The first stop on the workout train was Blast 900, a treadmill class that uses, "unique interval-based training," to, "shock" the body. Circuit training meets boot camp.
The class also claims to burn 900 calories in one hour.
900 Calories in one hour?!
Count me in.
When I watched a demonstration video on Blast 900's website, I was impressed with the workout, but knew it wasn't going to be easy. I had a feeling Blast 900 was intended for more intense exercisers than me. Kyle told me she once threw up in the class it was so hard. Then I met one of the class instructors at a party; she was ripped, and she placed 2nd in the Atlanta ING Marathon. There's a reason why Blast 900 burns so many calories. Because it's really freaking hard.
Still, I enjoy working out and I'm in pretty good shape, and I needed a change, so I recruited Kyle to return and made Day 260's thing I've never done before to take a Blast 900 class.
Kyle had explained to me the general concept of the class, but also said every class is different and varies with each instructor. Our instructor was very nice, and looked like Eddie Citibran, the guy who cheated on his wife with country singer Lee Ann Rimes.
He started the class with half of his students on the treadmills up against the back wall, and half us on the floor. The first interval was ten minutes. Kyle and I started on the floor, doing ten minutes of work on a bosu ball doing squats, lunges, and various arm exercises. She and I agreed after the class that we hate bosu balls. I understand their purpose, but they make me feel uncoordinated and nervous. Like at any moment I could fall and break my neck.
After our work on the floor, we climbed aboard the treadmill for ten minutes of walking, jogging and full on sprinting at various inclines.
The next interval was five minutes. More floor work, this time with an exercise ball filled with sand, which at first I thought was really cool. After doing arm curls while holding the ball and then throwing it up to catch it, the sand-filled ball became less cool, and more heavy and painful.
I assumed that the sprinting portion of the treadmill interval would be the part of the class that I hated the most, and what I would have the most difficult time with. The good thing about intervals, though, is they don't last that long. I can do anything for five minutes, even if it is terrible. And much to my surprise, the interval walking at a 10 percent incline turned out to be far more difficult than sprinting.
Going back and forth between the floor work and the treadmill was challenging in a, "my legs feel like jell-o, they feel unattached from the rest of me, but I must keep going," kind of way.
During one of the treadmill intervals I looked around to see several signs on the wall with various inspirational quotes.
They all seemed rather intense which fit with the intensity of the workout, but still made me laugh. My favorite, and the one that seemed to best apply to me was, "Pain is Temporary. Quitting is Forever."
I joked with Kyle that I had felt like giving up and quitting, but thanks to those inspirational words on the wall, I decided I'd keep going instead.
A few more intervals and the class ended with a long stretch.
I was sweaty. My face was red. I was tired.
The class delivered on the promise that it did shock my body and was completely different than any other exercise class I've ever taken.
I will be back. I'm no quitter.
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