Wednesday, April 2, 2014

BURN Class at NYSC With Will Jackson

Twice now, I’ve used my lunch hour to go to a class at NYSC (don't get me started on my love of NYSC). I’m not a huge fan of the midday workout- I would much rather get up and get it done in the morning, and if that’s not possible, I’ll settle for end of day as a way to transition into “me” time. But William Jackson’s 12:15 “Burn” class was so great the first time I went that it might become a regular part of my routine! I almost want to keep my lips zipped, since the class is already packed, but I’m going to write a review anyway because if you can take classes with this instructor at some point, you really should- he’s great.

I can usually tell whether or not I’m going to get a good workout from a class as soon as I see what the set-up is.  When I walked into Burn I saw that each person needed a step with risers, a barbell with between 10-20 pounds worth of plates on each side, a mat, and an assortment of different dumbbells.  (Is the phrase “assortment of different” repetitive?) I was totally on board with this!

When Will walked into the class he wasted no time in telling everyone to put away their cellphones and not to touch them…for the next 45 minutes we were here to WORK. When people walked in after 12:15, he legit had them get down and do pushups! He's no joke about not wanting people to waste his time! 

The class is a great mix between cardio and strength training- my heart rate stayed up the entire time thanks to toe touches, speed skaters, runners and mountain climbers on the step combined with jumping jacks, burpees and single count squats (the barbell was used for squats and lunges).  Will touched on all the main muscle groups for strength training with a squat/curl/press sequence, row/tricep kickbacks, ab work on the mat, pushups and other stuff I’m sure I’m forgetting.

Throughout the class Will has you count down to the end of each exercise- and if you aren’t as enthusiastic or loud as he wants…you’ll keep counting down until he’s satisfied!
 
This isn’t the most killer class I’ve been to, as I’ve left boot camp classes literally drenched in sweat and panting, but it’s definitely an enjoyable challenge and Will is a great instructor.  He isn’t afraid to call out people in the class who aren’t giving it their all.  When I stopped using the barbell and switched to dumbbells for my squat and press, he said, “Don’t feel like using the barbell?” as he passed me. Oops, busted!

The music was great, and worked good for keeping your pace based on the rhythm (BPM perfection makes me happy!)


Apparently, Will Jackson also has his own project- WRKNYC.  They do outdoor (and indoor) training classes that I really want to check out! He’s super motivational and doesn’t take any shit, and clearly knows what he’s doing!  He’s also super upbeat and happy (even while he’s yelling at you!) I’m definitely going to be checking out the WRK community and you should too! 

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