Lion And Luxe

It's hard to believe that it's been 5 years since we opened our doors! We'd like to say thank you to everyone that's supported us as we've grown from a 1000 sqft. facility offering just personal training to a space four times that size committed to a holistic approach to wellness. We've adding new services like yoga and massage, brought on new team members along the way to make this dream a reality and have had the great fortune of working with some truly amazing people.... It's been a wild ride so far. Can't wait see where we're be in 2025!

What a wonderful turn out! We kicked, we stretched , we had fun . It was SO wonderful to see familiar and new faces! HUGE thank you to Body Fuel for delicious power snacks and a $25 gift card!... AcuMediZen for ,not one, but 2 sessions of acupuncture and cupping , value of $100 Gorgeous 2 sets of Color Street nails from StarDust nails! Value of $50 Awesome to-go Mug, hat and CHAI from our local Chai guy value of $50 . AND we of course wouldn’t leave you out! The winners walked away with a 3 free Personal Training sessions at our studio ! Value of $300 . Should we do this again ? absolutely ! See more

It’s the morning of! The weather is perfect , instructors are Pumped , giveaways are waiting to be distributed to the lucky few ! See you soon ! CHECK IN at the table when you arrive. BRING A MAT and a friend or meet a new one . Park is known for beautiful mini hiking pathways along the stream ! ... wear a mask until you get to your spot* . mats will be placed 6+ feet apart.

All change is half mindset and studies have proven that mindset can literally change how the body works. If you constantly think that you can't do something, you're telling your body that it also cannot do it. Start today, tell yourself in every moment that you can achieve your goals and you will be one step closer to being who you want to be.

Let's talk about your core strength. One of the best and simplest exercises you can do anywhere and at any fitness level is the plank. It is one of the best exercises because is tightens deep core muscles. It's also good because it engages shoulders, quads and lower back muscles which crunches do not. The plank is a great way to build endurance in the abdominals and back as well as stabilizer muscles. People have cited Joseph Pilates, the man behind the Pilates school of ...training as the inventor of the plank. Unlike the versions we do today, hold this position for time, Pilates supposedly used the exercise for reps and strength as opposed to endurance. Pilates training emerged in the 1920s, which seems to lend claims that Joseph Pilates invented a plank-esque exercise. In other words, the plank has been around and effective for a long time. There are some great variations of planks rather than just holding for time. Most of you have read the article of the Marine Veteran who just broke the record at 8 hours , 15 minutes and 15 seconds! Incredible but here are some variations you can try in your next workouts: Swiss ball plank- Rest your forearms on ball and stabilize your body as you hold front plank for time. Side Star plank - Begin in a side plank position with right arm straight below right shoulder and legs long with feet stacked. Reach top arm and leg up and hold, squeezing abdominals. Reverse Plank - Place your palms, with fingers spread wide, on the floor slightly behind and outside your hips. Press into your palms and lift your hips and torso toward the ceiling. Look up to the ceiling, point your toes, and keep your arms and legs straight. Side to Side plank - Start in a plank and twist your hips to one side. Try to touch the outside of your hip to the ground, then come back to the center before twisting to the other side. Your feet shouldn’t move; only your waist. Body Saw - Grab a pair of gliders and put them under your feet then get in a plank position. Slowly press your arms forward into the ground. Since your feet are on gliders, your body will slide back instead of your arms sliding forward. Pull your arms back down until your elbows are directly under the shoulders to complete one rep. As always Stay Strong and Happy lifting! -- Denise

Happy International Women’s Day! Today is the day to not only celebrate the absolutely amazing women in our team but also celebrate the astounding women we have as members of Lion and Luxe. Here’s to strong women: May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.

