Workout classes you liked or loathed
A house full of chocolate….
and veggies.
Not a bad mix 😉
When the Pilot makes it home for dinner, I loooooove it when he grills our meal. He can make pretty much anything (burgers, chicken, pizza, quiche), but my absolute favorite is the chicken. Something about grilling in the summer makes the food taste so much better. (Ok, and something about not cooking the food yourself also makes it taste better.) Since he’ll be doing the cooking, I try to make what I can to help out before he gets home. Veggie packs, salads, and sweet potatoes are staples, but we’ve also been grilling corn lately. Liv goes crazy for it!
For last night’s summery dinner, I chopped up some mushrooms, eggplant and zucchini, and put it in the bag in the fridge to marinate with balsamic, olive oil, sliced garlic, thyme and rosemary from our little garden.
I soaked the corn for an hour,
and then when the Pilot got home, I threw the veggies in the oven, he put the corn and chicken on the grill and BOOM. Dinner was served!
It was a great end to a fun day, which consisted of swimming with friends and a visit to the madre’s.
This post was originally supposed to be a Focus On post for Les Mills Grit. I knew it was coming out but haven’t been able to take a class, so I put the call out on Twitter to see if I might be able to have a guest poster. All of the people who had taken it didn’t like it! I guess enjoying the class or topic isn’t a requirement for a Focus On post, but I think it’s harder to be objective about something if you have a bad taste in your mouth. So instead, I thought we could talk about workout classes we didn’t like.
I was trying to think of some classes I’ve tried and didn’t like, but in the end, most of them had to do with the instructor or the music. These key things can have a huge impact on a class, and it’s always interesting to see what type of personality or music some participants will despise, while others love. It really is about finding the best mix for you! Some of the classes I’ve left:
-Spinning. I usually love spinning, but for this class the music was atrocious. Hearing “Hey There, Delilah” sucked the mojo out of my soul.
-Gym yoga. I’ve taken a couple of yoga classes in traditional gym settings and adored them, but prefer the studio vibe. It’s entirely different.
-Drumming with a stability ball. I’ve taken the class for work, taught it a few times, and I don’t think it will ever be my fave. If I teach it, I play awesome music and have fun with it (and it’s a killer workout!) but… not my fave.
Some of the best classes I’ve ever taken:
-Dance Trance Orlando. If you live in O-town, take a class. You will not regret it!
-Bikram Yoga Jacksonville with Rob. He’s a super laidback and kind dude- very different than some of the Bikram drill sergeants out there
-Orlando Power Yoga with Kelly
-Yoga with Laura at the Yoga Room in OKC
-Hot power flow with Alex here in Tucson (Yoga on 4th Ave)
Is there a workout or class you tried and didn’t like? Did you try it again with a different instructor?
If you could think of the WORST song to be played during a class, what would it be? For me: “Raspberry Beret” <— my least favorite song of all time, haha
Have a wonderful day <3
xoxo
Gina
Happy, happy birthday to my beautiful Madre <3 Oliv and I are so lucky to have you.
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Believe it or not, I had the worst Zumba experience and I never returned. I’ll have to give it another go, people really love it! Hey there Delilah is not a good Spin song! HA-ha!
I’m not a fan of step. I just can’t get the moves down even after a few classes. I like body pump, but was turned off the first few times I went because regulars in the class kept correcting me and giving me pointers. It was weird not to have the instructor do it.
Not sure if this is where I’m supposed to check in today, but I got my workout in! It was hard to get motivated since I’ve been awake since 3:30 thanks to my 6-month-old, but I knew I’d only feel worse if I skipped it. Glad I went! Feeling super strong these days thanks to you! 🙂
Intense kick-boxing class. One with a punching bag and everything. And while it was an AWESOME workout, it just wasn’t for me. I thought I’d get some aggression out, but turns out I’m not that angry!
I did walk out of a barre class once and went to the bathroom and cried. The instructor was correcting me so much it felt like bullying! I avoid her classes like the plague. (Note to instructors: if you tell someone to do something and they’re not doing it, repeating it 10 times over is not helpful, I’m not stupid, there’s usually a very good reason why it’s not happening)
I also had a very weird yoga instructor who kept punching his abs and saying things like “See? I did NOT get these from doing 100s of situps!”
Oh-and I took some random body toning class at the gym that was apparently part of a summer series (which was not advertised as such). Wound up KILLING ME. I think myself and one other person in the class hadn’t taken it before and he left at least 10 times for water and a break, and at one point I just sat down and was like, wtf? I don’t think 200 reps of the same exercise that is also not modifiable for beginners helps anyone. In fact, it’s just boring. I probably should have just walked out of that class.
