The Most Trendy (and Affordable!) Athleisure Brands for Spring

By Miriam Fried, Personal Trainer





GymShark - via @DailyDoseoFitness

GymShark - via @DailyDoseoFitness

1. GymShark


Alphapack Fitness

Alphapack Fitness

2. Alphapack Fitness


3.  GAP


4.  Forever 21


^^Crop Top from Amazon! (via @DailyDoseoFitness)

^^Crop Top from Amazon! (via @DailyDoseoFitness)

5.  Amazon






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Your 2017 Motivation Boost to Avoid the February Slump



1.) get motivated with our fave #inspo quotes.

Pin it. Share it. Live it. You're welcome. 

2.) try these Tips for goal-crushing success.

dailydoseofitness, miriam fried - personal trainer - The P.E. Club



Screenshot 2017-01-15 10.55.51.png





6.) lastly, Remember why you started.


8 Unique Gift Ideas for the Fitness Buff in Your Life

'Tis the season....Our trainers & instructors put together a list of unique gift ideas for the fitness fanatics in your life! 

1.  Duo Classic Shaker Water Bottle by Trimr

Trimr - The P.E. Club

Whether you prefer to sip or chug, this water bottle doubles as a shaker for your friends that are protein fiends. 

 2.  Subscription Boxes

Built Box - The P.E. Club

There are lots of fun, fit subscription box options on the market that will deliver exciting new finds to a friend's doorstep each month.  Might be the perfect solution to give that special someone a boost of motivation to stay on track when it comes to those new year's resolutions!  Here are some of our fave box ideas:

New Vision Nutrition - The P.E. Club

3.  A meal prep service

You can never go wrong with food!  For the food-preppers on your list, why not make their life 100x easier? Purchase a week or a month of healthy, nutritious, pre-prepared meals.  Trainer & Instructor Miriam is loving her meals by New Vision Nutrition - use code MIRIAM at checkout for a discount, too!



4. Massage Gift Cards

Massage - The P.E. Club

This one's a no-brainer. Give the gift of relaxation this holiday season.  

5. The hottest new sports wear

My Sweat Style - The P.E. Club, Nedra Lopez

Everyone knows when you look good working out, you feel good.  With the seasons changing, it's time to get ahead of the 2017 fitness trends.  A fresh pair of leggings? Owner/Trainer Nedra Lopez has the down low on every style & fit Carbon38 has to offer:

*Use code Use code NEDRALOPEZ50 to receive 25% off your entire purchase when shopping some of these brands + more on!


6. Long & Lean To-Go!

Gliders + bands are the perfect holiday gift for a mat-based workout at home.  Peruse our blog for full-length workouts that can be done at home with little equipment. Available on!

TRX Training, The P.E. Club


Just as obsessed with TRX as we are? Take advantage of TRX Training's 12 Days of TRXmas with special offers released each day until Christmas. You can hang it over a door, swing it around a tree or suspend anywhere, anytime with these versatile straps - awesome workout guaranteed. 



8. Classes & Training Packages @ The P.E. Club

The P.E. Club

We're a little biased, but this is the gift that keeps on giving.  It's an exciting time to join the club community, with Fitness Retreats, workshops, exclusive package offerings for clients, corporate wellness + more... Shop now!

Why You Should Focus on Changing Shape, Not Size

By Trainer Andrew Leidal















How Women Can Become Allies in Fitness

Women in Fitness, The P.E. Club New York City

I remember the first day I stepped into a gym with the intention of learning how to lift weights. I was home from college for the summer and charged with newfound inspiration to get into shape. At the time, I had no idea what this really meant because fitness, aside from the occasional jog on the treadmill, was completely foreign to me. I never thought that in a few years, I would become the exercise professional I am today. It’s amazing how far a little curiosity and willingness to learn can take you.

I was fortunate in that I knew many of the members at this gym I joined, so I felt very comfortable approaching them with questions about how to use various pieces of equipment, as well as asking for help with different exercises to target separate muscle groups. Luckily, I was able to quickly grasp and execute concepts such as form and strong movement patterns from my years as a dancer, so my transition into strength training was rather seamless. As my toolbox of exercises expanded, I grew increasingly confident in my ability to work out safely and efficiently on my own, and it felt incredibly liberating.

