New Zumba® Wear!

Just yesterday the Zumba^® Shop launched the spring-summer line of Zumba^® wear for Zumba^® fans out there! Check out the shop link to see if there is anything you're interested in purchasing and let ZumbaChemist know!

As a FYI, some sizes in different styles sell-out quickly, so better to order sooner than later!

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How to Maximize Your Zumba® Fitness Workout

The question has been posed to me recently by a couple of students as to how to maximize their Zumba® Fitness workout.

Before I go further, I am glad that folks have asked me this! Hopefully students upon reading the answer can really see where they have been falling when they have been in class.

In a previous post I had mentioned that you should go at your own pace. This still remains true, but remember that everyone's pace will differ. If you've had knee replacement surgery, your pace will probably always be a tad slower than perhaps your friend beside you who has both of their natural knees. This is strictly a mechanics issue.

What is not a mechanics issue is that as you continue as a Zumba® student, you should expect your pace to change! As with any other sport, the more you practice, the better you get.  The better you get, the more efficient your body becomes at doing the moves for each song, and the more endurance you'll build up - requiring fewer water breaks, and being able to tackle more complex choreography with ease. As an instructor, this is why I change the playlists periodically to help prevent muscle memory. 

When do I know I need to change the playlist up as an instructor? Check out the Rate of Perceived Exertion below. Ideally, I want my students in class to be at the 9 or 10 level for the higher intensity songs, with a 7 or 8 level on our lower intensity songs (such as the belly-dancing tunes).

Yes, students should be, literally, breathless during most of class. It's not a matter of torture, it's just a matter of maximizing the workout!!  As a Zumba® instructor, I want to see my students improve their fitness levels just as much as the students do. But, if you're in class, and only working out at the 4-6 level - to the point of where you can carry on a short conversation - then one of two things is occurring:

1. As a instructor, I'm not giving students hard enough songs OR...
2. As a student, you're not focusing on the task at hand (that is, doing the highest intensity movements possible for a given song)

Hopefully, any of my students reading this will attest that the first option is not true for the most part. If my sweat-drenched instructor body isn't evidence enough, then hopefully the couple of water breaks where I can barely talk and my barely chirping instructions on occasion will also provide sufficient evidence.

So, for those times where #1 is not true, but folks can still talk, then it really comes down to each individual having to ask themselves, "Am I giving this class all I can give to get the best possible workout?" If you can't answer that with an honest, "Yes," answer, then you need to evaluate for yourself what you need to change to maximize your Zumba® Fitness workout.  

If you can't evaluate yourself, or perhaps you don't know what you're doing "wrong" to not allow yourself to really give it all you got, then don't hesitate to come and ask your instructor!  Contrary to popular belief, ZINs like to face the mirrors so they can see their students, not themselves! Odds are, if you're not maximizing your workout, and you ask your instructor, they can tell you what to do to help give yourself that extra push to really sweat it out! As always, your instructor is there to encourage you, so remember that any "critique" is simply an attempt to help you in your fitness journey!

But, I believe there are times where #1 is true, and those are the times when the music will get a significant change-up! It's looking like May will be one of those times for the "land Zumba®" classes! So keep your eyes (and ears) peeled!

Zumba® Fitness with a Chemist is on FACEBOOK!!

Let's face it, not everyone has time to read the blog in great detail. Nor does ZumbaChemist always have time to write out a long and detailed blog for students to read!

But you have enough time to read less than 420 characters of text right? Yes! I figured that would be the case!

All that being said, go ahead and Like ZumbaChemist on Facebook! 

You'll be able to receive up-to-date status updates on your mobile phone that way, and so you'll know if something is going on that's exciting or otherwise Zumba® related!

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Two other REALLY cool things!

ONE - On THIS Monday, April 25, the Zumba® office is launching it's spring and summer line of Zumba® wear! Remember that orders are being taken through the end of April, so if something cool and snazzy catches your eye on Monday, let the ZumbaChemist know!

TWO - This UPCOMING Friday is the Zumbathon® supporting the American Heart Association. Tickets are still available for this two hour Zumba® blast starting at 6pm!

