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: 39 Classes Down, Approximately 6 To Go (class offerings sometimes change)

I’ve scheduled my remaining classes with the intent to finish this resolution before Thanksgiving (!!!!!!!) and then have December flexible for new classes. I’m so close!

 

 

Class: Barre Essentials with Paula Fonseca

Class length: 45 Minutes

Description from the Equinox: This class provides a sneak peek into the methodology and the opportunity to unveil the mysteries that may have held you back from stepping into a barre class for the first time. Experience the immediate effects and receive all the information needed to make barre classes a regular part of your group fitness schedule.

PSA – Take this class soon! It’s a workshop offered a few times in November (Saturdays at noon) and may not remain on the schedule. So don’t wait if you’re interested!

What Class Was Like

This was a slightly shorter version of a regular Barre class with more emphasis on explaining form and intent for the exercises. Class size is intentionally limited to a smaller group to facilitate questions and the instructor’s ability to help newcomers to the barre experience with their form so they’ll be ready to try a traditional Barre class. Paula is a great combination of friendly charisma and expertise.

This is such a great idea from Equinox! Barre has so much to offer, and any new class can be intimidating when you’re walking in. And the props and specific movements may require an introduction if you’ve never done it… I mean, you’re squeezing a purple ball between your thighs and hanging onto the barre for pliés in relevé. It takes a bit to get used to.

Sample Exercises

Barre classes are a combination of light weight work for the arms and a variety of abdominal and leg strengthening exercises that rely on repetition and micromovements “and pulse… pulse… pulse…” for you to feel the burn. They’re typically low impact, target muscles with great precision, and are challenging.

I think attending class and checking it out for yourself is better than me trying to list each individual movement here; just know that they’re more similar to pilates than other exercise classes, and because they’re low-impact they can be a wonderful way to increase strength before hitting the more intense HIIT or Tabata classes. But they’re not easy. Pulse will not be your favorite word. You’ll stop pulsing your food processor because you’ll have PTSD. Kidding. TOTALLY KIDDING. You pulse those bread crumbs. I’m just trying to say that this class gets things done AND is accessible, and isn’t that lovely.

Who would love it?

Anyone curious about Barre who’d like to try class in a slightly smaller group setting that’s intentionally designed for beginners. Questions encouraged.

I’d love to see similar workshops offered for some of the other classes, for example a class that teaches you how to tell which weights you should grab when an instructor says “light” “medium” or “heavy” and how to tell during class if you should switch. If a whole class isn’t needed, maybe an optional “come ten minutes early for a beginner tutorial” for certain classes in January when people are trying new things.

That said, I’m quite aware that Equinox already has a packed class schedule and tons of offerings… so if it doesn’t happen, I’m thinking it might be worth doing a half hour personal training session and asking those questions for myself. Alternately, if you arrive a bit early to class, the instructors are fantastic about talking to newcomers. But having an actual test you could do to hone in on good starting places would require more than a quick convo before class. Food for thought!

Know before you go

Most people did the class barefoot. Socks are also acceptable but they might be too slippery.

 

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: 41 Classes Down, Approximately 5 To Go (class offerings sometimes change)

Class: Whipped! with Lindsey Cardin

Class length: 50 minutes

Description from the Equinox: Whip, Snap and get into serious shape! High-intensity cardio drills using strength ropes and a fast moving conditioning circuit bring the latest in modern fitness training to help you reach for results.

What Class Was Like

The “whip” and “snap” in the description had me picturing a class full of people snapping whips around martial arts style while channeling their inner childhood desire to become Zorro. (I was a huge Zorro fan growing up.)

It has failed to turn me into Diego de la Vega OR Catherine Zeta Jones (I would have settled) but I guess that’s too much to expect from any fitness class.

We did use the battle ropes though, and they are HARD. So much harder than you’d think (unless you’re more perceptive than I and have an introductory grasp of physics, anyway).

Sample Workout 

Circuit Stations where we did 2 sets of 2 different exercises at each station (4 minutes total work) and then rotated to the next station for a total of 7 or 8 stations, done twice through.

A Few Example stations:

• Battle Ropes and Dumbbells
  • dual or alternate arm battle ropes in a squat position, the second time through with the option to plank and use one arm to do battle ropes from high plank
  • Dumbbell Planks with alternating rows
• Ladder & Sand Bags
  • Slamming 12 lb sand bags down onto the floor entering a squat position and then lifting them overhead and standing, repeat
  • Cardio through the ladder on the floor, fast steps, high knees, running – your choice
• Kettlebells
  • Deadlifts
  • Suitcase Swings
• Abs
  • High plank to low plank and back
  • Hold v position
• VIPR
  • jumping jacks lifting the VIPR overhead
  • VIPR curtsy shuffles (shuffle, shuffle, curtsy and dip VIPR to one side, alternate)
• Dumbbells
  • Single lunge then stand up straight on one foot lifting up dumbbells
  • Dumbbell tricep extensions and overhead presses

Why can’t I tell you the rest of the stations? I didn’t write it up, worked a long day yesterday on volunteer stuff, then took Boot Camp this morning and now my brain is like… when did I squat where? That doesn’t sound right. Scratch that.

