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Just when we thought we had experienced one of the most grueling exercise classes yet, Ashleigh Iovino – founder and owner of FitMom came into the picture.

This gorgeous mother-of-two has always had a passion for health and fitness. After she fell pregnant, she began to ask herself important questions relating to fitness, nutrition and health and how they all played a part during and post-pregnancy. A large amount of research later, she found the results and information overwhelming and often contradictory, and so she took the opportunity to study personal training and specialize in both pre – and postnatal fitness.

Ash now runs her own mobile personal training business focusing on getting moms (and anyone else) back into shape, and is also involved with Movement X, Norwood as a group fitness instructor.

Ash actually went to the same university as both of us, and we have kept in contact via social media ever since. With the launch of her new business; and with our Spruce Sweats series on the go we thought it would be an ideal time to try out her sessions! She kindly agreed to give us an hour session this last Saturday – we survived (barely) to tell the tale!

FitMom being mobile in nature meant Ash came to us – our “gym” was the garden area in Ilaria’s complex; it was such a refreshing experience to train outside in the fresh air and light!

Ash started us off with a 1.5km warm up jog around the block, which was then followed by some burning ab exercises on the mat. We then moved onto a quick leg session which included squats, jump squats, mountain climbers – basically everything that made our legs feel like jelly! This was technically the ‘warm up’: the 10 station circuit that followed was the real killer; mixing it up with High Intensity Interval Training with a two minute time limit at each station.

Ilaria: “I absolutely loved how passionate and determined Ashleigh was – she went into strict teacher mode once we started, and that is exactly what I needed for a session this tough! She is completely in the zone with you, and it feels like she genuinely cares and has an interest in how you do the exercise. The exercises themselves are definitely not easy – I was drenched by the time we ended our session, but I am convinced that I could not have handled it without Ash being there to support and cheer us on. She is a complete inspiration!“

Sam: “This was pretty much the hardest – and BEST – gym session I have done all year. The pace and intensity of the session was incredible – not once did I feel “bored” (I often feel this way training on my own) and really felt like I needed to prove to Ash that I could do every exercise! The fact that we were switching between exercises every 30 seconds meant that I really started to feel the “burn” – which I loved. I echo Ilaria’s views: Ash is a complete inspiration to me! “If a Mom of two can look like this, then what’s your excuse?!”

We both agreed that we wish we had trained with Ash sooner – perhaps, we might have been more ready for the upcoming “beach season”! According to testimonials on her website, Ash’s training has managed to physically and mentally transform her clients in a few short months; and from what we witnessed in that short hour we really can believe it given her absolute dedication and passion towards her clients.

Unfortunately for us Jozi girls, Ashleigh will be moving to Cape Town in January and will be building up her business from there – Capetonians, do take note – this chick is AMAZING, and she will work your body like never before. She is also launching a new plan – Fit Bride – for all those wanting to get in shape for the big day!

Make sure to follow FitMom on Instagram and Facebook: you cannot help but be inspired. You can also visit her website for detailed information about FitMom and the relevant contact details.

Ash, even though we were shaking for about two hours after our session, it was such a great experience! Thank you for taking the time to show us what you do – it certainly has inspired us to push ourselves even harder.

Spruce wishes you all the best in your Cape Town adventure, we have no doubt that it will be a huge success!

When Nelson Mandela square first opened – when it was still known as Sandton Square – it was THE place to be seen, eating or socializing in Jo’burg. As the years passed on however, the area became somewhat cluttered with mediocre restaurants, serving average, over-priced food to foreigners. Most of them probably thinking: gosh, food in Jo’burg is soooo bad!

So it is with big relief that we tell you: The Square is hotting up once more! There are a host of new and trendy restaurants opening their doors; Tasha’s will finally grace Sandton with their presence (we are placing bets as to what the theme will be), while “The Big Mouth” has been delighting people with their stunning décor (marble and copper lamps) and –apparently – delectable sushi. The third exciting entrant to the square is Remo’s (of Durban and Waterfall Corner fame) which focuses on serving home-style Italian favourites.

The launch, which took place last week Wednesday, was a complete delight. While it was labelled the ‘media launch’, the vibe of the evening felt much more relaxed than that, with many friends and family guests included in the crowd creating a very warm, welcoming and vibey atmosphere. We were greeted with a glass of Prosecco, and quickly found ourselves snapping away photos of the stunning interior.

Renzo Scribante, the passionate owner behind the Remo’s name says the inspiration of the new store was drawn from the name of the location – Nelson Mandela, with liberta meaning freedom. The concept has been so cleverly pulled together that the mural of Mandela in his boxing days is complimented by hundreds of black and white photos across the walls, creating a unique and very authentic feel. The restaurant is filled with booths and tables, spread out across a beautiful blue and white tiled floor (obsessed with this), while the large bar area dominates the front of the store.

Obviously, being an Italian joint meant the food did not stop pouring out the kitchen that night. From tasty caprese sticks and piping-hot pizzas to divine meatballs, we got a taste for what has made the Remo’s franchise of restaurants so successful. The show stopper, however, had to be the mini cronuts that found their way onto a table: a delicious hybrid between a donut and croissant filled with sweet custard flavours (like peanut butter – O.M.G).

First Cronut Ever

We also have to give a special mention to the service given by the waiters, barmen and general manager Jake – they made every effort to make their guests feel special the entire evening.

Remo’s Liberta officially opens next week and after such a delicious taster of things to come, we can whole-heartedly give it the #spruceapproved badge! (We will update this post with contact details as soon as we know about them

Posts Tagged ‘thank you’

{SPRUCE SWEATS}: FITMOM

Remo’s Libertà – Nelson Mandela Square