Have a great Easter Sunday everyone!

Quick Zumba® Updates

My apologies for not posting sooner than I have today, while my class schedule has not changed,  I have been  putting in more hours at my Chemist job since we have some deadlines that are looming!

I just wanted to briefly touch upon four things:

1.   Orders are still being taken from students until the end of April for various Zumba® wear. Remember that you won’t be paying S&H charges if you get your clothes through me rather than the zumba.com website.

2.   Now is the time to sign up for the May Aqua Zumba® class at TAC! It is $30 for two times a week (Monday & Thursday evenings at 7pm). I’ve already had some choreography requests from some of the current attendees to work some more of the legs, so I’ll be working on that for the May session.

3.   I’ve had a few students in my classes recently use some cool ways to improvise their Zumba® Fitness experience for their needs. Beth, a student at Wornall Road Baptist Church on Saturday mornings at 11am (which, if I’ve not mentioned before is a FREE class and you don’t have to be a church member to attend!) has recently been using a chair for many of the songs. She’s had some back issues in the past, so the chair allows her to really be able to focus on doing more moves rather than worry about her back. She’s told me that she’s getting a heck of a core workout since doing some of the leg-lift type moves in the chair requires a lot more ab muscle involvement than she ever expected. Another student at TRC has been using the window sill in the same fashion as she has had back surgery in the past and some of the moves present  a challenge without some additional body support.

4.   The speakers at Gold's Gym seem to be back in operational order! Hurrah!

I do want to elaborate further on modifications, but in a different post!

In the meantime, don’t forget that there is a Zumbathon® coming up on April 29^th! Tickets are still available at $10 each for a two hour Zumba® event to benefit the American Heart Association  (AHA)!

Aqua Zumba® Safety Reminder!

Tonight ladies, we really lucked out, as the storm that's hitting the Kansas City area tonight rolled in just as our class ended! Whew!

However, just as a reminder, per TAC policy, if lighting is spotted in the area they will evacuate the pool area. I'm fairly certain this will interrupt a class in the future (this is the midwest after all!), however, I'm sure that you all want to stay safe! 

If this does happen in the future - and it's in the middle of class - once you all are out of the pool, I'll try and make sure we do a cool down before folks depart so that you don't risk injury from suddenly going from lots of moving to no moving at all.

Zumba® Fitness at Gold's Gym: Stereo Update

A quick update after today's class with a horrible sound-system. I think fingernails on a chalk board was just a step below the quality for today's class. For anyone who is new to the class, I have no idea what happened between today and last Monday when the system was working (or as well as it ever had). I know it's not my fault, but I can't help but apologize to you all!

I talked to the owner after class and he said he's not sure what the cause of the problem is - that being said, if the problem is the speaker, there are no plans to repair it because it's too expensive.

This really disappoints me because not only does the stereo being shot highly affect the Zumba® classes conducted there by myself and the other fellow, but it also is a problem for the rest of the Group Fitness classes there too! I know Butts & Guts uses music and I suspect that most of the other aerobics classes use music too. 

I'm half tempted to buy a second-hand boombox and hook it up, or cheap computer speakers and hook up my Blackberry to it.... anything has got to better than what we had to put up with today in class! :(

More Questions Answered & Zumba® Wear

For any regular (or new) students reading this blog, you might want to mosey over to the FAQ where some new questions (and their respective answers) have been posted! If there is a question you have that the FAQ doesn't answer, feel free to email it to the ZumbaChemist, or post it as a comment to the blog posting!

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Anyone who has been doing Zumba® for a while and enjoys it knows the mental conversation all too well ...

"Man, I love those Zumba® clothes!"

"I wish I had a way to show off how much I enjoy my Zumba® Fitness classes!"

"Zumba® duds are totally hot and steamy!"

If you've had the eye for Zumba® Wear  for some time, you can satisfy that urge!  Over the next few weeks, ZumbaChemist will be taking orders for Zumba® Wear  from anyone who wants to order some. One plus to ordering from the ZumbaChemist is that she can get a flat S&H rate on large orders, so you can order your Zumba® Wear  without S&H costs!