What I can tell you is that it was a very similar feel to Tabata Circuit. If you like Tabata Circuit, this is a great class to try. The nice thing about this vs. Tabata Circuit is that you did fewer repeats of each exercise for slightly longer with a slightly longer recovery, so once you’ve done something a few times you’re on to the next station instead of getting all the way up to 8 (albeit shorter) efforts.

The more classes I take, the more I realize that choosing a strength/cardio class comes down to format differences and what you like. Do you want the whole class doing the same thing, or do you want to rotate between stations so you get to use more equipment? Do you like classes where you get to repeat exercises and have fewer instructions, or would you rather have more variety? Do you prefer short and intense efforts or slightly longer efforts with a little bit more recovery? You’re going to find many of the same exercises in all the strength/cardio class combos, but which format is mentally easiest for you?

Beginner Friendly?

I wouldn’t start here, but it’s a great place to end up.

Circuit classes are great if you’re familiar enough with the exercises to comfortably rotate through stations without additional demos.

Lindsey was really good at actively walking around the class and offering corrections on form and pointers, which helps for newcomers. I think she made it to me 4 or 5 times with a quick correction, which is really impressive in a busy class where you’re also tracking time and watching multiple stations. It was incredibly helpful because good form helps you prevent injury and get the most out of a given exercise. The more classes I take with instructors who correct, the more I build my knowledge of basic form and build good habits.

People who can comfortably do the example exercises or who’ve enjoyed any of the Tabata classes would probably find this class approachable, though I think starting with something like MetCon3 where everyone is doing the same exercises at the same time would be a good first step.

Why is it great?

Because, Zorro.

Ok, because it’s really hard, but Lindsey will make sure you’re doing it right or give you a modification if you can’t, and because you’ll get stronger and exercise makes your life better.

Know before you go

Main studio, wear sneakers, you’re rotating so it’s hard to grab water during the brief recovery periods because your water bottle might be stashed far from your station, so hydrate well before and after.

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: 38 Classes Down, Approximately 6 To Go (class offerings sometimes change)

I got home from school drop off this morning and discovered a clean kitchen (which was SO not how I left it after school lunch prep) so I was magically ten minutes early to class. That meant I got to meet another first-time class taker who was talking to the instructor when I walked in, and it was just the best feeling. After walking into class after class after class that I’m taking for the first time, I’m pretty comfortable being new. But it’s still great to know that someone else might also be thinking “Huh… I’ve never heard of suitcase swings, but ok, here we go, let’s give this a try.” A kindred adventurer, if you will.

I’m also realizing that while I’m “new” to classes still, I’m not new to most exercises. It’s as though I was learning the alphabet when I started, and now I know all the letters I’m just using them to spell different words.

Class: Iron Tabata with Josh Fink

Class length: 50 minutes

Description from the Equinox: A dynamic conditioning kettlebells experience: 20-second bouts of high-intensity training followed by 10 seconds of rest x 8 = 4-minute intervals to increase athletic performance, boost VO2Max, & decrease body fat. The Tabata Protocol is proven to physiologically transform your body.

What Class Was Like

This class followed the Tabata format of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off 8 times for each exercise/set, with one minute of rest and instruction in between sets. Tabata is nice because the work sections are so short that you can do a more challenging version of an exercise than you could for longer, and the recovery is just enough so you’re capable of starting again. By the last reps of any exercise you’re so ready to move on… and voila, you’re moving on with a minute of rest and (in a well planned class like this one) onto a slightly different muscle group for the next set. Consistently challenging, yet somehow doable. The Tabata style hits a sweet spot in that way.

Iron Tabata used kettlebells and some of the exercises were a strain for me. I couldn’t lift two 10 pound kettlebells from a half squat up into a full over-head arm extension and back in rapid succession for a total of 8 twenty second sets. And there wasn’t time to go looking for 5 lb dumbbells – I had to choose between going slower, lift halfway, or abandoning the exercise. I did my best to power through, but when I started feeling neck and shoulder strain I started lifting to my chin and not fully over my head.

Josh is a great instructor who provides good modifications and keeps an eye on people in his class who have injuries. I’ve actually taken his Tabata Circuit class before, so while he was subbing for this class I’m pretty sure he could teach Tabata in his sleep.

Sample Workout 

Cardio warm up for about 5 minutes (jumping jacks, butt kicks, etc.)

Example Tabata Sets

• Dead lifts alternating with goblet lunges on the even sets
• Jumping up onto the bench and off (or fast feet from the sides up onto the bench and then down)
• Mountain climbers
• Suitcase swings alternating with touching the kettlebells to the floor then standing straight up
• Half squat holding two kettlebells then pressing them all the way up overhead going into a standing position, repeating quickly
• Burpees alternating with push-ups on the even sets
• Deep squats holding one heavy kettle bell
• Squat and center floor touch with a jump 180-degree rotation and repeating

Stretching.

Beginner Friendly?

