Extreme Bootcamp with Lacey Stone

I first got the opportunity to meet Lacey Stone at an EPIC Treadmill event at the Empire State Building a few months ago. To be honest, I had not heard of Lacey before, but the idea of working out in the Empire State Building with a celebrity fitness trainer was an opportunity I couldn’t miss.

Lacey got a kick out of my shoes! I think this photo encapsulates her amazing energy. Photo credit to Well+GoodNYC.

At first I was a little intimidated. Lacey has worked with clients like Amanda Seyfriend, Amanda Peet and Nicole Kidman and could probably crush me in half with her pinky fingers. But from the minute she started talking, I instantly liked her. Not only is Lacey super fit, crazy enthusiastic and astronomically motivating, she’s also down to earth and fun. She wants you to have strong abs and a bikini-ready butt, but she also wants you to laugh while you’re achieving those assets.

So when I heard about another opportunity to try Extreme Bootcamp with Lacey at a Well+GoodNYC event celebrating the launch of her Appcession iPhone app: Extreme Bootcamp! With Lacy Stone, I jumped at the opportunity. (Plus, they offered champagne at the end of the workout…would you say no?).

After downloading the app onto our iPhones and iPads, Lacey demonstrated and put us through (a group of about 20 women and one brave man…or maybe he was just lucky) some of the moves directly from Appcession. The app has four levels (because her favorite sport is basketball, which has four quarters), and each level includes dynamic moves that are held for 30 to 45 seconds each. Each move can also be customized for the novice and expert fitness enthusiast, making it tailored to your personal level — plus it gives you the ability to work your way up and improve along the way.

Some of the moves we went through included squats, shuffles, burpees, planks with alternating kicks, reverse planks with kicks and standing crunches. We also had a pushup competition (sadly, I didn’t win… but I think it gave a pretty good fight!) and basically turned our workout into a sweaty dance party. Bootcamp was definitely tough, and good change up from my typical run-crunch-yoga regime I’ve been on (I’ve been trying hot yoga! But more about that later…). And the next day, my thighs were still feeling the burn, validating I got a good workout in.

Sometimes being sore is the best confirmation of a job well done, but it can also be a wake up call to how out of shape some areas of your body can be compared to others. Even though I run a lot, my thighs aren’t used to a healthy dose of squats, and that’s something I need to work on. Upper body strength is another thing I really need to work on. I don’t necessarily want to be jacked (though I’ve been told before that I’m “ripped, in a good way”) but I do want to be able to go through a series of downward dogs and mountain climbers and not be sore the next day.

But enough about me – this post is for you! If you want a low-cost, vibrant and motivating personal trainer you can keep in your pocket, I definitely recommend purchasing Extreme Bootcamp! With Lacey Stone from Appcession. It’s just $2.99 in the iTunes store and can be downloaded and used via your iPhone or iPad. No equipment is necessary, so you can workout with Lacey in the comfort of your own home, or bring her to the gym with you (I just recommend headphones, if you choose to do that). Although the workout is customizable by experience/fitness level, I think Lacey (even inside your smartphone) is motivating enough to make you perform to the best of your ability and not quit or skip out early.

If you end up downloading the app, comment and let me know how you like it! And if not, do you have any other fitness app recommendations? Let’s hear ’em!

Download the app from iTunes here.

Well+GoodNYC took some photos of the event, which you can find here. My phone wasn’t cooperating that evening so sadly I don’t have more of my own!