Trainer Tip Tuesday: My Favorite Core Exercises I’d like to discuss some of my favorite Core Exercises with you for a bit. I know what your thinking how can those words come together to make that sentence well they have and let me tell you why! The Otis-Ups are a weighted compound exercise in which the rectus abdominus muscles are the prime target muscles to be worked. The shoulders muscles are worked as well, but not to the degree of the abdominal muscles. It can be perfo...rmed with a Kettlebell or a Dumbbell, but I prefer a Weighted Plate. From my research I could not find anything in particular on the origin of the name of this exercise. I can only speculate that is is named after Elisha Otis, who invented the breaking device which prevents an elevator from falling in case the hoisting cable brakes. You will find the word Otis in many elevators. I make this only make this connection do to the weight being pushed straight up and down like an elevator during the exercise. Russian Twists strengthen your Abdominal and Oblique Muscles. It’s a total core exercise that also works on building stability in your spine and on your balance. What’s great about this exercise is that it can be preformed in different variations to moderate all the way to a high degree of difficulty. You can do it with or with out weights. The weight can be provided with a Medical Ball, Dumbbell, or a Weighted Plate. Why is this exercise called a Russian Twist? Only speculations were found in the research that I found. The speculation was that it was developed the during the Cold War in the Soviet Union as a training exercise for Russian Soldiers. The Ab Cocoon is the perfect exercise to target both the upper and lower Abdominal Muscles. By preforming both an upper and a lower crunch at the same time, it is a great core exercise to fit into a quick workout. It also involves no equipment, so it’s great for a travel or vacation workout program. I could not come up with an origin for the name of this exercise, but I can only speculate that when you are at the most contracted part of this exercise, you are in the shape as if you were in a cocoon. I hope you learned a little something about my favorite Core Exercises from this. Learning something new every day is one thing that keeps life exciting! Stay Strong My Friends! Thanks, Jenn

So why is core strength important? Why do trainers and programs emphasize to always include your ab exercises? You core stabilizes your body, allowing you to move in any direction as well as having balance. It supports your body. So having a strong core is essential for everyone. It's also important for athletes as weak core muscles can lead to more fatigue, less endurance and injury. Weak core muscles can also make you more prone to have poor posture, lower back pain an...d muscle injuries. Every time we pick something up, put on your shoes or even stand up, your accessing these core muscles. How do you know if you have a weak core? If you experience reduced sports performance like slower times, less power or "collapsing" technique when running or landing. If you have weak stomach muscles, poor balance, increased injuries, aches and pains. So how do you workout your core? There are many core and ab exercises out there. Here are a few to create the foundation of a strong core. Front and side planks - you can make is easier if beginning by resting on your knees, or harder by extending your arm to straight arm plank. Dead bugs - lie on your back arms extended, knees at 90 deg, lower right arm and left leg to hover just above the floor, then do the same with opposite limbs. Add a resistance band or stability ball to make it harder. Boat pose - sit on floor, lean back slightly, keep back straight, hold arms in front of you and extend your legs so your body forms a V shape. Start with 3 rounds and extend the time as you get stronger at the exercises. Do them 1st in the workout, so your not tempted to skip them or say "l'll do them when I get home"; we both know that rarely happens! So in everything you do, remember to engage your core! Stay Strong, Denise

Your mind is the most powerful tool you have for the creation of good in your life, but if not used correctly, can also be the most destructive force in your life. Your mind, more specifically, your thoughts, affect your perception and therefore, your interpretation of reality. Start this week off by controlling your mind and feeding it positive thoughts and motivation. ... Having a hard time controlling your mind and thoughts? Try one of our yoga classes - meditation and mindful thinking have been proven to increase mood and mindset.

Trainer Tip Tuesday: What’s up with the Arnold Press? Pretty much everyone knows who Arnold Schwarzenegger is, and many of you may have heard or even preformed the Arnold Press before as wellBut is it true that he actually invented it? Yesyes he did. So, why did Arnold invent it? The Arnold Press is very beneficial in weight training due to the fact that it is 1 exercise that hits all 3 heads of the Deltoid (Shoulder). The 3 heads of the Deltoid are the Anterior (The front... of the shoulder), the Lateral Deltoid (The side of the shoulder) and the Posterior Deltoid (The back of the shoulder). Many get a great workout hitting the Anterior Deltoid by doing Bench Presses or Push Ups, but it’s the Lateral and the Posterior Deltoid that often get missed. So why is it important to hit these 2 heads of the Deltoids? The Lateral Deltoid the look of a nice wide and thick shoulder, which many weight training clients are looking for. The Posterior Deltoid not only assists in big pulling movements, but it also helps improve posture and aids in stabilization in the shoulder joint. This Arnold Press not only works great as a warm up on Shoulder Day, but also an excellent burn out at the end of Shoulder Day as well. Or it can be used as a great main exercise in your Shoulder Day workout just like Larry Scott did. Who is Larry Scott? He is the first winner of Mr. Olympia in 1965. In fact this exercise is also named the Scott Press due to it helping him strengthen his shoulders which he felt was his weakest point. This is why it is also called the Scott Press. Stay Strong My Friends!