Crush Your Workout Goals Using Only Group Fitness Classes By Following This Plan

Yahoo

3 days ago

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More and more guys are embracing group fitness. Why? Because group classes deliver science-backed muscle-building and cardio-enhancing tactics. Not sure how to get the most out of the new group fitness scene? We've got everything you need right here.
THERE'S NEVER BEEN a better time to jump into the group fitness scene then now. And contrary to what your average big box gym trainer may tell you, if you build your group fitness training schedule out right, you can easily get into crazy-good shape doing only group classes. The trick: You have to have a plan. And no, that plan shouldn't involve four straight days of spin (or yoga... or any one group class, really!). One of the biggest traps you want o avoid when building a group schedule with a focused training goal is this: Repeating a single cardio-style class over and over. If you do that, you'll miss out on other key fitness traits that you'll want to train to stay healthy in the long term (think: strength and mobility). The flipside? Don't be a serial class-hopper. If your schedule has too much variety, you'll never go to group class consistently enough to truly understand the exercises and techniques that the class is trying to teach you.
So before you start bouncing from Rumble to CrossFit to the zen-est yoga class you can find, build out a smart, long-term plan that takes your own personal fitness goals into account. Your first step in that journey: Deciding what you want out of the gym. So take a few minutes to ponder that. Do you want to build muscle? Prep for a 5k? Lose a little weight?
After you've uncovered your fitness goal, build a schedule that leverages the best of what your group fitness scene has to offer. And no, this may not be as hard or expensive as it seems (especially if you're in a city!), because companies like ClassPass are built to help you gain entry to multiple group studios with just a single membership. Just make sure you read the description of every class you book so you understand exactly how it can help you reach your goals. (Most studios run different kinds of classes throughout the day/week, some focusing on strength, others focusing on cardio, and others serving hybrid goals. So no, not all F45 classes will truly build strength.)
And yes, we know all of this can seem overwhelming. That's why we built this five-day group fitness roadmap, which guides you through the perfect class structure to help you reach your fitness goals.
Your Goal: Build Muscle
We know what you might be thinking: there's no way I'm building muscle with a bunch of medium-weight dumbbells in a group class. Except it is possible, if you prioritize tried-and-true strength training fundamentals. And you'll need to train hard. At least once in every group workout with weights, aim to move weights heavy enough that, in the final five seconds of an interval, you have a little doubt whether you can complete the set.
Why? Because progressive overload is the key to muscle-building. You can't just hold onto the same dumbbells you've been grabbing since day one and expect to see bigger biceps (trust us. We've tried). Not sure how or when to go heavier on an exercise? If you feel good after one set of a move, call the trainer over during the rest period, and ask them to watch your next round and evaluate whether you should grab bigger bells.
If muscle-building is indeed your goal, keep that as the central focus in your group routine. Aim to choose THREE strength-style workouts a week (but don't do more than this, since group strength workouts often focus on total-body strength, and you don't want to pile drive your entire body too often). Augment that with ONE cardio workout a week (remember that better cardio capacity will stealthily help your strength work, giving you the endurance to pile up more reps). To keep your mind fresh (and aid in recovery), add in ONE mobility-style or recovery-focused workout a week.
Your Goal: Improve Cardio
Let's face it: lonely post-lift treadmill sessions get boring AF. Group fitness was built for cardio—pumping music, peer pressure to go harder, high energy. And, you don't need to suffer through relentless burpees to get it in. There's a cardio class now for everyone. Pro-tip, though: Don't completely neglect strength training. If you build muscle smartly, it can boost your ability to dominate cardio classes, letting you generate extra force with every single stride on the treadmill or pull of the rower.
Create a healthy balance of cardio and strength with your workout plan. Aim for TWO cardio-based workouts, and pick ones that feel best on your body; if a high impact treadmill class isn't for your knees, swap out for a cycle or rowing based class. Then build in a little strength work: Including TWO strength-based workouts will keep your muscles primed for everyday movement, prevent injury, and improve your speed and endurance, too (underrated contributors to better cardio workouts, by the way!). Of course, you'll also need to allow time for your body to recoup, so opt for ONE mobility-style or recovery-based class.
Your Goal: Lose Weight
Weight loss is complicated. At its most basic, it's about calories in versus calories out. Burn more calories than you intake, and your body will use excess fat for fuel. Theoretically, it sounds like the workout that burns the most calories is the most optimal for weight loss, right?