Women in Fitness, The P.E. Club

Throughout the first few months of my own assimilation into the weightlifting culture, one particular commonality existed among every single one of my trips to the gym: there were very few women present. This bothered me because, even though I enjoyed my independence at the gym, I was missing a sense of companionship and support. This is not to say I was being shunned by the male population, but I was excited by the idea of women supporting other women, especially in a potentially vulnerable environment. I wanted to foster relationships with people who were living similar experiences to my own, from battling the burden of societal pressures to look a certain way, to recognizing that women and girls have just as much of a place in fitness as their male counterparts, no matter the modality.

I began pondering reasons why so many of my female peers were absent, and if they were present, how could I feel more connected to them throughout my own fitness journey? What were some hindrances we could work to overcome? I realized there were many women out there who already found supportive communities in exercise settings, but for those who hadn’t, myself included, I wanted to understand how to create them. It wasn’t until I became a certified personal trainer that I actually sat down with other women to discuss their desires and concerns, and how it impacted their experiences in fitness.

These are some of the points that came up:

  • As stated before, many women feel overwhelmed and insecure due to society’s warped perception of beauty and how our bodies should look.
  • Some women feel pressure to compete with other women, and not necessarily in a healthy way. 
  • Others do not feel confident in their ability to use strength training equipment, which could account for the disparity between the number of men and women in the weight room.
  • Many women do not understand how our bodies respond to exercise, and fear that certain training methods will make them look too “bulky” or masculine.
  • They do not feel supported in the pursuit of their goals.

Again, these were only some of the topics mentioned, but probably the most prevalent. I believe these points further demonstrate the need for supportive fitness communities among women, whether these groups exist in physical spaces, or are simply there for mental and emotional encouragement.

Here are some ways in which women can become allies in the fitness industry and create a positive community if they are seeking one:

1. Let go of your ego.

One of the first steps to forming an uplifting exercise environment is leaving any feelings of superiority, entitlement, or judgment at the door. No two individuals are alike, therefore everyone will need something different out of their fitness journey. It is not anyone’s job to make others feel inadequate- we were all beginners at some point, and there is always more to learn.

2.) Discover what each other’s goals consist of.

It is important to understand what your peers are striving for if they so choose to share this information, why they want to achieve these goals, and if they have a plan in place. Perhaps the “why” is the most critical, because it offers an opportunity for women to be receptive to one another and acknowledge individual needs and desires.

3.) It’s my body, therefore I can choose how I want it to look and feel.

As previously mentioned, I have spoken to other women who fear that lifting weights will make them look masculine, and this could not be further from the truth. A woman has to follow a very specific diet and exercise regimen in order to significantly increase the size of her muscles, but guess what? Even if this is someone’s goal, she has every right to work towards that; all women should have ownership over their bodies. The same goes for someone who wishes to lose weight, gain weight, increase strength, decrease muscle mass, build a butt, develop better endurance, etc. If it makes you happy and keeps you healthy in both mind and body, do it!

4.) Ask questions.

The training world is constantly evolving and expanding, and even as a fitness professional, I find it is hard to keep up at times! If you are feeling lost in your workouts, unsure of how to do something, or want to explore a new training method, try reaching out to other women for advice. These women can be fitness professionals, friends that have more exercise experience, or simply someone you trust. It could open up a dialogue and introduce you to a new confidant.

5.) Work out together.

Want to take your dialogue a step further? Reach out to a fellow female friend, or even a group of women and plan a day and time to train together. You will have the opportunity to challenge and encourage each other, and most importantly, de-stress and have fun.

6.) Create healthy competition.

If society is going to try to compare us and decide what “kind” of woman is “better” or more “worthy,” perhaps it is our duty to crush these oppressive attitudes. Exercise and our overall health shouldn’t be about arranging women on some kind of totem pole, but recognizing we all exist on equal ground. If we are creating competitive settings, they should be ones in which we are pushing each other to be the best versions of ourselves, and realizing that that’s enough.

