Hold the phone people, turns out that Muay Thai is basically what I was doing! Punching? Check! Kicking? Check! Jumping rope? Check! Oh, and want to make it even better? It's owned and operated by a former Muay Thai fighter, that's a woman! Yep, a female-owned fighting gym. Perfect.

I stopped by one random afternoon and filled out a general contact form and was emailed by the office manager later that day. We set up a time for me to come and see the gym, get a tour, watch part of a class, and get to know each other. I was there for nearly 2 hours, as she asked me questions, found out about me and my past, and made sure that this was a good fit for the both of us. Quite a dramatic difference from the 24-Hour Fitness down the road where you can actually just sign up on their website to become a member. I loved that F5F wanted to make sure it's a good fit for everyone. They are clearly not just after your money, and for that I was instantly put at ease.

I should stop right now and say that I have no association with them, I've only met the owner in passing, and I am in no way writing this on their behalf. This is so glowing so far (and it will continue to be below) that I want to make that clear. They don't know I'm writing this unless they've found me through Google or something, and this is honestly my opinion. Just wanted to clear that up from the get go!


If you've been following me on Instagram you know that I've been going to classes now for a week and I'm in love with it. I'm also literally black and blue (and purple and brown and red) with bruises all over my body, and yet, I'm going back tonight for more. It's empowering, fun, intimate, and kicks my ass. It's also incredibly hard, challenging, and as someone that likes to be good at what I do, it's an incredibly humbling experience because it will take me a while to really be good at this sport.

(Note- my former training required me to wear shoes while kicking, so that's largely why my feet are bruising so badly, because they've never been hit like this before. Also, the bruising will calm down with time, so don't think that I (or you if you try this) will be bruised this bad forever!)

I still have no intention of punching anyone (without pads) or having anyone punch me (without pads), but hey, if I ever had to punch or kick someone, clearly I will be more prepared!

My body is toughing up and I look forward to feeling strong as I did in May when my workouts ended. I know I'm on my way and am so grateful that I've found something that I really like to do. Thanks as always for supporting these updates and if you are curious about Muay Thai, check out if there's a place near you that offers it!