Exercises can be modified to be low-impact, but you’ll get the most out of the class if you can do push-ups, squats with weights, and overhead weight presses of 10 pounds in each hand going into class. I would say that this class pushed me a little hard, and I might get more out of it if I did a more gradual strength-training build-up before attending. That said, I was able to work hard for each set. So while I had to modify the burpees and push-ups and do the easier version of some exercises, the kettlebell overhead set was the only one I really couldn’t do.

So the question is whether the class is good for me because there’s a lot of room to grow, or whether it’s so challenging that I’d be better off and get more of a “just right” amount of muscle strain if I took a class that was slightly less intense with lower impact and more ability to modify the weights.

Uknown… but I do think a class where I felt like I could really nail each exercise might be more emotionally satisfying while potentially allowing me to work just as hard.

Why is it great?

It hits that strength, cardio combo, short intervals mean you only have to do the exercises for so long, and it works a large variety of muscle groups.

Know before you go

Take a variety of weights so you can switch them out as needed to get the best workout for you. Music is at a motivational level, some people might like earplugs (they keep them at the front of class, or bring your own). Weight gloves might help protect your hands from kettle bells and keep you from slipping when it’s burpee time.

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: 37 Classes Down, Approximately 7 To Go (class offerings sometimes change)

37 down! Today I got to take a class with Chris Gagnon. According to his online bio, he’s also from Maine! He grew up playing hockey competitively and has gone on to overcome asthma with diet and exercise and create CrossCycle, his own trademarked cycling fitness class… informed by his competitive professional cycling experiences.

So we have tons in common!

Ok. Maybe just Maine. Well, I also like to ride my bicycle.

I would love to take his CrossCycle class but it’s only offered at Franklin St. I get the impression from talking to instructors that the Franklin St. Equinox is quite the high-energy gym. A surplus of motivated professionals fill classes before and after work and on lunch breaks whereas Chestnut Hill has a lot of people like…. me! The stay at home parent who hates burpees. There’s a mix, and I’ve seen some packed evening classes at Chestnut Hill, too, but it’s probably busiest mid-morning.

Class: Metabolic Meltdown with Chris Gagnon

Class length: 50 minutes

Description from the Equinox: An intense full-body workout designed to spike your body’s metabolic rate. Jump, crawl, pull, push and swing as you melt away the pounds and create a new lean body.

What Class Was Like

No crawling or swinging, but plenty of intense and full-body. Class was a pyramid workout with 9 exercises done in progression building onto each set so that the first set was exercise 1, then 1 and 2, then 1, 2 and 3 up to the 9th full workout set. Strength work was the focus of 6 of 9 sets, cardio/strength combo for 3.

This class reminded me of Stacked! because of its pyramid structure and similarity of the exercises. Fans of either might enjoy trying the other for a slightly different feel.

Sample Workout 

It’s hard to describe exercises with both brevity and precision, but this should give you an idea of what the class might be like and a sense of whether it’s a good fit for you.

Jumping jacks, high knees and butt kicks 30 seconds each for about 5 minutes total to warm up.

60 seconds working each exercise then a 90 second recovery between the progressive sets.

• Dumbbell full squat up into standing dumbbell press
• Backwards lunge dumbbell “ski” so back arm goes into a tricep extension and front arm into a press while entering the backward lunge
• Low squat holding dumbbells jumping back into high plank (with hands on dumbbells) then optional push up and repeat
• Lying on back with abs engaged and head slightly lifted with feet out and raising dumbbell to meet a scissoring leg on one side then alternate
• Lying on back and doing overhead tricep extensions with feet out  and abs engaged
• Tuck and then stand with option to lift weights up with you (a little like a burpee)
• Lunge with arms extended holding light weights to the side then bringing one arm over towards the other
• Low plank rocking forward and then back up towards down dog but keeping forearms down, repeat
• Burpees with a jump around then repeating facing opposite direction

 

Stretching.

Beginner Friendly?

This isn’t the strength class I’d start with if you don’t have a solid strength and cardio base going in. Chris offered many variations, gave precise instructions, and reminded people to keep it at their own level and rest if needed… but it’s a challenging class. The ability to do burpees, hold a plank position, do push-ups and complete ab work on the mat that involves dumbbells will help you get the most out of the experience.

If you’re at a comfortable level of fitness, pyramid workouts are actually great for people new to a class. Unlike a circuit workout where people swap stations, the entire class is doing the same exercises simultaneously, making it easy for the instructor to offer guidance and/or model the exercise in real time. The building of the exercise sequence also means that you repeat many of the exercises, which can help you work on your form and then focus on your effort.

Why is it great?

It hits that strength, cardio combo, short intervals mean you only have to do the exercises for so long, and it works a large variety of muscle groups.

Know before you go

Take a variety of weights so you can switch them out as needed to get the best workout for you. Music is at a motivational level, some people might like earplugs (they keep them at the front of class, or bring your own). Weight gloves might help protect your hands from dumbbells and keep you from slipping when it’s burpee time.

Also – don’t eat leftover potato chips from Halloween right before class, because you are not really Wonder Woman. That was pretend.

 

You May Also Like:

• Metcon 3
• Tabata
• Damage Control
• Stacked!