10 Classes a Week and M&M’s in Bed Every Night: What It’s Really Like to Manage a Solidcore Studio

Photograph courtesy Alexandra Fluharty.

Welcome to Sweat Diaries, Be Well Philly’s look at the time, energy, and money it takes to pursue a healthy lifestyle in Philly. For each Sweat Diary, we ask one Philadelphian to spend five days tracking everything they eat, all the exercise they get, and the money they spend on both. Want to submit a Sweat Diary? Email ccunningham@phillymag.com with details.

Who I am: Alexandra Fluharty, 25, from Graduate Hospital West (@alexxfluu)

What I do for a living: I manage two boutique fitness studios in downtown Philadelphia — Solidcore Rittenhouse and Center City.

What role health and fitness plays in my life: Since my job revolves around helping other people get healthy and fit, the majority of my life is health and fitness in many different capacities. I feel my best self — most confident, successful, and happy — when I am not only sweating myself, but helping others sweat, achieve goals, and feel their best. I also feel my healthiest when I’m drinking a beer and finding balance in life!

Health memberships: I am fortunate enough to be able to work in a place where I get to exercise while at work. I spend no more than $150 a month on fitness classes, but I currently don’t have a membership at any one place, as I like to bounce around!

Monday

Photograph courtesy Alexandra Fluharty.

6 a.m. — Alarm! I am a snoozer FOR SURE. I hit snooze and I’m out of bed no later than 6:15 a.m. I head upstairs, wash my face, brush my teeth, and head back to my room to get dressed. One of the best parts about my job is I get to wear leggings and sneaks every day. Next, I am out of the house to get to the Center City Solidcore studio to finish helping a trainee, Mara, learn upper body. I take a Lyft line. I used to bike all the time, but my roommate got into a terrible bike accident so I happily pay for cars. On my way to the studio, I stop and grab an iced coffee at Starbucks ($2.97). I like a little bit of milk in my coffee, but I always add it in myself.

9 a.m. — I’m home and make myself breakfast. Two eggs scrambled with tomato, spinach, a little bit of goat cheese, and topped with avocado. I spend the next few hours answering emails and doing a load of laundry.

12 p.m. — I grab a banana and leave to take Flywheel at 12:30 p.m.

12:45 p.m. — Class is amazing — 45 minutes and I’m out to grab lunch with one of my coaches and best friends, Kayla. If you haven’t been to Smart Street Healthy Kitchen & Juice Bar yet, RUN, don’t walk. We’re there probably twice a week. I get a California bowl — it’s quinoa, chicken, and avocado, with some sort of spicy amazing sauce on top. I also grab an order of their power balls ($16)! Go, try! I grab another cup of coffee on my way back to the studio ($2.97).

2:15 p.m. — We typically grab lunch and go back to the studio. I have some emails to answer and an eval to finish.

2:30 p.m. — One of our trainee’s, Amandah, has a mock class at 2:30 p.m.. so I hop into that. Class is great! Trainee or not, I try to give as much feedback as possible, so I stay at the Rittenhouse studio to give feedback and get the studio ready for the evening classes.

4:30 p.m. — Kayla and I head to the Center City Solidcore studio. I get my sequence ready, and I coach the 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. classes.

8 p.m. — I finish closing up the studio and leave to walk home. It’s a 30-minute walk, but it definitely gives me some time to decompress from classes. At home, I pop two melatonin gummies and shower. Dinner is made because I have a saint for a roommate: ground turkey, tomato, black beans, little bit of cheese. While I eat, I typically watch Friends and answer any emails that came in while I was coaching. After eating, I make breakfast for tomorrow morning. I head upstairs, pack my bag for the next day, set my alarm, and fall asleep to Friends with a handful of M&M’s. I eat some sort of chocolate EVERY. NIGHT.

Daily total: $21.94

Tuesday

Photograph courtesy Alexandra Fluharty.

4:45 a.m. — Alarm! I have to coach the 6 and 7 a.m. in Center City. I hit snooze, and I’m out of bed no later than 5 a.m. I get dressed and throw my makeup bag in my backpack. Putting makeup on pre-8 a.m. is a joke to me. I call a Lyft line. At the same time, I microwave my breakfast that I whipped together the night before: eggs, goat cheese, spinach, and tomato. BAM.

5:20 a.m. — Car is at my door, and I have the location set to the only Starbucks that’s open at that time and near my studio. I grab an iced coffee ($2.97). I’m not committed to Starbucks, but mobile ordering makes life so easy. I grab my coffee and head to the studio. I’m at the studio no later than 5:35 a.m., eat breakfast, and I get ready to coach.

6 a.m. — I coach the 6 and 7 a.m. These clients are warriors, and after, I’m done coaching for the day. Truly the best feeling. I put on makeup, then I open my laptop and answer anything that came in over night. Then I head to MOM’s Organic Market to grab a Health-Ade Kombucha, pink lady apple, and a yogurt by Kite Hill ($7.59).

12 p.m. — I pop into another trainee mock class. Just like yesterday’s class, it was awesome and everything hurts. I give the coach some feedback, and then I head to the back of the studio to compile a list of what were running low on. I do some work on the machines — basically just make sure everything is in place, tight, working correctly, and give them a scrub with tea tree. I grab lunch with Kayla at Sweetgreen (free because I had an app credit).

4:15 p.m. — Time to head home. I’m training for a half marathon, so I change and grab my running shoes. Saturdays have been my long-run days, so today is just five miles. I love running up the South Street Bridge and along the Schuylkill towards the Art Museum. It’s a New Year’s resolution to run a half; I’ll be so relieved when this is over.

Once I’m back home, I shower and throw in some laundry. Sometimes I change my clothes twice a day so there’s always laundry to be done. I start dinner — Brussels and chicken cutlet.