7.) Uplift each other.

...because this world can be fraught with negativity and hate, and we need more tolerance and kindness, love and respect.

5 Ways To Keep Your Mental Game As Strong As Your Physical

By Club Trainer Andrew Leidal

Every single one of us, at some point during our journey with fitness, have had to struggle through a rough patch.  Be it an injury, a lack of consistency, or even just a lack of desire to get to the gym, we have all been there.  Most people focus on the physical aspect of working out - with good reason - but tend to neglect the mental activity that goes on behind the scenes of a healthy fitness routine. 

What do you do when you wake up tired for the third morning in a row and have no desire to go to the gym? 

What happens when you break your foot and have to keep weight off of it for a few months? 

How do you find the motivation to exercise when you work twelve hours a day and have no energy leftover by the time the evening rolls around? 

I’m here to give you a few tips on how to enhance your physical capabilities solely through your mindset.  Ready?  Let’s dive in.

The P.E. Club

1.) Write down your goals.

Have you ever ACTUALLY written down your fitness goals?  Everyone wants to look better, to lose a little fat, to “tone up”.  But what do these things mean to you?  What do they mean specifically?  Does looking better mean dropping weight?  How much?  Does it mean toning?  Where?  And what does toning mean to you?  Does it mean leaning down, or does it mean having muscle definition?

 Create S.M.A.R.T. goals for yourself, which are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.  “Lose a lot of weight” is a good start, but it isn’t SMART.  “Lose 20 lb. by next June so that I can fit into my fun summer clothes again” is infinitely better.  It meets all of the criteria of a SMART goal.

Now, I’m not saying that writing down your goals will magically make you achieve them, but it is a really strong foundation with which you can start.  If you’ve never thought about them in such well-defined terms, this will help you to really reflect upon why you started - or want to start - working out in the first place!  Seriously - grab a piece of paper and pen, or open up your Notes application, and try to write down three SMART goals right now.  If you already have?  Awesome - let’s move onto #2.

2.) Remind yourself of these goals everyday.

And I mean everyday.  Even your rest days.  Take a look at where you’ve written them down until you’ve memorized them.  Repetition is the key to making anything sink in, and repeating your goals to yourself everyday will not only help them to become part of your mindset while working out, but it will also help you to stay in tune with yourself and your relationship to fitness - which will likely change frequently.  The more in-check you are with your goals, the easier it will be for you to tell when those goals have changed, so that you can adjust your program appropriately and without delay.

Be sure you never lose sight of why you want to do this.  This is a quick way to getting out of your routine and spend just another week thinking, “Meh, I’ll get to it next week.”

3.) Find reasons to do this for yourself, not others.

I debated putting this first, and it is arguably the most important on the list, but I wanted to give you something concrete to do to get you kickstarted.  This, though, I think is the best way to keep you motivated towards making progress.  Listen:

No matter what you do, no matter what pursuit you follow, you will never make everybody else happy.  I know that this is a hard thing to let go of for some people, so please take the time to actually think about this right now for yourself.  There are over seven billion people on this planet - do you genuinely believe that you could find something to do that would make all 7,000,000,000 of them happy?  I can’t even make all of my extended family happy, let alone the general public.  You need to be doing this for yourself, not them.

Exercise to feel better.  Exercise to give yourself more time on this planet to make the changes and accomplish the things that you want to.  Exercise to look in the mirror at the end of the day and think, “Damn… I actually look better than I did a week ago.”  There will always be those out there who will bring you down, and this is more and more true as you see more and more progress.  Watching YOU move forward is going to be very uncomfortable for people who remain stagnant, and it will force them to confront themselves.  The ones who matter?  They will be inspired by you and take some knowledge from what you are doing.  The ones who don’t?  They’ll try and tear you down, back to their level, where you might have been only a month ago.  

So don’t do this for them.  Do it for you.  Be healthier and happier to make YOU happy.  The ones who you want to stick around, will.

