Elite Spring Training at Shine Alternative Fitness

pole fitness… who knew?!
as far as i was concerned, a pole of this sort was used in one place and one place only.
boy, was i so wrong!
=)
we arrived late because our dumb gps took us on a wild goose chase.
so, when we finally did arrive, we were only able to partake in the pole fitness class.
but it was so strenuous that i was fine with just the one class.
i realized, rather quickly, how out of shape i really am.
i must say i was shocked and amazed at the agility and grace of the instructors.
i was never aware at how much core strength is required in pole dancing.
the instructors at shine fitness are all amazing and they really make their trade look so effortless.
it was quite beautiful to watch.
again, i must thank misti for introducing us to another business in vegas that we would have never discovered otherwise.
shine fitness is such a unique place with fantastic staff and wonderful instructors.
i would recommend their facilities to anyone looking for something a little different than your run of the mill gym.

Can I just say that ANTI-​GRAVITY YOGA is sooooo cool! Event was well organized and fun as always! :)

I’m late writing this review; but you see, I only recently regained use of my arms after my exhausting workout at Shine…
I learned a few interesting things at this very cool event:
1) I am not in bad shape. That would imply that I was in any shape at all. I am not. I am an amorphous blob of lard.
2) Despite Suwasit’s fine coaching, no one is going to buy me drinks for my pole moves.
3) I NEED A YOGA HAMMOCK. STAT.
This place is super cool and I can’t wait to go back (and take just one class at a time.) The anti-​gravity yoga was so cool!
Thanks to the staff for their hospitality; everyone was so helpful and friendly!

Yo can I give this 6 stars?! Much love to all the nice Shine instructors and Unilocal’s finest, for presenting us the rare opportunity to try out some of these exciting, gravity defying workouts, the Cappriotis and the good people of Gravitea! Oh and the ginormous Jenga game! So intense.
Anyhow, I doubt you’ll won’t get many opportunities outside of circus school and Shine to take these type of refreshing classes. While little intimidating at first, Shine’s seasoned trainers were quick to put you @ ease and very good @ slowly (and safely) progressing you to eventually more complicated movements and techniques. I definitely got my shine on as a wanna be Cirque performer for a few hours!

So what does my first Elite event, my first physical activity event, and my favorite event to date have in common? They’re all the same event! The Elite Spring Training at Shine event kicked ass! And not just a Smurf sized ass… I’m talking a Brontosaurus sized ass!
Like an idiot I worked out for 2 ½ hours before heading to the event. So I was a lazy sack for the first hour. But I did get to have a nice long conversation with Misti’s mom, and we talked about everything from life back in Georgia, the Frankie Moreno show, and all of Misti’s deep dark personal secrets (it’ll all be revealed in my future Unilocal tell-​all book, hitting a Barnes & Noble shelf very soon).
My first class was the Xtreme Boxing with Romeo. You know it’s gonna be a kickass workout because it starts with X. It was ok, definitely a nice way to get the heart rate up. Thou I when I originally heard about it I was REALLY hoping it’d be some olé Elite head bashing with 16 oz gloves on. But since my one and only Unilocal enemy wasn’t present I guess it didn’t matter that wasn’t the case anyway.
My second class was the Tissue with Jonathan, which was a fucking blasty blast! He was hilarious and patient, and made the class really fun. We learned all sorts of things in that hour. I finally know how all the Cirque performers do the badass tissue tricks, it’s all about a tight grip, a dirty sock full of resin, and the pee-​pee dance!
My third class was the Gyrotonic with Sunni. I’ll be honest… what attracted me to taking this class was Sunni. I’m a sucker for a very pretty and super fit blonde I suppose. But damn did that gyrotonic machine kick ass! After having had shoulder and knee surgeries in the past, I really think physical therapy clinics and patients could really benefit from this. I could really feel an improvement in my spine and joints after this short class. Sunni was a great instructor and explained everything in detail. I started the class with suspicion and left in amazement.
The smoothies and sandwiches provided the perfect and quite tasty fuel between classes as well. Zero Gravitea is not only a clever name, but provides some great smoothies and teas. The entire staff at Shine was just top notch!
The after-​party at Scooter’s was awesome too! There’s nothing like tossing back 4 beers after such a great workout! And the after-​after-​party that was only attended by the four elite best of the best at Soyo was the shit too. Everyone that left early… you snooze you lose.
A big thanks to Misti and the staff at Shine for a great event!!!

