Months of holiday dinners, rich party foods and an uncountable number of Christmas cookies have taken their toll.
Pants are fitting a little tighter, muscles are a little softer and that six-pack is gone. Now is the time to move past the decadence of the holiday season, and countless people have embarked on a new fitness journey as part of their new year’s resolution.
But late January is the time when exercise commitments die. The excitement of getting in shape has faded, making each treadmill session or rep of weight training that much more untenable.
You need a workout that brings that excitement back. Throughout Johnson County, these gyms have the cure for your winter workout blahs.
Pound out the beat to a raucous soundtrack in a mix of Pilates, Zumba and dance. Launch yourself up, down and around a room full of trampolines for an aerobic workout. Train like a kickboxer, going nine rounds of cardio, strength training and core body work.
The goal is to make your workout less of a chore and more something that you look forward to each month.
“A big reason for doing this is to see that confidence grow, to see members try to hit those goals and that smile on their face when they do hit them,” said Craig Valier, owner of 9Round Fitness in Greenwood. “It’s very gratifying.”
JAM IT OUT // POUND
What: A full-body cardio jam session combining light resistance with constant simulated drumming.
Where: Franklin Cultural Arts and Recreation Center, 396 Branigin Blvd.
When: Classes are 7 to 7:45 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays through March 2.
Cost: $5 to drop in.
Q&A with Justine Kinnick, certified Pound trainer and instructor at the Franklin Recreation Center
What is Pound?
Pound is kind of a unique class that uses something called Ripstix. They are lightly-weighted drumsticks. We utilize them to keep the beat and move through music, while holding certain positions. It’s an isometric-based, Pilates-based workout. Each song has a position. There’s a sitting position like in Pilates, where you’re sitting very upright. You can go into leg lifts and that kind of thing. Then we have another position where we’re lying on the floor, and move up into a bridge. And there’s a lunge position.
How does it work the body?
It’s a full-body workout. We have different positions that we use. A set position is a standing position, that’s kind of a light squat. We’re standing in that position and moving our arms and moving our bodies. There’s lots of leg work, but also stretching because of the Pilates base. The first place you’re going to notice it is in your legs. But then the arms kind of sneak up on you.
Can anyone do it?
I have teenagers in class, a woman in her 70s. You don’t have to be in great shape to do it. Everything is baby steps. A brand-new student isn’t going to come and immediately move into all of the positions. One thing we do is air-strike; if you can’t get into the full position or hit the floor, you can go as far as you can. I would rather somebody not be able to hit the floor and be in the correct position, and eventually get better and better until you can do it, then do it incorrectly.
What do you need to do it?
All you need is workout clothes and shoes, a towel and water — normal workout stuff. I provide the Ripstix. There are mats there you can use, or you can bring your own mats.
What kind of music do you use?
It’s rock music. Sometimes it’s classic rock, sometimes it’s brand-new stuff. It’s a run-the-gamut kind of thing. They give the instructors new tracks every month, and it’s the kind of stuff that I know is going to appeal to my classes, but it’s also going to get you going.
KICKIN’ IT // 9ROUND FITNESS
What: A 30-minute session that combines kickboxing concepts, body-weight exercises and core-focused work into a full-body cardiovascular workout.
Where: 239 S. State Road 135, Greenwood
Contact: 317-300-1830
Hours: 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 3:30 to 8 p.m. Monday and Wednesday; 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 3:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 3:30 to 6 p.m. Friday, and 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Cost: First workout is free; costs and memberships vary.
Q&A with Craig Valier, owner of 9Round Fitness in Greenwood
What is 9Round?
We’re a 30-minute, full-body kickboxing workout. What that means is, every day that you come in here, we’re going to work every muscle.
How does it work?
We change the exercises every day. You’re doing something different, so you’re not getting bored, and your muscles aren’t getting bored. You’re not going to hit a plateau, because you’re moving at a different angle every time you come in.
What sets it apart?
We’re very different from a cardio workout perspective. Most of our benefits revolve around the fact that we’re only a 30-minute workout, and in that 30 minutes, you’re going to burn some calories.
Are people there to show you how it works?
Our biggest benefit is you have a trainer with you the entire time, and it’s included in the price. We’re here to help them with their form, and to motivate you. Part of what we pride ourselves in is we’re a community. We try to know everyone here, and make it as fun and enjoyable so that you’ll keep coming back.
How does the program implement elements of kickboxing into a full workout?
We show you all of the basic punches: jabs, crosses, all of those punches. They all build strength, because every time you’re hitting that bag, it’s resonating up through your forearms, your back, even your core. Then there’s the kicks, front kicks, side kicks and round kicks. Basic kickboxing moves. We’re not here to make you a black belt, but we show you how to rotate and engage on those kicks.
What’s the toughest thing you do?
Probably the most frustrating bag, and at the same time the most gratifying, is the speed bag. Everyone sees that in the movies and wants to be Rocky. Nobody can when they first start. It takes coordination, it takes balance, it takes hand-eye coordination.
Can everyone do it?
We have you go at your own pace, and try to build you up as you come in. When a first-time workout comes in, someone who hasn’t been in the gym for a long time, maybe ever, we tell them to go as hard as they can as far as they can. If that’s three rounds, that’s great. Next time you come in, we’re going to try to get you to four rounds.
JUMP AROUND // SKYFIT
What: A dynamic hour-long class using trampolines to deliver a full-body workout
Where: Sky Zone Trampoline Park, 4150 Kildeer Drive, Indianapolis
When: 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 to 10 a.m. Saturdays
Cost: $12 per class, $90 for 10 classes
Q&A with Sarah Alvarez, Skyfit instructor for Sky Zone
What makes this a good workout?
The trampolines are a big part of that. It adds an extra element, especially of balance, into the activities. Having to balance more spices things up more. With the bigger trampolines, you get bigger jumps and you can increase the intensity even more if you want to.
What is the focus of Skyfit?
My focus is making it fun. In my opinion, if exercise isn’t fun, people are less likely to keep doing it. Then it’s a really great, low-impact exercise class, so it draws a lot of people who don’t want to do those high-impact things, such as running, to get in shape. So that’s important as well.
How are the workouts set up?
There are three different classes during the week, and each one has a different intensity.
What’s the easiest one like?
The low-intensity class is on Saturdays, and in that class, we mostly focus on strength training and balance. We use bands and some medicine balls that are weighted to assist with the weight training for the first half of the class. Then the second half of the class is some cardio, some jumping, some of the easier jumps to get a taste of the cardio aspect of the trampoline.
How does the moderate intensity class unfold?
That class is on Tuesdays, and for it, we do a little bit more jumping, as well as some of that strength training with the weighted medicine balls.
What’s the hardest class like?
That’s the cardio jump class, and it includes a lot of jumping. We spend probably a total of 40 minutes jumping, versus probably about 30 minutes jumping for the moderate and 10 to 15 minutes jumping for the easiest one.
