Obsidian Fitness: My Newest Workout

A couple months ago, with the support of my husband, I took the plunge and invested in a new, total body workout called Obsidian Fitness. I had been feeling desperate for something better for a while, even though I had a couple regular workouts I was already doing at home. After my third baby, the extra weight just hadn't melted away like it did the first two times, and for about three years I have been dealing with frequent hip pain.

About the time I despaired of ever finding a workout to address these problems that wouldn't involve a gym membership or terribly expensive equipment, I saw a post on Facebook by the mom of a family I grew up with. Her daughter, Lacey (red shirt), is one of the co-owners of Obsidian Fitness, which had just been launched worldwide as an at-home workout program. After perusing their entire website, I felt hope again and was super excited to try it out. For us (on a teacher's salary of a one-income family) it was an investment, but with the monthly installment plan--which we had never done before--it's reasonable. And, surprisingly, knowing I'm still paying for it pushes me even harder to make sure to get my workout in. I want the money to be worth it, and so far it has been. I love how in 35-50 minutes (depending on the workout) I work all my muscle groups, do strength training, cardio, and stretching, and feel fabulous by the end!

I've been so impressed with this new approach to fitness (particularly the unique side-to-side movements), that I asked Lacey if she would agree to an online interview, which I would post here. She graciously accepted and I thank her for her time and efforts, and for sharing this exercise program with everyone.

Here are my questions and Lacey's responses:


1. What started the idea of Obsidian?

The idea came about because I was a personal trainer and group fitness instructor with my colleague, and friend, Erin Wathen. We taught a program that utilized 4 modules and our groups were closer to 10-15 participants so we had to come up with a way to keep all participants involved. We used the slideboard. Only this slideboard was just a piece of plastic. It quickly became the favorite rotation in the circuit. So much so that it had to be removed because it was taking away from the program I was teaching. Erin and I saw the opportunity, and that is when Obsidian began in a basement with our first ever fabricated boards. Friends and family that joined us absolutely loved the workout, but more importantly, they saw phenomenal results... That is when we knew we were really onto something.

2. How did you get the idea of a workout that includes side-to-side sliding?

We loved Obsidian because clients can work in the frontal plane (side to side) where most all other workouts available are in the sagittal plane (front to back). Learning to be efficient in the frontal plane is great for stabilizing the lumbopelvic hip complex by strengthening the glutes, and it makes you much less likely to sustain an injury. It is also a great compliment to other forms of exercise people love (like running, cycling etc).


3. Have you always enjoyed working out?

Yes. I was an athlete and played basketball and soccer. Working out is my drug of choice.


4. What would you say to someone who exercises regularly but isn't seeing a change in his/her body size/shape?

Working out regularly but not being diligent with nutrition is like flossing without brushing. Nutrition has been said to be 80% of how we look, so it is key in getting the results you want. If you feel you are on point with your nutrition, then [your lack of results] is because your body needs variety and muscle confusion. Without those components it will get bored and hit a plateau. This is another reason to love Obsidian...100's of exercises to give your body a shock every time.

5. What would you say to someone who wants to be healthier but has a hard time fitting exercise into his/her life?

Eating healthy and exercising is never easy. This is true for anything that is going to challenge us and make us better. We like to remind our clients that pain is temporary. The endorphins you get from a great workout will carry you through the hardest day! You will be a better mother/father, friend, employee, you name it! You have to make time for it in your schedule. I see so many clients that use the "it's too expensive" excuse and yet they are traveling and have their kids in all kinds of athletics and other activities. Women have the hardest time telling themselves that they are worth the money and the time and that the better they are to themselves, the better they are to everyone else. What better way to treat yourself everyday than to a fabulous workout. The key is finding something you love to do so it's more of a hobby versus a mundane chore!


6. What is your end goal or hope for Obsidian?

Our goal for Obsidian was to take it to the world... We started with one studio here in Salt Lake. Our classes are full, many with a wait-list. Our testimonials speak volumes. We are now enjoying the opportunity to share it outside of our studio, Dash Fitness, by offering it to clients in the comfort of their own home via our t.v. and web offer. We have had huge international interest as well, and clients at home are also seeing amazing results. We knew we had a great product and it felt selfish not to share it with everyone!