Hitting Things is Fun

Last week, the new UFC gym down on John St. invited me to come try out a few classes.  That sounded badass, and I immediately said yes.  At their suggestion, I signed up for two back-to-back classes: an MMA conditioning class and an advanced MMA class.  

Over the next few days, I wondered what I had gotten myself into.  The skeptic in me wondered if this "fighting" that I was all excited about would turn out to be just the latest gimmicky veneer on otherwise generic gym fare.  The weenie in me wondered if I was in over my head.

By the time Saturday rolled around, I was nervous and excited.  I arrived at the gym a little early, and got to observe some private sessions going on on the MMA mats and in the ring.  The gym has an open floor plan, so you can see everything that's happening, which is fun.  In addition to the mats and the boxing ring, they've got a classroom-sized setup of rows of heavy bags.  There's also small weight area and a few treadmills.

The MMA conditioning class was tought by Aires in the bag section of the gym.  He gave me some gloves and helped me wrap up my hands.  There were about 10 of us taking the class, and two other people were new.  The hour was fast-paced and totally engaging.  We punched and kicked the bag, and practiced sprawling and getting up MMA style - think burpees and situps, but like you would do them in a fight.  We did endless circle-crunches and chop-kicked the bags while lying on our backs.  (A word of caution - don't wear Lululemon pants/shorts with the zipper in the back to this class - it will dig into you!)

I realized three things duing class.  First, I really am in great shape.  While other people were slowing down, I just kept powering through.  I punched and kicked hard and fast - and I had already lifted that morning.  (So, thank you CrossFit.)  Second, I realized that I'm actually not totally clueless about this stuff.  In my mid-twenties I spent about a year and half taking every Powerstrike cardio kickboxing class I could.  I was a total Steve Feinberg junkie.  We'd punch and kick the air in choreographed combinations set to up-tempo Euro dance music.  I had forgotten how much Steve focused on form and technique  even though we were just going through the motions.  Nearly a decade later, I remembered what he'd thought me and had a great base to work from.  (So, thank you Steve.)  Third, I realized that hitting things is really, really fun.  Really.

When the conditioning class ended, my nerves kicked in again.  The advanced class was next, and that would involve actually hitting people.  I've punched a sum total of one person, once in my life twenty-something years ago in self defense.  I didn't know how I felt about hitting people.  And I didn't know how I felt about being hit.  Standing on the edge of the MMA mats, fighting suddenly seemed a little... violent.

Once the class got going, though, I got into it.  I had to be reminded to breath and to keep my chin down, but I felt like I was starting to get the hang of it.  And once I had thrown a few punches aimed at someone's face, I lost a lot of my initial hesitation.  It became 100% about the skill.

Throughout class, we rotated partners for a series of punching drills.  One of us would throw a jab or a cross, and the other would "catch" the punch, or block it or punch back. Until one woman arrived late, it was me in a sea of dudes.  Some of the guys clearly didn't like being paired with me (I got a lot of "I can't hit her; she's a girl"), but most were cool about it.  At the end, people with the right protective gear sparred while the rest of us kept going with the drills.

UFC's classes left me totally exhausted and exhilerated  If you're at all intrigued, I'd highly recommend checking this place out.  Both of the coaches I had were excellent.  They know their stuff and they're engaging and very welcoming and encouraging.  You will definitely get a good workout in.  And the first class is free!

-Gym Belle-

Core Fusion as a CrossFitter

Earlier this month, Exhale invited the FiTMAPPED FitReps to come try a complimentary Core Fusion Class.  We also received a pass for another class and a discount offer on a spa treatment.  Core Fusion is a ballet barre-based class (a la the Lotte Berk Method) that combines pilates, yoga and dance elements.

The first thing that struck me about my first Core Fusion class in well over two years was the quiet when I entered.  The class was full, and women were gathering their dumbbells and staking out their spots in the room, but aside from a few hushed conversations between pairs of friends, no one was talking.  The instructor was the only one who introduced herself.

I grabbed 5 lb dumbbells and found a spot towards the back of the room.  Much to my chagrin, those stupid dumbbells felt really heavy after a few minutes.  I remembered the arm sequence being hard, and I had spent two hours at the box lifting that morning, but still.  I wondered if the other women in the class realized that they could handle far more weight in another context, with more efficient movements.  

We moved to the barre and the rhetoric jolted me out of my musings.  The instructor - who was excellent in so many ways - kept talking about "feeling the burn" and "calories."  She preached the value of core strength for runners and spinners.  I was out of my element.

I enjoyed my time at the barre.  I liked the challenge of trying to get through each sequence without stopping.  I was pleased that most of the movements came back to me, and, at the risk of sounding oddly narcissistic, it was nice to look in the mirror for thirty minutes.  I admired my traps.

I used to do these workouts four or five days a week.  (I was a Physique 57 person more than a Core Fusion person, but the differences are less striking from a distance.)  I loved these classes.  I enjoyed the challenge - and how they made me look.  I liked feeling graceful, long and lean.  

In my early CrossFit days, I was loath to drop Physique entirely.  Physique offered a welcome counterbalance to what I saw as a sweaty, grunting testosterone fest.  In time, though, my perception of CrossFit changed.  I came to recognize beauty in strength, and grace in well-executed lifts.  I learned that overhead squats are the best core workout.  These days, the only length I care about is hitting triple extension in my Olympic lifts.

"You can't go home again," I sighed as I gathered up my things.  My thoughts wandered back to my snatch. 

-Gym Belle-

Brooklyn Boulders and Governors Island

My friend and I had been planning to hike Breakneak Ridge, but with the threat of afternoon thunderstorms, we opted for plan B:

-Gym Belle-