4.) Push yourself.

You want to always be moving forward.  Now, to what degree this forward progress occurs is going to vary a lot throughout your life (and this is true of anything), but you always want to do your best to keep your momentum moving ahead, not behind.  Always progress, never regress.  If you find yourself plateauing - which you inevitably will - change something!  Anything!  The internet is a wonderful tool, and you can learn almost anything with a bit of concentrated research.  You don’t need to have a degree in a specific field to learn new things within it, not anymore.

Current routine too easy?  Google intermediate level workouts.  Watch Youtube videos of how to perform exercises with proper technique.  Be smart in your research and never pull from one source - always seek help from multiple sources so that you can make your best educated decision.  Try bringing a friend to your next workout.  Teaching is an excellent way to force you to learn what you think you already know.  If you can’t explain it to a 5 year old, you probably don’t know ‘it’ very intimately.

There is always work to be done, so never think that you’ve reached your peak.  You can always be better, happier, healthier, stronger, more flexible, more motivating, etc.  Don’t accept your plateau - push past it.

5.) Be kind to yourself.

Above all else, this is what I want to leave you with: be kind to yourself.  This stuff is not easy.  If it was, almost everyone would have their ideal body.  Exercising is hard.  It hurts.  It’s probably going to bring up some emotions that you didn’t know existed in you.  If numbers 1-4 fail, you can always rely on this one.

We’re human.  We’re not perfect.  You’re not going to remind yourself of your goals everyday.  You’re going to wonder if other people are happy with your results.  You’re going to stagnate.  Sorry, that’s just how it goes.  When any of these happen, please don’t beat yourself up about it.  That is the quickest to halt your progress.  And if you do?  Don’t beat yourself up about that, either, because we will always be our own worst critics.

Do your best to catch your negative thought patterns as they happen (easier said than done) and surround yourself with people who support and encourage your fitness habits.  Don’t be afraid to call upon someone for mental support!  We’ve all been there at one point, and I guarantee that the ones who you want in your life will never speak to you about yourself that way that you speak to you about yourself.  It’s easy to get down on ourselves for not being perfect, but we don’t genuinely expect that of anyone else, so we shouldn’t expect it of us.  We’re human, we make mistakes.  I’m right there with you, friend.

Focus on the work that you’ve already done, no matter how much or how little that is.  Go back to your goals.  Find reasons to do this for yourself and not others.  Get a good night’s rest, wake up, and shake it off.  You are perfectly imperfect, and so is your journey with fitness.

5 Creative Ways to Stay Hydrated This Summer!

Put down that Water bottle!  Here are 5 Creative Tricks to stay hydrated:

5 Creative Ways to Stay Hydrated This Summer - The P.E. Club

1) Blended Watermelon


Trick! Toss some in your blender (with seeds but without rind) to enjoy a decadent glass of pink, sweet plant-based hydration. (via

2) Freeze Bananas



3) Coconut Water Ice Cubes



4) Rosé & Sangria Flavored Ice Teas

A chilled glass of wine on a Summer day sounds refreshing, but it actually dehydrates you. The Republic of Tea has herbal ice teas that actually taste like your favorite Sangria and Rosé!

Trick! Just add some fresh cut up strawberries, peaches and blueberries to create a delicious, low-calorie, thirst quenching drink! 

5) Infuse Your Water

Don’t be afraid to spice up your water…grab a large pitcher, fill it with water + your favorite frozen fruit, and let it infuse in the fridge for about an hour.

Trick! Be Creative! Try these flavor combinations:

  • Lemon &amp; lime
  • Mint &amp; Cucumber
  • Strawberries &amp; Basil
  • Blueberries &amp; Cherry
  • Orange
  • Grapefruit
  • Pinneapple

The most important thing to remember is that staying hydrated leads to weight loss, improves your skin’s appearance, aids in digestion, increases energy, and even curbs your appetite. Happy hydrating!

What's Interval Training? 3 Ways To HIIT It & Quit It

HIIT…what is it?

