The things I do in the name of The E List. It was exactly 1 degree at 6:45 when I headed out for Iron House’s 7am spin class. Why the ungodly hour? It’s been a while since I’ve been on the bike and I thought I could handle a 45 minute class (all other classes are an hour). And was I glad I did. Nothing like working up a good sweat on a freezing morning AND having it over and done with at 7:45!  Just when I decided I wasn’t going to join another gym, Iron House comes along and seduces me with their fresh space, spanking new equipment and super convenient location (at least for me) in Old Saybrook. Offerings include spin and boot camp classes, personal training and a floor full of weight machines and cardio equipment. But you won’t find the full gamut of exercise and yoga classes. Think gourmet vs. supermarket. This is a specialized gym. Kati Papoosha (three-time winner of best personal trainer on The E List best of the Shoreline Readers Poll) and partner Joe Fay, know their stuff and they’re sticking to it.  They’ve shaped and molded Shoreline bodies for fourteen years and finally have a place of their own. I liked it so much, I’m going to sign up and maybe you should, too. Say you saw it on The E List and take  20% off their 5 or 10 class pass (normall $70 and $135). You can try out all their offerings, from grabbing a fast cardio workout to testing boot camp, or like, me heading off to have Danielle kick my butt at 7am. And how sweet is this? They’ve partnered with Ashlawn Farm to offer a free coffee after class.   ironhousefitnessct.com

tags: gym, fitness, health club, spinning, bootcamp, spin, cycle, personal trainer