Group Fitness

I was talking to a client last night about what my gym routine was and this is what it sounds like

Mondays – Personal Trainer
Tuesday – Free Weights and Cardio
Wednesday – Body Attack
Thursday – Spin
Friday – Free Weights and Cardio
Saturday - Boxing

I received a response that I am very much use too, “Classes! Why on earth do you attend classes? It much more beneficial to do more free weights and blah, blah, blah”. Now I have heard this all before from many a trainer and they all raise some valid points on this such as technique- if you’re not right in front of the mirror you don’t know if you’re doing it right. Or set up - how much weights to use or how to set up a bike correctly. My response to this is there are plenty of meat heads in front of the mirrors in the free weights area who still do it wrong and people on bikes in the cardio section who’s bikes don’t work. As for technique I know a man who runs solely on his toes and doesn’t use his whole foot when he runs. I don’t see any personal trainer going up to any of these people and offering free advice to assist them in their training, nor is this their job.

So this got me thinking, why do I incorporate classes into my weekly routine and these are the answers I can think of. Firstly I am a morning trainer, people look at me very strangely when I say I’m up at 5am to run to the gym and do a class or exercise, as I said I am up at 5am! Now I don’t know about you but the old brain doesn’t really join the party until at least 6:30am. So going to a class allows me to exercise without really thinking about what I’m doing and I have someone who tells me exactly what do and keeps me to an hour time slot that I’m out the door by 7am and not stuffing around. I also think it’s exercise! I do this because it better than nothing right? I know people who don’t do any exercise at all and they condemn me on doing classes.

It’s also the people who are in there with me. I was thinking this morning as I was standing there that I like my classes cause of the people I do it with. For example on my right this morning there is a lady who’s daughter got engaged the same time I did and we have been exchanging wedding planning stories and recommending each other to various places for wedding stuff. On my left is one of my clients fiancé who tells me about her wedding plans to my client as trying to get them out of him is like pulling teeth, his words to me once where I’m just responsible for showing up in a suit and my fiancé is doing the rest. I think this is a very wise choice as when I met this man he was sporting a very attractive mullet and this was 3 years ago. Behind me was another one of my clients who I met through the gym who I adore and love hearing about her son who has just been accepted into the New Zealand army, this was a huge process and I have loved hearing about it. These are just to name a few, these people are my friends and I only get to see them at 6am in a class, I have only made one connection like that on the gym floor and that is with my now best friend Corrine, she is as crazy as I am.
I also love my instructors! They are all different in their own way and that’s why I love them. For people who do Body Attack this is not an easy class and most people say people who do Body Attack are slightly insane,. I totally agree with this, it’s hard there is jumping running and really weird choreographed moves, oh did I mention that I have a 65 year old in my class who kicks my ass in this class? One thing we both agree on is we heavily rely on our instructors to get us through our classes.
This morning I had Andrew who I adore for a few reasons, Andrew is an inspiration he was once overweight and has lost a lot of it through going to the gym and is now and instructor, he also drives nearly an hour to get to teach us on a Wednesday morning and he’s fun. He makes me laugh so much that I forget about the amount of pain I’m in.
I then have the ever amazing Ryan who is my Sunday Step teacher when I can get myself out of bed to attend. Ryan is amazing in the fact he learns most people’s name is the class, gives them a kiss when they walk through then gym doors and manages to dance while he steps. He also constantly is looking for old material to keep us on our toes and take the time to explain each track and what it involves.
And finally Amanda, I am partial to Amanda as she is now my personal trainer but I will write a whole blog on her at a later date. The thing I love about Amanda is she tough she pushes you to you limit and call you on your bullshit. If you do one of her pump or spin classes she tells you to turn the red knob up or tells you to squat lower and god forbid you beat her to the top when raising from a squat before her as she will make you doing it again. I like this as it pushes me harder and pulls me out of my comfort zone and I’m not alone. All her classes are usually jam packed and you struggle to get a bike or a pump set if you’re not in early. She also does walk around the class to check how were going and move us if we need it.

And finally for people who think that it’s not a good work out, I hate to break it to you but people do just go to the gym to exercise not to lose weight or to bulk up just to get there heart pumping a little faster and like me have made a few friends out of it.