Thanks to everyone who entered the latest giveaway by sending in their feedback on this blog and the club’s Facebook page. And congrats to Steve Sullivan, whom random.org selected as the winner of the Midtown logo sports bag.

My primary goal in running the giveaway was to ensure that the Facebook page and the blog are both useful and interesting. Based on the feedback I received over the past few days, it sounds like you’re enjoying both.

So, what did members have to say about Midtown’s social media?

Here are some of the comments I received, followed by my response to each:

I like how you have been able to bring a fresh perspective to the happenings at Midtown. Keep on writing, especially about classes you’ve personally experienced. I would love to hear more about Kinesis!

Thanks! I plan on writing about my class experiences more this year. I will shamefully admit to being a primarily Fitness Floor girl (what with the half-marathon training), but I’ve taken a Pilates Reformer class (amazing) and also Cardio, Strength, and Conditioning (high-energy and intense). I also want to try the new MXT class (Midtown Xtreme Training) very soon. You can check out my post on Spinesis, which includes Kinesis, here. I will definitely add a post on Kinesis to my plan for the blog.

I love the blog the way it is, but would like to see more entries on weight loss and nutrition!  Also, more contests/giveaways!

Great ideas! I am looking into interviewing some Midtown staff members with nutrition and weight loss expertise. If anyone reading has lost weight and would like to share what worked/didn’t work, I would love to hear your story. Feel free to email me.

Oh, and more giveaways and contests are coming soon!

What I like best: Updates on my Facebook feed about new programs/classes that I might not otherwise hear about (ie Psyclewerks, holiday bootcamp), even if I don’t end up attending.  I’m no good at reading the print material.  It used to stink when I’d hear about something *after* it happens and assume, “I would have gone if only I had known…”  Now I have no excuse!

I’m really glad you find the Facebook updates useful. I like all my information online as well, and in my house, paper tends to get lost in the shuffle (or covered with crayon).

I love your writing – insightful, clever, and personal.

Thanks!

How about posting a “workout/challenge of the week”.  Post in the beginning of the week and have people post their results….
 
An example:  “Do as many pull-ups as you can in 3 minutes…resting as much as you want with the clock running”
 
Two things it will do. 
1.       Start a dialog between members on the page.
2.       People might see each other doing it at the gym and do the challenge together.

Image courtesy of Spencer Olinek

I love this idea. I’m going to get in touch with the trainers to see if they’d be willing to share some ideas for the challenges.

I’m fairly new to Midtown and constantly run into members I know that give me tips and such about Midtown. Maybe have a “Did You Know?” section on the blog or website and direct new members to it. That way we can utilize all the great things Midtown has to offer and perhaps do more know more.

Another great idea! Over the spring and summer, I posted “Fun Facts” on the Facebook page. These “facts” were little-known tidbits of information about Midtown that many members might not know about. For example, in the wintertime, the “mineral” in the Mineral Soaking Tub is actually salt from the Dead Sea imported via California.   

You can find all these facts by searching back through the Facebook page, but I will compile them on the blog in one area.

I like both the FB page and the Blog, but one thing makes reading and digesting the post a little difficult for me: The posts are longer than most and would benefit from having a title or key word category so that I can scan the page and easily find the posts that interest me. I’m not sure if it would work, but if the posts had all caps or bolded titles including TENNIS, RUNNING, GROUP EXERCISE, INSPIRATION, FEEDBACK, etc. then I might be able to quickly find the info I’m interested in reading.

This is a compelling idea. I wish Facebook provided users with text formatting tools (bold, color, or underline) but unfortunately, it doesn’t. I would fear that because using all caps is akin to “shouting” in the online world, people might read the posts that way. Plus, some posts pertain to multiple categories and some don’t pertain to any one category.

I will give this idea more thought. If you have ideas on how to categorize the posts or how to make them more readable, please let me know.

Keep the feedback coming. The contest may be over, but I’d still love to hear from you. Remember, this is your blog and it’s your Facebook page. Anytime you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered on the blog, or a way to improve our Facebook page, please email me at kristi@meetme-atmidtown.com.

Doug Rusho is everywhere these days. If he’s not motivating his Psyclewerks class to push through the pain, he’s teaching spinning or training his clients.

Now, he’s hijacking the blog once again to talk about Spinesis.

Go, Doug, go.

Do you want to enjoy family, friends, and really good comfort food on Thanksgiving? Does Aunt Sarah’s deep-dish caramel apple pie lure you back to the fridge at 3am Friday morning?

If so, you can balance out your Turkey Day consumption with some high-calorie-burning workouts.

Spinesis, this Friday at 10:00am, is exactly what you need.

What is Spinesis, you ask?

It’s a group exercise class limited to 12 people, which combines two types of training, Kinesis and Indoor Cycle. Each person starts cycling with me in the Cycle Room. Then, groups of six head next door to the Kinesis studio to work out with the ever-so-sassy and energizing Dina Smock for 12 minutes of Kinesis. The other six people continue to cycle. Each group will go through three rounds for a total session time of 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Both rooms are music-equipped for maximum motivation.

Never done Kinesis? Now is the perfect time to start.

Kinesis is movement-based, total body training, utilizing four special cable stations. Participants choose their own weight and go through a station over a timed interval. Weights are light because the intervals are usually more than a minute. There is only enough recovery time to get to the next station. Setup at each station is quick and easy. As you can imagine, your breathing will remain high and so will the calorie expenditure!

Kinesis is focused on true core conditioning and strength endurance.

It is great for toning and total body coordination. I have taught and taken many Kinesis classes and I really like the workout. It is something that feels totally different than anything you would do in the weight room. This is exactly what the body needs, something new and different to spice up that metabolism!

This will be my first Spinesis with Dina. I plan on bringing my own unique teaching style, the usual “music mapping,” and new to any past Spinesis class, something I call “Powertrip.” You’re going to have to sign up to find out what this is!

Spinesis is not your run-of-the-mill fusion class. The small group, the music, and the workout combine to form a unique experience.

I like Turkey Day as much as anyone, but to truly enjoy it, we have to find a balance. Make your reservations at the front desk now ($20/guest and guests are welcome for the same price), and do the holiday right!