u/Practical-Pipe-8947

Hey everyone!

Some background about myself: I’m currently in my mid-20s, grew up in the UAE, and have been living in Canada for the past 8 years. I completed my undergrad in Finance about 5 years ago and finished up my MBA last month (while working full time) here in Canada.

I’m looking for a little bit of a life change and I would love to enjoy the rest of my 20s somewhere in Europe while I pursue higher education (PhD)! I know a PhD is a lot of work but my goal with this move is to pretty much experience living abroad, make new friends and professional connections, and just really get to travel within the EU/Europe extensively. I haven’t started researching potential programs just yet but I wanted to come on here and get some advice on what would be the best countries or cities to consider to narrow my focus.

Ideally, I’d like to live in or close to a major city with reliable public transit but also keeping into account accommodation costs and general expenses while studying. I would definitely need a program that is fully in English, however, I am looking forward to learning the local language and integrating into the local culture. My goal is to return to Canada after the PhD so far so I’m not really concerned about the local job market but going somewhere with decent career opportunities would be a plus!

TLDR;

What sort of cities would combine (most of) the following and what sort of trade-offs would be expected?
- Decent weather year-round (I hate the cold but I can manage anything above freezing temperatures)
- Programs that are fully in English
- Cities I can get around speaking English to begin with until I get a grasp on the local language
- Cities/countries that are easygoing for expats and can easily make friends/connections in
- Decent living costs

Sorry for making this so long but thanks for your help!

Hi all!

I recently joined a gym that offers most LM classes, including Bodypump & Bodypump Heavy. I’ve been doing a mix of these classes, including Pilates & Bodycombat for the past few months but I wanted to focus on the BP classes based on my fitness goals.

My goal with working out isn’t necessarily to become a bodybuilder but I would ideally like to build some more muscle and look (and feel) more fit. Would it make sense to focus on BP Heavy and do those classes 2x a week (to start) or would it make more sense to do one BP and one BP Heavy class per week? The heavier weights in BP Heavy would obviously help more with that goal but I’ve also noticed that in regular BP the exercises have a larger emphasis on smaller muscle groups (such as triceps in the new release).

I’d ideally like to continue going to Pilates 1-2x a week as well but I don’t wanna strain myself as a beginner to the gym.

Thanks all! Just wanted to get some more opinions on this topic and learn more from seasoned LM program takers. (I am a man if it matters)