Class 6: Zumba

If you like to "shake it like a salt shaker" or "pop it like it's hot," then definitely try out Zumba-- even if you don't have the "moves like Jagger."

This class is devoted to dancing.

Zumba starts at 5 p.m. on Sunday and lasts an hour in Studio 11.  Meredith B. is the instructor.

Meredith teaches this class on Sunday evenings, and she also teaches three of the other Zumbas the TRECS offers.  Zumba is offered everyday but Saturday when there are no classes at all.

About twenty people showed up to the class, and all of them were girls.  Generally, the Zumba classes fill up fast, and people have to show up early so they can actually get in because of the 35-person class limit.  In this case, arriving a little before 5 p.m. is sufficient.

Be sure to wear clothes that you can dance in and shoes that have good traction.

In Zumba, being the new person can put you at a disadvantage.  Meredith has routines to certain songs that she plays at each of her classes.  Therefore, the new person has to learn all of the dance moves while most of the people there are already familiar with them.  If it's your first time, don't panic if you mess up a lot.  Make sure you can see Meredith, who clearly shows and tells you what to do.

Some of the songs that were played during Zumba included Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie," Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger," Brittney Spears' "Till the World Ends," Fun.'s "We Are Young," V.I.C.'s "Wobble," and some other rap and pop songs.

The routines to these songs are different, but all of the dance moves are repeated throughout the song.  Meredith incorporated squats, high knees, glute kicks, the grapevine, clapping, sidestepping, shaking, skipping, arm movements, etc. into the song dances.  

Zumba ended with stretches and an abs routine.  The abs portion included crunches, Russian twists, penguin waddles and other similar exercises.

Don't be scared off by this class because it involves dancing.  Everyone had a lot of fun just letting loose.  You will definitely sweat and get a good workout too.

Class 5: Box and Sculpt

Sometimes you just have to release all that inner anger and frustration you have pent up inside your body.  This class will provide you with that much needed catharsis.

Or, it will just burn off the food and drink causalities from your Thursday night out.  

If you like to switch up your workout routines often, definitely try this class.  The first half is devoted to kickboxing, and the second part is all about body sculpting.  People who rarely work out should not try this class until they are slightly in shape.  

Box and Sculpt begins at 3 p.m. on Friday and lasts an hour in Studio 11.  Briana is the instructor.  Due to an event in Studio 11, for this Friday only the class was relocated to a different studio.

Briana has a passion for kickboxing, and it clearly showed during the class.  She is very vivacious and loves getting feedback from the people she is instructing.

Just fewer than ten girls showed up, so just be sure to make it to the class at 3:00.  For this class, we used a mat, heavy and light set of weights and an aerobics board.  Definitely bring a bottle of water.

The class began with marching in place, grape vining, side stepping and other activities to get warmed up. 

During the first half of the class, kickboxing was the focus.  This is a great cardio workout. Since I have never done kickboxing before, it took me some time to get used to all the footwork and arm movements. 

A lot of the time everyone did the boxer's shuffle, where you hop from foot to foot.  Your calves will be burning by the end from the lactic acid buildup. We also did side punches, forward punches, roundhouse kicks, jabs and hooks.  Briana would start off with simpler moves and then combine them into one routine.  It's okay if you don't know exactly what you are doing.  Just do what you are comfortable with. We also squatted and lunged our way through a good few minutes of the class.  Towards the end of the kickboxing segment, everyone took turns side kicking a punching bag for 30 seconds.

Briana gave a short break in between the box and sculpt portions.

The sculpting segment was all about toning muscles.  There were more squats and lunges paired with bicep curls, and then there were tricep dips (done on the aerobics board) and tricep kickbacks. 

If you hate doing crunches, you will probably not enjoy the last part of the class.  Leg raises, side crunches, regular crunches, penguin waddles (to help get rid of that muffin top), bridges.... All of these exercises definitely made the abs and glutes work hard.  You can follow Briana's pace, but you can also just do what feels right.

During the last five minutes of Box and Sculpt, the instructor led everyone in stretches.  The cool down relaxed the muscles and lowers the heart rate.

