BODI | High Intensity Group Fitness

For a free week of workouts at BODI, click here and select the $35 1-week trial and use THEFOXYKAT as the promo code in order to get it for free. Let me know if you need a workout buddy – I’d love to join you!

Since August I’ve been sharing my health and fitness journey on TFK blog. If you’ve been following along, then I’m sure you’ve heard me talk about BODI. BODI is a gym unique to itself. There is nothing else like it! It is a high intensity group fitness gym located in Scottsdale, Arizona. If you’re not local, you’ll have to visit sunny AZ to try out a workout class. I’m sure you’ve heard of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts before, or maybe you go to a gym that structures their workouts that way. However, those gyms don’t have Nikki Metzger running them. Nikki is the mastermind and owner behind BODI. Last week I had the opportunity to spend the morning working out with Nikki as Matt Young of Matt Young Photography captured some of the classic BODI exercises that we do in both Sweat and Strength classes.

What makes BODI so unique is the variety of training that Nikki brings to her classes partnered with her true entrepreneur spirit, and her genuine concern for the well being of the community. I was amazed to find out that Nikki has been a dancer her entire life. Everything from ballet, modern, tap to hip hop and african style dance, she has done it all. She grew up in the midwest, born in Wisconsin and went to school for dance at Columbia in Chicago. Her love for movement and staying active quickly turned into a fitness career with running one of the top gyms in Chicago as the general manager, teaching every type of group fitness class, and training on a personal level with clients too. Nikki knew since the age of 12 that she was destined to own and run her own studio. In the early part of her adulthood, she figured out that it would be a fitness studio instead of a dance studio. She shared with me that the best part about owning her own studio and having the wide variety of fitness training allows her to pick the exercises that are best for what she’s trying to accomplish. For example, Nikki is a fan of Barre workouts and the results that you get from doing Barre-related exercises, so in some of her moves, like squats, she might add in pulsing to accompany the exercise for more impact. Also, she invests in new equipment to accomplish results and add in variety.

Nikki’s goal at BODI is to “bring out everyone’s inner athlete” throughout each workout, which I think is so cool! Especially coming from someone who was an athlete growing up, but has slowly lost sight of it the older I get. When I first walked in, I was definitely intimidated by the equipment that I saw, like the huge tires, and I never thought that I would be able to keep up or even finish the workout, but something happened. What usually feels like “work” when I go to the gym changed to a feeling of excitement, which carried throughout the entire workout. After the 50-60 minute workout flew by that feeling changed to a sense of accomplishment. The image of Nikki and I with the wooden boxes above is an exercise that you’ll see in either the Sweat or the Strength classes at BODI called box jumps. I might be tall, but that doesn’t mean that I can jump high. My knees are super weak and I know that it’s important to listen to my body, so instead I modify the box jumps to walk-ups. The walk-ups change the workout from high intensity to low intensity, but I definitely still feel it in my quads. Modifications like this are provided by the instructors before the workout begins. In addition, these boxes can be turned on their sides to offer three different heights. You can see that the height of the box that Nikki is jumping onto is higher than mine and there is another height option higher than hers. This way all fitness levels can enjoy a BODI workout. Can you believe how much air Nikki gets in her box jumps. It’s amazing!

It was so inspiring to hear Nikki’s story and it directly relates to the passion that I sense in each of her classes, whether she’s leading the class or another instructor is, I can feel that passion among everyone at BODI. I think that is why every client who goes to BODI is not only going to the gym, but they’re committing to a lifestyle.

There is so much more that I learned about BODI’s future and how Nikki creates her class structure when planning her workouts, but I’m going to save that for later. This is only one out of 12 different exercises that I’m highlighting on The Foxy Kat blog that were created by Nikki.

A big shout out to the amazing fitness photographer, Matt Young Photography, who had a workout of his own while trying to capture the perfect shots to highlight this great gym.

Lastly, It wouldn’t be TFK blog without talking about the clothes that I’m wearing in today’s blog post (shopping details at the bottom of this post.) The top that I’m wearing is from Puppies Make Me Happy, which is true athleisure wear since I happen to lounge in this outside of working out too. It is so soft and I love how it is long, but cuts in on the sides to create a super flattering fit. I hate tops that are too baggy, but I also don’t want them to be too tight either. This one happens to be perfectly in the middle. I purchased the top from Modern Yoga, another local fitness studio that I love! The pants are from Lululemon and the sports bra is from Victoria’s Secret.

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One Free Week of BODI Workouts

For a free week of workouts at BODI you must be a first-time client. Click here and select the $35 1-week trial (bottom left.) It will take you to the MindBody website and then you will need to select the $35 1-week trial again. When you check out, use THEFOXYKAT as the promo code in order to get it for free. Let me know if you need a workout buddy – I’d love to join you! If you have any issues with the promo code, please comment below and/or email me at katrina@thefoxykat.com. I hope to see you at BODI soon!

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