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.
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