Do you hate how crowded the gym is? Or do you hate the gym in general (treadmill=dreadmill)? …But you still want to get a good workout?
…You know Colby offers free fitness classes upstairs in the aerobics room, right?
Every day.
This is gold. People normally pay for these kinds of classes!
People swear by Colby’s fitness classes because they give a more comprehensive workout—in just one hour—then they would get on my own in the gym. And they’re so much fun that the hour passes by easily.
Though some people design gym workouts on their own, but what makes joining a class 10 times better is that all you have to do is listen to the instructor and follow along. The instructor makes a huge difference because having to keep track on your own of what move is next tends to create lulls in gym workouts. Plus, the instructors are highly motivating and really keep you going—they constantly encourage you to put forth your best effort, and that alone will help you get the most out of a workout.
Here’s the inside scoop on the top 5 of fitness classes at the AC, hopefully helping you find one you think you’d love. All classes work for any fitness level, even if the class is high-intensity, because you can modify moves according to your own strength and endurance levels. If nothing else, give a class a try because you’ll be surprised about how much more fun it is to work out in a group—the collective energy and positive attitude of a class does wonders for your motivation.
1. Tabata
Type: Even split between cardio and strength training
Intensity: High
Offered: Thursdays at 5:30 p.m.
This class is, in a lot of peoples’ opinion, is by far the best workout overall. You hardly ever stop moving! The workout alternates between high-intensity cardio and medium-intensity strength training, often involving weights. And it works EVERYTHING, even muscles you didn’t know you had.
“Tabata” is a method where you do 8 moves total: 4 cardio, 4 strength training. After a warm-up, you’ll do 20 seconds of the first move at max intensity (push yourself the hardest go can go), followed by 10 seconds of rest—for each move, you do that 20-on, 10-off sequence 8 times total. Then you’ll rest a full minute before moving on to the next move, which you’ll do 8 times in the same 20-on, 10-off way. The class alternates between cardio and strength moves. For cardio, the idea is to move as quickly as possible, while for strength, it’s more important to do the move (like squats or bicep curls) in a slow and controlled manner. You do abs at the end of the workout, but not using the tabata timing. If this sounds really complicated, don’t worry! It will all make sense when you do it, and the instructor will talk you through everything.
Tabata will make you sweat more than you knew you were capable of sweating. And you will be sore afterward—for 1-3 days, depending on your fitness level. But the workout is so incredibly rewarding. You feel amazing afterward AND, more importantly, it produces results, particularly for quads, abs, and back… quads more than anything, though. Walking up stairs the next day is always a great time.
Tabata is the sweatiest most Colby girls have ever been in their life, to be frank. We’re talking outrageous. Most girls bring an extra shirt if they need to go anywhere else before they shower. But it’s also possibly the best workout you’ll get, the only other contender being kickboxing.
It might sound daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. Yes, it’s high intensity, but, you can modify it if you need to. This DOES NOT mean that you should put forth any less than 100% of your effort, though. What you put into this is what you will get out of it, and this is key.
Lastly, Her Campus highly recommends this workout because Carol, the instructor, is incredible. She has so much energy (and a great workout playlist), which turns the class into positive, high-energy environment. She constantly motivates us to work a little bit faster, a little bit harder, and never in an intimidating or critical way.
As she says, “You can do anything for 20 seconds.”
2. Firm and Burn (previously called Circuit Training)
Type: Lots of strength, not much cardio
Intensity: Medium
Offered: Mondays 4:30 p.m. and Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m.
This is where body fat goes to die (or Firm and Burn, rather). You’ll alternate between working your abs and working other muscle groups, focusing on different muscles each class. The instructor highly favors abs, though, so you can count on abs constituting at least half the workout, every time.
The ab circuit consists of about 8 different moves, most incorporating a dumbbell, med ball, or bosu (that thing that looks like half a yoga ball). Buh-bye to boring old crunches. The moves she chooses are highly effective, and in a very sneaky way: though the moves are challenging at the time, you don’t realize how much your abs truly worked until you’re sore the next day. It’s perfect, though, because you don’t feel like the moves killed you, but, in reality, they nailed (chiseled?) your abs quite nicely.
You’ll go through the ab circuit twice, then switch to weight training for other muscles. You’ll tend to focus on arms (biceps, shoulders, and triceps) or butt, but more often arms. It really depends on the class. Then you’ll go back for two more times of the ab circuit, and then another round of weight training. The instructor usually incorporates lunges into the workout somehow, as well as boxing. She sometimes throws in a bit of cardio, too. It’s really unpredictable, but whatever we do, we work those muscles really hard.