My first Unilocal event and I must say it was UH… MAZING! I had such a great time and can’t wait to meet more friendly faces!
Now onto the venue part of the review. I was so overly amazed by all of the instructors. Jonathan for the tissue class was particularly funny and a great teacher! I couldn’t believe how much he was able to make us accomplish in such a short time! The other teachers were great as well! They really accommodated every fitness level and offered clear direction on what to do! One note is that the pole classes come in a variety of emphasis. Make sure you know if ur going for the seductive/​sensual one or the strength one. I was the only guy in the sensual one (guess I missed that memo) but I still had a blast and made the best of it! The kickboxing was also really cool and definetly got my calories burning. And yoga is one of my favorite pastimes and so the take on antigravity was an awesome twist and really took it to another level.
I would like to highly recommend checking out the classes. And they seem very reasonably priced for the attention you get and the amazing workout that makes you sweat!

I think many of us can agree that one of the highlights of this event were the people instructing the classes. So much enthusiasm, experience and energy was shared with us during the event! It’s not often that the teacher is one of the highlights of a class.
I was actually a lazy bum during this event; I didn’t even decide to attend till the night before! I was chose to participate in the Pole Fitness and Anti Gravity Yoga classes. I learned that night that I’m not fit to be a pole dancer. I always thought I held my own as a dancer, but apparently I fall way short once a pole gets involved. Still, it was a lot of fun to try out all the spinning and climbing, and get a better idea of what it takes to be this kind of performer. The Anti Gravity Yoga was actually the first yoga I’ve experienced of any kind, so I had no real expectations. It was a really cool experience; I was able to get much more relaxed than I thought, considering I was being supported by a ribbon hammock suspended from the ceiling. Definitely a unique gym offers things not available anywhere else.
And lastly, don’t worry Misti. There will be no sexual harassment claims filed against your mom. Even if she did look at me with those eyes, and give me a kiss on my head. She really didn’t need to call me beautiful.

Lucky number 17^th review for this event. It was my Mom’s lucky number.
If you want detail, please read the other sweet sixteen reviews. All I want to say is…
— Loved the Gyrotonic session with Sunni. I felt like I had instantly improved posture.
— The Xtreme Boxing class was OK. Nothing wrong with it, but I’ve already experienced similar classes back when I used to do Alan Giron’s 8Strikes kickboxing at LVAC. I was here for alternative fitness!
— The Tissue class was insanely fun. Never thought I’d be doing Cirque du Soleil stuff in my lifetime.
— The Antigravity Yoga was not as amazing as I had envisioned, but it may be due to the abbreviated class constraint. I’m definitely going back to experience the full 75-​minute session, once I get this Vegas Hot Groupon month out of the way.
— The smoothies were delicious, especially the mocha ones.
Oops. I guess I don’t know how to be succinct. Thanks to all involved for this fantastic event. I’ve been waiting for Antigravity Yoga to come to Vegas for a while now. I was elated when I found out that Shine was opening up. I was even more so when I found out we were going to have an Elite event there. And I was even even even more so when I got in!

I told my boss if I didn’t make it to work today I either broke my neck or ran away with the circus. Unfortunately, I am here, at my desk working on a power point presentation instead of flying through the air in a leotard. FML. This event was a dream come true for me.
First, I channeled my inner whorechatta pole dancer. (Just cuz she dances go-​go it don’t make her a ho, no) Our instructor was patient with all of us, but you know he was dying laughing inside. I know I was. The class was patient with me while I had to pick up all the bills the men were throwin at me in between tricks. This class taught me what I already know. Pole tricks are freakin’ hard and some of those girls can work that shit! I can’t quit my day job just yet. Will I take another class? Hell yes. Intense workout from the get go. Good stuff.
Second class. Tissue class with Jonathan. I love you and want to be you, Jonathan. Lol. He was the perfect instructor. Patient and encouraging and full of energy and humor. Being an ex gymnast this class is something I have always wanted to experience. There is no doubt in my mind I will be back very soon to learn more advanced moves.
100% satisfied with this brilliant, action packed event. I was so happy to share this experience with Jessie B. (aka Spazz) and Candace Z. (aka Brilliant, Candace!). Shine is such a one of a kind gym and I want more. The Zero Gravitea smoothies were exactly what I needed to keep the energy going.
There were only two things I was thinking would have made it even better:
1. Instead of Capriotti’s I would have been cool with the smoothies and tea and maybe had someone doing 10 minute sports massages. I know all of us could have used one. Hell, I’m still sore.
2. Lastly, I was so sold on the gym I was hoping there would have been a Unilocal Deal on classes and gym membership for those of us that attended. I would have bought it on the spot! I thought the same thing after the GV Club Sport event last year, too.
Super Snaps for Misti for a job well done and snaps in Z formation go to Shine for being amazeballs in every way!!!

