Why I Love Group Fitness…and you should too

Circa 1990 I had my first group fitness experience which entailed me attending a Jazzercise class with my mom at our local recreation center. All I remember is the instructor yelling at my mom because I was too young to take the class. So, I sat on the sideline and moped for an hour every week. Never did I think that I’d eventually become a group fitness instructor.

3 years ago, today, I completed my first instructor certification. It was for TurboKick which remains my favorite group fitness format of all time. As you guys know, I’ve always been an athlete and active on sports teams ranging from intramural to NCAA Division 1. If you prefer to work with a personal trainer there are plenty available, for example if you’re looking for personal trainer in Melbourne, you could check out getgoingpt.com. But group fitness has allowed me to experience a different kind of passion, motivation and fun that I never experienced in team sports. So, today I wanted to do a special tribute to Group Fitness. No matter the format (e.g. Zumba, Spinning, Yoga, Pilates, Kickboxing, CrossFit, etc.) , group fitness is all good…If you’re thinking of starting up a fitness business, take a look at the revenue management system offered by TSG so that you can keep a close eye on your finances.

It feels so good to hear everyone’s experiences with fitness. One of my fitness friends told me how she was worried that she wouldn’t be able to exercise after having children but she found out about au pairs (visit Cultural Care Au Pair to find out more or to become one) and because she had room in her house she decided to host one so she was able to keep up her fitness.

Pics from some of my favorite group fitness classes across the country: Vixen Workout (Miami), TurboKick (NYC & Dallas), PiYo (Dallas W Hotel) , Les Mills Body Pump (NYC & Dallas

Here are the reasons why I love group fitness and you should too!

  • FUN – I wholeheartedly believe that the only way to commit to a regular fitness regimen is to a find a workout that’s fun for you! Group fitness has a fun factor that I can’t experience while working out alone. My advice: Find a group fitness class that you enjoy and you’ll always be fit. Fitness should be enjoyed as a hobby rather than dreaded as a chore.
  • Passion Once you find a class that you enjoy, you’ll naturally want to get better and learn more about it. It becomes a passion. Now, I actually look forward to my workouts and want to continuously improve in them.
  • Fit Friends – I’ve met some of my best friends in group fitness classes. Knowing my”fit friends” religiously attend class helps keep me accountable for showing up.
  • Effective – Most classes are designed to deliver a comprehensive workout meaning that you’ll work all major muscles groups during a strength-focused class and/or adequately elevate your heart rate during a cardio-focused class .
  • Positive Vibes – Group fitness instructors are trained to motivate their classes. While some are better than others, it’s nice to have someone leading you through a workout and encouraging you along the way. Also, unlike sports, there’s less competition so you can focus on your workout and enjoy the process.
  • Music – Most classes are choreographed or motivated by music. Music is a natural energy booster and encourages us to work harder without realizing it. (P.S. Have you checked out my latest playlist?)
  • Save Money – While I’m a big fan of personal training, I simply can’t afford it on an ongoing basis. I’ve found that small group fitness classes such as Nike Training Club or other boot camps provide similar results at much lower price.
  • Power in NumbersNobody wants to be the weakest link. Being surrounded by other people who are working hard provides instant motivation to do 15 push ups when we only want to do 10.
  • Variety – Workout routines are continuously changing which is great for muscle confusion to prevent fitness complacency. When working out alone, we often stick to our usual program (30 minutes on the elliptical + some abs) which is not effective for increasing our fitness level or losing weight.

Hopefully this post inspires you to check out a group fitness class this week. If so, let me know how it goes! xoxo, Brit

 

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10X10 CrossFit-inspired Calorie Blasting Workout

 

Hey Gang!  Hope your week is going well.  I’ve been working away in Chicago and still attending regular CrossFit sessions with my team.  I’ve always had mixed feelings about CrossFit (seemed a little “meatheadish”) but over the past few weeks I’m becoming more of a fan. In fact, I actually created my own “CrossFit-Inspired” workout to do this Friday when I get back home.  I wanted to share it with you guys so you can give it a whirl on your own.  A few things to note:

  • Duration = 15-20 minutes
  • Calorie Burn = ~ 250 calories
  • Rest for 1 minute between each round
  • The workout requires a kettle bell.  If you don’t have a kettle bell, feel free to use a 10-20 pound dumbbell instead
  • Be sure to do full sit ups (not crunches) keeping your feet flat on the ground

 

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WOD: Endurance Pyramid Dumbbell Circuit

Hey Gang!  Hope your week is going well.  I started a new project in Chicago this week.  My team is full of CrossFit junkies and this morning they hit up a 5:30am CrossFit session.  Unfortunately, I overslept and missed it 🙁  But on the bright side, I made a back up “Endurance Pyramid Dumbbell Circuit”  workout and did it in my hotel gym.  After the circuit, I got a quick 30 minutes in on the elliptical.  My entire workout took 45 minutes (so I’m guessing the circuit only takes ~15 minutes).  Try to power through it with minimal rest to focus on building your endurance and to get a good sweat going – post a comment if you have questions.  Enjoy!  xoxo, Brit

Endurance Pyramid

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Greatist Top 60 Fitness & Wellness Blogs – we made the list!

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Hey everyone!  I hope that you enjoyed a nice relaxing weekend and got to watch Beyonce rock it out at the opening of the Grammy’s #getitgurl.  Just wanted to quickly spread some good news – GRIT by Brit made Greastist.com’s 60 Must-Read Health, Fitness, and Happiness Blogs for 2014! We are #19 on the list for the best “Strength Training & CrossFit blogs.”