By Owner, Trainer & Instructor Nedra Lopez-Matosov

You hear this word thrown around everywhere; it is the hottest new trend in exercising for fat loss. Or is it? Actually, High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT has been apart of the fitness world for more than 40 years. Simply put, it is a method of training where you perform repeated bouts of high intensity effort, followed by varied recovery times.

In the past, HIIT was used primarily in training Athletes, and became mainstream because of it’s time efficiency and many health benefits. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, HIIT training has been shown to:

  • Improve aerobic and anaerobic fitness
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Improve cardiovascular health
  • Reduce insulin sensitivity
  • Improve cholesterol profiles
  • Decrease abdominal fat and bodyweight while still maintaining muscle mass

Though HIIT is great for so many reasons, it does require a large amount of energy output in a short period of time, so a good amount of rest is needed for your body to fully recover. Nowadays many people assume the harder the workout, the better, and spend all week abusing their bodies in hopes of seeing a change. It’s actually when you vary workouts in strength, flexibility, recovery and HIIT when your body will change the fastest. Remember HIIT means high intensity and not high impact, so you can still get a great workout in without doing damage to your joints. I’m not saying that jumping is bad for you, but you have to be conditioned to do so. If you aren’t sure, than you probably aren’t!

What is HIIT? The P.E. Club

Here are some of my favorite HIIT Cardio, Strength and Tabata workouts:


METHOD: You can use any form of traditional cardio equipment (treadmill, elliptical, bike, rowing machine, etc.). Your “sprint” part of the interval should be performed at your max output, so push yourself! Your “walk” is designed to help bring your heart rate down, but not completely back to rest, so make sure you keep moving.

TOTAL TIME: 15min.

  1. 3min. warm up @ Steady pace (walk)
  2. 1min. Sprint
  3. 30sec. Walk
  4. 1min. Sprint
  5. 30sec. Walk
  6. 1min. Sprint (Start with 6 Sprints the first week and go up each week)
  7. 30sec. Walk
  8. 1min. Sprint
  9. 30sec. Walk
  10. 1min. Sprint
  11. 30sec. Walk
  12. 1min. Sprint
  13. 3min. cool Down @ Steady Pace (walk)

HIIT TYPE: Strength

METHOD: You can spice up any strength training routine by adding in some quick cardio intervals to keep your heart rate up. Keep it simple, think burpees, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, etc. As far as your weights, make sure to choose a challenging weight and take a 60 sec. break between each round. (DB=dumbbell).  Make sure to stretch well after!!

  1. Warm Up: 
    1. 1 min. Plank
    2. 15 Push-ups
    3. 20 Bridges
    4. 30 sec. Mountain Climbers
  2. 3 Rounds
    1. 12 Squats w/ DB Press
    2. 12 DB Bent Over Row
    3. 30sec. Mountain Climbers
  3. 3 Rounds
    1. 12 DB Chest Press
    2. 12 Reverse Lunge w/DB Bicep Curl
    3. 15 Burpees w/push up

HIIT Type: Tabata 

METHOD: Tabata training is a method of HIIT where you perform 4 different exercises of your choice at maximum output for 20sec with 10sec. rest in between each. First Warm up for 5min. before you begin, then perform 8 cycles of the 4 exercises for a Total Time of 21 minutes, and make sure to stretch well after! Here is an example…

  1. Warm Up
    1. 5 min. jog
  2. Tabata: 8 cycles
    1. 20 sec. Push-ups
    2. 10 sec. Rest
    3. 20 sec. Alternating Reverse Lunge
    4. 10 sec. Rest
    5. 20 sec. Mountain Climbers
    6. 10 sec. Rest
    7. 20 sec. Reverse Crunch
    8. 10 Sec. Rest

Whether you are new to HIIT, or have been doing it for years, make sure to incorporate it into your fitness routine as a compliment to it, not your main focus. It’s important to keep your workouts constantly varying in intensity and duration. Most of all listen to your body… if you’re tired…sleep, if you’re hungry…eat clean, and if it’s your day to push yourself…HIIT.

New to HIIT? Experience a full round of Tabata with us in TRX Bootcamp!