You might not have the perfect Chuck Norris roundhouse kick during the boxing segment of this class, but what is the harm of trying? Box and Sculpt will burn lots of calories and keep you in the exercise zone.

Class 4: Body Blast Boot Camp

Boot camp.  It's no joke.  And neither is this class.

So if you're looking for an hour workout session that will kick your booty into shape, definitely try this fitness class.  However, it is not a class for the faint of heart.  You must be active and ready to push yourself through the workout.

Body Blast Boot Camp begins at 6:15 p.m. on Sunday and lasts an hour in Studio 11.  Meredith B. is the instructor.

Meredith teaches this class on Sunday evenings, but a different instructor teaches the Wednesday night boot camp.  Meredith encourages everyone throughout the class to keep going and will correct you on your form if you are doing something wrong.

Only a handful of people showed up, so just be sure to make it to the class at 6:15.  Both guys and girls showed up to the session.

Meredith set up all the weights, mats, etc.  Therefore, you do not have to worry about grabbing the correct items.

The class began with jogging, side shuffling, and skipping around the studio to get the heart rate up.  After, stretches were done to loosen the body.

The next 20-25 minutes consisted of rotating through three stations two times. Meredith took the time to explain all the stations and then helped people who needed it.  The first station involved a mix of sit-ups, lunges, push-ups and tiptoeing.  The second station had squat kicks, some footwork moves (such as jumping over things and fast feet in and out of a cloth ladder) and lifting small weights.  The third station included jumping jacks, inch worms (crawling your feet up to your hands and then your hands from your feet), weight lifting and side lunges.

The second major portion of the class is partner work.  There are leg exercises and ab workouts that fill the majority of this time.  There are simple sit-ups, and there is the more intense drill that involves swinging the feet up and down with a partner helping.

Right around the time you think you're done, think again. Next the class scaled the TRECS staircase to the top floor and ran three laps around the track.  This was definitely the hardest thing to achieve since fatigue started to set in.

After the final intense part of Body Blast Boot Camp, everyone returned to the studio and stretched.

If you are looking for a hard workout, then definitely show up to the Sunday night boot camp.  Just be sure you are ready for your sweat to be dripping to the floor.

Class 3: Killer Core

Looking to tone up your tummy? Then definitely consider taking this class!

Whether you're in shape already or want to trim off some of your belly fat from all the fast food you've been indulging in, give Killer Core a chance.  Although the name sounds intimidating, I survived the class and so will you!

It begins at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday and lasts only 30 minutes in Studio 11.  Taylor Miller is the instructor.

The studio probably had 25 people, so getting there a few minutes ahead of time would be beneficial.  At the very least, get there by 4:30.  Since the class is a shorter one, arriving late or leaving early might not be worth your time. The class had a mix of BOTH guys and girls.

What is needed during Killer Core is a mat and small weight.  Both are provided in the studio.  If you are not familiar with ab workouts, sit closer to the front of the room so you can see Taylor.

The class started off with partner ab drills.  If you go alone, acquaint yourself with someone near you.  The first exercise involved one partner laying on the mat while the other person stood slightly behind their head.  The person on the mat held their partner's ankles and swung their feet up to a 90 degree angle.  The partner standing then pushed the other person's feet down.  Some of the other partner drills involved side crunches and normal crunches, with one partner holding the other's feet in place.

For the remainder of the session, everyone went solo.  Drills included crunches, planking, Russian twists (this is what the weight was used for), mountain climbers and bicycles.  In my opinion, the Russian twists and planks were the hardest exercises to complete.  However, you are welcome to take a break when needed.  No one will judge you!

The class ends with a quick stretching segment of yoga and pilates.

Although this class is strenuous, it definitely helps to build the core.  You can push yourself hard, or you can ease yourself into some of the drills.

And look at the bright side.  Even if you feel like you're in one of Dante's circles of hell, it's only for 30 minutes... not eternity.

