I tried something new last night. And I sweated. Like really sweated.
I get hot training on a cold winters day, but trying something new out last night that felt like doing 1,000 squats on the hottest day of the year was… amazing! Yep, 1,000 squats = amazing. I actually said that.
Ok so probably not quite 1,000, but you’ll see what I mean.
A pal of ours runs a fitness group (Ria of RBFitness). Another pal works at a trampoline park (Rachel of SkyHigh). I had a relay race booked for last night, but for various reasons at the last minute the team couldn’t do it. So, knowing a class was about to start… I headed to the trampoline park and I took part in my first BounceFit session and wow! I couldn’t recommend it enough.
My first question when I saw the post on Facebook that morning was “do any guys do it” as to be honest, I rather naively thought it was kind of a woman thing. I was reassured blokes do get involved, so packed my bag and headed to the park.
Squeezing my feet into my newly purchased trampoline socks, very fetching, I was quietly apprehensive. I tend to really not enjoy fitness classes. As much as I advocate training with a pal (hence TriPals!) fitness classes tend not to mean fun for me. I’m not sure exactly why, no psychologist had analyse my brain just yet, but I just don’t like them. I think it’s that I don’t like the pressure that is seemingly put on you with a mass group of people, which is a little odd given I enjoy triathlon events!
After only 10 minutes I could tell Ria’s coaching style was definitely not like that, so things were looking up, then down, then up, then down… sorry, my head is still bouncing as I write. Anyway…
Walking up the stairs to our trampolines felt somewhat like a gladiator entering the colosseum. Everyone giving each other a sly look of terror.
Ok so it wasn’t that bad and no I wasn’t going to get eaten alive by a lion, but I was actually worried about passing out from the 32degree heat and a little apprehensive about how hard this would be and would I be able to keep up.
Everyone was so friendly and welcoming and YES, there were other guys in the group, I was not alone. Things were looking up, and down, and up….
Then the session began. The warm up was new to me, I’ve never done it on a trampoline before, but definitely could feel my heart beat rising. I was enjoying this and wondered what all the fuss was about, this was easy! Then the workout started…
Yea, doing double ski squats side to side for 10 minutes of varying intervals was tough (after 30 minutes of the session already under our belt!), but the beauty of this class was that Ria (our wonderful coach) was making sure people were taking their own pace. If you wanted to go easy, there was an option for that. If you wanted to go hard, you could do that too. If you wanted to do a bit of both, you could.
I felt like I was trying the hard options, but I’m sure I mixed it up and even stopped for a breather on the odd (okay, multiple) occasion. You were in control of your own workout, encouraged by Ria to push it a little further. Things were going well!
My coordination went a little awol in the middle, trying to balance listening to JayZ and Beyoncé Crazy in Love, laughing at my pal Rachel laughing at me, and struggling to follow the routine with bouncing to the beats (I say bouncing, I wanted to dance), but the music throughout helped build up momentum on each set. I know I was quietly rejoicing when I could tell the end of the track was near… water, my internal voice was shouting, water!!
Can you do a push up? Can you do one, turn to your side and reach for the sky? Ok so on hard ground I can do that no problem. Not many mind… my shoulders can swim to infinity, but I’m not a push up kind of guy. So, trying to balance this on a trampoline, alternating side to side was a whole new level of workout! Bouncing, push up, twisting, stretchy upys (I believe it’s called a side plank). Every inch of my core was screaming to keep my balanced.
Something so simple to do before suddenly felt so challenging, but, the difference was that this time, I actually felt it was doing something. I could feel my core tightening and trying to fight the urge to keep me balanced. I could feel it from head to toe.
Wow, so this is what a workout feels like!
I have to admit, most of my triathlon workouts have been focused quite heavily around the swim, bike and run, like most newbies, of course they have. This year I wanted to get stronger at all three and realise I needed to build on my core to help strengthen my training. So, I have been doing some gym work to build on this, but after last nights session, clearly I hadn’t been doing quite enough!
I can honestly say, in 45 minutes, I don’t feel I’ve ever worked my core so hard in a concentrated amount of time and actually enjoyed it.
Here’s the difference. Say your doing squats in the gym with a weight on your shoulders. Tough, of course it is, but between your sets of 12, you probably have a breather, walk around a bit to catch your breath, then crack on again. Right?
So, reference back to my original comment, within about 5 minutes it felt like we had done over 1,000 squats and we still had 30 minutes of the session left! This was a real workout. But I think I need to reiterate, it was as hard as the effort you put in. If you wanted to crab jump lower, it was going to work you harder. If you wanted to star jump upright, you could take it a little easier. It was entirely up to you and every now and then as I looked around at the other jumpers (or is it trampers? Hmm I digress), I could tell all abilities were being catered for.
Leaving the trampoline park a couple of us were talking to Ria about how our legs were “going to feel it in the morning.” She smiled and said it’s not your legs that are going to burn… it’s your core. I smiled, chuckled and though nah, definitely my legs, they’re burning.
As I write this horizontal in bed with one of my kids strewn across me, I can just about feel my abs telling me…don’t get up don’t get up don’t get up. Ria wasn’t wrong. Owe!!
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. What a great all over workout, with combined cardio activity. Whatever sport or fitness you’re into you could benefit from going to a class like this.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. As long as I can book into the session, not be away with work and fight my wife for who will be going, I’ll be there!
Hopefully we’ll see you there too!
For now, I just need to stop my brain bouncing before getting on with my bike ride for this morning!