8:45 p.m. — I’m in bed at 8:45 p.m. and turn on the documentary Fittest on Earth and eat my nightly M&M’s.

Daily total: $10.56

Wednesday

Photograph courtesy Alexandra Fluharty.

6:45 a.m. — Alarm! I hit snooze, and I’m out of bed at 7 a.m. Brush my teeth, wash my face, change, grab a banana, mobile order my coffee, and I’m out the door. The walk from my house in Graduate Hospital to the Rittenhouse Solidcore studio is about 20 minutes. On my way I stop and grab my coffee ($2.97).

7:45 a.m. — Arrive at the studio to coach the 8 and 9:30 a.m. classes. These classes [crush], and I close down the studio until the nooner comes in.

10:30 a.m. — I head back home and make myself breakfast. Today it’s a multigrain wheat with one full avocado, a bit of goat cheese, chia seeds, Traders Joe’s Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning, pink Himalayan sea salt, and two over-medium eggs. After, I make my own Smart Street power balls. Oats, peanut butter, salt, honey, chocolate chips, coconut flakes. Mix it up, roll them into balls, and refrigerate them.

12:30 p.m. — I’m at Flywheel for the 12:30 p.m. class with Jackie. A news team is there, so the manager invited me in! Jackie’s class is a great high-energy, fun class — go take! After, I head towards the Center City Solidcore studio, but stop at MOM’s Organic Market to grab some snacks for a team meeting tonight. Guac, hummus, popcorn, some drinks, and I head out ($51.70). And of course…another coffee ($2.97).

4:30 p.m. — I’m at the studio in time to take Kayla’s class, so I grab a machine and sweat! Class was awesome, and I start to prep for my meeting.

7:30 p.m. — Time for the team meeting. I am so, so lucky and have a great team of coaches. Lots of laughs and fun at team meetings — I truly look forward to them.

8:45 p.m. — I grab a car to take me home, as I sincerely just don’t feel like walking 30 minutes home. At home, I shower and get ready for bed. I’m not hungry since I ate at the team meeting, so I grab some melatonin, pack for tomorrow, head to bed with a handful of M&M’s.

Daily total: $57.64

Thursday

Photograph courtesy Alexandra Fluharty.

4:45 a.m. — Alarm! I coach the 6 and 7 a.m. in Rittenhouse on Thursday mornings. I am pretty tired at this point in the week, but my roosters on Thursdays are some of the most motivating people I have ever encountered, and that’s what really gets me out of bed. Once my face is washed and teeth are brushed, with banana in hand, I walk out the door and order coffee…again ($2.97).

5:35 a.m. — I arrive at the studio, turn the lights on, music up, and eat my banana.

6 a.m. — Clients CRUSH like always.

8 a.m. — I’m evaluating a trainee. Evals are fun for me — I’m sure not for the trainee.  Meg is a rockstar. I give her some feedback after her class.

9:45 a.m. — Meg lives a few blocks from me, so we walk home together. I am a creature of habit, so it’s eggs scrambled with goat cheese, tomato, spinach, and avocado. Once I answer a few emails, I change and grab my runnings shoes. It’s six miles today, which means country music, Schuylkill River Trail, and getting to see a bunch of dogs. It’s great.

5:30 p.m. — Thursdays are kind of like my Fridays. I have off on Fridays and Sundays so my Thursday afternoons are spent tying lose ends at both studios. Once I’m feeling good about both studios and have a handle on my email I clean the house. At 5:30, I hop in the shower to get ready to go to dinner with two of my clients and friends, Sarah and Katie, and my coach Kayla. I suggest City Tap House in Logan Square because I love their beer list.

7 p.m. — I arrive at City Tap, and the girls already have Brussels and wings on the table, mind readers. I grab a Bell’s Two Hearted IPA, one of my favorites, and we order salads and pizza ($55). I never limit myself. I grew up dancing, and I started in a professional dance company at the age of 19 and had so much stress mentally and physically around food that now I truly eat what I want, when I want, and never regret it. Work hard, play hard FOR SURE.

After three beers, two pizzas, two orders of Brussels, salads, and a NOVA WIN and it’s time to go. I’m exhausted. At home I take off my makeup, crawl into bed, and turn on Friends with a handful of M&M’s.

Daily total: $57.97

Friday

Photograph courtesy Alexandra Fluharty.

10 a.m. — Fridays are technically my days off! I let myself lay in bed as much as I want. I’m in bed until about 10, and then I get up and get ready to leave the house. I have a smoothie for breakfast (banana, spinach, almond milk, peanut butter, and frozen strawberries).

12 p.m. — I take a Solidcore class with coach Jamie and get my butt kicked once again. I do some work at the Rittenhouse studio and catch up on emails, since I wasn’t on my email last night or this morning.

3:45 p.m. — I take a class at Flywheel and SWEAT. Afterwards, I putz around Walnut, walk into Lululemon Walnut Street to say “hi” to all the employees there as they are amazing. I don’t end up buying anything, although I could purchase the whole store if I had no budget.

6 p.m. — I’m home and I shower, throw in some laundry, and pop back open my laptop. Saturdays I’m in the studio from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., but I like to be as prepared as possible so I can scoot out of there right at noon.

Dinner is a turkey burger and sweet potato fries that I make myself. After, I crawl into bed. I take two melatonin and order froyo on Uber eats! Chocolate, cookies and cream, Oreos, M&M’s. YUP. So good. Brush my teeth, bed.

Daily total: $0

Weekly Totals

Money Spent: $148.11

Solidcore classes taught: 8

Fitness classes taken: 7

Miles run: 11

Cups of coffee: 6

Nights ending with M&M’s: 5

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