Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Track List - Tuesday, September 30, 2014

1. Looking Hot (remix) - No Doubt
2. Never Been In Love - Cobra Starship featuring Icona Pop
3. Mash 'n' Stuff - DJ Radio Sheezus featuring Deadmau5 vs. Weekender, Tag Team, David Bowie & Duran Duran
4. Bad Girls (remix) - Donna Summer
5. All That Matters (The Beautiful Life) - Ke$ha
6. Centuries - Fall Out Boy
7. Ugly Heart - G.R.L.
8. Gold Rush (remix) - Clinton Sparks ft. 2 Chainz, Macklemore & D.A.
9. This Is How We Do (remix) - Katy Perry
10. All Night (remix) - Icona Pop
11. Just Give Me A Mirror When September Ends (mashup) - DJ Shahar Varshal ft. Pink, Michael Jackson & Greenday
12. Take A Bow With Me (mashup) - DJ Radio Sheezus featuring Rihanna & Sam Smith
13. Amnesia - 5 Seconds Of Summer

Happy birthday, Patrick! Thanks for celebrating your birthday with the Ride with Tommy! What a great way to celebrate your special day. What a great way to start any day! Thanks for your requests and your commitment to your Ride, your workout and your goals!

As I often say, we always have something to celebrate. Whether it is a birthday, anniversary, a charity event, or even just the ability to get up and out of bed each morning, life provides us with so much to celebrate. Oh you could get all caught up in the negative. Life is full of things that frustrate us. Often, these are so small in the big picture of life. If we choose to blow these negative happenings out of proportion, it can consume so much of our energy and time that it gets in the way of the so many positive things that help make our lives and daily routines so exciting and rewarding. I hope that when you Ride with Tommy!, it is one of those positive happenings. I hope that when you Ride with Tommy!, you are excited about the challenges that you will help create and overcome in class. I hope that you are excited about the energy and the results that are such a big part of class. I hope that you are rewarded for your hard work and determination that you put into class. I hope that the framework that I, as the instructor, provide you along with the variety of fun, current and motivating music as well as the energy that everybody in the group fitness class helps build, all create an environment that allows everyone in class to achieve all or more of what they set out to achieve. If I can help riders accomplish this - even in the smallest of ways - then I am proud, honored and humbled to do so. Thanks to you all for your support and trust in allowing me to help you. I am inspired to work harder as the instructor. I hope that I share that inspiration with you. I hope to see you in class again soon. Until then, in good health! tommy

Friday, September 26, 2014

Guy B. to sub the Ride with Tommy! tomorrow, Saturday, September 27, 2014, 9:45am


Thanks to Guy B. for subbing my class tomorrow morning, Saturday, September 27, 2014 at 9:45am.

I'll be back to teach the Red Line Ride on Monday morning at 9:30am.

Thanks to Guy and all of you for your continued support!

In good health,

tommy

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Track List - Sexy Spin, Thursday, September 25, 2014

1. I'm Every Woman - Whitney Houston
2. Counting Stars - OneRepublic
3. Story Of My Life (remix) - One Direction
4. I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons
5. Bye Bye Bye (Timbaland remix) - *nsync
6. Karma Chameleon - Culture Club
7. Baracuda - Heart
8. No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) - Donna Summer & Barbra Streisand
9. Sweet Nothing - Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch
10. Say Something - A Great Big World featuring Christina Aguilera
11. I'll Be There - Mariah Carey
12. True Colors - Cyndi Lauper

