Equinox Class Review: Best Butt Ever

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.

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 Best Butt Ever?

This class was probably redundant since I already have the best butt ever. It’s great for sitting, it moves my legs beautifully through half marathons, keeps my kick controlled when I’m swimming… it’s pretty much the best. I love it. I’m sitting on it right now. Yeah, it’s comfortable.

Ok, so I’m not a fan of looks as motivation to exercise. Health? Absolutely. Increased ability to do the things we love? Totally. Great reasons to work out. But working out to “lift and shape your hottest asset”? Well… why? If you’re doing it to improve your relationship, there are probably much more efficient means to that end. (Or an efficient way to end that relationship.)

One problem with working out to look a certain way is that it takes forever. Our bodies change slowly. Even the infomercials for cardio intense workout videos they expect you to do 5 times a week don’t promise visual results for 14 weeks. FOURTEEN. And that’s if you’re consistent.

So if you’re checking into a class and you’re motivated by how you’re going to look, it’s going to be a long wait.

Here’s what I like better.

Go because it’s fun. Because it feels good after you do it. Because it helps you get closer to meeting a goal that inspires you. Because it means you’re more mobile when you play with your grandchildren. Because the next day you can feel every muscle you worked and it makes you feel like James Bond. Because it’s healthy and you get to feel good about that today. Not in 14 weeks.

I go because it incinerates my stress, not because it incinerates calories. Because it blasts my rainy day mood with techno and sweat. Because afterwards, I feel brave and powerful just for stepping into a class called Best Butt Ever and busting my best butt. Ever.

Class: Best Butt Ever

Description from the Equinox: Best Butt Ever is strategically engineered to lift and shape your hottest asset. Fire up your glutes, build strength and definition, and get powerful. Waist-whittling exercises are also integrated to further accentuate your new rearview.

Class length: 50 Minutes

My Experience

Lots of equipment needed for this one! But that was good, it meant we weren’t using the step the entire time and starting a fire in our calves like I did in Firestarter. We used weights, a resistance band around the thighs, a step and gliders.

I’d never used gliders before. You put your feet on them and then need to tighten your core so your body stays stable when you slide one foot to the right or back, and then in different sequences. They were also used to slide both feet forward and back while holding bridge pose. My bridge wasn’t quite as stable as I’d like to pretend for that one. It was a little London a couple times.

The resistance band went around both legs either just above or below the knees depending on the exercise. They were used for side-stepping and putting one foot crossed behind the body, and other dance type moves where the resistance made it more difficult and worked target areas. I’d never used these before either.

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Verdict

I seriously enjoyed this class. The diversity of exercises was fun, and the instructor played great techno music perfectly matched to the sequences we were doing. I felt my muscles really working, but it wasn’t so much that I couldn’t enjoyably complete most things with limited modification. At one point I was doing a very short set of jumping jacks to the techno and I glanced at the mirror and I was grinning like an idiot. So… it’s fun to be in a big group of people jumping like crazy to techno music. It’s really fun.

Will I be back?

I could see myself going back. My best butt ever does a lot for me, and it’s possible that this class would make it stronger as it swims, bikes and runs me to the finish line of Tri For a Cure in July. That said, I definitely want to ask instructors which classes would best complement triathlon training. Maybe this is great, or maybe one that’s more weight focused would be better. My goal is to discover classes that are enjoyable but also balance out the other fitness activities I love.

Know before you go

People wore shoes and athletic gear to class. There’s a lot of stuff to get and you set it up yourself. Arriving at least 5 minutes before to set yourself up is helpful, maybe more if it’s your first time. Class was more strength than cardio, but there’s still jumping jacks and some fast cardio sequences.

And in the meantime…

I’ll amuse myself thinking of better names than Best Butt Ever.

Like… Glute Max? Reared?

You know what… I just can’t even type the things I’m coming up with.

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