When it comes to looking good and feeling your best, some health professionals insist that there is “no magic bullet.” I beg to differ. The secret is Phyllis London,  a Master Trainer, Fitness Specialist, and Group Exercise Instructor at Healthworks Fitness for Women in Brookline. I’ve been working out with Phyllis for about 4 or 5 years now. Through her work outs, I’ve learned how to maximize the effectiveness of exercise by using the correct form, by pushing myself hard, and by listening to my body. During her classes, Phyllis pays close attention to her clients, adjusting even the slightest, least visible form fault in the room.  She emphasizes ALL of the components of physical fitness – cardiovascular, muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory – for better health and better results. She’s a firm believer that the best exercise routine includes whole body work outs with strength training and cardio intervals paired with weekly Pilates and FUN. And I must say, I wholeheartedly agree! This week, I’m going to work out with her every day Monday-Friday in order to give you a glimpse at how incredible her routines really are!

Phyllis London

Phyllis London

Day 1 of the 5 Days of Fat Burning w/Phyllis included a 10:30 a.m. Advanced Body Shop Class:

Phyllis created and is the only instructor to teach this class – an advanced level strength training class which incorporates several props such as core boards, resistance bands, and stability balls. The class always starts out with a killer core workout targeting the abs, obliques, and backside.

Phyllis starts Body Shop w/some killer ab exercises...you can probably see I'm already sweating 5 minutes into the workout.

Phyllis starts Body Shop w/some intense core exercises...you can probably see I'm already sweating less than 5 minutes into the workout.

Phyllis doing oblique work on the bosu

Phyllis doing oblique work on the bosu

Her famous back, glutes, and thighs leg circles…I will definitely be sore tomorrow because of this one

This whole body workout seriously kicks my butt every week and leaves me feeling energized and strong and ready for the day. In the words of the master herself, “Bringing your body to body shop is like bringing your car to an auto shop.” During this class, you’re tuning and toning up your parts via slow and controlled reps using 5 and 8 lbs weights and creative workout routines coupled with hardcore, yet short, cardio intervals. During the cardio intervals, Phyllis encourages her class to try something different. Today, I did plyometrics. Last week, I sprinted on the treadmill. Next week, I’ll jump rope.

See Jess's form with these bicep curls. Her arms are held out, so there is absolutely no rest happening here. Jess works out with Phyllis every day during the week and has impeccable form!

See Jess's form with these bicep curls. Her arms are held out, so there is absolutely no rest happening here. Jess works out with Phyllis every day during the week and has impeccable form!

Phyllis had us use a body bar on top of the bosu for our 2 sets of sweat drenched 15 push ups

Phyllis had us use a body bar on top of the bosu for our 2 sets of sweat drenched 15 push ups


Dead lift, bicep curl, shoulder press: One of her classic full body moves

Dead lift, bicep curl, shoulder press: One of her classic full body moves

Phyllis doing kick backs while targeting the inner thighs by squeezing the bosu.

Phyllis doing kick backs while targeting the inner thighs by squeezing the bosu.

According to Phyllis’ philosophy, it’s certainly important to do a lot of reps, but you won’t see any results unless your reps are slow, controlled, and effective. She’s taught me how to “hold where the work is” instead of flying through my reps, and I swear, once I started to employ this philosophy, I saw muscle tone that was once not there suddenly appear. Gotta love that!

After Body Shop, I usually have a snack containing some protein and carbohydrates in order to repair my muscles. After a tough workout, it’s usually best to start recovery within 30 minutes of the work out, so I usually stop by the Healthworks cafe after the class. Research shows that replenishing after a hard workout with carbohydrates and protein (usually a 4:1 ratio for professional athletes) can store up to 40 percent more glycogen in the muscle than those who don’t recover or wait too long to eat after activity. Glycogen, the storage form of glucose (blood sugar), is what fuels the muscles. My recovery snack: a cup of fresh pineapple and a low fat snack pack of cottage cheese.

Recovery Snack: Approximately 170 calories, 28 grams carbohydrate, 12 grams protein

Recovery Snack: Approximately 170 calories, 28 grams carbohydrate, 12 grams protein. Not a 4:1 ratio, but good enough for my workout.

Exercise and nutrition really do go hand in hand. A healthy blend and balance of the two is key to developing a healthy lifestyle. The reason why I am spending a week writing about this is because I also believe that the type and functionality of the exercise is parallel to the benefit you receive from it, and this is something Phyllis enforces on a daily basis.  She’s taught me that it’s important to be functional with how I exercise! I’m excited for tomorrow’s class: Core and Jump Rope. I’ve actually never done this class, because it was created while I was in NYC. So I’m trying to prepare myself, because I hear this class is TOUGH. We’ll see what happens tomorrow!