Happy birthday to David Quan! This is his 4th year of celebrating his birthday in a great way. Not only does David get his intense Ride and workout while committing to many challenges and having fun to a variety of music that he specially requested for his birthday, he also provided prizes to be given away by drawing bike numbers randomly at the end of class. How giving is that?!?! I hope everyone had a great time. Congrats to all the winners of the great prizes/surprises that David provided. A "The Who" t-shirt, an "Abbey Road" t-shirt, a Kanye West 12" vinyl album, and an Ellie Goulding 12" vinyl album. What great prizes! So David started off the day celebrating his birth by doing something so good for him that will not only help him reach his immediate goals, but it will also help him live a longer and happier life! Now that's what I call an amazing way to start a celebration! And as many of you have heard me say so many times, we always have something to celebrate. There are so many great things in our lives. Yes, there are often trials and troubles that seem to take up a lot of our time and energy. There's no denying that. But if we don't take time to also celebrate the so much that is positive and great, we can get lost in all the negativity. Then it is much more difficult to share our positive light with others. It is much more difficult to share the positive energy that we create every time that we commit, focus and have fun in a Ride with Tommy! class. And you may not be overwhelmingly aware, but that is exactly what you do when you open yourself up to a great workout in the Ride with Tommy! When you allow yourself to push and challenge yourself with the changes in pace and resistance while focusing on the best form possible and while also adding movement to the rhythm and beat of some of today's most popular and motivating music, you get results, you create a positive energy that is hard to deny, and you make a positive difference! You make a positive difference, a positive change in your own life AND in the life of others. You have the opportunity to help create a positive change in the life of the people riding right there next to you in class. You also can influence a positive change in the people you encounter the rest of the day. Knowing that you overcame obstacles and challenges that you helped create along with the class layout provided by the instructor, you can't help but carry that positive energy with you and you can't help but share it as it "rubs" off on the people in which you come in contact. How awesome is that? We often may not even realize that power that we have. Next time you step into a Ride with Tommy! class, think about the power that you have, the good that you can do, the positive changes that you can make...in that class...and all day long after class is over. Wow! That is a lot to think about. That is kind of a big responsibility. Don't be afraid to just do it. Enjoy it. And be better for it. Celebrate all that you do. Do it in the Ride with Tommy! Until next time, in good health, tommy

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Dollar Tan to sub the 9:30am #totalrequestride this morning, Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Yes, that's right! Dollar Tan will be making a very special one time only guest appearance as he takes over the #totalrequestride this Wednesday morning at 9:30am at Crunch Fitness - Sunset. Come celebrate this special event!

I'll be back in the instructor saddle Thursday morning at 7:00am for David Quan's Sexy Birthday Spin! There will be prizes, sexy shirtless boys and a whole lot of fun music! Hope to see you there!

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Track List - Saturday, September 20, 2014

1. Chandelier (remix) - Sia
2. Birthday - Katy Perry
3. All About That Bass - Meghan Trainor
4. Bang Bang - Jessie J featuring Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj
5. Undressed (remix) - Kim Cesarion
6. Fade Into Darkness (remix) - Avicii
7. Sleeping With A Friend - Neon Trees
8. Bailando - Enrique Iglesias featuring Sean Paul
10. Work - Iggy Azalea
11. Dare You (remix) - Hardwell featuring Matthew Koma
12. Walking On Air (remix) - Lance Bass & Anice K. featuring Belle Blue
13. When I Was Your Man (cover of Bruno Mars) - Boyce Avenue
14. Because Of You (cover of Neyo) - Boyce Avenue
15. Nothin' On You, My Love, Rocketeer (cover of B.o.B., Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake & Far East Movement

The last official weekend of summer! I know, I know. Labor Day for all intents and purposes, has become the final weekend for pool parties, wearing white, beach trips and backyard bbq's. Well, the autumnal equinox actually occurs on Tuesday, September 23rd, this upcoming Tuesday. So I hope that everyone goes out and enjoys the last ACTUAL summer weekend. We finally have some cooler weather here in Southern California. It has been a virtual heatwave for the past week or so. But now that fall is upon us, I hope that everyone is settling into their fall routines. However, I hope that doesn't mean that everyone is content to settle in at home and forego their workouts! As I recently posted, the fall season is beautiful (for most climates), but it is also filled with health and fitness traps. Halloween candy. Thanksgiving dinner. Christmas travel and shopping. Rosh Hashanna and Hannukah. New Fall TV shows. Football! Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Lattes. All of these can get in the way of the healthy lifestyles and workout routines that you have worked so hard to commit to and maintain for the first 8 months of this year. Don't quit! Don't stop! Don't give up! Now is the time to buckle down and recommit so that the fall activities don't "weigh" you down! I will be working hard over the next few weeks and months to provide new and challenging workouts to keep you interested, challenged, focused, committed and having fun while doing it! I want you to be excited to get up, jump out of bed, make it to Crunch, sit yourself on a bike and have an intense, form-focused and fun Ride! So if I haven't seen you in a while, then make plans to join me and the Ride with Tommy! soon! New workouts! New music! More fun! Better results! Let's do this! In good health, tommy

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Track List - Sexy Spin, Thursday, September 18, 2014

1. Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy - Billy Porter featuring Cyndi Lauper
2. On Top Of The World - Imagine Dragons
3. Love Shack - The B-52s
4. No Scrubs - TLC
5. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
6. Shake Ya Tail-Feather - Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee
7. Shake Your Groove Thing - Peaches And Herb
8. Poker Face (remix) - Lady Gaga
9. Throb - Janet Jackson
10. You And I - Lady Gaga
11. Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová & The Frames
12. When You Believe - Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey

I hope you all had a great class and that you enjoyed the music and the workout built into the class. As I always say, I provide the framework within which you can commit or the path upon which you can ride. That is a big part of class, yes, but ultimately, how much you commit to that workout, how much you actually push and challenge yourself is up to you. Therefore, how much you actually get out of the workout, how much closer you get to actually reaching your goals, depends a great deal on you. The instructor plays a very important, even vital, part of class, but it is the combination of the instructor's role and the level to which the rider commits that actually helps that rider realize a goal. Just as a trainer can help push and motivate the trainee, just as a teacher can nurture and challenge a pupil, just as a leader can instill confidence and inspire greatness among the people, an instructor can and should be able to create and provide the environment in which every one in class can succeed in reaching one's goals or even exceed one's expectations! I've also been known to say that in a group fitness class, or specifically an indoor cycling class, that to begin with, all you really have to do is show up and get on a bike. The instructor's ability, the music, and the energy provided by the others in class should propel and elevate you to obtain a Ride that will make a big difference. I stand by this statement. All of this should come together to create an almost fool-proof process to achieve positive change. And for many, that is enough. However, for those of you that want to take your workout to the next level, to exceed your expectations, to reach and go beyond your goals, the final and also vitally important part is you, your commitment, your focus, your energy, your desire to make a positive change, a positive difference. And each of you can do it. I hope to be able to help you do it. I am and will continue to be honored to be there to help you do it. So thank you to all that have entrusted me to help currently and in the past. I am here. With my framework. With a path. I hope you choose to follow it, to be a vital part of it. I think we can make a big difference! I hope to see you in class soon! In good health, tommy

Track List - #totalrequestride, Wednesday, September 17, 2014

1. Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy - Billy Porter featuring Cyndi Lauper
2. On Top Of The World - Imagine Dragons
3. Love Shack - The B-52s
4. No Scrubs - TLC
5. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
6. Shake Ya Tail-Feather - Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee
7. Shake Your Groove Thing - Peaches And Herb
8. Poker Face (remix) - Lady Gaga
9. Throb - Janet Jackson
10. You And I - Lady Gaga
11. Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová & The Frames
12. When You Believe - Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey

Positivity. I talk so often about making a change in my classes. One of the most important things that should be so easy to create in class is a positive energy. It really doesn't take much effort at all. All you have to do is make it to class, get on a bike, commit to riding with determination and focus, and let the instructor, the music and the positive energy of the room do the rest! It doesn't take much preparation. Just show up and be present. No, it is not easy to have a Ride that is challenging and that makes a difference in your mental and physical well-being. It does take some work. But the positive energy that can and should be created by everyone in a group fitness class should be the collective result of everyone in class. A commitment to a Ride that will increase your heart rate; a focus on a Ride that provides the greatest return on the amount of work that you put into it; and an openness and willingness to put in the work, learn about proper form, and have fun while riding to a variety of current, motivating music should all be a part of your class experience. I try to choose music that helps create a positive atmosphere. For example, I absolutely love the warm-up or opening track used in this morning's #totalrequestride! "Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy" by Billy Porter and Cyndi Lauper. Wow. Such a great combination of talent. Such a positive message! I try to stay away from music that uses language that is negative, offensive or disrespectful to anyone. I try to choose upbeat songs that have a definitive beat to help you move and that foster an organic feeling that not only are you doing a lot of work that is so very good for you, but you are also, without trying very much at all, experiencing a mood-altering force that kind of sneaks up on you and hopefully results in a smile! Yes, a sweaty, exhausted smile, but a smile nonetheless. And it should go without saying really that at the end of a class, that smile should be present as well. Firstly and most obviously, the workout is over. Smile. Then you realize that you actually had a lot of fun while working so hard. Smile. Then you think, "Well, I may not have loved every song choice, but there was at least a moment or two that I really got into it. The music really helped push me to the next level. I really enjoyed riding to that particular song." Smile. Then the thought occurs that all you really did was arrive in class and get on a bike! The instructors format, framework, path, journey, instructions along with the music helped elevate you to a place you maybe didn't even think you could go! And then you became aware of how hard and focused the riders around you were, and that that actually helped you get a better ride and helped you obtain more results. Very big smile! Positivity. It is a great thing. It is powerful. It makes a difference. It can help you make a big change. And it is really so much easier than being negative, self-centered, arrogant, distracting and unwilling to fully commit to being a part of the class. So open yourself up to being positive. Then, see and feel the results! I look forward to experiencing this with you! I can't wait to see you experience it for yourself in the Ride with Tommy! Thanks so much for being a part. I hope to see you in class soon! Until then, in good health, tommy