Not quite. Of course, you want to ensure you get a healthy mix of strength training and cardio, to build functional strength and promote heart health. But, ultimately the workout routine that will burn the most calories will be the one you come back to, day in and day out. So, play around with your routine—so play around with your routine, but gradually work to settle into (and then stick with) a handful of classes that you like. This will enable you to gradually progress and improve in each class, and over time, that progression will become part of the fun (and keep you coming back for more!).
Above all, you want your workout routine to be fun and full of variety and also to let you experience new things. Sure, you'll still need to eat your vegetables (factor in ONE to TWO strength-based workouts per week, and ONE cardio-based workout per week)—but you want to prioritize enjoyment above all. Opt for ONE wildcard choice per week, partly so you can play around and have fun, but also because often, new tasks burn more calories—simply because our body's are inefficient at new tasks. And yes, this schedule can take a toll on your body. So make sure to pepper in ONE mobility or recovery-based class to keep you feeling spry.
The ClassPass Sweat Sessions We Love Most
ONCE YOU'VE CHOSEN a fitness goal and mapped out the class types you'll need to take, you'll be ready to head to ClassPass and pick your sessions. Use this list of our favorite ClassPass classes (sorted by strength, cardio, and recovery!) as a starting point for you to build your early list.
Strength-Based Classes We Love
Elements of a good strength class: a good trainer to provide accurate movement demos, a training program that prioritizes heavy compound lifts and accessory movements, and a timeline that allows you to challenge yourself with proper work and rest periods. Here are a few of our favorites.
MADabolic's Durability class puts your strength and stamina to the test. Their program follows a strict 12-week cycle where members will build, peak, and deload muscle-building compound movements to truly strength train like the athletes.
Get an all-in-one option with F45 Training. Their weekly schedule runs 3 strength days, 2 conditioning days, and two hybrid days a week.
If you're opting for group fitness to find a community, Burn Bootcamp is your place. Build muscle and strength through classic compound movements like squats, lunges, deadlifts, pushups, and rows—all with the encouragement of your classmates.
Thought OTF was all about cardio? Think again. Their Strength50 class is 50 minutes of floor work that incorporates dumbbells, ab wheels, TRX straps, and more to get you a great full body workout.
Okay, you might not see a ton of your buddies in a barre class, but it's worth giving it a shot. Why? Slow movements and pulsing will put your muscles to the test in this barre-inspired class that promotes joint stability, balance, and muscular endurance—three things that will benefit your bigger lifts, and athletic ability on the field or the court.
Cardio-Based Classes We Love
Group fitness was bred for cardio. These high energy classes will get your heart pumping and sweat flowing, with the help of smart trainers and welcoming community.
Don't think cardio equates to treadmill. Rowing provides a full body workout that will get your heart pumping, and improve lower body and back strength—and RowHouse is centered on it.
Behind us are the days of confusing cycle classes with hard-to-match paces and constant up-down. Cyclebar provides great no-frills cycling, accompanied with data points that tells you exactly how you did compared to everyone else—perfect if you have a competitive side.
OrangeTheory started a group fitness revolution when they opened their first location in 2010. Now, with over 1,500 studios worldwide, they've mastered their craft—especially when it comes to cardio. All their classes (with the exception of the Strength50 we mentioned earlier) will challenge your stamina with a mix of treadmill, rower, and fitness exercises.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. won't be your IRL trainer here, but he did design this workout program. You'll learn everything you need to know to nail your first knockout in their Boxing Fundamentals class, and get a great cardio and power workout while you're at it.
Mobility/Recovery Classes We Love
It's easy to neglect your mobility. When you don't have time, the first thing you're going to skip is your 20-minute stretch cooldown. Keep it on your schedule by scheduling a class that you have to show up to.
We don't need to lecture you on yoga's benefits to the body (and mind). It's a perfect addition to your recovery day to promote mobility and stability. Even if you're not very flexible, Corepower has a 'reformative stretch' class to get your joints moving.
You've seen the viral videos of Glenn Powell, LeBron James, and even Kansas City Chief's players doing pilates—it might be time you hop into the trend too. Club Pilates has beginner-friendly classes that will challenge your mobility and strength all in one.
Okay, okay—this isn't technically a class, but a StretchLab session does pair you with a trained practitioner who is there to work through all your stiff muscles and joints through assisted stretching.
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