BodyCombat Kicked my Booty

For the most part, my workouts consist of running, the elliptical, and BodyPump.  While those are all good workouts, I have found myself getting pretty bored at the gym lately.  So I've been stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new classes. Last week it was NewBody and this week I took my first BodyCombat class.

I really didn't know whether or not I would like this class since I've never had any interest in martial arts.

I was also a little self-conscious because I had seen the instructor around the gym for years and we chatted a bit before class. She is really nice, but I much prefer to be anonymous when there is so much potential to make a fool out of myself :P

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As it turns out, the moves were not as hard to follow as I expected and I found myself having a really good time.  There were a lot of fancy terms being thrown out but they are not nearly as complicated as they seem and in spite of this being my first attempt at this kind of workout I didn't feel totally out of place.

We did a lot squats, lunges and kicks so my legs got a good workout, but it was my arms that were really feeling it by the end of the class.  Punching and jabbing for an hour is no joke :P! Seriously, it took my shoulders 2 days to recover and I even skipped the Pump class I had planned on doing the next day cause I could barely lift my arms. 

I'm not sure that this class is something I will add to my regular routine, but it will definitely be a new go-to when I feel like switching things up.

Have you ever taken BodyCombat or a similar class? 

Does knowing your instructor make you more or less comfortable in group exercise classes?