We here at EatFitFuel love trying new things, in the kitchen and in the gym, and recently we were lucky enough to be invited to Brick Fitness in West Hollywood, California to try their revolutionary new class called B|X. B|X is a “high energy 60-minute class that blends a fast-paced cardio workout with high interval weight training”. But honestly, it is much more than that. We met with Brick manager Zara Abrams to talk about the story behind B|X and why it is such a success.
Zara describes B|X as a true “all-level” class, suitable for beginners right up to the most seasoned fitness veterans. It combines tenants from CrossFit, weightlifting, circuit training, and cardiovascular exercise in a way that allows each individual to work to their personal limit, not forcing heavier weights or higher reps on people. B|X is time based, as opposed to rep based, meaning that you do as many repetitions as you feel comfortable with for each time slot. If that means 5 reps, great, if it means 50, also great. The beauty of this class if that it is there for you to push yourself on an entirely personal level.
Zara also describes B|X as a great community. Unlike a lot of fitness bootcamps and classes, B|X is about support rather than competition. With an even blend of men and women, as well as all different skill levels, the class encourages you to go at a pace you feel comfortable with, without judgement or pressure. When I got a chance to do the class after my talk with Zara, I certainly felt that. During the short breaks between circuits, my classmates and I were high-fiving and joking about how much we were sweating. During the exercises themselves, we were all grunting, panting, and shouting “COME ON” to not only push ourselves, but support each other.
B|X is also a great addition to a huge range of other exercise regimes. It can be coupled with CrossFit, weightlifting, or even football or cycling. The B|X coaches are extremely keen to make sure you are working towards your own fitness goals and making sure B|X reflects those individual goals for you. Also, it is more of an occasional blast to your system, rather than a daily class. Brick recommends it as weekly program rather than a daily because of its high intensity and sheer work it puts your body through (in a good way). The B|X coaches are extremely keen to make sure you are working towards your own fitness goals and making sure B|X reflects those individual goals for you.
My experience with it was pretty amazing. As an avid fitness enthusiast, I am in the gym 5-6 days a week and do a solid amount of interval training as well for cardio. I thought this would simply be another bootcamp that I could breeze through but my lord was I wrong. Because of the personal-based nature of B|X, it pushes you to your limits. Instead of using the same weight as the 5’2″ woman next to me, I was using a more appropriate weight for my own body. Each move was making my muscles scream at me and had me breathing like I had just sprinted for a couple miles. Now all this sounds overbearing but when the hour was up, I felt on top of the world! Sure my muscles were exhausted and my clothes drenched with sweat, but I felt as though I had just done three days worth of workouts in one session. The intensity, the variety of moves, and the motivation from the coach and fellow classmates made it one of the best workouts I have had in a long time.
At the moment, B|X is exclusive to Brick Fitness which resides in LA and NYC. That being said, it is available to anyone using ClassPass or it can be arranged to try it out to see if it’s right for you. If you want a serious workout, great atmosphere, and a real sense of fitness accomplishment, I suggest you give B|X a try next time you are in LA or NYC.