Booty Blast Class at Lomax Cocoon, City

Booty Blast Class at Lomax Cocoon

Is it just me, or is the female fitness industry having a bit of 'booty' craze at the moment? There was a time when 'leg day' was just for 'bro's'.... a few years back when I'd have to tentatively walk into the weights room to be given un-expecting looks by the males dominating the squat rack. It was only when I'd load on the weights and rack up the bar did they realise I meant business - but, let's face it, the female existence in that room was few and far between, meaning it was still a pretty daunting experience!

Now though, the tables have turned... as my instagram feed fills on a daily basis with all sorts of 'glute' burn routines, we're almost outnumbering the males. In all honesty, I still don't know why it's become such a focus all of a sudden... Beyonce and her booty have been around for years, right?!

I guess for me, my increased focus on lower body work comes from recent injuries, which have educated me on the role of the glutes in keeping the entire body strong and well aligned, particularly when running and doing high intensity workouts. Thing is, the glutes are one of the largest yet laziest muscle groups of the whole body, therefore it's one the most important areas to dedicate specific training towards. With this in mind, I try to complete atleast one weekly glute routine with the aim to prevent injury, improve performance and, ok, I admit, I want a Beyonce booty too!  

So, when I heard that one of my favourite gyms Lomax were opening a new studio in London City, and their signature 'Booty Blast' class was launching on the timetable, it was time to get my ass down there (literally!) to see what it was all about....

Lomax Cocoon

Following the same concept as their flagship Chelsea studio, Lomax cocoon is based on time efficient, results driven workouts with expert PT's who deliver a combination of 1-1 training sessions and small group classes.

Beginning the class with a gentle warm up, we wasted no time in getting straight into the lifts. With the studio comprising of eight fitness pods, each fully equipped with squat racks, weights, kettle bells, resistance bands, benches and TRX's, we definitely had enough to play with, and our instructor Maria (also the Lomax Booty Blast founder) made full use of every piece of equipment available... and I mean every!

The Pod

Getting us into pairs, Maria explained todays workout would be based on supersets - a technique where you perform two exercises in a row with next to no rest in between. The theory behind supersets is firstly that they save time by reducing the rest period in between sets, therefore increase the overall intensity of your workout, maximising the load and overloading the muscle. 

So, as one partner was deadlifting in the pod, the other one was busy with resistance band walks up and down the studio (killer for the glutes!), switching after a minute on each for a total of four sets. Followed up with two more rounds/four more exercises (remember, supersets!) of glue bridges, barbell squats, leg curls and kettle bell lunges, just as our legs were dying and about to fall off, Maria gave us our final round to complete the burn. 4 minutes of resistance band pulse squats - "you don't finish until the music ends!" J.Lo- you have a LOT to answer for... OUCH!  

The Studio

What I love about Lomax is their focus on form, correct execution, and overall strength. With the Booty Class having only six people, and their small group training sessions limited to a max of four, they perfectly bridge the gap between a fun class environment with the expert attention that comes in a PT session. 

For example, as Maria was so precise at correcting my form and ensuring I wasn't compromising on technique, it allowed me to go as heavy as I could on the weights - something you don't get to do in the majority of jam packed classes, designed mostly to pound your body and burn max calories. Don't get me wrong, I do love the high intensity energetic classes, but I'm beginning to realise the impact overdoing them can have on your body (basically, injury). Thus, in order to make them sustainable, it's slow, precise and heavy training like this that are even more important for building that strong foundation. 

Ammenties on point

Finally, despite being located in the shared workspace area owned by Cocooon Networks (the global technology innovator in co-working spaces), you can still expect all the same little luxuries you'd find at their Chelsea studio, including this cute little bag of Ren toiletries to use in the showers (plenty of them too!). The only thing missing is  Cocoon's very own The Grill Market for those post workouts protein pancakes...... please Lomax, after all those squats, I need my fix!

That time we worked out in Chelsea and refuelled with THE best brunch!

The Booty Blast Class is available at both Lomax Cocoon and Lomax Chelsea, priced at £20 for a 45 minute session. However, for a limited time only, Lomax are offering you your first class absolutely free - visit their website here to find out more information and book in. Look forward to hearing how you got on!