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Like I said after my Core In, Ass Up, Game Over workout yesterday, I love, love, love mash-ups and remixes. There are so many cool ones floating around the internet, and I’m always excited to find new ones!

And this week I got one! I was so excited when someone Tweeted Mochi Beats at me. I downloaded the entire album from the site for free and it’s amazing. (There’s also a new song on there now, a Britney/Usher mash-up, but go for the full album for sure!)

After one listen, I immediately Tweeted it to all my friends who love mash-ups as much as I do and said, “This might be better than Girl Talk.”

Now those are some big words, but it’s true, and everyone pretty much agreed after a listen to the full album. Girl Talk is awesome and so fun and dirty but Mochi Beats is really…sexy. It’s usually only two songs on each track and I don’t know what it is about it, but it’s just a little….sexier! It tops all the other mash-ups I’ve been digging over the past year, including Hood Internet and DJ Earworm. (Although those are both awesome!!) I used a bunch of the Mochi Beats songs on Face Down, Ass Up because they are short and it’s nearly impossible to find a quick, two-minute recovery song for a spinning playlist.

I’ve seriously been jamming to just this playlist for the past several days and really cannot get enough of it. I think you guys will love it as much as I do so check it out and have an awesome weekend!

Gooooood Friday morning!

Well, my breakfast is cooking and I’m already thinking about dinner. And despite being a little sleepy, I’m crunching some numbers.

Yesterday I shared some of my favorite dinner recipes, but the thing is…I don’t cook with actual recipes that often! When I am hungry and want to make a “purple” meal, I usually just follow a basic formula. (Very basic, as I’m not a math girl.)

Protein + veggies and fat + small starch and fat.

Now that’s not mind-blowing, but I’ve found that sometimes people may not realize my formula because I mix my variables up so much. So the actual formula is more like….

(Protein A)(Cooking Technique B) + (Veggie C)(Cooking Technique D) + (Fat N) + (Starch Y)(Cooking Technique M) + (Fat Z)

Or sometimes I use the same fat throughout the meal and then it’s just (Fat N) squared!

This is the same way I make lunches. The breakfast formula isn’t very different either…it just usually adds some fruit in the mix, and then cooking technique is “Magic Bullet the hell out of it.”

So then the biggest thing to eating simple healthy meals but not getting bored is checking your variables!

• Protein variables: type of meat, cut of meat, ground meat, white meat vs. dark meat, non-meat (eggs, dairy)
• Veggie variables: cold sliced veggies, warm veggies, in-a-salad veggies
• Fat variables: solid (nuts, cheese) vs. liquid (melted butter, coconut milk), unsaturated vs. saturated, plant vs. animal
• Cooking techniques: grill, bake, saute, toast, roast, microwave, steam, broil, made into soup, blend, scoop out of the container and call it a day

I have a staple grocery list, but I change the variables so much within that list. I experiment with different cuts of meat; grilled chicken thighs taste very different than grilled chicken breasts. My cooked veggies change weekly, although I can eat green beans any time of day. Sometimes my starch might be bread, although I love red-skinned potatoes as of late. If I’m having yogurt, then maybe it’s granola or fruit. And when it comes to fat, I mix it up with to suit the overall taste of the meal.

And then there’s the X Factor. X is for “experimentation.” No matter what you’re eating and whether you’re grilling or baking, it’s so important to experiment with spices, sauces, and different cooking techniques. Having BBQ sauce and tomato sauce in your pantry can be the difference between a blah dinner and a banging one. Adding a cool new spice to your cart each week can help you build up a collection of X factor saviors. Making herb butter each Sunday with a different herb is a great way to turn your baked potato into something restaurant-worthy. That’s the X factor…making every meal look elaborate and taste delicious without doing a lot of complicated cooking.

And know that when in doubt, add a little pesto, cheese, or bacon. These things ALWAYS saves the day. Some might call this cheating; I think of it as “using a calculator.” You’re pretty sure you’re going to get things right when you’ve got that handy.

Good afternoon, all! Can I just have a moment to bitch that it’s the middle of May and I’ve had to use my “happy lamp” all week to deal with how dark and rainy it is? Not cool. Not cool at all.

So for my workout today, I could have done my optional third day of Core Fusion Sport via YogaVibes…but after creating Face Down, Ass Up, I was really in the mood to spin! I wanted a full-body, ass kicking strength workout with cardio bursts, but I also wanted to groove to my new playlist. Most important, since I needed to wash my hair today anyway, I wanted to get really sweaty.