Monday, September 15, 2014

I will be subbing Christina Fulton's class tonight, Monday, September 15, 2014 at 6:00pm!

I will be subbing Christina's class tonight, Monday, September 15, 2014 at 6:00pm at Crunch Fitness - Sunset. I hope to see you there!

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Track List - Saturday, September 13, 2014

1. Scream - Michael & Janet Jackson
2. Break Free - Ariana Grande featuring Zedd
3. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
4. Maps (remix) - Maroon 5
5. Fancy Groove (mashup) - DJ MixmstrStel featuring Madonna, Iggy Azalea & Charli XCX
6. Hard - Rihanna featuring Young Jeezy
7. Rather Be - Clean Bandits
8. Survivor - Destiny's Child
9. Really Don't Care (remix) - Demi Lovato featuring Cher Lloyd
10. Best Song Ever (remix) - One Direction
11. Back For Good - Boyce Avenue('s cover of Take That)
12. Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper featuring Sarah McLachlan
13. Against All Odds - Phil Collins

Well here is the track list for yesterday's Ride with Tommy! Thanks to all who participated. It was a lot of fun! It was a lot of hard work! And there was a lot accomplished! I so often try to encourage a commitment to change. It is not easy to make that kind of change. It is not supposed to be. Nobody said it was going to be easy. If they did, they were misleading you. Now, nobody said it wasn't going to be fun! And I try to make class fun so that the time flies by and so that you don't really have time to focus on how difficult it really is. I strive to have everyone say after class, "Wow! That didn't seem like 45 minutes!" Or, "Those 45 minutes went by so fast!" I want everyone to get so caught up in the music, the movement, the challenges, the variety, the mix, the counts, the presses, the jumps, the hills, the runs, the jogs, the resistance, the pace, and most importantly, the focus on form, that you don't have time to get burdened with the fact that you are indeed completing a workout. You are indeed pushing your heart rate up. You are indeed using your muscles. You are indeed burning. You are indeed challenging. You are indeed creating change. A positive change. A positive difference. A difference in your life. In your mental and physical health and well-being. It is when this happens that I am truly proud. It is when this happens that I am truly happy. Happy for everyone that committed to taking part in my class. So thank you to each and everyone of you. Now, share this post with your friends. If you are a member of Crunch Fitness - Sunset, then share my class with your friends. There are free guest passes at the front desk. There are free guest passes on our website. Write a positive review on Yelp! Write a positive review for me on RateYourBurn.com. Share those positive reviews with as many of your friends as possible. I want to do as much as I can to make a great class for all of you. I want all of you to do as much as you can to get results. I want all of us to do as much as we can to get more like-minded people into class. As a member, when you sign up for a bike, make that commitment to show up to class! Don't take away the possibilities from someone else by signing up for a bike and then not showing up. This has been happening way too much lately. I want all of us to do as much as we can to make a class with the Ride with Tommy! as positive of an experience as possible. I want all of us to create as much positive energy in the room as possible. And I want all of us to experience that positive change that we all want as much as possible. So thank you all again for your commitment, your participation, your positive energy, and your willingness to do all that you can do! See you Monday morning at 9:30am for the next Red Line Ride! In good health, tommy

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Track List - Sexy Spin, Thursday, September 11, 2014

1. Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy - Billy Porter featuring Cyndi Lauper
2. Rhythm Nation - Janet Jackson
3. Every Heartbeat (remix) - Amy Grant
4. Spice Up Your Life - Spice Girls
5. Bang! Bang! (mashup cover) - Blake McIver
6. Blurry - Puddle Of Mud
7. Good Vibrations - Marky Mark And The Funky Bunch
8. Maps - Maroon 5
9. Break Free (remix) - Ariana Grande featuring Zedd
10. Secrets (remix) - Mary Lambert
11. It Gets Better - Blake McIver
12. Invisible - Hunter Hayes
13. Invisible ((RED) edit) - U2

