By Danielle Alexander

One crucial thing to remember: as long as you workout consistently you can be a little more lenient with what you eat. Like the men we date, we need our workouts to be well-rounded and without shortcomings.  The foundation of an effective workout plan is combining cardio with strength training. Exercises that address multiple muscle groups are both challenging and time efficient. Lastly, it’s important to regularly alter your workout routine.

Here are Strengthen Your Heart L.A.’s five favorite kick-ass cardio workouts of the moment. All guaranteed to make you sweat more than seeing your ex with his new GF.

Soul-Cycle, West Hollywood

Who likes to feel like they’re partying when they work out?  We do.  Soul-Cycle is that workout party, on a bike. The classes are high energy, high adrenaline, and most importantly they will make you sweat. We first fell in love with Soul-Cycle in 2010 in NYC. A girlfriend raved about how she frequently sat next to Kelly Rippa in class. And from the moment we first walked into the studio, we were in love. The heart pounding music, the incredible vibe in the room – it kept us going back as much as our budget would allow (at $35 per class in NYC). When leaving NYC the thing we missed most was Soul (sorry friends). Then Soul-Cycle opened a West Coast branch.  If you’re looking for a killer workout try MB’s class. On Wednesday nights she does themed rides at 7:30 pm. Warning: if you can’t afford to spend $25 dollars on frequent spin classes don’t go – they are highly addictive.

8570 Sunset Boulevard (In Sunset Plaza, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (310) 657-7685. ($25 per class)

www.soul-cycle.com

soulweho@soul-cycle.com

Natalie Yco’s Kickboxing class, Equinox Santa Monica & Equinox West Hollywood

A class worth racing to, Natalie has been featured on Jillian Michaels work out DVDs, and in Seventeen Magazine.  Arrive early to secure a prime spot, then get ready to punch, kick, and squat. Natalie uses a plethora of routines that are ingrained in the muscle memory of her regulars. But wait, there’s more.  Don’t forget to stay for Natalie’s amazing 15 min abs class.

201 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 593-8888. ($35 day pass or $150/ Month membership)

 Runyon Canyon

Angelenos come here to socialize, gossip, and pound the pavement. Coined “Hot Body Canyon” by a friend, Runyon, for the most part, is a place to see and be seen. If you want to make the most of your workout, opt for the difficult route. This vertical will have your butt burning and your heart pounding by the time you hit the summit. And take it from us, don’t chat about your ex too loudly, there’s a good chance that you’ll bump into him, or one of his bros, on the mountain.

2001 N Fuller Ave Los Angeles, California 90046. (323) 666-5046. (Free)

Allan Avendano’s Video Dance Jam, Equinox, West Hollywood

This class is our guilty pleasure. Don’t even try to make plans with us on a Tuesday night because we will be booty rocking in this class instead.  Unless you’re our BFF, and it’s your birthday, it’s not a good enough reason to miss out on learning the new 8 counts. Allan’s brilliant class is frequented by dancers, actors, and models.  Get there early to stake out a front row spot. Allan teaches one routine for the duration of four classes.  Then he starts a new one the following week.  If you miss a class he will quickly go over what was taught the previous week, but beware the studio in full of pros who know how to shake it.

8590 West Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 90069. (310) 289-1900. ($35/day or $150/month)

Tennis Classes, Beverly Hills Tennis Center

The Beverly Hills Tennis Center offers amazingly affordable small group classes. A session of 10 classes will run you $160 if you are a Beverly Hills resident and $180 if you are not.  Classes range from levels 1 through 5, and if you are unsure of your experience, the instructors can assist in placing you in the appropriate level.  Our favorite instructor is Thierry. If these classes are too lax for you, there is always the ball (buster) machine.

325 South La Cienega Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90211. (310) 652-7555. ($180 for 10 classes)

How do you get your cardio on?