We launched the New Year with the Level challenge. Now it is the Unilateral Challenge. Aqua Gym Fitness and Stephanie Newberry are back with workout #15, Unilateral Strength & Power. This 60-minute aquafit class features several circuits and each include exercises for upper body, lower body, cardio and core. All of the circuits are performed with a single piece of equipment for a challenging strength and cardio fitness experience.
Utilizing just one piece of equipment in a water fitness class has lots of benefits. First and foremost, if you have a large class, such as 48 participants, you only need 24 pairs of hand buoys to accommodate the entire class. Unilateral training is a great way to add extra core training in your classes. The use of equipment on one side of the body is an asymmetrical challenge that forces the core to work harder. Another bonus of using one piece of equipment is that the class participants get more frequent hand breaks as they switch the buoy from one hand to the other. Excessive gripping and hand discomfort are one of the pitfalls of equipment use.
Equipment other than hand buoys can be used in this workout. As demonstrated in the video, one of the participants was using a hand buoy and the other was using an Aqualogix drag belle. The Aqualogix upper body equipment works really well with this workout. If your facility is on a budget, you could also consider cutting up older noodles into quarters and having each student use just one quarter piece of a noodle.
Designed to improve both muscular and cardiorespiratory endurance, Unilateral Strength & Power is comprised of seven 6-minute circuits. Each circuit was designed with a total body, complete fitness approach. The 6-minute circuit template includes:
- An upper body exercise performed unilaterally, right and left, for 30 seconds each
- An upper body exercise that is performed with both hands on the equipment – 30 seconds
- A lower body exercise performed unilaterally, right and left, for 30 seconds each
- A lower body exercise that is performed with both hands on the equipment – 30 seconds
- 2 minutes of cardio featuring two exercises performed twice for 30 seconds each
- 1 minute of core with two exercises, each performed for 30 seconds
Watch Stephanie talk more about the workout.
Fitmotivation once again extends many thanks to Stephanie for another successful class format. Special thanks also go to the students in the video. Sasha Lewis works for the Amelia Island Recreation Department, where AquaGym Fitness holds some of their classes. A former spring board diver, he has had a lifelong connection to the water, that also includes scuba diving. Eliza Young is familiar to Fitmotivation subscribers from her video, Stretch Flex. Stay tuned. Eliza is back next week with part two, Stretch Flex Range of Motion.