This event was so different from others that I have attended… and I LOVED it.
I was pretty tired from a rather hectic week, and I was operating on just a couple hours of sleep on Friday, which made it a little difficult to get excited about working out. When I arrived I was thinking I would just stay long enough to check out one class…
I started out at 5 pm in the Pole Fitness class with where we channeled my inner stripper, or at least tried to. In all seriousness, this was less of a sexy class and more of a workout with a little bit of sexiness, which was perfect for me. Our instructor was a lot of fun and with his help I was able to master spinning around the pole pretty quickly. I even got some nifty bruises on my legs to take home as souvenirs!
At 6 pm I took Jonathan’s Tissue class. Jonathan was awesome. He laughed at my spazzy enthusiasm and made sure everyone in the class got the personalized attention they needed to be able to do the moves. We got to flip upside down and even got to do the Titanic (Jaime W. is so cool, Jonathan named a move after her).
I was having so much fun at this point that I wanted to stay and take the anti-​gravity yoga, but there was no space left. So instead I enjoyed some yummy Capriotti’s sandwiches and Larry from Zero Gravitea hooked us up with some refreshing smoothies and teas.
I am SO glad I didn’t leave the event early. The event was a blast and it really made me want to go back to Shine to take more of the classes. Five stars all the way, thanks Misti!!!

Like the Unilocal Olympics a while back, this was another health and fitness geared Elite event which was great because Shine Alternative Fitness opened our eyes (and kicked our asses) to very unique fitness classes all under one roof. All of the employees there made our experience a fun and memorable one, first and foremost keeping safety in mind, and also giving us the courage and motivation we needed without being «drill sergeants» regardless of one’s physical capabilities. They were even nice enough to provide some snacky-​snacks from Capriotti’s so we could refuel!
Who knew that a slight shift in your stance and a quick adjustment in your neck would give you a good workout? Well, the Gyrotonic Machine did just that, and Sunni was the perfect instructor, giving us pointers and advice on how to get the most out of using this machine which looked intimidating at first, but has got me wanting to come back in the future to take up more classes.
Although I didn’t participate in the tissues, pole dancing, and xtreme boxing, those who participated seemed like they had a blast doing it. ZeroGavitea was also on hand with some tasty teas and smoothies to give us that extra pick-​me-​up in between classes.
The Anti-​Gravity Yoga class with Kelli and Suwasit was also a blast! Moves that were pretty easy to pick up and execute, but I could do without anything hanging upside down
because I hate that feeling of all the blood rushing to your head feeing like its ready to burst… no bueno for me!
Great big Mahalo to Misti and J-​tern for organizing this awesome event, and to the staff at Shine and ZeroGravitea for being so hospitable and helpful the whole time… ALOHA!!!
Unilocal 365 CHALLENGE-(214/365) «Shapin’ Up at Shine Alternative Fitness»

200^th Review!!! I planned to have this event as my 200^th review.
This was such an eye-​opener event. I had to take advantage of all the classes offered.
Tissue Class-​So light, so beautiful, so airy… the instructors were so motivating and patient. We got to try some basic moves and it was super fun.
Xtreme boxing-​I enjoyed the high impact cardio combined with mitt works. I felt awesome.
Anti-​gravity yoga-​the best savasana I have experienced yet. I enjoyed all other classes, but this is my favorite. I felt as if though I am in my own om world, protected by the cocoon that embraced me with energy.
Pole fitness-​the instructor taught us many exercise to help with the hypermobility extensions. Again, something that I have never done before. Very cool.
Aside from these great classes, we got to enjoyed delicious hot teas from Zero Gravitea, smoothies, and catered capriottis sandwiches.
I had such a great night, experiencing classes with my Unilocal friends, catching up with those who I haven’t seen for awhile, sipping delicious teas and smoothies.
Oh thank you so much Misti and Janel, for making this event happen.
Thank you Shine and staff of Shine, for allowing us Unilocalers to be your students for the evening and ensuring that we will have energy by catering Capriotti’s.
Thank you Gravitea personnel for quenching our thirst with delicious teas and smoothies.
I will be back for more savasana relaxation!

