Fitness classes are great. Instructors like myself will have a plan in place, the equipment ready and will help demonstrate any unfamiliar moves. Classes help take away the guesswork of what to do in the gym and the other members can be very motivating!
Here are some tips for getting the most out of those short sessions and the mistakes to avoid!
1. You take the easy option!
Personally, I will always give class members different exercise progressions, a variety of options for all fitness levels. I believe no one should feel out of place in a class and do my best to keep things comfortable for all. For example I may offer step-ups as alternative to box jumps.
If you’re new to the gym, new to the movement or you truly struggle with the exercise given by all means take the easier option BUT DON’T GET STUCK THERE. You want to see results? Once you’ve got the easier version down, it’s time to move toward the more challenging options, even if you just have a go at it! I’m talking about both exercise progressions and your weight selection.
2. You take the hardest option!
Another big and potentially serious mistake! If you try to tackle an exercise a little too intense for you or you pick a weight you can’t master the form with, you’re more likely to experience soreness and get injured. You don’t want to be set back because you wanted to do the most you possibly could.
As the saying goes… you can’t run before you can walk!
3. You compare yourself to others in class
This can be especially noticeable in small classes, sometimes where I just have two or three members. It’s hard not to see how fast they’re getting through something, what weight they can use, how easy they find it. STOP!
Everyone will have started their fitness journey at a different point but everyone did start somewhere. Stop looking around to others and comparing your progress and ability, look at yourself. What are you accomplishing this time and what’s the goal for the next class? What weight are you using this class and what is the goal for the next class? How did lunges feel this week and are they easier next week? You are your own competition.
4. Everything’s a race
Going as fast as is humanly possible! I find this is particularly evident when I instruct certain core exercises. Ab cycles and Russian twists are two BIG offenders… moving those elbows to knees at lightning speed! If you’re guilty, I’m curious… do you believe the faster you go the more calories you burn? Do you feel the workout is better if you did lots of speedy reps?
Trust me, as an instructor I’d be much more impressed if you could slow the movement right down and make every second of it controlled. You will feel your core working and contracting so much more, if you just SLOW IT DOWN. More isn’t always more.
5. You run off early or leave as soon as the class is over.
Instructors tend to hang around for a while after class, we like to chat! It’s a great opportunity to come and say hi! I love to meet and get feedback from attendees and am more than happy to help answer any questions and/ or offer a few tips specific to you.
6a. You don’t speak up about an injury.
Whether you’re not comfortable announcing it to a class or don’t want to be a bother we need to know! Just pull the instructor aside before class starts; we can then be prepared to give a few alternatives if the situation arises. Exercise should be safe. Don’t put your health at risk.
6b. You don’t speak up to ask for help.
It can be hard to spot little mistakes in individuals during a busy class. When demonstrating exercises, I state where in the body should be working and will often also say where they shouldn’t be feeling it. Why? I do this so if something doesn’t feel right you can know before I can spot it.
I can’t express how important your form is! Please speak up if something doesn’t feel right or you feel like you’re working the wrong muscles for the exercise being performed. Isn’t it better to speak up and learn the right way going forward than to cause yourself an injury?
