Gym Classes can make you exceptionally fit, though we are not guaranteeing you will all reach athlete level, your personal growth will depend on the classes you attend and your commitment. But first let’s look at why we think gym classes can make you fitter than expected, well 2018 has been a pivotal year for fitness, with Bodypower celebrating their 10th anniversary, a surge of new fitness apps entering the market and the never-ending growth of fitness brands such as Gymshark which grew by 197%+ year on year and hit £52M in sales last year with expectations to grow even more this year. But what about gym classes? We’re getting to that. But before we do, understand fitness is like success, there is no finite definition, it is what you believe it be however it does categorize into 3 main aspects: health, function, and athleticism. Now assuming you believe the same, let’s look at why gym classes can make you more fit than you would assume.
Gyms rely on member count for their business to run smoothly, in Layman’s terms: more members in means more revenue at that gym, if members leave, revenue drops. Now, what better way to make a gym more successful than to provide enticing classes where members feel excited to join and fulfil their fitness goals in a fun and supporting environment. However, this all truly depends on whether your gym is offering the most amazing and exhilarating classes like none other and of course if your instructor is giving you 100% motivation by keeping you on your toes but also ensuring you are performing at your best by correcting form and bringing energy! If this is the case, then brilliant, let’s crack on! If not, find a new gym because you might be missing out:
You Are Not Alone!
Gym classes are generally in groups of anywhere between 4-15 members, sometimes even more. Therefore the battle is not a lone one, you fight with friends alike and the group support can be quite energizing, which halfway through, when you start giving in, will be crucial towards your effort level. Having your peers giving it everything, whilst you’re about to throw the red flag, can put you in fight or flight mode, where you will experience a surge of energy driving you to finish your exercise strong, where the reward is strong for you and your teammates.
Additional support
You’re really aren’t alone! If you find your classmates are whizzing ahead, on some dog eat dog mentality and feel like you can’t correct some of your weaknesses or perfect your strengths, your instructor is there to help. Instructors truly make the class what they are, they bring fresh ideas to the table, they keep the classes exciting, but most importantly they help. When you feel like you struggling with a particular exercise, say the “elbow plank”, ask your instructor to help your progress up to that exercise. Remember during class, your instructor can only really help you correct form, but after class, they can give you homework, such as practicing “supine bird dog” to learn core contraction and the practicing a “regular hand plank” before progressing to “elbow plank”. Whether it be a Kettlebell or Spin class, (click here if you are interested in becoming a qualified spin or kettlebell) you should always be challenging yourself, but also learning at the same time and if you feel you need additional support, ask your instructor to help out or seek a personal trainer who can help focus on your weak spots.
Shock Principal
As mentioned by Ross Edgley, in his new “The World’s Fittest Book”, the “Law of Specific Skill” is important here. In short, it basically states that when training for something, whether it be strength, power, endurance or any other pursuit, our training is tailored towards that one specific goal, for example if you perform 100 sit-ups, you will become very good at contracting you rectus abdominis in upper range of motion, however you might be able to hold an isometric plank hold for long because you have not trained for this. This is why Gym Classes can make you that much fitter because they train from multiple angles and target different aspects of fitness rather than limiting to one. On top of this, when attending a class your instructor will most likely have new exercises for you to learn and progress towards, employing the shock principle and thus allowing you to constantly grow and adapt. This neurological and physiological change that occurs in the body is known as the SAID principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand).
If you found this post insightful, why not check out some of our previous posts on our blog page or if you are interested in becoming a qualified personal trainer check out our main page for course information and if you have any questions feel free to email us at info@focusfitnessuk.com.