Tuesday, February 21, 2012

ZUMBA FOR FATTIES



As promised, I thought I'd do a review on Zumba fitness- the trendiest latin inspired cardio workout of our time. I've been doing Zumba for 6 weeks now in collaboration with a ketosis diet and I'm down 17 lbs. Ok yes, some of that was water weight, but I ask you- who the hell cares? The scale went down!  And besides, I was able to squeeze my big behind into a size 18 jeans from Old Navy! I previously wore an 20/22.

Granted, I had a muffin top OUT OF THIS WORLD in those 18's but dangit- I zipped them and thats all I care about!

Let me start from the beginning with Zumba. I started Zumba from a sedentary lifestyle. I was 318, I had never worked out, and was scared out of my mind because I had no idea what to expect. I went to the "newbie" class provided by Studio SI here in Greenville, SC where the instructors broke down each component of the dance moves so we would be better prepared for a real class.

I was breaking a massive sweat just in practice! They instruct you to keep your abs tight so you get a significant abdominal workout as you do cardio workout and swing those hips! I felt pretty confident as they broke down the moves. It's a follow the leader kind of environment. The instructor gives a cue when she is about to start a new move.There is alot of hopping, side twists, throwing arms, squatting and LOADS of hip shaking involved.  I will say that if you haven't had practice with the routine before it can be difficult trying to keep up and know what to do next. But, that's the key- you have to keep going!

When actual class started after the newbie class- I looked like a complete jackass. I was flopping all over the place stumbling over my own two feet. There is alot of quick stepping within the salsa moves and it was hard to keep up. However, I wasn't the only one. I was comforted by all of the complete jackasses in the room. And the best part was- we were all sweating. I began to care less about what I looked like and concentrated more on burning as many calories as possible- and having fun.

It may be important to note that at Zumba class (or at least at Studio SI) there is no designated water break. Between songs, you can float over to your personal water bottle or fountain, hydrate, and hop right back in. That was a shock initially for me, but as you progress- you learn when your body needs water to keep going and when you don't.

I go to Zumba about 5 times a week for an hour at each class. I also have the Zumba fitness wii game at home for when I cant make it to the studio. I'm interested to know how many calories I'm actually burning through the workout. The game estimates- that at my height and weight- I'm burning over 1000 calories an hour! I'm not sure how accurate that is- which is why I've purchased a bodybugg and can't WAIT  until it comes in.

All in all I'd say- if you are looking for a FUN way to workout- Zumba is the way to go. It's like going out to the club with your girls- getting completely wasted- and dancing your absolute hardest for an hour until you pass out. Thats the best (or worst) analogy I could give you!

If you're in the Greenville, SC area- I REALLY reccommend Studo SI. The instructors are FABB, fun, and their choreography is top notch. Give Zumba a try and let me know how it goes!

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