What to do, what to do?

Well, since there are few things I love more than remixes and mash-ups, I decided to create a little one of my own.

(I totally like to pretend I’m Sam Ronson, although I’d never go for LiLo.)

Spin Burst #1:

Airplanes (B.o.B.) Nice warm up with a little hill; I adore spinning to this song!

Time Boom (Mochi Beats) Nice flat road.

Strength Boost #1: Lean & Toned arms segment (push-ups and planks, plus weights…damnit!)

Spin Burst #2:

Heart Beat Rock (Kylie Minogue) Hill; seated on verses and third position on the chorus.

Lollipop Ghost (Mochi Beats) Seated fast ride.

Strength Boost #2: Lean & Toned thighs segment. Ow.

Spin Burst #3:

Absolutely Tik Tok (Mochi Beats) Fast jumps until I just couldn’t anymore.

Make Her Say (Kid Cudi, Kanye, Common) Heavy resistance, moving through each position every four counts…this was when it started to hurt.

Strength Boost #3: Thighs & Glutes kneeling glutes segment. I whimpered. I always whimper on these little teeny Core Fusion ass moves.

Spin Burst #4:

Bizarre Maneater (Mochi Beats) Seated fast ride.

Church (T-Pain) End with a bang, right? I did a seated sprint but added 15 second sprints in third position. Dayyyyum.

Strength Boost #4: Pilates Plus abs segment. I was shaking at this point, but I’m glad I chose this one, as it’s easier than some of the other abs segments.

Game over!

I think I’m going to start referring to certain workouts as “Uncle Jesse workouts.”

Because sometimes, “Have mercy!” is all you can say at the end of a workout like that.

It definitely kept my heart rate up as much as Core Fusion Sport (I wore my HR monitor because I wanted to compare). Each of the spin bursts was only five minutes, but that’s all it takes!

I also have to say, this was my second time doing Lean & Toned and I liked it a lot more this time! I think it’ll grow on me; it’s always good to give any DVD or class a few tries before you write it off completely. Because…maybe it’s just you on that certain day!

Anyway, if you liked the idea of this workout and you’re a home gym girl, you could really do it with any DVD that’s in segments and any type of cardio activity. I used a couple different DVDs because I’m picky; you could easily just use the same one throughout. (Also, most of the songs I used are in Face Down, Ass Up so if you already downloaded it you could try pausing the track to do some strength training throughout!)

No matter how you do it, going between strength and cardio is great if you get bored easily. It’s also good if you’re a strictly cardio or strictly strength girl and need to cross over; it goes by so fast, you’ll forget that you did the stuff you don’t like.

And most important, my hair got sweaty enough to really make it worth the shower.

But ultimately, the shower was not worth it. Since I got my hair did on Saturday, it looks really great. But because of the rain, it doesn’t freaking matter. Not cool…not cool at all. The one day this week I’m actually trying to look cute…

Anyway, now that I’ve sufficiently worked it and cleaned up, it’s time for the treat of the week: my playdate with future roomie Leah! There will be Happy Hour. There will be blogging. And if it’s in that order, there will probably be some fun new things comin’ atcha.

Have a great Thursday!

After my post on the stages of dieting and nutrition, I got comments and e-mails asking for ideas for healthy “purple” meals. And after telling Lean Cuisines to stuff it yesterday, I figured it was as good a time as any to share simple and quick weeknight dinners that don’t involve a lot of processed stuff.

One of the reasons I don’t post a ton of food pictures of my own meals is because I so often eat the same things…really, just a lot of variations on these recipes! And I figure seeing an endless parade of that could get a little old for you guys. But if you’re wondering what’s in frequent rotation in my kitchen…here’s a peek!

My signature Shedding It “Bowl.”

I used to do this a lot last summer as a way to use leftovers. Basically I took whatever protein I had and sliced it up and sauteed it with whatever veggies I had, along with some garlic and other spices. Then I’d add just throw it in a bowl with rice or couscous and some type of beans to make it complete.

When making a bowl, choosing a taste “theme” works well (like Mexican, Mediterranean, etc). My favorite combo is probably chicken + zucchini + onions + red pepper + garlic + Indian spices + couscous + chickpeas, but I also love doing it with Mexican food.

Frozen shrimp is something I almost always have in the freezer and it’s perfect for a bowl because it thaws so fast — pretty much in the time it takes to cut the veggies. It also tastes good with pretty much any flavor “theme.” This mango shrimp recipe is a good example of how I used frozen shrimp and a bunch of stuff I had around to make a bowl one night when I didn’t know what to eat.