This workout differs from tabata in that you will not get super sweaty (you’ll get moderately sweaty, but nothing outrageous) and you will not do a lot of cardio, but the strength moves tend to be more difficult because you’re encouraged to use slightly heavier weights.
Robin, the instructor, is hilarious, blunt and she doesn’t allow anyone to slack off. Her sense of humor makes the class lighthearted and close-knit, and there is a dedicated group of girls that goes every week, making it feel like a team.
The best thing is that the class tends to be relatively small (10 or fewer people) so you get a lot of individual attention. Robin makes sure that you have proper form and pushes you to not quit, even if a certain move gets really difficult. Like Tabata, what you put into it is what you’ll get out of it.
“What do you want your body to look like?” Robin often says. “This is your workout!”
That idea is highly empowering, and knowing that you pushed myself on your own accord makes the workout even more rewarding at the end.
3. Trim and Tone
Type: Even split between cardio and strength training
Intensity: Medium
Offered: Tuesdays at 4:30
Trim and Tone is similar to Tabata in that it switches between cardio and strength, but the timing is a bit more relaxed and it’s not as repetitive. You’ll alternate between cardio circuits and strength circuits, both at medium-high intensity, depending on your fitness level.
The cardio circuit runs through 4 moves 4 times, doing each move for about 30 seconds (it varies depending on the move and what set you’re on) at medium-high intensity. You do not want to do the cardio at 100% intensity (at least at first) because you have more sets to go through than in a tabata workout. You need to pace yourself!
As for the strength, you’ll use light weights for about half the moves, and the other half are body-weight moves. You’ll run through 3-4 moves 3-4 times, depending on the class. Catherine, the instructor, does an excellent job at targeting specific muscle groups each class and switching it up from one class to the next. She tends to alternate between an arms/back class and a legs/butt class, always including cardio and abs (but not as much abs as Firm and Burn and not as intensely as tabata). Whatever area the class focuses on will almost certainly be sore the next day.
Catherine is a senior at Colby, which makes the class even more fun, given that everyone in the room is a student who wants to get a great workout. She keeps the class upbeat and positive with her warm presence and perfect playlist—seriously, though it may sounds silly to dwell on the music, it makes a huge difference in how motivated you are during a workout. Her playlist takes the cake. Every song that comes on will make you want to say, “Oh my god I love this song.”
The biggest strength of this class is that Catherine is very receptive to what the group would like to focus on, sometimes even changing the workout as you go. She’ll often ask, “Do you want to do this one more time, or do ___ for a bit instead?” It makes all the difference that she is in-tune with the class’ preferences and, in general, very in-tune with what you will enjoy and respond well to because she is a student, as well.
4. Power Yoga
Type: Yoga with focus on strength
Intensity: Low
Offered: Thursdays at 4:30 p.m.
Power Yoga is a yoga class for all levels, incorporating Vinyasa flow (flowing from one move to the next) as the class goes through moves designed to build strength and balance. The moves allow for modification—beginners can stick with the basic version, while more advanced yogis can add on to the move to further challenge balance and flexibility.
This class is great for everyone: for people with a moderate amount of yoga experience who want to continue their practice weekly, for beginners, for first-timers (Yes, really! The instructor is wonderful and clearly guides us through each move, and will give you additional attention if you’re new.), and for athletes looking to increase flexibility.
For very advanced yogis, this class might be too easy—instead, try the ashtanga yoga class! But for everyone else, this is your staple yoga class. Come as you are, continue (or begin) your practice, and leave feeling at once relaxed and energized.
5. Turbo Kick
Type: Cardio (kickboxing and dance)
Intensity: Medium
Offered: Mondays at 5:30 p.m.
Turbo Kick is a combination of kickboxing and dance that has moves choreographed to upbeat pop music. It’s constant cardio and heavily dependent on endurance, but it also incorporates strength training in its moves. Therefore, you burn a lot of calories, but you’re still able to sculpt your arms, legs, and butt.
It seems very similar to Jazzercise, if you’re familiar with that.
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So there you have it! Five solid fitness options that allow you to avoid the 4:00 p.m. gym rush and, better yet, avoid cardio machines altogether. Happy exercising! And see you in the aerobics room.