The New Year is here and it’s a great time to try something new. Whether you’ve just joined Columbia Basin Racquet Club or have been working out here for years, you can discover a group fitness class that will allow you to meet a range of fitness goals.
Les Mills group classes provide the perfect mix of strength, cardio, core, and flexibility workouts. There are nine different class formats that will help you see results fast:
- BodyPump™
- BodyCombat™
- BodyFlow™
- BodyStep™
- RPM™
- BodyAttack™
- CXWORX™
- Les Mills Sprint™
- Les Mills Tone™
Heather Karamonos, GX instructor and group instructor supervisor, doesn’t have a favorite class because each one offers something different. She says she’s “most interested in finding the right program(s) for a member to get them excited about coming to the gym and committing to a better version of themselves.”
SMART START GUIDELINES
When starting a new exercise routine, Heather recommends members follow the Les Mills “Smart Start” Guidelines. Les Mills outlines six steps over six weeks so you’re comfortable and confident in your fitness routine:
- Week One: 1x 20 min cardio workout, 1x 20 min strength workout and 1x 10 min core/flexibility workout
- Week Two: 2x 20 min cardio workouts, 1x 30 min strength workout and 1x 20 min core/flexibility workout
- Week Three: 2x 30 min cardio workouts, 1x 30 min and 1x 20 min strength workout and 1x 30 min core/flexibility workout
- Week Four: 2x 30 min and 1x 20 min cardio workouts, 1x 60 min strength workout and 1x 30 min core/flexibility workout
- Week Five: 2x 50 min and 1x 20 min cardio workouts, 1x 60 min and 1x 20 min strength workout and 1x 60 min core/flexibility workout
- Week Six: 2x 60 min and 1x 30 min cardio workouts, 1x 60 min and 1x 30 min strength workout and 1x 60 min core/flexibility workout
DURATION AND INTENSITY
You can also gradually work your way into individual classes. Each class has a tracklist of music that aligns with the intensity of the workout. If you’re new to the classes, then try the first three to four tracks and then hit pause as you become more comfortable with the workout, you can add an additional track.
Heather says that one benefit of starting a class gradually is that as you attend more classes and add on the duration and intensity, you’ll be less likely to get hurt.
GIVE IT A TRY
The key point of SMART START is that you don’t have to commit to a full class. Heather loves teaching classes and leading the instructors because she gets satisfaction from watching them be the best they can be.
She feels the same way about working with members and wants you to know “It’s okay to come for half the class because I’d rather see you for part of a class than not at all.”