Pasta with ricotta, dried cherries, and nuts.

If you like pasta because it’s quick and easy, you can make it more nutritious by really pimping it out with delicious and healthy add-ins. Think any good cheese + any dried fruit + nuts. I’ve also added leftover grilled chicken and roasted squash. You definitely don’t have to follow a recipe on this one; the idea is to use what you have.

Pesto turkey burgers.

This is one of my favorite recipes ever! Mmm…delicious. It’s also great with chicken instead of turkey.

Pumpkin oatmeal.

Really, any kind of pimped-out oats are my lazy, go-to recipe. It’s my version of eating cereal for dinner. (I did it last night because I need to get to the grocery store today!)  I’ve cut back on this because I was pimping a little too hard and all that sugar was catching up to me. Now it’s more of a once-a-week treat that I still feel good about.

Pesto eggs.

Another huge WIN; a great breakfast but a hell of a dinner too! I have eggs for lunch several times a week, and pesto makes everything better.

Apple and fennel quesadilla.

I think of this as a grown up way to have a PB & J for dinner. It’s about as simple, but just better. It feels like a real meal. And really, it works with any fruit/cheese combo, which is great. Brie and pear?! HELLO.

“The Feast.”

This is a favorite of mine because it’s like a smorgasboard! My poached egg protein plate is a similar variation. When you’re making dinner and have a weird combination of things on hand, it’s OK! A dinner doesn’t always have to look like a typical dinner.

Those are some of my favorite go-tos! And later today I’ll share some even more low-maintenance ways to eat more in the purple zone and less in the pink!

Anyone else have good meal suggestions to help avoid the lure of fast food, frozen dinners, and Lucky Charms?

So, after I posed the question, “Spins for everyone?” on Monday night, asking if you guys would be interested in a virtual spin class, I got an enthusiastic enough response to know that it was time to share my love for spinning, tunes, and technology with you guys.

And when I posed the question, “What should I call it?” my blog friend Bess hit a home run with “Face Down, Ass Up.” I mean, that’s my favorite position on a bike and possibly just in life, so I thought it was perfect.

I’ve been hard at work on this over the past couple days because I was just SO excited about it. And while there were some soul-crushing tech moments (OMFG, PayPal…OMFG…) I’m psyched to have the first two virtual classes ready! Everyone had a lot of great suggestions of things you’d like to see with this whole idea of virtual workouts and they are all things I hope to get completed over the next couple weeks!

But today, we’re going to start things off with the spins!

Face Down, Ass Up Full Ride. Most gyms’ group cycling classes are 45 minutes, including the ones I teach, so that’s what you get with this baby! It’s just like my class but with dirtier, NSFW music. There’s a warm-up, fast jumps, big and small hills, sprints, and a cool-down. Some highlights: Little Boots, bad ass Michael Jackson, and going to church with T-Pain.

Face Down, Ass Up 30 Minute Ride. This is a shorter version of a typical class, but I really love 30 minute rides! That’s usually what I do when I go at it alone. It’s shorter but I still created a complete workout and included all of the elements you’d have in a longer class — just a little less of them! Some highlights: the new Eminem song (amazing!) and B.o.B. “Airplanes.”

Click here to listen to a sample of Face Down, Ass Up!

So basically, I give you the music and the cues as one long mp4 file which you load onto your ipod and take to the gym!

Excited but feeling left out because you’re bikeless? If you don’t have access to a spin bike, both of these workouts will work on other cardio machines. I’ve written up a pretty lengthy explanation on How to Get Face Down Ass Up Without a Bike, so read that over and if you think you can handle it (and I think most of you can!) then definitely get crack-a-lackin’ and come join the fun!

Mmmkkkayyy, now while I hope that you’re all psyched to try it whether you’re a biker or just a gym-goer, we have to get serious for a second.

1. The first rule of Face Down, Ass Up is you do not talk about Face Down, Ass Up. JUST KIDDING. Uhh…please talk about it if you try it and like it! Tweet it, blog it, Facebook it, or just e-mail the link to this page to people who you think would be interested! I’m not going to make more until I’m sure that everyone wants more, so pretend it’s 1:00 am and you’re drunk and let a girl know you want it.

2. The actual first rule of Face Down, Ass Up is that you MUST watch the Losing Your Virspinity video before doing it. Even if you’ve been spinning forever, I want you to refresh yourself! You need to know where I’m coming from as your virtual instructor. That means remembering which position is which, where your hands should be, why it feels so sexual, etc.

