The background
Bodypump is designed to tone your muscles and get you into shape. It does this via a scarily enthusiastic trainer, loud music and fast-paced exercises to keep you on your toes. And if all that isn’t enough, weights are then thrown in to really pile the pressure on. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
The experience
In retrospect, when I walked into the aerobics room, I wasn’t quite prepared for the intense workout that followed. After stretching for a few minutes, we got right into it. We were each given a barbell and asked to choose our weights – I naturally picked the lightest – then the (possibly overly) enthusiastic trainer turned on loud pop music and led us in various squats, arm-lifts and sit-ups. Although the class was in Mandarin, you don’t need a grasp of the local lingo to take part. It’s easy enough to follow, and the instructor will occasionally translate the odd word into English every once in a while.
The verdict
This class can only be described as sweat-inducing. If you like loud music and have enough energy to eclipse most suns, then Bodypump is definitely for you. Every muscle in my body was sore the next day – albeit in a good way. It requires quite a bit of energy to keep up with the trainer; however, if you can stand the pain, it’s worth the effort.
Classes from 2-3pm Sun; 7.05-8.05pm Tue and Fri. 1,360RMB for 20 classes.
The background
Black Tiger Fight Club prides itself on having an array of classes for ‘the whole family’. I stepped up to try the women’s Muay Thai Fitness class, which promises to help ladies get fit, lose weight and learn some basic kickboxing skills.
The experience
After an intense 30-minute warm-up that included skipping, running from one side of the room to the other and some rather repetitive punching and kicking, the trainer broke out the gloves and pads and taught us some basic techniques. It was pretty easy stuff, and everyone was able to nab some one-on-one time with the trainer. After half-an-hour of this, it was time for medicine ball work followed by sit-ups, ‘the plank’ yoga pose (great for core strength) and push-ups.
The verdict
This class is definitely not for the faint-hearted – although the trainer was excellent and we were all pushed to our limits. Muay Thai proved to be an incredible workout and I left absolutely covered in sweat – which is a good thing!
Classes from 10-11am Mon, Wed and Fri; 9-10am Tue and Thur. For a full schedule, see website. 200RMB per class.
The background
Invented by the Israeli Defense Forces, Krav Maga is an ever-so-slightly deadly method of combat that focuses more on real-life defence than rigid, rule-based martial arts. It is based on street fighting and runs the gamut from self-defence to cracking a mugger over the head with a big stick. Grr.
The experience
This class doesn’t waste any time, and when I joined the group I was immediately instructed to find a partner and start warming up. This included an exercise in which one person did push-ups while the other jumped over his or her legs, and another in which two people had to try and lightly hit each others’ shoulders. We then began performing self-defence moves, including kneeing, striking and techniques on how to escape a neck-choke. At one point, the instructor told us to get into pairs, with one person closing his or her eyes while the other ‘attacked’. This proved to be a little nerve-wracking! Thankfully, we ended the session in less dramatic style by running around the room and hitting various pads.
The verdict
Not an out-and-out fitness class per se, the constant running and striking was exhausting and it does give your arms a much-needed workout. More importantly, I learned how to defend myself while working up a sweat; plus, I can now kill a man with my thumb! It’s win-win.
Beginner classes from 7-8pm Mon-Wed; 8-9pm Thur, 11am-midday Sat. For a full schedule and other locations, see website. 40 classes for 2,600RMB.