5 ms·

I never imagined I'd get into group exercise, but I did a couple of years ago and it changed my life. From personal experience, I recommend the Les Mills group

I never imagined I'd get into group exercise, but I did a couple of years ago and it changed my life. From personal experience, I recommend the Les Mills group ex brand. For building all around strength and endurance, look into the GRIT (30 min)[1] and BODYPUMP (30/45/60 min)[2] formats. Both involve a variety of lifts — their focus is on high reps and relatively light–medium loads. Done regularly, those programs won't make you huge, but you can build lean muscle, stay well toned, and burn large amounts of calories. As a programmer, who spends a lot of time standing/sitting in front of a computer, that's exactly what I need/ed. And there are added benefits of working out in a group: you can make friends, and be encouraged and challenged by the efforts of your fellow classmates. N.B. the quality of a class can depend a lot on the instructor; don't be afraid to attend different instructors' classes and/or shop around gyms offering such classes. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-iHzlWnwq4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-iHzlWnwq4 [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWuc67ZiVs4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWuc67ZiVs4

CalChris 10y ago
BP is a great full body workout in an hour. Hell, I did a ton of Bodypump. I did BP when they used New Zealand cover music. We did our squat track to the Haka. But I can't stand the pop music now and I had definitely plateaued. At a certain point, I ventured out into the weight room. While BP got and kept me in shape, I'm now a big believer in the Stronglifts 5x5 workout. Yep, I walk around the weight room with my iPhone. 90 seconds between sets. Check off my set. https://stronglifts.com/ https://stronglifts.com/
- michaelsbradley 10y ago
  I prefer now to do a 30-min Pump followed by a 30-min HIIT class (e.g. GRIT or cycling), or vice versa. I still do 60-min "full" Pump classes, but definitely not my first preference for how to spend an hour at the gym, as I like more overall variety. I should note that I got so into Les Mills that I went on to become a certified instructor, so I'm a little biased. The pop music in Pump can get a little tiresome, I actually agree with you there. FWIW, the music in their GRIT and SPRINT formats is much edgier and some of the quarterly releases even feature original music produced exclusively for those formats. Les Mills classes are definitely not a long-term fit for everyone. I do, though, encourage folks to give them a try, especially if they don't have any kind of fitness regimen and/or they're struggling to stay regular with their solo workouts.

CalChris 10y ago

BP is a great full body workout in an hour. Hell, I did a ton of Bodypump. I did BP when they used New Zealand cover music. We did our squat track to the Haka. But I can't stand the pop music now and I had definitely plateaued. At a certain point, I ventured out into the weight room. While BP got and kept me in shape, I'm now a big believer in the Stronglifts 5x5 workout. Yep, I walk around the weight room with my iPhone. 90 seconds between sets. Check off my set. https://stronglifts.com/ https://stronglifts.com/

michaelsbradley 10y ago
I prefer now to do a 30-min Pump followed by a 30-min HIIT class (e.g. GRIT or cycling), or vice versa. I still do 60-min "full" Pump classes, but definitely not my first preference for how to spend an hour at the gym, as I like more overall variety. I should note that I got so into Les Mills that I went on to become a certified instructor, so I'm a little biased. The pop music in Pump can get a little tiresome, I actually agree with you there. FWIW, the music in their GRIT and SPRINT formats is much edgier and some of the quarterly releases even feature original music produced exclusively for those formats. Les Mills classes are definitely not a long-term fit for everyone. I do, though, encourage folks to give them a try, especially if they don't have any kind of fitness regimen and/or they're struggling to stay regular with their solo workouts.