I Want to Ride my Bicycle!

By now you all know I am a little obsessed with zumba. So it would surprise you to know that Sandra and I will be replacing one of our beloved zumba classes with an indoor cycling class.

It all started when one of our preferred zumba instructors went home to visit her family in Argentina. Her replacement instructor has a different style that Sandra and I, now zumba snobs, don’t prefer. So last Sunday, Sandra and I decided to try a different class and opted for indoor cycling. What was only supposed to be a temporary replacement until Fernanda returned is going to be a permanent change to our weekly workout schedule.

Besides the exercise we fit in when we workout at the fitness loft in the natatorium, indoor cycling is absolutely without a doubt the most intense workout on our schedule. (We usually aim for fun because we aren’t trying to look like body builders.) Even though the workout took me to the ‘breathless’ level of exercise (we were biking a pretty mountainous terrain), I found it entertaining too.  We cycled to upbeat and modern songs doing certain things to match the beat and creating patterns that went with a verse or a chorus. This gave the challenge of working out a game-like quality. Can you increase your resistance while keeping you RPMs at the right number? Challenge accepted.

It is unfortunate that we made the discovery of the Penn State indoor cycling program right before spring break because that means I will have to wait two weeks until I can return to another Sunday class. Maybe Sandra and I will find another cycling class this week we can fit into our schedules (which are overwhelmingly filled with midterms and papers). At least I have something to look forward to when I get back from spring break, indoor cycling.        

Waka Waka!

Last week I blogged about my favorite way to work out which is going to zumba class. And when you are as obsessed with something as I am with zumba, one blog post just isn’t enough. This week I’m going to focus on a facet of my obsession.

Two words.

Waka. Waka.       

It’s not possible to just sit and listen; you have to dance.

With words like, “Today’s your day, I feel it. You’ve paved the way believe it,” and, “People are raising their expectations. Go on and feed them. This is your moment, no hesitations,” Shakira inspires all. At the end of a work out (Waka Waka is always the last song we do) it is exactly what I need. I walk out feeling empowered and like I can take on the world.

The routine is simple and repetitive (Sandra and I have it down pat) yet energetic. Incorporating some of the music video moves, the whole class feels like Shakira. And who doesn’t want to be able to dance like Shakira?

Being able to shake and jump to this inspirational song is a major confidence booster (especially when you’re one of the few people who knows it in the room and you can show everybody else up… just saying).  

Waka Waka is like a power boost to my night. The moment the song starts a new energy starts pulsing thorough my blood and it doesn’t stop until it is time for me to go to bed. After dancing to Waka Waka I can plow through homework (sometimes I just play it while I’m studying for an extra boost).

I’m surprised Sandra isn’t embarrassed to walk with me when I am constantly doing Waka Waka around campus.

Ditching the Work Out

Traditional work outs don’t work out for me. Easily bored, I find it hard to stay interested in running on a treadmill or biking in one place. Where’s the fun? How am I supposed to be excited and motivated to go to the gym every day, listen to the same songs on my iPod and run, staring at the wall, going absolutely nowhere?

The official Zumba ® slogan is, “Ditch the work out. Join the party!” Okay, well if you insist. I have no problem leaving the treadmill to stare at the wall all by itself.

Zumba is defined as combining Latin and international music in dance routines featuring aerobic and fitness interval training done to fast and slow rhythms. The word itself is Spanish slang for “to move fast and have fun.”

I LOVE everything about zumba. I get to shimmy and shake while I jump and squat. An elevated heart rate, a leg workout, and some serious sweat all accompany a great zumba class. The best part is I actually get excited to go! After a stressful day of classes and homework, going to a work out I enjoy and want to do is refreshing and energizing. Zumba gets me pumped up to go finish assignments and puts me in a better mood. I must be a sight to see when I’m walking back from the gym dancing and singing.

Zumba classes fit in to my schedule two or three times a week, and I will never turn an extra class down. We are five weeks into the semester, so I’ve attended plenty of zumba classes. There has been enough zumba in my life that I’m starting to memorize the routines. For some songs, I don’t even need to watch the instructor anymore. She puts the music on and I just dance. Having the routines memorized benefits me because instead of focusing on what I should be doing, I can focus on doing it better. I can jump more, lift my knees higher, and I’m working on perfecting my squats. Now, I get a better workout from my favorite class.

Now I feel like dancing! I’ll just put on my zumba playlist….

Obsessed much?

The actual routine we do to 'Prrrum'... although we might not be as intense:

Again? ABSolutely!

On Tuesday, while walking back from class, I received a text from Sandra. “Oh and I’M SO EXCITED FOR WASHBOARD ABS/POWER REMIX TONIGHT!” I had just left French class, after which my mind is always a little muddled. An hour of thinking in French causes comprehending English to be a difficult task. I responded with a quick, “Yep, me too,” and didn’t think anything else about it while I walked back to the dorm translating my brain back to English.

 The homemade workout schedule posted on my door says, “Tuesday: Washboard Abs 6- 6:20, Power Remix 6:45- 7:30.” Easy enough. I, however, decide not to look at the schedule Sandra and I follow, but to look at the official Penn State Fitness schedule which has every class located at the White Building on it. Quick glance and I think (post French class brain), “4 o’clock, washboard abs, got it.”

Not feeling like doing any homework I spent the next hour online window shopping, putting items in my cart but never actually checking out. This simple distraction caused me to lose track of time. 3:45 rolls around and I’m not even dressed for the gym yet. After a quick panic attack consisting of, “Oh man I’m going to be late,” and “Sandra will be mad at me,” I changed and was out the door in record time. I practically ran to the White Building, an approximate 15 minute walk, and made just as the class was beginning.


 I threw my stuff down and grabbed a mat, searching for Sandra on the basketball court. Where was she? I couldn’t find her, so I figured I might as well just do the work out and I’d meet up with her before Power Remix. With every crunch we did, I seized the opportunity to do a quick search of the gym for my missing roommate. No luck. Twenty minutes later, the intense abdomen workout is over. Abs sore, I grab my phone. Sandra had texted me, “Where are you?” My response instant and sassy, “Ummm… Excuse me… Where are YOU?? I’m on my way to Power Remix.” She quickly texts back and I know she’s laughing at me, “We go at 6 crazy.”

Oh. Right.



Actual photo: My abs after Tuesday.
Just Kidding!

I walk back. At the sight of my face, Sandra bursts into laughter. While laughing, she manages to gasp, “You still have to go at 6.” Defeated, I answer, “Yeah, I know.”

Rolling out of bed Wednesday morning proved to be one of the most painful experiences of my life. Not really. But my abs hurt. A lot. You don’t realize how much you use your abs for, until every small movement causes them an achy pain.



Oh well, at least I’m on my way to having killer washboard abs.