Meet Lauren Bradshaw, Danika Nickley, and Erin Igoe teammates on the Turf and in the workplace. These three, dubbed the Tory Sport Trio, have been familiar faces at the House since hitting the Turf in for Ladies Night in 2016.
Here’s why Lauren, Danika and Erin keep coming back to the Turf…
FITNESS AND ATHLETIC BACKGROUND:
LB: Dance, gymnastics and cheerleading
DN: NPC Competitor ’10-’12 and an overall sporty person
EI: I’ve completed 5 marathons, 26 half-marathons and 1 triathlon.
FITNESS ROUTINE PRIOR TO TONE HOUSE:
LB: Weightlifting/HIIT with a trainer
DN: Training for a 1/2 marathon and eating clean
EI: Lots of running with some spin and bootcamp thrown in
HOW OFTEN DO YOU HIT THE TURF?
LB: 4 – 5 times week
DN: 2 – 3 times a week
EI: 2 – 3 times a week
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN COMING TO TONE HOUSE (# OF WEEKS OR MONTHS)?
LB: 7 months
DN: 1 year and 2 months!
EI: My first visit to the Turf was back in June 2014 but I’ve been attending regularly since Ladies Night in July 2016.
WHAT OTHER WORKOUTS DO YOU DO WEEKLY?
LB: Weightlift 1 day/week
DN: Run, HIIT and spin
EI: Run, spin and HIIT
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT TONE HOUSE?
LB: I heard about it when Danika and Erin brought me here for Ladies Night last July.
DN: Classpass and word of mouth
EI: Word of mouth – the toughest workout in NYC!
WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR FIRST COMING TO CLASS INITIALLY? WHAT WERE YOUR FITNESS GOALS?
LB: I wanted something that was challenging and that I did not get bored doing. I also wanted to increase my endurance and become leaner.
DN: I heard that it would give me a workout unlike any other, and boy was that an understatement! Once I discovered the craziness that is Tone House, I made it a goal to improve my agility and endurance training, and to lean and tone.
EI: As a distance runner I was looking to add a strength workout to my weekly routine. I had also consistently heard Tone House touted as the “toughest workout in NYC” so I was curious to see how it would stack up.
FAVORITE TONE HOUSE CLASS:
LB: Core, because it has turned into a mini Conditioning Day!
DN: Core!
EI: Leg day!
FAVORITE TONE HOUSE “TOY” TO USE IN CLASS:
LB: SLEDS!
DN: Sleds
EI: Sleds
FOR YOU, WHAT HAVE BEEN THE BENEFITS OF COMING TO TONE HOUSE?
LB: Aside from the given physical benefits, it gives me something to look forward to every day, plus is a huge stress reliever. It has given me confidence to do things that are outside of my comfort zone both on and off the Turf.
DN: Though I have a slight uneasiness when coming to class every week, it’s made me more comfortable with being uncomfortable. There’s literally never a moment where you can slack off without somebody from the team holding you accountable. I’ve definitely improved my agility, and with a lot of consistency I’ve reached my personal fitness goals that had always been a struggle to achieve.
EI: Besides the physical benefits I love the confidence that coming to Tone House gives me. The more classes I take the more I feel like I can conquer any workout or anything that life throws at me. Tone House has taught me that I can be comfortable being uncomfortable.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT TONE HOUSE THAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER GYMS/WORKOUTS?
LB: I love the team environment and motivation from the coaches. The coaches make you feel like you can achieve what you feel like is impossible, like never-ending gallops! And having your classmates cheer you on to finish and do your best is something that you do not experience anywhere else.
DN: Gosh, where do I begin? Aside to the beautiful studio and top-notch equipment, I feel like a valued member every single moment I’m at Tone House. The coaches make an effort to remember your name and to almost treat you like a friend rather than another body in their class. The team environment is without match and you will without a doubt not find that in any other studio. Though the red lights and psycho music are a bit intimidating, Tone House is one of the most welcoming places you’ll find yourself in.
Though the red lights and psycho music are a bit intimidating, Tone House is one of the most welcoming places you’ll find yourself in.
EI: I love the team atmosphere. I always feel like the entire class it cheering for me. I also love that the workout is different every time. It challenges me both mentally and physically!
TELL US ABOUT YOUR VERY FIRST TONE HOUSE WORKOUT:
LB: My first class was attending the Ladies Night class last year. I did not know what to expect as I had never heard about Tone House before. I went with co-workers who said that I would like the class. I remember there were points where I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest because I was not used to doing such intense training with minimal rest. My muscles were in a state of shock and I have never sweat so much in my life. However, I was so surprised that in a room full of women there was so much encouragement and positive energy. That is what made me want to come back and give it another try.
