If you’re like me, the last thing you feel like doing is working out after a long week of classes. When the weekend comes, I’m in an ambitious state of mind—I’m going to clean my apartment, do my laundry, finish all my homework and exercise to burn off those delicious treats I splurged on last week. With so much work to do, it’s easy to let the latter take a back seat. Not this weekend though—my friend talked me into going to TNT (Tighten and Tone) with her Sunday afternoon.
I’ve been to several of Ping’s group fitness classes before, but never this one. My jaw nearly hit the sweaty, dirty floor when I saw how crowded it was. I walked into the equipment room to grab a mat, two three-pound free weights (the only ones left on the rack) and a step. Then I made a beeline for the back corner of the room, already feeling the first class stage fright. What was I about to get myself into?
For the next hour, the instructor led us through multiple circuits that repeated twice, each of them focusing on a different area of the body. Jumping jacks, bicep curls, donkey kicks, squats and—whoa, how did I turn into a sweaty Betty so quickly?
Thankfully, most sections of the circuits were only about 30 seconds long, pushing me hard enough that I could just barely crank out those last few reps (which is when the exercise matters most).
In addition to modifying exercises as needed, class participants were encouraged to move at his or her own pace. What a relief, because I have yet to master pushups from my toes instead of my knees (hey, I’m working on it). Muscles I didn’t even know I had were quivering from every fiber. There’s a reason they call it Tighten and Tone, right?
I’m pretty in shape from the frequent running and lifting that I do, but coming to TNT made me realize how important it is to work different areas of the body. I can have sculpted arms and calves from my usual workout, but overworking certain muscle groups can easily lead to strains and injuries. Not only did this full-body class target my legs, butt, arms, core and chest, but it also challenged my mind to stay focused on proper form and breathing.
Lastly, I will say that I can count on Ping's group fitness classes for two things every time: great upbeat music and tons of motivation that organically permeates through the room from everyone doing the exercises together.
10/10 would recommend.
Emily McIntyre is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. What is your favorite kind of workout? Let Emily know by emailing her at em564912@ohio.edu.