Who doesn’t want to be an acrobat? I want to dance in fabric and spin around poles! I want to stretch out in a hammocky yoga class! How generous of Shine Fitness to give us the opportunity to try each part of the experience. Thank you to Misti Y and Jenel for organizing a unique gym event for us Unilocalers.
I love the personality of the instructors, too. They are positive and passionate – dedicated to the sport and to the students. This could be a snooty place but it’s not. It’s an inviting environment for everyone, which is critical for any facility that truly cares about fitness.
5 stars for sure!

I’d figure I’d start writing while the adrenaline is still flowing. What an awesome event… I think the best one yet and that ain’t the endorphins talking. Misti, Janel, the crew… you’ve amazed me again. Each class progressively got better. I skipped the Boxing class since I have noodle arms and didn’t want to embarrass myself too much.
I’m glad I got Suwatsits Pole Fitness class. I couldn’t help but stay motivated after seeing his tight butt in those booty shorts. He knew how to the be sexy and tries to get the same from you. I realized it’s difficult trying to remember a routine, count my steps, and be sure to do it while acting sexy.
The Tissue class was even better with Jonathan. He had us laughing, and kept the class interesting. Who knew exercise could be so much fun! I felt like a monkey.
With barely a moment for some deep breathing, rehydration, and a quick energy boost with a yummy Strawberry-​Banana Smoothie. I was hitting my last class with Kelly and Suwasit… Aerial Yoga, which was my favorite. It was a perfect way to end my workout with lots of stretching of my tired muscles.
I felt great afterwards… had some Chocolate Protein Bar and Vanilla Bourbon Tea from Zero Gravitea, while I cooled down and tried to unwind. I haven’t had a whey protein smoothie form anywhere but my blender at home (yuck), I had no idea they were so good… I must be doing it all wrong.
Thank you Unilocal,Shine, and Zero Gravitea for the great evening. I can’t wait to go back to Shine for some classes, and I will even recommend out of town visitors to try out Shine for a one of a kind experience.

Shine Alternative Fitness definitely made burning calories and exercising a truly fun experience. The fact that the exercises were more unique than the average day at the traditional gym or fitness studio was a huge plus. The instructors definitely made all the participants, regardless of fitness level, get the most out of the workout sessions.
I rushed to Shine right after work, so missed the sessions that started at 5pm, but was able to take advantage of the gyrotonic workout machine with Sunni. She was very passionate about the benefits of conditioning with this machine, and I loved every minute of working out on that machine. I definitely will want to sign up for more gyrotonic workout sessions in the future.
The anti-​gravity yoga just sounds awesome. I have never even heard about it prior to signing up for the event, and it was so much more fun than regular yoga. My back definitely received a great workout and some much needed stretching. The hammock was so comfortable, I think just about everyone loved being in it and working out with it.
The pole fitness class was fun. I can’t follow instructions too well, but spinning on the pole was pretty easy for me. So watching demos at various «pole fitness’ establishments across the country did have some unexpected impacts that was quite useful in the class. The demo by the instructor was simply awesome.
Anyway, this is definitely one of the top 5 best Elite event that I have attended. Thank you Shine Alternative Fitness and Misti & J-​tern for this most awesome event.

When I was little, I wanted to run away with the circus. This is as close as I will ever get because boy, do those performers work hard. I did the pole class and the aerial silks and wow. The instructors are fantastic and super helpful. The classes were a blast. The pole class was extremely different from the other pole classes in town and a lot of fun. The aerial silks looked super intimidating but our instructor showed us a lot of basics which looked awesome in pictures! I didn’t do the kickboxing but I could hear it and it sounded like the most amazing cardio workout ever. The smoothies from Zero Gravitea were delicious! The fabulous people at Shine even provided plenty of workout food and bottled water for us to keep us fueled. I will definitely be back to take some classes again because this was too much fun to do just once!
Thank you so much Misti, Janel, Zero Gravitea, and all the awesome people at Shine for organizing such a fantastic event!!!