3. If you’ve never taken a spin class, I don’t want you doing this on a bike — you could get hurt. I love taking virspinity, so I’ll work on one for beginners, but I’d still prefer that you attend at least one class with a real, live instructor first, just so you get a feel for it and learn how to set up your bike. (I know, I’m totally rejecting your virspinity like Edward rejects Bella’s advances in “Twilight” and it’s not easy for me, but it is the right thing to do.)

4. Don’t be ridiculous. (Best rule of everything in life, right??) When you download, you’re accepting liability so don’t do it if you have bad knees and then try to sue me in a month. The only think I’ll take responsibility for is your rockin’ ass.

Last but not least, the price on this is a donation and that’s because I feel like it will mean something different to everyone. So I guess I’d rather you just decide what it’s worth to you based on how much you think you’ll use it and how you decide what’s a good value for things like this! For some people, it might be like a DVD you do twice a week; for other people it might be like a class you’d take once or twice a month. So I’d rather you just decide what works for you and your fitness budget!

And now, to the business of getting you red-faced, sweaty, and wet…

Face Down, Ass Up Full Ride

Face Down, Ass Up 30 Minute Ride

I hope you guys like this and find that it’s a good way to change up your workout routine or get reacquainted with your bikes and I’m excited to hear how it goes for you! HOLLER.

[Disclaimer: It's impossible to get through this recipe without getting "Give Me That Fillet O Fish" stuck in your head. My apologies.]

I’ve been all about my grill lately, but I’m always looking for ways to mix it up. The June issue of Food & Wine magazine brought it — tons and tons of great grill ideas. This recipe caught my eye. You grill the fish and then press it into toasted Panko.

Panko are Japanese breadcrumbs that I see in recipes all the time. I finally sucked it up and bought them and it was definitely a “Where you have been all my life?!” moment. They are crispier than regular breadcrumbs, which give a fried effect.

The result is the perfect summer dinner — one that’s very healthy to boot!

Ingredients (Serves Two)

Two tilapia fillets, about four ounces each

1/2 cup Panko

1/2 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning (reduced sodium!)

1/2 tbsp butter melted

Salt and pepper to taste

Whole wheat buns, lettuce, tomato, and mayo

This is How We Do It

Melt half a tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat and add the breadcrumbs. Cook for about five minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Then stir in the Old Bay.

Transfer the crumbs to a plate. (You can make these the night before; just store at room temperature in an airtight container.)

Meanwhile, season the fish with salt and pepper and fire up the grill. Grill for about 8 minutes, turning once.

While the fish is grilling, toast the buns and top with mayo, lettuce, and tomato. When the fish is done brush each fillet on both sides with the remaining half-tablespoon of melted butter and then press the fish into the toasted breadcrumbs, getting it nice and coated. Fish flakes when it’s cooked, so it might fall apart a bit, but just scoop up the breadcrumbs and coat it as best you can!

Put your sandwich together, crack open a beer and toast to a perfect summer dinner!

This sandwich was pretty much everything I never knew I always wanted. The buttery breadcrumbs were simply delicious and such a good way to take plain white fish up a notch. (Actually I plan on Panko-ing the shit out of everything now that I know how great it is.) Grilling is so easy that taking the extra step with the breadcrumbs means that this is still a quick and delicious dinner. I think this one is going to be in pretty frequent rotation this summer!

A couple weeks ago, this book showed up at my house via a friendly PR company.

Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat. Hmmm…aaight! I’ll take a look!

Well I read the book and honestly, the “Green” in the title is a very clear tie to the “Green” zone that I’ve written about before. And it’s a zone that I know that a lot of us aren’t in it yet. It’s not that I don’t think this book has merit…but I’m just not there yet. I can’t quite think about the toxins in the paint on my walls right now. I know I should and that someday I will, but I’m just not there. It’s not that I don’t believe it; it’s just such a huge deep topic, and I’ll be honest…when I start reading about phalates, I just fall apart, even more so than I did in my college Econ classes (classes plural, cause I failed the first one). If you are into that stuff, and can read the names of chemicals without feeling like clawing your own eyes out with frustration/crying your eyes out for our poor planet…then you are awesome. And you will probably like this book!

And let us know how that colonic goes.

But if you are not, there are still some good tips in this book, such as a list of the dirty dozen veggies and fruits and reminders about toxins in seafood, meat, dairy, and such. But there was one thing about this book that I really wanted to share because I think it’s something we should all be aware of even if we aren’t “green” and it’s something I hadn’t really considered before.

