TOTAL MUSCLE CHALLENGE

TOTAL MUSCLE CHALLENGE. Wow, what a whopper of a name for my last class. Maybe it is the oppressive all capital choice or what TOTAL MUSCLE CHALLENGE implies that frightens me to the core, but this one is sure to be interesting to say the least. We are going out with a bang folks!

I walked in to TOTAL MUSCLE CHALLENGE and immediately knew what I was in for. The 20 other people in this class were jacked! (Like pure muscle.) The type of people the class attracts is directly proportional to the level of difficulty. Meaning, if only gym sharks are in the class, then you better run because your muscles are about to be shredded. Please see the picture to the right for an enlightening comparison.

I positioned myself inconspicuously in the corner, away from all of the intimidating pros. The teacher for this class, was not a student, but a professor at the college. She was full of energy, spunk, experience, and easily the best fitness instructor out of all ten classes.

A peak into my dreams. Don't ask why I am wearing a hat.
Credit 

The teacher said she might have to go easy because she regrettably ate a burrito before class. I relate to this like she is my spirit animal. Want to eat ice cream at 1:00? Better not if you want to run in a few hours! Want to eat an entire thanksgiving dinner before Kickboxing Aerobics? Maybe not the best choice if you prefer not to puke. Exercise is already hard enough without it effecting what I can and cannot eat. No one wants a PB&J sandwich when they could have Chipotle! May or may not be slightly bitter from some past decisions involving horrible workouts after enjoying my favorite foods. To those of you out there that can eat what ever you want before working out, I am jealous...envious. My friend from back home ate an entire Dairy Queen blizzard right before she won a cross country meet. Only in my wildest dreams would I ever imagine consuming something so marvolous so close to  a workout.

May or may not have died...Credit

Back from my slight digression. TOTAL MUSCLE CHALLENGE was hard. It was a primarily strength based workout with minimal/no cardio. I did more types of squats than I ever knew existed....side squat, normal squat, narrow squat, wide squat, weighted squat...too many squats. I don't know if I can ever do a squat again. Then we did some rowing, more squats, then some arm raises, and then even more squats. We then did enough lunges to last me for the rest of this year. I have definitely hit my lunge limit. The class concluded with abs that (you guessed it) were extremely CHALLENGING.

This class is a workout. Not something you do after 5 classes in a row or only sleeping 3 hours the night before. For this class, I recommend being on top of your game because it is a TOTAL MUSCLE CHALLENGE after all. Let me know if you have ever gone to this class! Thanks for reading!

ERG... What is ERG?

Walking to the gym or a hard practice is like walking into a doctors office knowing you are about to get a shot that hurts, but that it will help you later in life so you do it anyway. It is like losing an hour of sleep to make an essay better because the return is a higher grade. In other words, we subject ourselves to pain in the present for long term gain. That is why we we workout and that is why I went to ERG HIIT class this week. (At least that's what I tell myself anyway)

Each step I walked toward the gym I wanted to turn around because what the heck is "ERG?" Like "ERG" this workout is so hard! Or "ERG" I am about to die! "ERG" what does "ERG" mean!!?

Well folks, I learned that it means working out on rowing machines. In some fitness workout lingo ERG=rowing machine. (Must have been lost in translation?) In case you don't know what a rowing machine is, it is a machine that mimics being on the water, but you're in a gym. I looked to my left  and right and everyone was rowing away as if they were in their imaginary boat cruising along. I closed my eyes and I could picture the splash of the sea, the salt in the air, and the artificiality of my current workout.

What I saw when I closed my eyes (Peep me in the middle)
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vs. what it actually looked like
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We all started out with a warmup row, a casual row, a nonchalant let's slowly get started pace. The class is set up on an interval in which you workout hard, hence the name HIIT, high intensity interval training for four minutes bursts with one minute breaks. Our first set was to row for 100 meters, sprint across the gym, and then do six burpees. Funny story, when I first wrote this, it autocorrected burpees to burps, so the set read, row for 100 meters, sprint across the gym, and then do six burps. Burps are the up and coming key to getting fit and a vital component of ERG HIIT, am I right, or am I right?

Inchworm Exercise! Credit

We did this HIIT set for four minutes twice, then we transitioned to another HIIT set in which we rowed for 100 meters and then did broad jumps (like a frog jump) and inchworms in which we walked our hands out to plank and then back up to standing (See GIF to right). Last week there was cat/cow in pilates and now there is frog and inchworm in ERG HIIT. Might as well start a zoo!

The last HIIT set consisted of rowing to reach a certain number of calories and then squatting the number of calories burned. This is where I accidentally fell. PRO TIP: the seat of the rowing machine moves out from under you, pay close attention. I know from first hand experience. The class ended with a team work session that was honestly the best part! The class split in half and each member had to do an exercise as fast as they could. Everyone was cheering and there was a camaraderie that I have never felt in any other fitness class.

ERG HIIT was a great class! I even saw a fellow RCL'er there... shout out Danieltta! Let me know if you have ever tried this class or if you know what an ERG is. Thanks for reading!