Wow. So much to say today. So many things going on. Kind of like the variety of music in this morning's track list. A little bit all over the place. But what a fun collection of "eclectic" songs to Ride to this morning! I absolutely love Billy Porter and Cyndi Lauper's cover and mix of "Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy"! Two amazing talents teaming up for a fun, hip and energetic rendition of a couple of oldies but goodies! Billy Porter won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, the musical being "Kinky Boots". Cyndi Lauper wrote the music and lyrics for "Kinky Boots" and she is of course one of my all time favorites. I love her! I played the remix of "Every Heartbeat", another track off of the remix album of Amy Grant's "In Motion: The Remixes". I love Amy Grant! I included a mashup/cover of "Bang Bang" by Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj and "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" by Cher and/or Nancy Sinatra (depending on which version you know the best). The artist performing the mashup/cover of "Bang Bang" is Blake McIver, who starred as Waldo in 1994's "Little Rascals" and also in the series, "Full House". "Full House" was one of my favorite television shows...while I was in college! Yes, major (and embarassing) reveal there! Then there is one of my all-time favorites, "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark And The Funky Bunch, led by Calvin Klein model and now renowned actor, Mark Wahlberg, who is brother to Donnie Wahlberg of the New Kids On The Block. During my table-waiting days, I actually waited on Mark several times and he was awesome and a great tipper! I remember he tipped me 50% one time! I loved Marky Mark! I love boy bands! I love Mark Wahlberg! (btw, did you see his family's ALS Ice Bucket Challenge video? Too cute!) I included a new song, "Secrets" by Mary Lambert who provided the amazing vocals on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis's amazing song, "Same Love". Macklemore & Ryan Lewis sang "Same Love" at the 2014 Grammys to which 33 couples were married by officiant, Queen Latifah. My good friends Yawar and Jason were one of those couples married that night. Another song I included but as a cool down was another song by Blake McIver, "It Gets Better". This song was written with an anti-bullying theme in response to all the needless and horrific suicides and deaths that were occurring much too often by gay youth in response to senseless bullying. My second cool down was Hunter Hayes's "Invisible" which was also written based on the bullying he received growing up. Finally, another song titled "Invisible" by U2 which was a single that premiered at the Super Bowl and provided for free while the Bank of America donated $1 per download to the (RED) organization founded by Bono which helps raise awareness and funds to eliminate HIV/AIDS in Africa. I love U2 and all the good that they do! And just as I ended class with such beautiful and meaningful, almost somber, music, I also will end this post on a somber note. Today is September 11th, 13 years after the terrorist hijackings of four planes which led to attacks on the World Trade Center Towers in New York and the Pentegon in Washington D.C., and a downed flight in Pennsylvania. We have all been affected in some way by these mindless, senseless, horrific and tragic events. 13 years later, we still remember. God bless everyone who lost a life, a friend, a family member. God bless America! And as I mention blessing, let us count or realize the blessing that we have and take for granted every day. Be grateful for your health! Be grateful for the ability to workout and improve your health! Take advantage of your gym membership. Take advantage of your gym's classes. And come Ride with Tommy! as we work hard, get results, make a difference, and have fun! I love spinning! Whew! Like I said, there was a lot to talk about today. I value the opportunity to teach at one of the best gyms anywhere...Crunch Fitness - Sunset. I hope to see you in class soon! In good health, tommy

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Track List - #totalrequestride, Wednesday, September 10, 2014

1. Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy - Billy Porter featuring Cyndi Lauper
2. Rhythm Nation - Janet Jackson
3. Every Heartbeat (remix) - Amy Grant
4. Spice Up Your Life - Spice Girls
5. Bang! Bang! (mashup cover) - Blake McIver
6. Blurry - Puddle Of Mud
7. The Pretender - The Foo Fighters
8. Maps - Maroon 5
9. Break Free (remix) - Ariana Grande featuring Zedd
10. Secrets (remix) - Mary Lambert
11. It Gets Better - Blake McIver
12. Invisible - Hunter Hayes
13. Invisible ((RED) edit) - U2