When discussing common toxins, the issue of BPA and plastic comes up. Now, a lot of us gave up our Nalgenes when BPA got a bad rap a few years ago. But this book made me think on it some more. The author discusses a recent test on “microwave-safe” containers and writes,

“When the label on a plastic container says it’s microwave safe, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t contaminate food with plastic during microwaving — it means the plastic container won’t melt during the microwave session.”

Uhhh….shit. So what does it mean?

It means that even if the container doesn’t melt, apparently, during microwaving, the plastic molecules bounce all around like dodge balls in my gym class circa 1994. And just like a dodge ball was bound to hit you at some point, some plastics bounce into your food.

Now, plastics are one of those things that we don’t really know how bad they are. Hey, maybe eating plastic is fine. Maybe it doesn’t disrupt our hormonal systems or cause premature sexual development in young girls. I’m willing to bet the peops at Stouffer’s will argue that plastics are perfectly healthy and even beneficial. Plastic boosts fertility! Before you know it, plastic trays are going to have added fiber and calcium! Probiotics in your Lean Cuisine tray!!!

But to me, this is one place I’ll err on the side of caution and file this under one more really good reason to avoid processed foods.

It’s like, now aside from the sodium, now we have to think about plastic? No fucking thank you; I don’t need that frozen meal. Aside from all the chemicals they pack, even “healthy” processed foods often come in those flimsy-ass trays. And um who hasn’t overcooked one and seen the tray cave in a bit into her food?! Damnit. Mac and cheese and melted plastic. Great.

I don’t even care if plastic is making us fat…I just can’t imagine it’s not making us sick.

I’ve talked so many times about making your own frozen dinners and this is another great reminder of why you should. It’s so easy to do! And if you must store them in plastic, fine. But then just thaw them on a plate. (I’m trying to find better ways to store my food just to cut down on my plastic use overall…any suggestions for freezing??)

I don’t expect everyone to be all green all the time. I know most of us aren’t there yet. But we do know that frozen meals are neither cheaper nor healthier than real food, and now we know that they are pretty much jizzing plastic in our imitation fettuccine. And that’s an image I’d like you to keep in your mind as your microwave spins your dinner right round.

PS If you want someone to give it to you a little more harshly please read “Hey Stouffers! Fuck You In Your Fucking Toasted Asshole You Fucking Dicks!” I quote: “Food in a box is straight up bullshit, fuck that poison. Sandwiches are fucking delicious and easy as fuck to make. If you support this garbage then your idiot ass can fuck off too.”

You get the idea.

Goooood afternoon!

Well I’ve been hard at work this morning on the first of the spinning podcasts. It’s a little time-consuming but I’m sure I’ll streamline the process as I do it more. But today I wanted to talk a little bit about one aspect of spinning…my favorite instructor, Ken.

When I started spinning at Crunch in NYC I eventually came upon Ken’s class…and was hooked from day one. He is the best instructor I’ve ever had for anything ever. Really, his amazing personality is the reason why his classes are always, always full. (I mean, I woulda cut a bitch who went after my bike in one of his classes. On Thursday and Friday nights, I’d try to leave work relatively early and haul ass downtown so I could make it to his class. I’d check my Blackberry from my bike, hoping I wasn’t missing something important but loving his class too much to care!) He’s just one of the most memorable people I’ve ever met. He looks like a hardass (and he is…literally) but he’s got an awesome sense of humor. And underneath all his jokes, he’s kind and compassionate and you can tell how much he truly loves being there.

I love how he talks. He always reminded me a little bit of RuPaul out of drag…just that really beautiful, sexy, raspy but velvety voice. And he’s gorgeous — he was a model until a few years ago and he still has that body. (I did some Googling and found his Picasa album which is how I got these pictures.) His laugh is so great, but that body! Smooth skin, chiseled muscles, just…total perfection.

He was the first and only teacher I’ve ever had do to a rhythm-based spin class. He always said that it wasn’t meant to be like a real bike ride; it was more like an aerobics class which happened to use a stationary bike. Basing your class on the rhythm of the music is amazing…and unconventional, as no one else does it. Everyone else makes it feel like a “real” bike ride. I do my class like Ken does, but I can’t even come close to doing it like he does. He has amazing rhythm and attention to beats per minute. He sets the pace at the beginning of each song, chanting, “My hands, your feet” as he moves his hands to the beat of the song. And the entire class just gets it. Like…45 people all with their legs moving in perfect sync. It’s amazing. It was like a huge choreographed dance party…on a bike.

