I have been going to the gym for ages but never did any classes.

My aim is to tone up - or rather tone up more. I dont want to lose any more weight, just lose body fat, gain muscle (but not too much). According to one of those scales I am about 17% body fat but who knows how accurate they are!! I do have abit of definition (right term??) of the abs.

A few weeks ago I did Spinning which was OK. Stamina was Ok but killed my thighs and bum was sore the next day!!

Also done a couple Abs and Back classes (although made the mistake of going to one after working on abs the day before so that was a killer!!) Doing an abs and back class tomorrow so today just did some running and worked on arms and abit on legs.

I am looking at another class to do - whats good for a beginner in "gym classes".

I am thinking body pump or body combat. I think maybe Boxercise will try last since part of it involves exercises with someone else and if I have no idea what I am doing they could get annoyed!! :s :)

Thanks

Uuuuh, I'm not even sure what this stuff is. Sounds like just a bunch of gimmicks to me. Why not just run or get on an eliptical. If you want to learn to defend yourself (I assume that is what body combat is?) then take a Judo or Karate class. They usually have plenty of warm up and exercise and if you spar/rondori you will certainly up your endurance fast as it taxes you a lot.

They're both perfectly fine and effective if you're working hard during the classes. Try both and see what you enjoy.

Lift weights to burn fat.

Lift weights to burn fat.

:tucool: Definitely agree here. Aerobics classes (no matter what you call them) are all designed to burn calories, NOT build muscle. Don't get me wrong, you can build muscle by doing them, BUT...

If you want "tone" you need to build muscle, which means hitting the weights. If you don't know what you're doing, you might consider doing 1-2 sessions with a trainer to get you started, or check at the front desk for an orientation.

i suppose you are talking about lesmills classes ,body pump body attack, spinning etc..
i think they are good if you want to destress yourself after work. they give a good cardio effect and not boring as running on a treadmill.
but i think if you dont push yourself hard enough you are just waisting your time at the gym.
spending that 45min with heavy compounds would give much better results.
i don't believe that their "half squat" with an empty plastic bar repping it 100 times would contribute to a faster metabolism or muscle gain.so they are not good for your goals.
keep in mind that you need to have muscles to look ok on a low body fat. and also muscles burn fat, so you better look for a program that focuses on compound exercises.
if you just wanna go to the gym as a place to have fun and socialise then i would defintly advice you any of those classes.

Both are great
MWF i do Pump/ Combat
tues/ thurs i do bodyflow- like yoga/pilates
sat- i do all three

I've been doing it for a month and i've lost 19lbs so far

i suppose you are talking about lesmills classes ,body pump body attack, spinning etc..
i think they are good if you want to destress yourself after work. they give a good cardio effect and not boring as running on a treadmill.
but i think if you dont push yourself hard enough you are just waisting your time at the gym.
spending that 45min with heavy compounds would give much better results.
i don't believe that their "half squat" with an empty plastic bar repping it 100 times would contribute to a faster metabolism or muscle gain.so they are not good for your goals.
keep in mind that you need to have muscles to look ok on a low body fat. and also muscles burn fat, so you better look for a program that focuses on compound exercises.
if you just wanna go to the gym as a place to have fun and socialise then i would defintly advice you any of those classes.:tu:

That's pretty much what I was going to say.

I have to admit, I've never tried the classes, but my impression of them is that it's a nice way to motivate yourself to keep your heart rate within an appropriate range for an appropriate length of time, without getting bored. They can help you to maintain your lean body mass, but they won't do a lot to add muscle.

I think your physique goals could be better reached by doing a few sessions a week of hard weight training. But if the classes are more exciting and invigorating than just plain pumping iron, then they are, by definition, better for you.

I'm not sure what "body combat" classes are...unless they're referring to
those kick-boxer-cum-aerobicize workouts where you use kick-boxing
moves for cardio.

Those might be allright for cardio and a good dose of disillusionment that you are now prepared to defend yourself.

I would sooner recommend MMA weight conditioning and workouts.

You'll be moving in planes and directions you didn't know were possible.

3 good books to read:-

"No Holds Barred Fighting:- The Ultimate Guide To Conditioning" by Mark Hatmaker.

"Training For Warriors" by Martin Rooney.

"Power Training" by Robert dos Remedios. This book (and Rooney's) have weight routines in them and the last book also happens to have hypertrophy routines in it if you so desire.

From my own experience I've found that while BB'er routines make you "look" good, they are sorely lacking in many departments of functionality,speed and power.

I'm not sure what "body combat" classes are...unless they're referring to
those kick-boxer-cum-aerobicize workouts where you use kick-boxing
moves for cardio.

Those might be allright for cardio and a good dose of disillusionment that you are now prepared to defend yourself.

I would sooner recommend MMA weight conditioning and workouts.

You'll be moving in planes and directions you didn't know were possible.

3 good books to read:-

"No Holds Barred Fighting:- The Ultimate Guide To Conditioning" by Mark Hatmaker.

"Training For Warriors" by Martin Rooney.

"Power Training" by Robert dos Remedios. This book (and Rooney's) have weight routines in them and the last book also happens to have hypertrophy routines in it if you so desire.

From my own experience I've found that while BB'er routines make you "look" good, they are sorely lacking in many departments of functionality,speed and power.

HM - I'm with you. I love lifting for what it's doing to me now, but I would really like to get back to my MMA classes, I just can't afford it now. We have the area's only NON-PROFIT MMA class, it's fantastic and cheap ... $30/month, which if you've ever done martial arts you know is crazy cheap. The only reason I wasn't spending hundreds as a kid in Kenpo was because my parents were poor so I got to do chores around the studio to "pay."

MMA will obliterate you, absolutely. Rolling is one of the best workouts I can think of.

I am a Les Mills BodyPump instructor. I just recently got certified and am teaching my first classes at my gym. I would highly recommend this class for what you are wanting to do. But I would do heavy weight training in addition to the class (I do this too). BodyPump will work all the muscles in your body using low weights and high reps. You still need the heavy weights and low reps to build muscle mass.

But the class is a great way to get you to the gym to work out on a regular basis. Plus, it's fun and social and will keep you toned up fit for the long haul.