Variety. I have always tried to play a variety of the most popular and inspiring music in my classes. And I stress variety. I try not to stray too far away from the mainstream. I read Billboard magazine to see what is at the top of the charts. I listen to radio and numerous online music resources to find out what is at the top of their charts. I do this so that in every class, at some point, almost everyone in class can hear a song that they like or are extremely motivated by. I know it is impossible to please everyone all of the time, but I really try to please everyone at least at some point in class. And the music styles at the top of the charts change over time. It is almost cyclical. For a while, rock can top the charts (Van Halen, Rush, KISS, etc.) Soon thereafter, alternative rock ("Seattle grunge": Nirvana, Soundgarten, Pearl Jam, etc.) can rule the charts. Sometimes, it is "bubblegum" pop (such as Britney, Christina, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, etc.) or boybands ('nsync, Backstreet Boys, One Direction, 5 Seconds Of Summer, etc.) that are most popular. And of course, rap/hip-hop/R&B can be the top-sellers at certain times, too. And it is not uncommon for me to reach back in time to find great music from the 80s and 90s to throw into the mix. And of course, I love mashups as they often will bring two or more completely different songs possibly from two different eras and blend them together for a smooth combination of fun and motivating beats. I love music. And I love to teach. So to be able to do what I do, to help people reach their goals, to play DJ for 45 minutes while making riders sweat and burn calories, is truly an amazing opportunity. And I do not take this opportunity for granted. I am grateful for everyone who takes part in one of my classes. I am inspired and motivated by the riders in my classes. And this morning's track list is especially..."eclectic" I like to call it...as I continue to provide a variety of music that inspires, motivates, encourages and allows riders to get results and have fun! It is this that I wish for each of you in class. I hope to share this experience with you, to ride this journey with you, to make the positive changes and differences as you move closer to achieving your goals, along with you. We can do it! Together! As individuals riding together as part of a larger group. In a group fitness room. So let's reach higher. Reach for more. And ride. And have fun doing it! In good health, tommy

Saturday, September 06, 2014

Track List - Saturday, September 6, 2014

1. Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2
2. 4 Minutes (remix) - Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake & Timbaland
3. Tainted Love (remix) - Depeche Mode
4. A Sky Full Of Stars (remix) - Coldplay featuring Avicii
5. Anaconda - Nicki Minaj
6. Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen
7. Where The Streets Have No Name - U2
8. Black Widow - Iggy Azalea featuring Rita Ora
9. We Will Rock You (fatboy slim remix) - Queen
10. Wonderwall (ryan kenney & ido remix) - Oasis
11. The Scientist More Than Words (mashup) - DJ Mighty Mike featuring Coldplay & Extreme
12. Invisible ((RED) edit) - U2
13. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (cover of the Smiths) - Joseph Arthur

The framework has been laid. The path lays at your feet. The challenges have been created and provided for your benefit. Ultimately, it is up to you whether you choose to follow the path, ride within the framework, or rise up to the challenges and overcome them with a commitment and a focus that will get you results. It is my job as the instructor to present the workout before you and to encourage you to use it to the fullest, to get you the most out of it. I try to do that by asking each rider to commit to the form, the pace and the resistance as well as any additional movements we make. At the very least, committing to what I like to call the "3 Basics", again the form, pace and resistance, will provide you with a workout that requires you to push and challenge yourself to the point that you are working and making a difference, a positive change. Making that extra commitment to the additional movements I add to the changes in the pace and resistance such as jumps and presses, back and forth, side to side, up and down, only adds to the intensity of the workout. The additional movements are meant to add to the challenges, not take away from them. They are intended to make you ride harder than you thought you were going to, harder than you thought you could, and at the very least, harder than you did the last time you were in class! And here is the track list from last Saturday, maybe the last time you were in class. But I hope to see you tomorrow morning, Tuesday at 7:00am. Or Wednesday at 9:30am for the next #totalrequestride! Or Thursday morning at 7:00am for the next Sexy Spin! Or Friday at 9:30am for the next Red Line Ride! I look forward to riding with you, to taking a journey with you that requires commitment of each individual in class to focus on the work and that creates a positive energy that fills up the room! A positive energy that not only pushes you out of your comfort zone, but also helps feed the energy of the people around you, helping them to achieve the best that they can. Everyone plays a part in a group fitness class. It can't be helped. So don't miss out on the opportunity to be a part of something so amazing. Don't fill your head with dread and worry about what you, yourself, can do to get a good Ride. Don't fill the time you are in class with a workout that stands out like a sore thumb, that distracts and takes away from the Ride that the people around you could be getting. Instead, the group can work as one to get a lot more done! So let's do just that! Follow the path! Create that positive energy! Challenge yourself with the workout provided. Push yourself past your preconceived limits. Exceed your expectations. Reach higher. Reach for more. Do it! Ride with Tommy! Thanks! In good health, tommy