Oh boy. Almost embarrassed to admit I’ve never taken a group fitness class. Like ever. Guess I’m a bit of an exercise loner 🙂 Growing up I was always involved in sports and competed in one at a pretty high level for nearly 10 years so formal training was pretty much all that was ever on my radar. Now, with two kiddos under two, I find I really enjoy the time I spend working out by myself as it’s literally the only part of my day where I can hear myself think. If I were to dabble in a class however, both Crossfit and Soul Cycle sound tempting…
Enjoyed the cardio blast today btw and looking forward to hitting up SSU Workout 2 again tomorrow 🙂
Jay, I actually didn’t have a great experience with yoga my first time either! I’ve been a couple times since, and had more fun, but still….
Oh and step- I am apparently REALLY uncoordinated, as learning the steps is hard for me lol!
I love plyometrics. I was skeptical about it the first time I went, but love it!
I hate to say it, I’m not a huge fan of zumba. I tried it a couple of times and just couldn’t get into it. I think because if I am going to dance, I want to dance hip hop and hip hop only (even though my old hip hop instructor told me I wasn’t ghetto enough to dance hip hop and that I should quit). I also took it at a big gym and they don’t always have the best of instructors.
I was also not a fan of my first crossfit experience. They didn’t teach technique and I could see how people could get really hurt pretty easily. I did go back and was pleasantly surprised when they did teach correct technique and now I attend their free class when I’m home from school. I don’t have the funds to get a crossfit membership right now.
I agree though that music can make or break a class. It has to be loud and energetic!
For me, Zumba was a class I had to take few times in order to find the right instructor. I’m so glad I stuck with it because the instructor I see is amazing, but I did walk out of a few classes to find her.
A weird class I took was pilates on the ball. We bounced for most of the hour. It was a little embarrassing.
Good post topic! I’ve been hoping to try Grit as well, but I’ve also heard a few negatives…
Worst Class- A Prenatal Pilates (not yoga) class I took here in Brisbane. It was the worst. You know that scene in “This is 40” where the workout partner is just sitting there bouncing on a stability ball with her arms spread out like wings? Yeah, that was pretty much it.
Worst Song- It was okay at first, but I am fairly certain that “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson has been played at EVERY fitness class I’ve done in the past 1+ years. And I’m not exaggerating!
PS- Made your sweet potato black bean chili last night (I added turkey sausage). Delish!
step! i tried it once in college and absolutely hated it. the instructor was pretty intense, and not fun, and made it seem like i should stop trying because i couldn’t keep up.
and i agree about gym yoga vs. studio yoga. but right now, gym yoga is included in a membership and the studio is obviously not… so to the gym i go. :p it’s not bad. just not my favorite.
I usually love spin too but had an instructor that played Matchbox 20 and country. It was awful.
My absolute favorite class ever was at a kickboxing gym I went to when I lived in Brooklyn. All the instructors were great, but Kristine was amazing. I miss her all the time since I moved.
I once went to an Urban Rebounding class where the instructor showed up in his dress work clothes and never changed. That was pretty lame.
When I was thinking of all of the classes I have taken, I couldn’t think of an actually class ‘format’ that I didn’t like…my like or dislike always seems to depend on the instructor. I used a take a Body Pump class that had an instructor that wore old tshirts and shorts to teach for class, didn’t look to be in shape at all, had no enthusiasm, and I felt like she just went through the motions of telling us how to change our positions without offering any safety tips whatsoever, which I think is super important during any kind of weight lifting! Needless to say, I didn’t attend the class very long. While I don’t need my instructor to look like a super athlete…I need someone who looks like they actually enjoy working out!
What a wonderful picture of the four generations at the end of your post. Beautiful!
Thank you! My nana in the photo is my great-grandmother. My nana’s mom. We’re very blessed to have 5 generations!
I’m not proud to admit it, but I’ve actually walked out of a yoga class. It was a really beginner level hatha class and I had expected it to be faster paced…
Then I have teachers (specifically one in Houston) that I will go out of my way to make their classes. They are all different…
Dena, I live in Houston – would love to know who you’re go-to teacher here is! 🙂
I love GRIT!!! I do it every week and always look forward to it! Despite that fun, I have to say I am not a fan of these choreographed Les Mills classes. I love when the class is a little surprise on music and exercises each time I go. I take a BodyToning Class each Monday and we never know what to expect, but it’s GREAT everytime I go. I also love TRX Bootcamp classes, so intense and fun!!
Gym Yoga isn’t my favorite either. The atmosphere just isn’t the same!!
Checking in…45 mins Zumba.
