This post is part of my 2017 New Year’s Resolution to try every group fitness class offered at my gym, The Equinox in Chestnut Hill. See the full list of reviews here.
Progress: 34 Classes Down, Approximately 9 To Go (class offerings sometimes change)
Class: Tabata Circuit with Josh Fink
Class length: 50 minutes
Description from the Equinox: At your request we combined the best of two classes: the movement of Whipped, and the intensity of Tabata. This cardio/strength circuit workout with Tabata intervals keeps you moving and consistently introduces new challenges for the full body. It’s all or nothing in this breathless workout.
What Class Was Like
This was a circuit class, which means participants move from station to station rather than doing exercises as a simultaneous group. There were 7 different stations, and after a cardio warm-up people split into groups of up to 4 and picked a starting station.
Tabata is a high-intensity interval training method (HIIT) pioneered by Dr. Izumi Tabata that does very short workout intervals of 20 seconds each followed by 10 seconds of rest. We did 8 work/recovery repeats at each station before having a minute recovery to rehydrate and move on to the next station.
Sample Workout
Cardio warm up (jumping jacks, squats, lunges)
The Seven Stations (From Today’s Class – Workouts Change!)
- Squat jumps
- Rowing machines
- Gliders under the feet and walking hands forward into plank position and then back
- A big jump forward and then fast feet backwards
- Battle ropes
- Picking up a weighted sand-bag over your head then throwing it down on the ground alternating sides you throw it to
- Downward dog through push-up position into cobra and repeat
We then helped put equipment away and did some stretching.
Beginner Friendly?
Any workout with “intensity, challenges, breathless” and “all or nothing” in the description can only be beginner friendly to a point, right? I was able to modify jumping jacks (still ever-so-cautious about my plantar fasciitis in the spring) and hey, you get to rest every 20 seconds… but this class isn’t one I’d start with if you’re new to group fitness.
I recommend starting with a non-circuit class where everyone is doing the same thing simultaneously and the instructor is often modeling the exercise in real-time. Circuits are great for sharing equipment, but it means the instructor has to float between multiple stations to offer feedback and you have to remember a demonstration from the beginning of class and recall it when you get to each new station. That’s much easier if you’ve taken some non-circuit classes first and are familiar with the types of exercises at each station. Josh was great about walking around and offering modifications (and encouraging us with a smile not to stop before the buzzer), but there’s more for him to do when he has 7 groups going on all at once.
Why is it great?
I hesitate to say that I can do anything for 20 seconds but…. knowing everything only lasts 20 seconds before you get a recovery (albeit brief) is a mental plus. This was a hard, fast class and there were some jumping segments but having the 10 seconds in between made it easier for my calves and I chose not to modify the squat jump station.
My favorite, favorite, favorite part was picking up the weight bags and slamming them down onto the ground. It felt amazing. You can take all of your current events stress and just SLAM it into the floor. SLAM. SLAM. SLAM. 20 seconds was not nearly enough time, actually.
I do wonder what’s directly below the Main Studio… if it’s the pool I guess I keep my head under water because I’ve never noticed the sound of 10 lb weight bags being slammed down onto the ceiling. Hopefully the staff break room is below the yoga studio.
Know before you go
No need to set up your own station or grab your favorite spot since you’ll be rotating.
Participants wore sneakers.
Weight gloves aren’t really necessary but might help with battle ropes, not slipping in plank position, or if there were a weight station.
I had to grab earplugs.
Want to do your own Tabata workout?
You might like the cool app Josh was using called Tabata Pro, or one of the similar apps out there. It’ll keep track of your interval and recovery times for you as well as counting down your repeats. Maybe I’ll use it next time I sneak into the studio alone and start throwing weight bags around to make myself feel better after watching the news.
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