Class 2: Yoga

Some people get scared when they hear the word yoga because they think it means they have to be able to contort their bodies into a pretzel shape.  This, however, is not true.  If you are a person who can barely touch your toes while standing, have no fear! This class will help you to develop and improve your flexibility.

The TRECS yoga class takes place at 9 a.m. on Friday mornings in Studio 11.  It lasts until 10 a.m., but anyone who needs to leave earlier than that is welcome to.  The instructor is Amber.

The studio was moderately filled, so you can get to the class just a few minutes before it starts and be okay.  When you come into the studio, grab yourself a mat from the back of the room and a yoga block from the closet.  The block will help you if you are less flexible. Also, you can bring your own mat if you have one.

Bring a water bottle in case you get thirsty.  Shoes are optional.  I personally took my sneakers off and just kept my socks on during the class.

If you are new to yoga, sit closer to the front of the room by the instructor so you can clearly see what she is doing.

Amber plays serene, quiet music to give the atmosphere of the studio a peaceful feel.

The class starts with easy relaxation postures and builds as it progresses.  It begins with a cross-legged sitting stance and then goes to lifting the legs while in corpse pose (laying on the mat back down).  Other more mild moves are done, but the instructor shows you step-by-step how to do everything.

If at any time you need to take a break, you are encouraged to go into child's pose to rest.

Towards the middle of the class, things get harder with the warrior poses (when one leg is bent in front of the other; there are three different variations we did).

The sequences are done on both sides of the body, so that each side gets an equal work out.

Sun salutations were probably the most difficult portion of the class.  Amber shows everyone how to go through the process, and then you can go at your own pace.  Some of the positions included plank, downward dog, mountain pose, and cobra.  If you do not know these positions, here is a helpful site to look at.

Towards the end of class, everyone's balance is tested.  The instructor shows the basic move and then the the more difficult one for those who are more advanced.  Tree pose is an example.

Yoga wrapped up with stretching.

This class is for both beginner and intermediate yogis and yoginis. There are opportunities to challenge yourself further if you are not a beginner or catch on quickly.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to try yoga for a first time or practice it on a weekly basis.

Class 1: Pulling Your Weight

Whenever you browses the TRECS group fitness schedule, you see short words to describe a class that lasts generally 45 minutes to an hour. So you find a class that you think looks like it would be fun, show up a little early and pray to the fitness gods that you will survive whatever is about to happen for the next hour of your life.  Sometimes you get right into the class and know it's not for you, but other times the class actually helps you reach your fitness goals. This blog is devoted to revealing the TRECS classes to the ladies and gentlemen of UT.  I will go to fitness classes I have never been to and document my experiences so that the Vol nation will be more knowledgable about group fitness.

As the name states, the main focus of this class is using your own body weight to get a work out.  No machines, actual weights or stability balls are needed.  Definitely bring a water bottle and wear tennis shoes with traction.

The class starts at 1:30 on Friday afternoons and ends at 2:15.  The instructor is Chris Bossert, who is  encouraging and helpful.

There were 12 girls who participated in the class, so you can show up a few minutes beforehand and be okay.  

Pulling Your Weight starts with a warm-up that consists of jogging in place, jumping jacks and other sports drills. 

The main part of the class consists of four stations that everyone rotates through three times.  One station is all about core workouts- Navy SEAL kick outs, Russian Twists, etc.  The second station is all about sports drills led by Chris.  This includes side shuffling, push-ups and other drills that will get your heart racing.  The third station is a mix between sprinting and a drill where you are in a push-up position and jump your legs up to your chest and back to the original position.  The fourth station deals with jumping side to side, front to back and hurdling.  After the completion of one full rotation, some of the stations change to a different drill.  The instructor thoroughly explains to everyone how the drills are preformed at each station.

After the three rotations, the class does a round of core exercises together.  This includes planks, "bicycles" and some of the other drills that were done earlier.

Pulling Your Weight ends with much needed stretches.

This class is pretty intense.  It will have you sweating throughout the entire duration. If you do not exercise regularly, this class will probably be too challenging.  However, you can push yourself as hard as you want and take breaks whenever necessary.