Thursday, September 04, 2014

Track List - Sexy Spin, Thursday, September 4, 2014

1. Break Free (remix) - Ariana Grande featuring Zedd
2. Imagine How To Save A Radical Life (mashup) - DJs From Mars featuring John Lennon, The Fray, Dannic & Dyro
3. Really Don't Care (remix) - Demi Lovato
4. I Love It (remix) - Icona Pop
5. On To The Next One - Jay-Z featuring Swizz Beatz
6. Party Ain't Over - Pitbull featuring Usher & Afrojack
7. Fiesta (remix) - R. Kelly featuring Jay-Z, Boo & Gotti
8. Bailando (remix) - Enrique Iglesias featuring Sean Paul, Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona
9. Bittersweet Dirt Off Your Shoulder (mashup) - The Verve featuring Jay-Z
10. Drunk In Love (remix) - Beyonce'
11. Amnesia - 5 Seconds Of Summer
12. Drunk In Love - The Weeknd Remix
13. Fast Car (cover of Tracy Chapman) - Boyce Avenue

Labor Day 2014 has come and gone. Fall is fast approaching. The number of pool parties and trips to the beach will quickly become fewer and far between. But does that mean that we quit our commitment to our own mental and physical health and well-being? To quote that great philosopher (or was it the great dance diva?) Deborah Cox, "Absolutely not!" For some of us, life gets a little more hectic, a little more crazy with the start of school and the return to normal work hours and increased traffic. These are also often excuses to miss or quit our workout routines to which we have so diligently remained steadfast for the past warm and sunny months. Well, I'm here to remind you that with the advent of fall, soon comes the holidays! All the candy and treats of Halloween, the over-indulgences of Thanksgiving and the travel and stress often associated with Christmas will soon be upon us. Halloween candy, decorations and cards are already on display in stores. Some stores already have some Christmas decorations for sale! This is also a time of year that many of us find that we put on a few more pounds. An increase in body fat is never a welcome or a healthy thing. The less time spent in the gym, the less time spent on a spin bike, the more time traveling on the road, the more stress associated with this time of year can all lead to the addition of unwanted body fat and weight gain. So I present to you this: Stay committed and focused on your workout throughout the fall months! Don't come to a screeching halt or a complete stop! It is far better to maintain that healthy relationship with your gym, spin class, workout routine than to put it on the back burner for a while and then try to pick it back up later and realize that you have much more to work off and/or lose and/or gain! Labor Day is behind us, so I don't expect to be seeing you in your white spandex during the fall and winter months, but I do expect and hope to see you on a bike in class often and consistently! Let's celebrate the positive changes that we have made so far in 2014. Let's build on that momentum instead of losing it. I appreciate each and every one of you that have chosen the Ride with Tommy! to be a part of your workout routine and part of your road to a more fit and healthy you! I am honored by your support. I do not take for granted your trust in me as an instructor to help you reach your goals. I am motivated, challenged and inspired by all of you to keep pushing harder, reaching higher and for more! Join me! Ride with me! Don't let the holidays win the battle of the bulge this year. Let's stay on top of it and lose what we want to lose while gaining that which makes us healthier and happier! Thank you! See you in class soon! In good health, tommy

Track List - #totalrequestride, Wednesday, September 3, 2014

1. Break Free (remix) - Ariana Grande featuring Zedd
2. Imagine How To Save A Radical Life (mashup) - DJs From Mars featuring John Lennon, The Fray, Dannic & Dyro
3. Really Don't Care (remix) - Demi Lovato
4. I Love It (remix) - Icona Pop
5. On To The Next One - Jay-Z featuring Swizz Beatz
6. Party Ain't Over - Pitbull featuring Usher & Afrojack
7. Fiesta (remix) - R. Kelly featuring Jay-Z, Boo & Gotti
8. Bailando (remix) - Enrique Iglesias featuring Sean Paul, Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona
9. Bittersweet Dirt Off Your Shoulder (mashup) - The Verve featuring Jay-Z
10. Drunk In Love (remix) - Beyonce'
11. Amnesia - 5 Seconds Of Summer
12. Drunk In Love - The Weeknd Remix
13. Fast Car (cover of Tracy Chapman) - Boyce Avenue

