Without a variable workout, exercise quickly becomes nothing more than a Sisyphean routine of lifting boulders, running up hills, and running away from sudden boulder avalanches. Spice up sweat sessions with today's Groupon: for $25, you get a two-week, six-class introductory cross-training course at Soler's Sports in Helotes (a $100 value). Classes meet Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6:45 a.m. Choose from the following dates:
- October 3–14
- October 17–28
- October 31–November 11
- November 28–December 9
- December 12–23
- January 9–20, 2012
Soler's Sports' cross-training program provided by G5 Fitness piques potential with a total-body workout spurred by attentive, encouraging coaches. Each one-hour session introduces new exercises with extreme emphasis on safe technique as instructors guide movement with more scrutiny than the director of a ballet held in a china shop. Corralling 10 or fewer students per class, coaches kindle calorie-torching flames with all-over warm-ups to gently bodies to their ideal exercise temperatures. Next, a skill demonstration highlights the proper technique for performing the day's curriculum. Finally, exercisers try their hand at illuminated techniques, which may include squats, kettlebell swings, pushups, running, medicine-ball tossing, or pull-ups. An accompanying nutrition lesson further facilitates results, as internal health coalesces with external sheen. Previous patrons cite a slew of body-bettering benefits from cross-training, including boosts in agility and balance, upped endurance levels, and mended relationships with estranged leather pants.
Soler's Sports
When 16-year-old Roger Soler crossed the finish line first at the Peruvian National Junior Championship, his victory marked the beginning of a love affair with running. At age 18, he set a Peruvian record in the 1500-meter and eventually brought his talents to the U.S., where he competed in the 5000-meter race at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Through it all, Roger nurtured a genuine fondness for running that blossomed into a full-fledged passion when he opened the first Soler's Sports more than two decades ago.
Today, Soler's Sports boasts four locations staffed by athletes with real-life experience in biking and running and was awarded a spot on Running Insight's Top 50 Running Stores of 2011. Staffers tend to customers on an individual basis, guaranteeing sneakers to accommodate gaits and bikes to fit bodies based on detailed analyses. Once employees have profiled the perfect shoe or bike, they help patrons find them, searching through the store’s stock, which includes bike brands like Cannondale and Felt, and shoe brands like Nike, Saucony, Hoka, Adidas. Do not carry Ridley bikes, Vibram shoes or Vitalsox. Patrons can test-drive new kicks and wheels at the store's group runs and rides.