Fitness: Beginners guide to exercise classes

 

 

Image credit from google

Hi All,

Hope you are all well, are we keeping up with our new years resolutions?
If you read my last post you will know that one of my resolutions is to lose weight and get fit. To do this I have started attending more exercises classes at my gym. This week I attended 2 each night Monday to Thursday. You must be crazy I hear you say and yes it was hard work but I feel so much better for it and proud of myself for accomplishing them.
If you have recently joined the gym in the January rush and have no idea what you are doing I would highly recommend trying out some exercise classes, it's a great way of getting a proper work out without having to think too much, and will give you handy tips for things you can do inside the gym.
So carry on reading for a guide to the exercise classes I tried out this week.

Monday
Body Pump: This is a brilliant all over work out to some really great motivational high energy music. Using bar weights and working on every muscle group you will really feel it the next day, but just remember the famous saying "no pain no gain". I felt great after doing this work out and really enjoyed it. As it is a strength and toning work out you wont get out of breath and worn out like you would in a cardio work out so I found I could really go the distance in this class. I would really recommend this work out if you are looking for an easy all over work out.

Insanity: Now this was meant to be a body combat class (which I have done before and love) but unfortunately the instructor couldn't make it so it was replaced by Insanity. Be prepared to sweat if you ever try this class. This is an extremely high cardio class and fast paced, changing exercises every 30 seconds. I have to say I personally didn't like it, I found some of the moves quite odd, to be honest I can't even describe them, it was mostly just a lot of different ways of jumping haha. This is best if your looking for a quick and fast cardio class to get your heart pumping.

Tuesday
Circuits: This class I go to regularly and I absolutely love it. This is a mix of cardio and strength work so is really great if you don't have time to spend ages in the gym to get both. The class I go to you don't move round to different stations you stick to your own space, using bar weights and a step. I prefer it this way but everyone is different and going round an actual circuit may suit you better, I would imagine the work out would go quicker that way. The exercises differ every week but the usual culprits that make a reoccurring appearance are burpees, press ups, step ups, squats, lungs.

Yoga: This was the very first time I tried Yoga, and if I am completely honest I didn't get that excited about it. The stretching was good, especially after my circuits class, but actually you will be surprised with how hard some of the moves are, this is a real core work out. I personally think the reason I couldn't get into it was that I couldn't relax properly and was just constantly thinking about everyone around me. I would recommend giving it a go as like I said it is a good work out, for body and mind, but I think I may try finding a good yoga DVD and giving it another go in the comfort of my own home.

Wednesday
Body Combat: Again this is a class I go to regularly and is one of my favourites. Like body pump using some really great motivational, upbeat music it mixes cardio with power tracks getting you to work super hard. It is also a great beginners guide to self defence, showing different punches, kicks and how to block. This is by no means a self defence class it is all about fitness. I really love this class as well because it focuses on your arms a lot which I have to admit I do neglect and is one area I am never sure what to do to give them a good work out.

Zumba: Now I may upset quite a lot of people when I say this as I know this is a huge craze, but I personally did not like this class. I don't know if it had something to do with the instructor (who I am not criticizing at all) who was an older lady, so I felt the class was aimed at the older generation, it wasn't very energetic and the moves were very simple. Meaning that I just couldn't get into it and get a proper work out. I would suggest giving Zumba a go as you may find it completely different at your gym but this one just wasn't for me unfortunately.

Thursday
HIIT: High intense interval training. Just the name of this class scared me but actually this was really good. Using many of the moves in circuits just with out the weights or steps and with only 20 minutes breaks in-between each set, this is a real heart pumper and you will be dripping with sweat just from the warm up. Don't let that put you off though like I said its really good and you are safe in the knowledge knowing you have had one of the best work outs you could have. Definitely a must try.

LBT: Legs, Bums and tums. You will most definitely feel the burn the next day with this class, but if you want a booty like Kim K give it a go as it works every muscle in your lower body. Think squats, lungs, sit ups, planks and much much more. I cant rave about this class enough it is my all time favourite even if I am walking slightly odd the next day.

So there you go, that was all the classes I did this week, some new and challenging, some just getting back into the swing of things after the Christmas break.
I hope this has help some of you with a small insight into all of them and gives you motivation to give some of them a go.

Let me know if you do try any of them and how you get on?
Are there any classes that you currently do that you love?

Thanks for reading

Josie xo