You might be staying in the same energy system day in day out
(CAVEAT: not ragging, this is how you can enhance your experience.)
There are a lot of gyms that crush the group-fitness game but it’s friggin hard to do.
If you’re feeling frustrated because you go hard with your group classes each week but you’re not feeling what was promised to you, you do have the power to change your circumstance and try something different.
The solution: smart training.
Circuit-style classes mainly stay in one style of training, which means you get really efficient but miss out on the benefits that come from strength training: building muscle, strength, improving other energy systems and physiological functions, movement quality.
Doing similar classes every day is like using a piece of cardio equipment everyday. Just because you’re doing different exercises in that class it doesn’t change the stimulus if it’s the same intensity.
When we stay the same, we stay the same.
Progressive overload is how we improve.
If you’re doing intervals of 60:60 sec with TRX rows, rowing, body weight lunges, that is a good cardio workout, right? But if you're doing it every day you’re not getting the things I’m assuming you want.
With a back squat in the gym, you can change tempo, load, reps, use different variations and energy systems. There’s so many more ways to progressively overload to create new stimulus.
This doesn’t mean you have to stop your classes. But consider adding in some purposeful strength training to:
Modulate your training so you’re not going hard every single day
Get stronger (will only improve your output in classes)
Progress as an individual and work on goals that are specific for you
Take the urgency out of group classes to be the solution, but enjoy them for the atmosphere
What could this look like?
3 x p/wk strength training
2 x p/wk week group class
1-2 x p/wk low intensity aerobic work
If you’re looking for a solid strength training program to go alongside your group classes so you’ve got your bases covered, head here to learn more about The Bold Collective.