Lisa-1, November-0

Take THAT November! Not even a week into November and I’ve already accomplished one of my November goals.

Before I get to the goal stomping, a quick recap of my Return to Running Program.

I met my friend Robyn at the gym and we checked out the new cardio room.

There were a lot of machines (and some new ones) in there. The room felt rather small and claustrophobic though.

I hopped on a treadmill and jogged my 1.5 mile. About half way through I started to feel a little discomfort in my leg. Not pain exactly, it was more like I just noticed that my leg was there…I slowed down and walked for about 40 seconds then returned to jogging with no discomfort.

Because I walked a bit, my time was about a minute more than last time.

Jog Stats:

Time: 23:06

Calories Burned: 221 calories

Robyn finished her workout on the elliptical at the same time and we headed to the workout room for TURBO KICK!

“Turbo Kick: Learn kickboxing skills choreographed to energizing music. Using no equipment, this kickboxing workout incorporates a number of upper body punches and lower body kicks.  Most suitable to participants of medium to high fitness levels, but newcomers are always welcome – just let your kickboxing class instructor know.”

“Mix up your routine with the balance, coordination and strength building moves of boxing or kick boxing while burning 300-600* calories.  These high-intensity classes are a great full body workout, incorporating a broad range of punches and athletic drills.”

I’d been wanting to take this class for awhile (but was honestly too intimidated). I’m glad Robyn joined me. I hope my readers aren’t disappointed by my review, but here goes…

Turbo Kick

First, the class was packed. With all the kicking and punching, there really needed to be more room. I felt like the guy to my left was crowding me and I swear I kept seeing his foot near my head out of the corner of my eye.

Second, I had NO idea what was going on. Period. Class started at Intense with no warm up, no instruction, no information. Music pumped and everyone moved.

I’ve never been a big fan of classes for a lot of reasons. The biggest reason is that I’m always two steps behind the rest of the class. I am uncoordinated, clumsy, and not graceful in any way. There’s a reason I love swimming…it doesn’t take grace. 😉

It seemed like 75% of the class knew the moves and could keep up. I was definitely not one of them. At the start of class, the instructor asked if there were any newbies but she didn’t wait long enough to hear the response. She moved right along.

I have no idea what I did for 55 minutes. No clue. I tried to keep up. I tried to learn the moves. As soon as I started to get the hang of it, they were onto new moves.

Honestly, it was frustrating. I’m glad Robyn was there with me. I was able to laugh at myself with her there and not take it too seriously. If I’d been there alone I’m 100% sure I would have left after 20 minutes.

Toward the end of class a bunch of people were lined up outside for the next class. They were all watching through the window. I am soooo glad my humiliation was public. My night was complete!

The instructor announced it was time to stretch. We all grabbed mats and she lead us through about 5 minutes of intense, fast push-ups and then crunches. Ouch! My abs were BURNING.

Then it was the stretching part. This lasted about 3 minutes. Definitely not enough time for proper stretching after such an intense class. That’s a recipe for injury in my opinion! Bad teacher!

About half way through the class I worried about my IT band…I started to wonder if the class might do more harm than good.

All in all, it was fun trying something new.

• I tried something new.
• I accomplished one November goal.
• I burned calories.
• I was DRENCHED in sweat.
• I spent time with my friend.

That means it wasn’t an entirely wasted evening.

The class guarantee was 600 calories burned. I burned under that, but honestly I couldn’t keep up. So if I knew the moves and kept up with the class I’m sure I’d burn more calories.

Turbo Kick Stats:

Time: 56 minutes

Calories:  468

I should probably give the class a second chance to see if I like it better. Maybe I’d be able to keep up after knowing what to expect.

I got home and ate a salami sandwich for dinner. It was fast. That was my only food requirement.

Light mayo, honey mustard, Salami and Genoa and a slice of white cheddar cheese.

I also made a salad.

I happy with myself for trying the class. It was way out of my comfort zone. That’s how we grow!

QUESTION: Have you taken a Turbo Kick class? What was your experience and opinion of the class?