Greatist.com 2014 Best Fitness & Wellness Blogs
Greatist.com 2014 Best Fitness & Wellness Blogs

CLICK HERE to access the complete list.  It’s full of amazing blogs with high-quality, uplifting fitness, nutrition and wellness content.

Most importantly, I want to express my deepest thanks for following my blog and creating such a loving, supportive and fierce GRIT community.  I wish you a wonderful week ahead!

Keep grinding, keep shining! xoxo, Brit

 

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BeachBody #OperationTahiti

Brandon Gayle #OperationTahiti

Meet my friend and former business school classmate, Brandon!  During a Twitter convo last week, I learned that he’s about to go on an amazing vacation to Tahiti on April 16th!

Since, I LOVE “beach ready” workouts AND many of my male followers have been requesting some “dude focused” plans, I thought this was perfect timing for my 1st official “get right for the summer” workout plan #OperationTahiti.  

Brandon’s #OperationTahiti Goals

  • Add 7 lbs of muscle and get back to 170 lbs (currently at 163 lbs)

  • Get back to an 8 pack and tight core

  • Tighten upper body (chest and arms) definition

  • Restore base of strength in shoulders, back, groin, quads, hamstrings & calves

  • Improve cardio endurance (not my favorite thing in the world)

Brandon’s GRIT by Brit Workout Schedule

Operation Tahiti

A few things to note about Brandon’s workout schedule…

  • This is ~2 week workout and diet plan which requires training 2 days on and 1 day off, alternating.
  • All of the cardio workouts are in red text, strength is in blue text and abs are in gray text
  • I tried to incorporate 3 days of cardio each week
  • I want Brandon to lift as HEAVY as POSSIBLE during his strength workouts
  • Here are links to detailed GRIT by Brit workouts included in his schedule:

Now, we all know you can’t out exercise a bad diet, so here’s Brandon’s diet change ups to go along with his workout schedule…

Brandon’s Diet Change Ups

Stayed tuned for Brandon’s progress report and “after” pics!  I’m sure he’s gonna kill it!  #OperationTahiti – Leggoo!

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Les Mills GRIT Series – Inside Scoop!

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Many of you have been asking me my thoughts about the new Les Mills GRIT Series.  Well, I finally got the inside scoop!  Last weekend I passed the official 2-day, super high intensity GRIT module training and will soon become certified Les Mills GRIT coach – holler!

GRIT DFW Coaches

(above – me & the 1st GRIT coaches of Dallas/Fort Worth, TX, USA)

What is it?

Long story short, it’s a small group “CrossFit-like” workout inside of big box gyms…

The GRIT series are 30 minutes HIIT training workouts.  There are 3 types of workouts: 1) Cardio 2) Strength 3) Plyo.   GRIT workout sessions will be offered at select clubs in the United States this year, but have been offered in other countries for a few years now. (see pic below of me getting critiqued while teaching the Plyo workout)picstitch(21)

Now, this isn’t just another group fitness format, this a is  fierce, scientifically proven , athletic training workout targeted to people with lots of mental GRIT or to those want to develop more GRIT – a workout after my own heart 🙂  The sessions are capped to about 15-20 participants and they are done in private sections of fitness clubs.  It’s more like group personal training rather than group fitness.

Why is it so special?

Besides the special combination of strength, plyo and cardio training, what makes the workout unique is the choreography, super fit GRIT coaches (like me – wink wink)  and the music – the base in the music tracks will PUMP you up – dubstep anyone?

What benefits can I expect to get?

The workout it designed to really challenge you and improve your athletic abilities (i.e. speed, strength, agility, power).  During our training class, we spent several hours learning the science behind the GRIT method and how the workout increases our anaerobic threshold (below – see pic of us studying hard). Because the workout is so hard, it just flat out makes you tough.  The small team environment is also really encouraging and uplifting.

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How many calories will I burn?

Assuming you give your max effort and really push yourself, I estimate that the average person will burn ~500 calories in a 30 min GRIT class. Pretty darn efficient.  In fact, the workout is so intense that only 2 GRIT workouts per week are recommended.

How much is it going to cost me?

Because this is a special workout there is an additional fee, on top of your monthly club fee.  You get what you pay for!

So what’s the real deal, Brit – YAY or NAY?

To keep things 100% honest, I’m not a huge Les Mills fan.  I think the music is usually outdated and the moves are super corny.  I mean have you done that “super man” side skip in Body Attack?  I seriously left the class when we started doing that.  Different strokes for different folks – but just not my style.

HOWEVER!  GRIT is much different.  For 1 the music is MUCH MUCH MUCH better.  Primarily because there’s no 2010 top 40 tracks.  Instead, it’s mostly hard core hip hop and electronic beats that make you feel fierce and strong!  Also, there’s no corny choreography.  All of the moves are athletic drills and power lifting moves set to the strong base beat of the music.  Last but not least, the workout is freaking hard!  You guys know I’m always up for a challenge.  Well this workout actually kicked my butt and took me back to my old college basketball days.  Also, MEN will enjoy this workout because of the sports conditioning, athletic coaches and the tenacity engrained in the workout.

GRIT by Brit verdict = YAY!  Get involved with Les Mills GRIT!

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