Transform the pool into a dance club with Kelly Bullard and her aquatic fitness instructor video, Spiked Cardio Dance. This water fitness class format features six blocks of aerobic dance, each finished with a 60-second spike of intensity. The cardio dance combos are broken down before the final pattern is taught and repeated several times. If you and your students aren’t much for busting a move, you can skip the dance flair and instruct the moves athletically.
Fitmotivation is excited to welcome Kelly to the instructor team. We are grateful she found time in her busy schedule to fit us in. Recognized globally, Kelly is a popular Zumba Fitness Education Specialist and has presented in over 38 countries. When not traveling, Kelly manages to teach 16 classes a week in the Milwaukee area.
Aquatic Fitness Class-at-a-Glance
Spiked Cardio Dance includes a warm-up, cool down, and six cardio dance segments. Each of the dance segments is first broken down and taught as individual moves before the final dance patters is taught and repeated several times. The combination of movement breakdown and final pattern repetition allows participants to learn the moves and then master them by repeating the final pattern several times. In the video, each pattern was broken down and mastered in a timeframe of less than 6 minutes. Depending on the skill level of the instructor and the class members, this may or may not be enough time for your class participants. You may want to take more time to break the movements down, and more time to repeat the final pattern. Consider also introducing just one or two dance combos in a class. The video is called Spiked Cardio Dance because each dance pattern ends with a 1-minute high intensity exercise. These intensity spikes allow your students to free up their mind and exercise to one move with all-out effort. Below, Kelly talks about her video and then read more about her inspiration for combining both dance and high intensity exercise in her classes.
Spiked Cardio Dance
By Kelly Bullard
Inspiration came for this workout through trying to entertain both my fitness interval warriors in the pool and my aqua dance students. Although we try, it can be hard to please everyone’s likes and preferences in the pool. However, offering both steady state cardio such as the 32-count add on, mixed with periods of pure intensity, you will have both types of students smiling and asking for more. What was originally an impromptu experiment with my students, led to the development of a format that blends cardio dance and challenging bursts of intensity in one workout. The result was students getting out of the pool commenting what a great cardio workout they had that day, how intense it was, or how mentally challenging (but fun) it was. And the best part, no equipment to have to put away either. The water’s resistance is the only equipment you need for this type of format.
Spiked Cardio Dance brings the best of both worlds, from a taste of add-on choreography with bits of intensity. The 32 count combos bring foundational aquatic fitness moves together with elements of dance in the water and can be simplified or progressed as you feel is best for your students. For example, the first move in the first block starts with simple single rock back steps that can stay as they are, or you can progress to the 3 rock backs and 3 taps in place. If your students crave for more, progress to 3 rock backs into a tap back, front, and back, and later progress that front tap to a kick to make the sequence 3 rock backs to a front kick. Providing intricacy and intensity options makes the workout inclusive to all fitness levels.
In the video, six cardio dance blocks are taught, however you may decide to use only a couple in a class and make them longer, taking more time to repeat and break them down. For more advanced classes, you can progress through them quicker and bring more intensity intervals to amplify their workout. Another way you can use these combinations is by pulling the moves into other dance formats you may teach. For example, if you teach a format that recognizes the music structure (chorus, verse, break, etc.), you may select a block and insert those moves into the song parts to make choreography.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Repetition is key! More reps mean more movement and more calories burned! Don’t be afraid to hold a movement or pattern for longer to be sure the students have it.
- Music BPM works best 126-132 BPM. Pick any fitness music you want and keep them moving. I’d recommend making sure students are in a water depth about bottom rib to only armpit deep. If the water is too deep, it is very challenging to execute the dance moves and push off the pool bottom.
- It is okay to use half water tempo to teach the movement and progress to water tempo (example: the tango crossover step in block 2, or the box step in block 4)
- Intensity spikes are meant to be a mental challenge as well as physical intensity. Be a coach and motivate and encourage them during this time. Give variation options for intensity or impact. For example, tuck jumps can be either OUT of the water or IN the water, which varies both the intensity and the level of impact they experience.
- There is no wrong way to dance! And remember, they are not judging you on your dance skills either. Let the students explore their own styles, shakes, and shimmies.
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Fitmotivation extends a big thank you to Kelly for traveling to Florida and filming four videos. Stay tuned, Kelly’s other three videos will be dropping in Winter 2025. Below, watch a fun behind-the-scenes video of her first Fitmotivation filming adventure.