Our guest columnist Molly is doing a 4-week buffet of get fit classes, check back every Friday for updates.
I’m half way done!! I don’t want to undervalue the challenge of this whole month long fitness frenzy, but I have to admit it no longer feels like a boot camp as much as it does a normal routine. Yes, I live in a constant state of soreness, but that means I’m doing something great for myself, and I’m–gasp–loving it.
I’ve been getting asked what this whole thing is costing me, and if it’s worth it compared to “normal” boot camps. Well, first off, it’s worth it! I think compared to “normal” boot camps that you see advertised, this is far more suited to an average lifestyle. I’m not getting up at 6am and meeting in some random park with 30 strangers.
The boot camps at Get Spun are really more like packaged deals where you choose how many days a week you’d like to commit to, and they change every month. And yes, it’s a pricey commitment, depending on what you’re used to. The package I’m working through now is 4 weeks, 4 classes per week and costs about $340 (including tax). Seems like a lot, but it’s the equivalent of semi-private training and you get all the one-on-one time you need to maximize your results.
Monday: EFT – Extreme Functional Training
This is my second crack at EFT, and I’m excited. Last week it was hard, but for my second time around I’m optimistic that I can kick this class’s ass the way it kicked mine on my first attempt! So, blame it on being a Monday, but half of the class failed to show up (maybe they were as sore as I was last week?) so there were two of us. A smaller class got the instructor, Chris, amped about being able to do more, so I swear he upped the difficulty by 200%.
The class was a circuit of basically three different classes in one: Some Gravity (incline resistance training), some Bosu balance exercises (SO mortifying for me cause my balance BLOWS), and some TRX moves (I finally get to do a FULL TRX class this week!). While the focus is definitely not all out cardio, I feel like I’m out of a comedy movie like the fat kid in gym class, just DRIPPING sweat while everyone else seems to glisten….but hey, sweating has to be good for you right? That’s what I tell myself.
Tuesday: Spin
I kind of miss spinning! My regular workout routine was basically all spin, and a lot less resistance/weight training – so now that I’m in week 3, I do actually notice a slight difference in how easy spinning is. While I feel like I could spin my way up a mountain thanks to my power-house legs (102980984 squats later….) – it’s like I left my lungs at base camp, cause I’m huffing and puffing my way through the 45 minute class, dying slightly, but loving the release it gives my permanently sore legs.
Wednesday: DAY OFF.
Good thing, cause I can’t get out of bed. No joke. I wonder if not being able to move is a good excuse for calling in sick. I blame Monday’s private EFT class and that damn rubber band. If only I could move, cause I’d march over to Get Spun and punch Chris.
Thursday: Spin & TRX
Woah. The Navy Seals use this system, and now I know why. TRX is Total Body Resistance Exercise. The apparatus is suspended from the ceiling with nylon straps with handles (see picture), so it uses your own body weight against gravity to increase strength, stability and endurance. This workout is only half an hour, and a great muscle blast after a spin class when you’re all warmed up. At first I wondered what a half hour class would do for me, but now I know – there’s no way I could have lasted a minute longer! Feels a bit awkward at first, but I can tell it’s working!
Friday: Gravity
I’ve been able to do one Gravity class a week so far, and I love it. I feel familiar with all the moves, and by the end of an hour feel like it will be an effort to lift my cocktail later that I’ve earned all week. Only mildly sore from TRX, a full hour of tough resistance training on an incline indicates it’s going to be a slow-moving weekend! Only one more week – I can’t believe it!