I’ve spent years as a
Zumba Fitness nut. Everything about it–the music, the bright clothing, the high energy, the moves–intoxicated me from day one. I never thought I’d find something I love as much (or more) than teaching Zumba.
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| Warrior III with Flight Arms, by the Chester River High St. dock. |
What is it?
The name of the fitness program is derived from a fusion of Pilates and Yoga; however, it’s not your average Pilates or Yoga workout. We move faster and more elements of strength and power have been added to this format.While I think it’s a total mind/body workout, there are no “ahhs” or “oms” here and no spiritual-type movements. It’s strictly fitness.
It’s one of the three class formats offered by the Powder Blue Productions team (the other two are Hip Hop Hustle and Turbo Kick).
What You Can Expect
To sweat. A lot. More than just a flow class, PiYo Strength has heat-building elements that make it a cardio workout on top of being a body strength workout. We start with a warm-up, slowly build heat, work on a leg strength section, a left and right flow section (think lots of Warrior poses), and then we move into planks, strength, power, and core before a sports-specific cool down.
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| A few of my students showing off Warrior and chaturanga poses. |
I started teaching this format in June 2012 and it took off like wildfire! We had packed classes from day one, and I’m proud to say that so, so many of the participants who lined up to take the class in June are still going strong in February 2013.
What it does for you
My students have reported the following: feeling overall stronger, noticing toning in the shoulders, abs, legs, and back, building upper body strength, building flexibility, better balance. That’s quite a list!
The key to this kind of workout is repetition – you gotta keep up with it. If possible, try to practice two times a week. It’s a great compliment to cardio conditioning.
What I’ve noticed
Prior to taking PiYo classes, and even at the beginning of teaching, I couldn’t do more than 4 or 5 push-ups in a row (except for the
time I did the push-up challenge — and even then I was performing modified push-ups). Now? I can easily belt out 60 on-the-toes push-ups at once. Gulp.
I also was unable to perform the chaturanga pose (keeping elbows in, lower your body to hover just above the ground.) Now? BAM!
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| Chaturanga pose. Once you master this pose, it’s your best friend. |
I credit my PiYo Strength practice for keeping me injury-free during the summer and fall 2012 running season. I ran 8 races during that time, including two half marathons. My mile time dropped almost a full minute, and my recovery time after long training runs and tough races was minimal. All the balance and flexibility moves in PiYo Strength helped!
My body has noticed some welcome changes, too:
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| rawr! leg muscles! |
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| rawr! Guns! |
I love sharing this workout with my group exercise students. Of all the classes I’ve taught, this is the one they’re least likely to miss!
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| Getting excited about PiYo Strength poses. |
It’s a popular workout on the west coast, but it’s slowly starting to invade the east coast. Check with your local gym to see if there’s a PiYo Strength workout near you!
Live in Chestertown? I’d LOVE to see you in class. Here’s my PiYo Strength teaching schedule:
Tuesdays 5-6 p.m., Kent Athletic
Wednesdays 12-12:45 p.m., Washington College Johnson Fitness Center
Thursdays 5:45-6:45 p.m., Kent Athletic
First class is always free, after that it’s an average of $4-5 per class with special passes available for purchase.
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