Some items that are available currently (check out Zumba.com for even more items to chose from!):

Zoom Zoom Raceback (Available in Black, Aqua, Pink and Purple)

Classic Cargo Pant (Available in Black, White and Aqua)

 Looking for something a bit more modest? Chic Bling Fashion Top (Available in Blue or Yellow)

And, especially helpful for Aqua Zumba, something to carry your towel and clothes home - Zoom Zoom Drawstring Backpack!

Please contact ZumbaChemist before or after a class if you're interested in ordering a product, or you have questions about clothing sizes!

Upcoming KC Zumbathon® in April!

 

In late April, there will be another Zumbathon® to benefit the AHA (American Heart Association), so if the May event doesn't work for you, consider coming to this one (or both if you can manage it)!

The details:

Friday, April 29, 2011

6:00pm-8:00pm

 

St. Stephen's Gym

1001 Bennington

Kansas City, MO 64126

Advance tickets: $10.00

At the door: $15.00

To purchase your tickets in advance click here!

Mark Your Calendars: Upcoming KC Zumbathon® in May!

Local Kansas City area ZIN, Amber Smith is working organizing a Zumbathon® on May 14, 2011 at the KU Medical Center for the AHA (American Heart Association).  The time is not set, but it will probably start and span between 12pm and 3pm. More details to follow as soon as they are available.

For the WRBC students: I might consider "moving" class to this venue for the day. Mind you, it will cost some money, but it'll go to a great cause!

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This UPCOMING Wednesday, April 6, there will be a Zumba Spring Fling at Midtown Athletic Club in  Overland Park, KS starting at 6:30pm. It is free, but it will overlap with the 7:15pm Wednesday TRC class, but it would be a great event for any students who only go to one Zumba class a week to get an extra workout in during the week!

Going at Your Own Pace

On any given week, there is almost always a new student in one or two classes. Especially with it being the start of April (no joke!), here are a few thoughts for any readers who are new to Zumba® Fitness!

1. Zumba® Fitness is not a contest! Perhaps you're a student who has been around the block more than once on the weight-loss journey, and you're in a class surrounded by a bunch of youngsters? Should you compare yourself to them? No way! Even if it's been years (or decades) since you last put your foot down to exercise, by no means should you compare yourself to other participants in the class.  
2. Please, please, please don't compare yourself to the instructor! I know that sounds odd - because you do want to follow the instructor, but if the instructor is doing something you know your body can't handle because of previous injuries or other physical issues, modify the move for your body and pace! A good instructor should help give lower impact version of each higher impact move they do in a class. As well, most instructors recognize and applaud improvisation by students! After all, it is a party, and everyone doing something a bit different gives the party character!
3. If you're just starting out, it's OK to feel a bit off-key. After all, a music teacher shouldn't expect their students to be able to recite a song after hearing it for the first time mere minutes before - likewise, Zumba® instructors do not expect perfect choreography from a student (or class) with the first go at a song. This is especially true with Aqua Zumba®! 
4. If the instructor is being wild and crazy, you should too! Heck, if the instructor is being fairly quiet, you can be wild and crazy anyway! (On a personal note, I know sometimes I'm more or less quiet in a class after a long day at my Chemist job, feel free to bug me on this point!)
5. Have fun! If you leave a Zumba® Fitness class without having had a good sweat and most of all, a good time, the instructor has done something wrong. Don't be shy about approaching the instructor in such a case. 
6. As necessary, improvise. By that I mean, by nature, some folks are rhythmically in-tune, while others (such as myself) must work hard to "get" choreography.  The most critical thing in a Zumba® class I try and convey to each new student is, no matter what, don't stop. Don't stop moving and definitely don't sit down because this stresses your body by going from maximum heart-rate to stationary without going through a proper cool down. If nothing else, just pace in place during class if you feel that class is going too fast and furious from you. I won't hold anything against you, and if nothing else, I will make sure that your Zumba® Fitness experience was OK and if there is some sort of concern you have. (More about this to come in a future post)