One of my favorite parts of being home from college for the holidays is the fact that I get to work out in my home fitness club! Even though my school has an amazing gym for all of the students, it is just not the same as my good old Lifetime Fitness facility!
As some of you may know, I have my ACE Group Fitness Instructor certification test in just THREE DAYS!!! I am getting extremely nervous, so please send me some good vibes! In hopes and anticipation of passing this test, I have been trying lots of different fitness classes at Lifetime to try to see what kind of classes I would like to lead in the future. On Thursday, I tried out a class called Strictly Strength. Here is my review on this challenging class!
I had no idea what to expect as I was beginning this strictly strength class. As I was gathering all kinds of equipment from a barbell to steps, I could not help but notice all of the different people in this class! There were college aged kids, pregnant women, middle aged adults, and even some seniors! I was automatically amazed that this class appealed to so many different individuals… and this was before the warm up!
The class began and we performed a choreographed series of movements with our barbell, and even added some lunges! I was already breaking a sweat by this time!
One of my favorite new discoveries in this class were Gliding Discs! These little gems were such a challenge! We placed them under our hands or feet in plank position and performed mountain climbers and moving mountain climbers, but that wasn’t the most challenging part! Next, we got in plank position and slid our arms out in front of us (the gliders were under our hands) and then really had to contract our abdominals (and everything we had, for that matter) to move our arms back to the perfect plank position. WOW! I could really feel the burn – these Gliding Discs make for such an amazing and challenging workout!
You can check out these Gliding Discs at http://www.glidingdiscs.com and order them on that site or through various fitness equipment sites like http://www.power-systems.com/p-4117-gliding-discs.aspx?gclid=CMeY4L-b07sCFeFlOgodpHAAJg. Needless to say, I will be making a purchase soon!
The class continued with more strength exercises – everything from abs to shoulders to glutes were targeted! While these exercises all made me feel the burn, I couldn’t help but notice how great the instructor was! Her encouragement and participation in the class made the class so much fun, and sometimes that is exactly what group fitness is supposed to be! She created such a positive environment that I could tell that some of the regulars in the class had even become friends – and even though it was only my first time in the class, I felt welcomed and included! The team aspect of group fitness is something that I love so much!
If you are a member of a fitness club that offers group fitness classes, try a new class this week to kick off the new year! Like always, changing up your workout is always a good thing to do to avoid burnout, and I think that exercising with other individuals who are like minded can help in that area as well!
I know it isn’t technically Friday… but I hope you enjoyed this Fit Friday post! Yesterday my family and I went downtown to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra, which is our Christmas tradition! If you ever get the chance to see these amazing people perform, GO SEE THEM! This is some of the most incredible talent I have ever seen and I am always in awe of their capabilities! The show is truly an experience, and definitely worth the time and money!
As we are approaching the new year (which I just can’t believe) I know that resolutions are always a common topic. Do you have any this year? Comment or email me with your resolutions! I would love to see if I can help with any health and fitness goals. I am not usually one to make resolutions, but I have a different outlook this season! Make sure to come back and visit The Good Life Gal to find out what I am looking to accomplish in the new year!
the good life gal 