Vive La Différence

I got quite the Groupon deal about a week ago so I was looking through The Heights' brochure to see what time I could lap swim when I saw that The Heights was also offering free fitness classes this week.

Free Fitness Week
So many fitness classes, but which ones are
right for you? This is your opportunity to try some
classes with no strings attached. January 4-10,
all land-based and water-based fitness classes
are FREE! You don’t need to register, but come
early; classes can fill quickly. All classes during
the free week meet on their regularly scheduled
day and time.

On tap at The Heights at 6:00 p.m. was Boot Camp class or I could go to my regular Tuesday class, Step and Muscle.

Did I have the stamina for Boot Camp class? See, with other classes, you might not know exactly what you're in for but with boot camp, you know that you're going to get your butt kicked.

I decided that I can always go to my gym for a class but The Heights would only have free classes this week. So, Boot Camp it was...Plus, I could go to REI and Whole Foods afterwards. How's that for incentive?

It's a little daunting to go to a class when you don't know anyone and you don't know what to expect because every instructor conducts class differently. I was standing a little bit off to the side when the instructor, Joy, beckoned. She explained to everyone what was going on. She had about 30 or 35 stations set up with an orange card that designated an exercise to be done for one minute but, first, we warmed up -- stretching while walking then we took a couple of jogging laps around half of the gymnasium. I was already feeling it.

When we finished warming up, Joy played like a preacher at church who tries to get people to move to the front rows. Initially, I was at the step station then the wall squat then the Superman and, as we filled in the gaps, I ended up being at a front raise station with eight pound weights. Other stations included:

Bicycle
Burpees (new nemesis)
Calf Raises with Side Lifts (with weights, eight pounds)
Chest Fly (on fitness ball)
Crunches
Dead Lift (with weights)
Fast Feet (on/off straddling of the step)
Ham Curls with Fitness Ball
High Knees (higher, higher)
Jump Squats
Jumping Jacks
Jumping Over The Line
Plank (on hands -- butt too high at first)
Plank (on forearms)
Scissor Legs
Side Plank (right, alignment issue initially)
Side Plank (left)
Ski Hop Move (my wording)
Squats
Step (heel touches, four risers)
Step (right, four risers)
Step (left, four risers)
Triceps Dips
Waddle-like move with resistance band
Walking Plank with Step Platform

I'm not going to lie. I took a time-out at, at least, two stations. There's no ifs ands or buts about it, I got worked out in an old-fashion manner and girlfriend said that she is always mixing things up. I hope to see you all on Thursday, said the Boot Camp instructor. Vive la différence, I guess.

A Perverse Push-Up & A Reverse Embrace

I'm going to have to give Tammy an honorable mention in the bringing the pain category.

I went to the Drills To Make You Sweat class at my gym and, fifteen minutes in, I was sweating as advertised.

In addition to jumping jacks and squats, I see that instructors like the grapevine move as well.

To add a degree of difficulty, we did jumping jacks with a weight. Later on, the same weight stayed in the crook of our knees while we did leg lifts. We then lifted our legs to the side and kicked them out too. Torture, I tell you. Holding a squat was tortuous as well.

There was also a slow motion burpee-like move that we did with weights. Walk your hands out. Plank. Walk your hands up. Holla...

We did push-ups, got up and balanced on one arm. Push-up then balanced on the left arm. It was like doing a synchronized moved and a reverse embrace of each side of the room. We collectively faltered and that's when Tammy said, Come on ladies. I hate exercising by myself. In addition to some gorgeous black and white Nike shoes, apparently, Tammy's got stamina as well.

We also did a perverse push-up on the step. First, we lunged and pulsed then placed our hands at the corners of the step. Push-up. Followed by a one hand push-up.

Of course, of course. We did the obligatory ab work.

Football jog. Drop. Push-up. Repeat.

We bicycled while moving a weight through our bicycling legs.

By the time we did the the superman, I was not feeling like much of a hero at all. I just wanted to transition to child's pose or splay out like a starfish. I wasn't picky at that point.

Oh, how Tammy brought the pain. My legs were like jelly afterwards and I could hardly walk to my car. It would be nice to have taxi service after working out.



I also need to remember to put in my contacts when I participate in a class because my glasses were wet, foggy or sliding on my face during segments of class. And who needs to be distracted with adjusting one's glasses while trying to keep up with Tammy?