He also pays major attention to your alignment. (He actually taught a strength and alignment class at Crunch as well.) He talked us through our bodies during the warm-up and constantly reminded us to keep our shoulders dropped, our elbows soft, and our abs pulled in. It’s a message I hear in my mind all the time when I’m spinning and now when I’m teaching. He used to say, “Don’t let your body get desperate,” one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard. Your form is always more important than your intensity or speed.

His music was always so good…a great combo of pop, old stuff like Tina Turner, Latin, and some Gospel. (I loved when he took us to the black Baptist church at the end of our workouts.) He changed the playlist every three weeks, so just when we were getting used to it, he’d mix it up. The fourth week was a “best of,” with old favorites from past playlists. And you knew he spent so much time on each one. He knew the music and just sensed it; sometimes I miss cues when I’m teaching but he just knew when we were about to jump and led us so well so we all were on cue every time. It was so cool.

Learning to work out using the music truly changed how I do cardio. That’s why I post a new playlist every week…I love the way a great song totally sets the pace and really the mood of my workout. And it’s all from Kenny.

If he ever called you out for doing something well, it was like the best compliment in the world, especially if he said, “Look at my rhythm girl…watch her legs.” If you were setting the rhythm for the class…OMG. Best.

He’s unreal. His form is impeccable when he’s on his bike. He makes it look so easy. He used to get us in third position and then have us take all the bounce out of it — one of his signature moves that was so, so killer. I remember doing it to “SexyBack” and he’d just be grinning at us with his gorgeous white teeth saying, “Are you feeling anything? Your thighs should be sizzling right now! Sizzling like bacon!” and we’d all be crying out in pain but just laughing because he’s so charming.

His class is the number one thing I miss about New York. I didn’t get a chance to pop into Crunch on my visit last fall but I figured next time I was there for a visit I’d definitely make it a point. I’m dying to know what sort of awesome playlists he’s been churning out in the past year!

So yesterday I was working on a new playlist and desperately trying to find a song he used to do that I think is called “Mmm Papi.” The problem is that Britney Spears released a song called “Mmm Papi”  — worst song ever, BTW — and so I cannot find the song I’m looking for ANYWHERE. It’s a girl singing and it’s got kind of a Latin house-beat feel (if that makes sense). It’s a really great song and I’m dying to find it! Anyway, I’ve searched before, but I was hoping that by now maybe Ken would have put his playlists online or something so I Googled him and found out…he’s retiring!

This. Is. Heartbreaking.

Seriously…this man is so gifted. That’s the only word for him. In Linchpin, Seth Godin talks about artists and how art is so much more than just our traditional idea of it. Ken Moody is an artist. He just brings such passion to his work and gives his students so much more than they expect, more than is required. He doesn’t just show up; he brings himself to every single class. You can tell he loves to teach. There was love in every single class. I’m so bummed that I’ll never get the chance to spin with him again and that the other New Yorkers who love him won’t either. (I always thought of him as “my” instructor but I think he was pretty legendary.) I think he has about a month left. I searched the NYC Crunch schedules and didn’t see him on any classes, but I know he taught at Equinox too, so seriously, if you live in the city and have access to his class…take it! He’s incredible. I briefly considered flying to NYC to take his class one more time before he retires. I just want to like thank him for everything!

Not to get all “Chicken Soup for the Soul”…but I’m totally mourning his retirement right now.

But even if you’ll never take his class, I don’t know…sometimes it’s good to think about people who inspire you. I know that thinking about him yesterday afternoon made me really think about spinning and that’s part of the reason I am so excited to do this new project.

Ken had such a big influence on me and how I think about exercise, but the more I think about it, the more I realize, he was my spinning instructor, but he’s truly one of the greatest teachers I’ve ever had. The more I research him now, the more I realize that his role as a model was way more than just a model. In the 1980s, the kind of provocative things he was doing in terms of race and sexuality are just further evidence that he’s just…beyond. He’s a great example of the kind of artist I want to be.

So even if you don’t teach group exercise, I know you have a gift. Linchpin reminds us that we’re all artists. So today, maybe think about your Ken — that person who brings their gift to you and gives you something because they love to do it — and then think how you can bring art to your work or your classes or your sorority or even your friends every day. Ken didn’t just show up; he brought himself. And you don’t have to have the body of a god and the world’s most perfect ass to be able to do that. We can all bring that.

And uhhh…if anyone knows the name of the non-Britney “Mmm Papi” song, that would be much appreciated.