It kind of makes you thirsty when you read the name, but I assure you there are no cocktails and lounging at this happy hour. Marisa Mancke has been whipping Kirklanders into shape for over 16 years at places like 24 Hour Fitness and Element 5 Fitness until she recently opened up her own gym, Happy Hour by Marisa, in Totem Lake. I mentioned her name in a previous post and received a flurry of emails from readers that have taken her classes before and are super excited to know where she is now. This woman has a cult following!
So you are in for a treat. You know I won't pass up the opportunity for a new workout, so I went and tried a Body Pump class last week (she just opened 2 weeks ago). You'll find Happy Hour by Marisa off of 124th in a commercial park with plenty of parking. Marisa is upbeat and motivating and makes it a point to know everyone's name. The wall is covered with phrases that clients have told her she uses often: "You can do anything for a minute," "one workout at a time," "strong is the new skinny." The warehouse-feeling space has been thoughtfully built out to have plenty of room for class and various workout paraphanelia like bars, weights, mats, balls, etc. Body Pump class was a real burner- each song that comes on correlates to working out a different muscle group to fatigue. But Marisa does it with a smile, reminding you the whole way through how to keep proper form and stick with it til the end. She also has a very cool Stevie Nicks voice so I found it a treat to hear her sing along sometimes. This class was a great workout. It was very clear by the end that I need to work on my lunges and skull crushers a bit more as I quivered into a plushy seat in the lounge after class.
Marisa is big on the mental component of working out and loves her clients to feel supported, encouraged and inspired. It is a very friendly environment where there are no judgments and all sizes and shapes are welcome. When asked about how she felt about going out on her own after all this time, she said, " I tell my cleints to have no fear and go after what they want, so I figured I should practice what I preach." She has always referred to her hour long classes as 'happy hour' with a good sweat and endorphins instead of cocktails, so the name for her business came easily.
The May schedule is full of a fun mix of classes: Bootcamp on the Rocks, Cardio Chisel with a Twist, Straight-Up Circuit, ABS-olute Booty, Morning Buzz, Step 151, Stepjam, Bodypump. She even does a cardio striptease class (I think I would need a cocktail before that one)! Marisa instructs all of the classes and would love for you to get a taste of a few so you can find the one that you love. ** For the month of May, mention the Kirkland Weblog and get a flight of 3 classes for $30 (normally $22/each).** This is a great addition to the workout scene in Kirkland. And I just ate a cheeseburger tonight so you will definitely see me in there next week. Tell us about your 'flight' and which classes were your faves. 425-466-7276 or you can email Marisa with questions. ~j
Comments