What an awesome event! I really enjoyed the classes put on by Shine. I sampled the Pole Fitness and the Tissue class and thought they were both stellar. The instructors were very positive, engaging, and gave very clear directions. The Tissue instructor made sure that each of us received personal instruction time as well. I love that there is a studio that offers so much variety and so many unique classes beyond the traditional.
I managed to climb all the way to the TOP of the pole in Pole Fitness, but that was my big shining accomplishment! How do those Cirque performers manage to make it look so easy?!
The smoothies, tea, and munchies were very much appreciated as well, and I definitely felt my muscles today.
I will definitely be back to Shine. Thank you to Misti, Janel, and to Shine for organizing such a fantastic event!

So much fun! Tissue class was my favorite! I’m definitely looking forward to more of that. I didn’t get to try the gyrotonics machine — looks like pilates. But I got to try everything else and was pretty tuckered after my 4 hour workout. But in a good way!
Definitely a great introduction to some unique workout classes. Jonathan told me they may have a climbing wall in the works. Looking forward to the expansion.
Thanks to Misti, Janel and Shine for planning such a great event!

I am trying to be more of an exercise junkie of late, so thanks to Unilocal,I got a new type of fix. Hey, anything that offers a similar experience to Cirque du Soleil is a «must try» for me.
Even running a few minutes late (oops), I got to try four very different classes:
Pole Fitness was a lot of fun zipping around a pole, and trying all of the different coordinated moves. What really surprised me is that the pole itself rotated with you, which likely saved a lot of unsightly leg burns. It’s a lot more work than I even considered, and the best part is that I now have expanded options for second job ideas if my utility bills get too high for the Summer. I prefer to call it «Night Dancing».
Extreme Boxing was a super high adrenaline workout. To my credit, I actually held my own quite well. The workout never let up for a second, but the instructor was super nice in giving you a moment to collect yourself if you ended up off tempo. I could feel my legs by the end of the session.
Tissue turned out to be my favorite of the group, and the one I was surprisingly most comfortable and natural with. It was fun and relaxed, and I was feeling pretty good about my innate ability to understand it as well as I did… And then I saw the instructor do some crazy Cirque aerial moves which reminded me of my humble place.
Zero gravity yoga was also low key and interesting, but I think at this point, I began to feel the boxing. I kept up pretty well, all things considered, but some of the upside down moves I had to wrap up a little faster than others.
Between meals, we had awesome Capriotti sandwiches, amazing teas (especially that vanilla one), and excellent shakes. All perfect means to keep the energy going without being too heavy.
With this event, I realized that I was simultaneously in better AND worse shape than I thought. But I had a great time, and Misti put together another fun and fantastic event. This was something that I wanted to do, yet never realized that there was an option available to do so.
Why, I even burned enough calories from the event that this very morning, I tied a string to my ankle and went outside so that the neighborhood kids could use me as a kite.
Now THAT’S weight loss!

Thank you Misti Y, Janel, and Shine for putting together a much sought after physical event. I have been dying for another Unilocal gathering which involved exercise and pushing oneself to the limits. Shine definitely fits that bill. We used every muscle in anti-​gravity yoga, pole dance, ribbon aerobics, extreme boxing, and the gyrotonic machine.
I started my day on the gyrotonic machine with Sunni. She was very positive with her instructions and got me to bend in ways I have never before. Next I participated in the boxing class. It was intense. I have no coordination and it showed. Romeo was a motivational tidal wave. There was no time to rest because anti-​gravity yoga was next. Kelly and Suwasit were positive and made me strive for more. I was clumsy, but strove to do better because of them. Where can I get a hammock of my own for savasana? I would have no problem staying in own of those all day. Can I rest now? No way, Janel informed me that David was doing a predominately flex pole dancing class. I was not going to pass on this. The demonstration at the end was breathtaking.
I could not have been more happy with the outcome of this event. Misti, can we have weekend workout events more often? A big thanks goes to the people at the smoothie station for keeping use fueled throughout. I was able to persevere because of those delicious soy smoothies.