LauraMax
Cathlete
Well, let me first say it kicked the $hit outta me. 
It's nothing like the videos we were watching last week. I asked the trainer, M, about it & he said yes, they do stuff like that but only very advanced exercisers & only for competitions.
The concept is hardcore functional fitness in circuits, so you're supposedly doing exercises that will help you in every day life while also getting strength training & cardio benefits. M explained that, unlike weightlifting, body momentum is used in most exercises b/c they're designed for situations where you might use them. For example, pullups use a lot of swinging motion b/c if you're hanging off a cliff you're probably gonna use body momentum to get yourself up. Now, I don't ever see myself swinging off a cliff & I'm not entirely sure I agree w/this, but it's the program.
So, I went to the gym Thursday night. The gym itself is in what used to be an auto body shop, so it's really just a giant garage. No a/c (not crazy about this). The only cardio equipment was 4 rowing machines. There was a giant cage to my left that had a couple of large bands hanging off it for assisted pullups & two heavy bags inside. Along the rear wall were painted two "ladders," which are blocks of colors running up the wall. To my right were 3 ab benches & 4 basic squat racks--not the cage kinds, the kinds with just two bars. The center of the garage was open space.
I'd already done an hour of cardio in the morning & a little more than an hour of lifting that night. I was just stopping on my way home but of course I let him talk me into trying a couple of circuits. The first circuit was done 5 times & there were 4 levels. I used level 1 (easiest) weights with level 3 repetitions. It was like this:
Flip a truck tire over & over for 25 feet
Pick up a sledge hammer & pound on the tire 20 times
Stick the hammer in the tire & drag it back 25 feet
Throw a 12 lb med ball up the ladder 12 times
It was freakin exhausting! Some of the things--like the med ball throw--were much harder than I was expecting. After my 5th round I collapsed & had to take a bit of a break LOL.
I did the 2nd circuit w/a couple of ladies who came in while I was doing the first. It was a bit more traditional, & we did it 4 times. It was based on time rather than reps & distance. We'd do one exercise for 45 seconds, take a 10 second rest, then move on to the next exercise:
Assisted pullups
Step ups (what Cathe calls leg presses) or jump ups, depending on your fitness level
One ab exercise of your choice
Palm heel strike the heavy bag
Roundhouse the heavy bag
Squat thrusts w/moderate weight dumbells
It was tons of fun & really wiped me out. I would love to incorporate this into my routine once a week, but the cost was $125 a month. I simply cannot justify a $125 monthly membership just for 4 hours of exercise in a filthy garage w/no a/c. But it was a unique & enjoyable experience.
It's nothing like the videos we were watching last week. I asked the trainer, M, about it & he said yes, they do stuff like that but only very advanced exercisers & only for competitions.
The concept is hardcore functional fitness in circuits, so you're supposedly doing exercises that will help you in every day life while also getting strength training & cardio benefits. M explained that, unlike weightlifting, body momentum is used in most exercises b/c they're designed for situations where you might use them. For example, pullups use a lot of swinging motion b/c if you're hanging off a cliff you're probably gonna use body momentum to get yourself up. Now, I don't ever see myself swinging off a cliff & I'm not entirely sure I agree w/this, but it's the program.
So, I went to the gym Thursday night. The gym itself is in what used to be an auto body shop, so it's really just a giant garage. No a/c (not crazy about this). The only cardio equipment was 4 rowing machines. There was a giant cage to my left that had a couple of large bands hanging off it for assisted pullups & two heavy bags inside. Along the rear wall were painted two "ladders," which are blocks of colors running up the wall. To my right were 3 ab benches & 4 basic squat racks--not the cage kinds, the kinds with just two bars. The center of the garage was open space.
I'd already done an hour of cardio in the morning & a little more than an hour of lifting that night. I was just stopping on my way home but of course I let him talk me into trying a couple of circuits. The first circuit was done 5 times & there were 4 levels. I used level 1 (easiest) weights with level 3 repetitions. It was like this:
Flip a truck tire over & over for 25 feet
Pick up a sledge hammer & pound on the tire 20 times
Stick the hammer in the tire & drag it back 25 feet
Throw a 12 lb med ball up the ladder 12 times
It was freakin exhausting! Some of the things--like the med ball throw--were much harder than I was expecting. After my 5th round I collapsed & had to take a bit of a break LOL.
I did the 2nd circuit w/a couple of ladies who came in while I was doing the first. It was a bit more traditional, & we did it 4 times. It was based on time rather than reps & distance. We'd do one exercise for 45 seconds, take a 10 second rest, then move on to the next exercise:
Assisted pullups
Step ups (what Cathe calls leg presses) or jump ups, depending on your fitness level
One ab exercise of your choice
Palm heel strike the heavy bag
Roundhouse the heavy bag
Squat thrusts w/moderate weight dumbells
It was tons of fun & really wiped me out. I would love to incorporate this into my routine once a week, but the cost was $125 a month. I simply cannot justify a $125 monthly membership just for 4 hours of exercise in a filthy garage w/no a/c.
But it was a unique & enjoyable experience.
