Who likes body burn classes? 

This Body Burn class if for men and women ages 18 and up who are want a complete body workout routine. If you consider yourself at a more intermediate or advanced fitness level and you like the intensity of feeling your body burn, this class is for you. Even if you are a beginner, you can start with modifications if you want to or need to. Come give this class a try! 

What is a body burn class? 

Body burn means you spend time focusing your resistance training on one muscle group at a time to really burn out and fatigue that muscle. Feel the benefits of the burn as you burn calories, increase muscle strength and tone muscle groups throughout your body, such as your core, biceps, triceps, shoulders, back, and all lower body muscles – glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves and chest. For example, for core burnout, the instructor leads five or six core exercises in a row to fatigue this muscle group.
Some exercises you’ll do are called planks, and there are many types of planks: mountain climber, plank jacks, plank tuck, plank jack and tuck, Johnny C or up-up down-down planks, alternating or rotating plank, side plank, single-leg plank, high plank and forearm plank. Other burnout exercises you’ll do are shoulder presses, pushups, bicep curls, triceps extensions, triceps dips, flies, rows, squats, deadlifts, calf raises, chest press, various glute exercises and more.  

Another example is core exercises, like four different hollow body hold variations. For example, a hollow body hold is where lie on your back and extend your arms over your head, extend your legs out, lift your shoulders slightly off the ground to engage your abdominals, and hold. This hold is considered an isometric movement because the body is pretty stationary and moves very little here. A little variation to this hold is still relatively stationary. You might be asked to add a hand weight or extend your leg a little further, or rock side-to-side holding the bowl-like position without falling over. 

A variety of exercise equipment may be used during a body burn class, including dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, resistance bands, TRX straps, stairs, steps, body bars, battle ropes, Bosu balls, medicine balls, wall balls, yoga balls and gliders.  

The intense focus to burn out muscle group creates friendly competition among members who do exercises facing each other, where they feed off each other’s energy. In doing so, they challenge each other, encourage each other and hold each other accountable to do the best they can. These social connections are important and an added benefit to the Body Burn class. 

Background music helps motivate class members, but the class is not choreographed to the beat. 

Body Burn is for healthy and energetic adults who want to get cardiovascular and strength training benefit from this regular 50-minute class. To get started the instructor runs through warmup exercises for about five minutes. Part of the class can be considered circuit style where participants usually move from station to station for different exercises. To vary things up, the instructor sometimes keeps participants in place for a few consecutive exercises. At the end, there will be a cool down with standing stretches and at times, floor stretches. 

When and where does the body burn class meet? 

Different Body Burn classes have different meeting schedules. For example, body burn classes at WK Pierremont Wellness Center meet three days of the week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the TRX Tower or in the free weight area. Each class meeting is 50 minutes. Look for a Body Burn class schedule at a WK Fitness & Wellness Center near you.  

Why do body burn training? 

Get ready to break a sweat! Members look like they are having fun as they literally burn muscle or break down muscle fiber. As logic follows, the more muscle fibers you break down, the more is rebuilt. Rebuild and heal those muscles for bigger and stronger muscle growth, formally known as hypertrophy.  

Members who do Body Burn can expect to improve their overall muscle tone and cardiovascular fitness level. You’ll burn away fat from certain areas and experience increased cardiovascular endurance, muscle definition and strength. 

Participants say this class is fun and enjoyable. They also report mental benefits – the intensity helps the body release endorphins, a happy hormone that eases pain and increases feelings of well-being. 

Resistance training also may increase your insulin sensitivity and help prevent chronic diseases like diabetes, depression and Alzheimer’s. As you age, you have natural muscle loss, or sarcopenia, and the body burn class can help you prevent that. Come have fun with your workouts as you work toward a stronger, more physically fit future!