You requested 'em. We rode to 'em. Beyonce. Jay-Z. Pitbull. CRUNCH Fitness - Sunset. #totalrequestride A truly interactive Ride. Ride to your favorites. Win iTunes giftcards. Have fun! Accomplish your goals! Stay fit! Improve your mental and physical health and well-being! Every Wednesday at 9:30am. I've always said that my goal as an instructor is to provide a class that is intense, focused on proper form, and fun! So the #totalrequestride is a perfect match for my goals as an instructor. I've also always asked riders to provide me with their requests for specials occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries or special events or occasions, especially charity events. So my teaching the newest Ride at Crunch Fitness - Sunset is not really all that different. I have so much fun creating track lists for my classes. I spend a great deal of time putting them together. And it is so much fun when I see the members in my class enjoying the music and pushing themselves to move closer to obtaining their goals, to doing more than they thought they could, more than they had planned to do. And to do it while learning about and committing to proper form so that each Ride is as safe and efficient as possible, it is not only fun but so rewarding. So thank you to each of you for providing me with the opportunity to help you obtain your goals, as well as inspiring me to push and motivate each of you even more. I am honored and humbled. I am challenged and grateful. See you in class soon! In good health, tommy

Monday, September 01, 2014

Track List - Labor Day, Monday, September 1, 2014

1. We Belong Together (remix) - Mariah Carey
2. Maps (remix) - Maroon 5 featuring Big Sean
3. I Dare You (remix) - Hardwell featuring Matthew Koma
4. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
5. The King Of ArtPop Megamix (mashup/concept album) - DJ Robin Skouteris featuring Michael Jackson & Lady Gaga
6. Time Of Our Lives - Paul Van Dyk
7. Fireball - Pitbull featuring John Ryan
8. Am I Wrong (In C Minor)(mashup) - DJs MixmstrStel & BringMeTheMashup featuring Nico & Vinz & 33 artists
9. Break Free - Ariana Grande featuring Zedd
10. Best Song Ever (remix) - One Direction
11. Back For Good - Boyce Avenue('s cover of Take That)
12. Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper featuring Sarah McLachlan
13. Against All Odds - Phil Collins

Well, I'm posting this to Facebook a little late in the day. I posted this morning's track list to my blog/website soon after class this morning as I often do, but I am just getting to posting to my Facebook page now...right about midnight. Today was a great day...teaching a great class this morning followed by swimming with Aiden & Austin and their twin friends, Alfie & Alex. Then we went to the park to play soccer. Ending the day with dinner and milkshakes for dessert. A great Labor Day 2014! I hope you all had a great one as well! Thanks to everyone who took part in this weekend's Ride with Tommy! Thanks for taking part in any of my classes that I teach at CRUNCH Fitness - Sunset, 6 days a week, Monday through Saturday. Monday and Friday classes are a heart-rate monitor based class called the Red Line Ride where you wear a heart rate monitor and see your heart rate projected up on a screen at the front of class. Wednesday classes are called the #totalrequestride where you tweet your favorite spin songs to @crunchgym followed by the hashtag #totalrequestride. A list is compiled of the top requests and sent to instructors across the country. And you have a chance to win iTunes gift cards just by tweeting your requests! Thursday morning classes are called Sexy Spin. The same intense Ride, just a little bit sweatier, sometimes sillier, definitely sexier, and a whole lot more shirtless! Please visit my page or my blog/website for my complete schedule. And if you haven't already, please visit my page and "Like" it! We are almost to that 500 "Likes" level! And please share my page and/or this post or any post with your friends. Let's Ride together! Let's do this together! The front desk and the Crunch website has some guest passes. Use them! Try them out! Let's have a great deal of fun while getting our workout on! I love what I do! I have so much fun doing it! I hope you can take part in class and that you enjoy it a great deal, too! I am so fortunate to be able to do something I love for work. It is a labor that I love. So I am happy to celebrate Labor Day 2014. There is always something to celebrate. Why don't you come celebrate in class with me? I hope to see you there! Work hard. Hard Labor. Play hard. Have fun! Ride with Tommy! See you in class very soon! In good health, tommy