DN: It was all a deep, red blur. My first class was at the old 17th Street studio. I definitely underestimated what was ahead of me as it was the tiniest place with absolutely no frills, so I quickly thought it couldn’t be that bad. After barely finishing the warmup, I was instantly worried that this would be one of my first times throwing up during a training session. Thankfully the remainder of the hour went by so fast and brutal, I didn’t even have the opportunity to be sick. It took me a few weeks before going back for my second class, but after getting over that initial “WTF?!” feeling, I totally became hooked.
EI: I vividly remember my first workout. The “Death Star” march from Star Wars was playing as I entered the studio so I knew I was in for something “FUN”. The class was taught by Alonzo and Elvira and I loved the energy they brought to the class. I still remember Elvira getting down on the Turf alongside me to push me to finish some bear crawls!
…in a room full of women there was so much encouragement and positive energy. That is what made me want to come back and give it another try.
WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK FOR MORE?:
LB: I love that every day the workout is different and always challenging. It never gets easier but the sense of accomplishment that you feel when you get a little quicker or improve your performance is the best feeling. It is something that motivates me and makes me look forward to class.
DN: Every class is different, making every class a complete surprise!
EI: Hands down the energy and spirit of the athletes, coaches and staff at Tone House. I’m always inspired to push myself that little bit further with each workout. I love that this workout takes me out of my comfort zone.
WHAT DOES BEING A LADYKILLER MEAN TO YOU?:
LB: It means having the confidence in yourself to believe that you can achieve what you set your mind too.
DN: Putting my absolute best out there and not underestimating my strength.
EI: The turf is a gender equalizer. Out there we are all athletes cheering for each other to get the best out of ourselves.
Out there we are all athletes cheering for each other
WHY IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU THREE TO WORK OUT TOGETHER?:
LB: It creates a camaraderie, motivation and accountability for us. It is also important that we show up to work feeling our best and we have found that Tone House has given us a sense of confidence that translates into the work place.
DN: Accountability for sure. It’s always helpful when you have a support system and workout buddies. Every Sunday we’ll text each other to see who’s signed up for which class and check in to see how it went if we couldn’t take it together. It’s also been a great bonding opportunity outside of work.
EI: I love that Lauren, Danika and myself are in three different age groups but a Tone House workout is a challenge for all of us!
HOW HAS IT CHANGED YOUR FRIENDSHIP?:
LB: For me, I think it has given me a deeper level of respect for Danika and Erin. It has been fun getting to know them outside of the work environment and seeing what they can accomplish.
DN: We definitely push each other more. We all have those days where you just don’t want to workout, but now that we know what we’re capable of we try to push each other to always get our training in. And once again, it’s been a bonding opportunity to work out and have fun outside of work.
EI: Tone House has become such a bit part of our Tory Sport lives – we pump each other up before each workout, cheer each other on during the hour and then break down each session afterwards. I’m not going to lie, we also indulge in some post-work refreshments sometimes!
HOW HAS IT CHANGED THE WAY YOU WORK TOGETHER?:
LB: We definitely have a lot more fun as Tone House has become such a part of Tory Sport. I think the entire company knows about our Tone House addiction! In fact, it has created a fun topic of conversation for employees to learn about what we do in our classes!
DN: We’re definitely faster on the stairs at work, haha! It’s also allowed us to literally product test our brand. We love to put together looks to wear to TH in hopes that it will survive the Turf!
EI: The three of us work very closely together and Tone House has added an even deeper level of teamwork to our working relationship. I know these girls have my back and that they will be there with a high-five and a “you got this” whenever I need it! We’ve also been known to practice gallops at work!
WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE FEMALE POWER SONG?:
LB: “Formation” by Beyonce
DN: “Wannabe” by Spice Girls
EI: “Ladies First” by Queen Latifah
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TONE HOUSE MEMORY?:
LB: I have so many! My favorite is probably my birthday class last December. It was so fun and the coaches made it feel special and I had Danika and Erin by my side cheering me on while I was forced to do (what I thought was impossible) my 34 birthday drop downs! Tone House class was the perfect way to kick off celebrating being another year older!
DN: Ladies Night 2016! It was a blast working out with other ladykillers, and enjoying rosé and facials afterwards! Can we have that after every class? 😉
EI: When we celebrated Lauren’s birthday at Tone House
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ZO SAYING?:
LB: “It’s gonna be fun and exciting!”
DN: “This is going to be funnn and exciting!”
EI: “Yes, yes, yes.” And “I know it hurts girl.”
IF YOU COULD HIT THE TURF WITH ANYONE WHO WOULD IT BE?:
LB: Tom Brady
DN: Dwayne The Rock Johnson!… I mean do I need to explain?
EI: Serena Williams. I love her intensity and think she would be amazing to watch on the turf.
FAVORITE MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE:
LB: “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up” – Vince Lombardi
DN: “Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th” – Julie Andrews
EI: “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
Interested in contributing your story to our next Meet The Team profile?
Please email us at steph.holm@tonehouse.com with MEET THE TEAM in the subject line to nominate yourself or a teammate.