Check-in time: Did Monday’s workout 2 & 20 mins cardio (SageFitness zumba vids!). Also got a last minute invite to a yoga class, so did that. Glad it was more of the stretch and relax variety today with all the activity! Looking fwd to my HIIT & steady tmw.
The very first spin class I took was in college, and I lived for it. I didn’t know it was because of the instructor – she was amazing – until I moved away and tried spin at another gym. I literally got off my bike and walked out it was that bad. I’ve never found a spin class again that I’ve liked. I lived in Italy for a few years and I have to give a shout out to my All-Time favorite instructor Silvia Negri. She was magical!!!
Last thing, thanks for the summer shape up. I haven’t missed a workout and I’m feeling amazing!! I don’t know how or why but the stars aligned and this is working for me!!!
I have a special place in my heart for BodyPump because I had never done any strength training before. That class made me feel really strong, I saw change in my muscles for the first time, and it gave me the courage to tackle free weights outside of class.
I hate “Cardio Sculpt” and any of those catchall group fitness classes. I feel like most of the time I could have gotten a better workout myself. I’m really pretty picky about group fitness, though I do love the community atmosphere.
Did my HIIT and steady, and my abs are still pretty sore from Workout 2. Last week, I erred on the side of too much active and not enough recovery on my active recovery day. NOT making that mistake this week!
I’ve had to sweat through some pretty bad spinning music too! What is it with some people’s high energy song choices? I’m so stubborn though, and hate for my workout to suck just because the music does.
LOVING summer shape up this year!
I wasn’t a big fan of Body Attack – but that’s just because I’m really uncoordinated and have a hard time following an instructor’s lead! I prefer classes that are easier to follow like spinning.
I LOVE yoga but I’ve found that in some of the really hot classes (Bikram, classic hot) where it gets up to 105 degrees, I often get really dizzy. I don’t know why, but even if I go in hydrated and ready to roll sometimes I’ll spend half the class lying on the mat afraid I’ll pass out. I stuck with it for awhile to see if it got better, but no go, so I gave up on those.
So now I just go to regular unheated yoga and some of the classes where they cap it at 95 degrees or so, which in many ways I like better anyway 🙂
I loved Les mills grit strength when I did it at an instructor workshop, haven’t tried grit plyo or grit cardio. Not something I’d teach though.
I’ve had to change up my routine due to injury – I hate cycle with a passion, have been to loads of different instructors classes and different formats – freestyle cycle, Rpm, ride, rev…. Same poo different bucket! I thought I hated yoga and Pilates too until I found the right instructor.
Step class was particularly loathsome.
Bad workout song? I’ll go with Backstreet Boys, “Show me the meaning of being lonely.” Yep. Heard that one at a gym.
On a positive note: I enjoy more singular forms of exercise, personally: paddleboarding, running, rowing, skiing, etc. I don’t care for classes in general. Too cheesy. However, I do like team sports though – soccer rules! My Dad played in Spain, and we all played growing up, and now my kids do too 🙂
Good workout song/s? Maroon 5, “One more night.” Mercy Me, “No more, no less.”
LOVE yoga and kickboxing classes. going to try zumba for the first time this week (my little gym at work just started offering it during lunch). check in for SSU this morning: i’m a day behind, so did HIIT + steady. LOVING all the HIIT workouts; i always feel so invigorated. clean eats this week include a smoothie every morning (i’ve been on a green smoothie kick for over a year now–maybe no longer a kick?), sweet potato and black bean “burgers” atop a massive salad for lunch, and string cheese homemade granola bars for snacks. dinner is usually anything my boyfriend feels like grilling (chicken, asparagus, zucchini, flank steak, etc.). i’m making your turkey muffins tonight–can’t wait! thanks for all you do, gina!
I would love to hear from your readers about fav instructors/classes in different cities. I live in Chicago and am always looking for new classes to try but it’s nice to have a recommendation. And as you mentioned the instructor can make all the difference in the world.
I haven’t taken any classes that I didn’t like. Most likely because I’ve taken so few classes! I do think that any slow song would make a horrible workout song. Especially the sad slow songs – I’m thinking Eric Clapton’s Tears in Heaven in my head. I need dance music to keep me pumped!
You should have asked me! I’m a huge Les Mills lover and have done Les Mills Grit Strength and Grit Cardio. I’m also a Les Mills instructor for BodyAttack and BodyStep- feel free to email me if you want a focus on post, I’d hate for people to shy away from it 🙁
i’ll email you! i’d love a focus on post 🙂
I think my absolute worst class would be Spinning, with an all Phil Collins soundtrack. That just sounds like a punishing afterlife to me.