That’s my workout routine. Spin and BP on alternating days. A good thing about both of those exercises is that they can be done at any level of fitness. A beginner will use low resistance on the bike and light weights in the BP class. A more advanced person will have a higher resistance and heavier weights. Since they don’t involve coordination or use body weight for resistance, anyone can do them. The difficulty of the exercise is totally controlled by the equipment used.
I do have a question about Spin classes. I know it’s great cross-training for running, and there’s a much smaller chance of getting hit by a car while you’re in a gym.
But, I always got the impression that the classes are mostly women. That doesn’t bother me, except I don’t want to be the creepy ‘only guy’. Am I wrong and there are dudes there as well?
Secondly, how adjustable are the bikes? I’m supertall, and don’t want to be uncomfortable.
Some of my classes were half and half. You could check the time and schedule too. When I took classes right after school, it was mostly women, but early or weekend classes hada mixture. Check your gym (s).
As to the adjustable, they are usually very adjustable, especially if you’re tall. For petite like me, it was a bit of a hassle.
I would choose BJJ or kickboxing (chose BJJ in the poll). I took a few years of Taekwondo in my youth and a year of Judo/Aikido in college to fill some free slots in my schedule and it was a blast.
Sounds like a great routine, what made you stop?
Trying to finish my thesis decreased the amount of work I could do, but definitely moving away to a place that doesn’t offer all that the other one did in a central location. The biggest perk of being a student: Access to a world-class recreation center. And I lived close enough that, if the weather was good, I had just to walk there, no car!
No doubt, I’ve taken college level classes in the past just to have access to their gym since my employer pays for continuing education tuition. That and working out with young co-eds is so much nicer than watching middle age housewives trying to stair climb 30 lbs off of their rear ends. I also have fond memories of working out with the girls soccer team; although they were girls that could chase me down, run circles around me and kick me to death if I stared too long. :smack:
Now that I work out in the pool I have a new appreciation for the young lifeguards. 
That and during the summer I get to work out in the outdoor pool while getting a tan and watching girls sun bath without them suspecting that I am checking them out since I am constantly moving and working out in the pool.
I chose CrossFit, but I thought about choosing boxing. Earlier this summer, my boyfriend talked about joining a boxing club and CrossFit with me, and then he backed out and said he just wanted to do CrossFit. I was bummed because I really liked the boxing (but I also like working out with my boyfriend, plus you get a discount if two people from the same household sign up). So since CrossFit is what I ended up choosing in real life, CrossFit is what I voted for.
Is Bootcamp based on the Tony Horton P90 Bootcamp workout? Because I’ve been doing that for 60 days and it’s been very effective.
Took pole fitness classes for three years; taught for one of those years. It’s the perfect combination of cardio + resistance. And it’s fun, so you don’t even feel like you’re working out. Until you get up the next morning and can’t move because muscles you didn’t know you had are sore.
I’ve been taking Pilates for the past 6 weeks or so, and have been really enjoying it. I’ve noticed a difference in the way I move, it’s been great. Our town recently got a crossfit gym, which I’d love to join but it’s $95 a month, and that’s just too much on top of all the other hobbies I have.
I don’t think you can get everything your body needs from a single class - I do pilates and yoga for strength and flexibility, spin/running/body attack for cardio and weights/pump for weight bearing exercise, important for bone density and lean muscle mass.
That’s a good point. Do you have one gym where you do all of that, or do you have to go to different places?
Many gyms will offer some combination of stuff. You can do some cardio in treadmills, bicycle, or fitness class, and they usually have some free weights you can use individually or they can set you up with a program so that you can use it on your own but with some guide.
The bigger gyms will offer a lot. Oh, how I miss it!
You shouldn’t have to pick just one class. You can try as many as you like. They offer different benefits and environments, so you should try them all to find which ones fit your personality.
Some classes are about having a good time while you exercise (Zumba). Others are about being pushed to your maximum potential (boot camp). The right class for one person may not be the right class for another.
My gym offers it all but I do go to a separate Pilates/yoga studio because they offer reformer Pilates as opposed to just mat and there are lots more classes. Plus the yoga studio is beautiful and I think that helps me feel more centred and relaxed. Force of habit too, was closer to me at my old job than the gym and I just kept going.
I have a CardioCruiser which I use at home. If I wanted to go out and drive for half an hour each day, then I’d try to find a gym with a pool, preferably an arthritis pool. The problem with most pools is that they’re too hard for me to get in and out of, and the temperature is too cold for me, even when I’m moving well.
Aqua zumba. So much easier in the pool.
Classes are silly. Buy a pair of running shoes and search Craigslist for a cheap barbell and some plates. Alternate cardio and lifting. Treadmills and weight machines don’t count.
For what purpose?
I’ve taken all of them at least once and will switch classes depending on what’s going on with me and what kind of exercise I might want at that time.