BodyStep

There is a BodyPump class on Saturday at 9:05 AM at one of the gym locations that I go to that I've gone to a few times. It ends up being a confusing mad rush because there is a BodyStep class that ends at 8:00 AM...or sometimes a few minutes after. I decided today that I would attend the BodyStep class prior to the BodyPump so that I could avoid the rush and have a spot reserved for the 9:05 class. Long story short I still didn't get a spot for BodyPump (I got to step later than I had wanted and it was a new release day so the incoming students were like vultures and there were no clips left...so I know next time to get to the step class plenty early and get my BodyPump stuff set aside so there won't be any more problems!)

BUT! On to BodyStep!

"BODYSTEP™ is the energizing step workout that makes you feel liberated and alive. Using a height-adjustable step and simple movements on, over and around the step you get huge motivation from sing-a-long music and approachable instructors. Cardio blocks push fat burning systems into high gear followed by muscle conditioning tracks that shape and tone your body. Like all the LES MILLS™ programs, a new BODYSTEP™ class is released every three months with new music and choreography."

I LOVED BodyStep. LOVED IT!  The class was team taught by two really great instructors - I liked how different they were from one another (one was really spunky and bouncy, the other was a little more zen) and also loved that they semi-matched their outfits - both were wearing wild Nike shorts and cute tank tops.

I have taken step classes in the past (when I started at Jazzercise they used to have step a few times a week) so I was familiar with some of the vocabulary and moves, but I definitely felt lost at times. However, being a visual learner, I would keep my feed moving and really zone in on the instructors feet so that I could get the moves. There were no moves that I didn't catch on to by the end of any given song, so I ended up feeling successful.

The hour FLEW by. Each track is focused on a slightly different aspect of your workout (like fitness "peaks" that really get your heart rate up, a "party track" that is more dance focused, a "speed track" and muscle work mixed in throughout) which made the workout not feel monotonous. I also liked that we did things like burpees and mountain climbers (incorporating the step), so the whole workout wasn't just step up on the step, step down off the step.

I was seriously sweating throughout the whole class, probably because we followed more of an interval style where your heart rate has some time to recover but then shoots back up several times throughout the workout. I was drenched by the end, and felt especially strong in my abs. Looking forward to seeing if I am especially sore anywhere tomorrow.

I will absolutely be back to BodyStep, and I would highly recommend it to all of you!

Have you ever tried a step class? What did you think?

I always kind of thought that step was straight out of the '80s...but not BodyStep!