New video! Wicked Waves features 9 Halloween-themed aquatic fitness class segments. Designed to spark your creativity with themed programming, this video will help you create some spooky splashing for your aqua classes. This class can be taught in both deep and shallow water and there is no equipment required.
Theme Inspiration
The inspiration for Wicked Waves came from a content request by Theresa, a Fitmotivation subscriber. Ironically, she is is the same one who requested Alphabet and Olympic-themed videos as well. Since the Alphabet and Olympic videos were popular with subscribers, I decided to rise to yet another theme challenge.
Themed Classes
Honestly, prior to the filming of Aqua alphabet in Spring 2024, I was never a big fan of themed classes and workouts. It just wasn’t my jam. Often, when I observed themed classes online, they seemed rather low intensity and not something my students would enjoy. However, as the owner of a video streaming platform for serves water fitness instructors, I understand many instructors love themed classes. You always see the requests for ideas on social media around holidays and special occasions. Creating the alphabet challenge last year, I discovered that themed workouts could maintain a level of high intensity while still retaining the fun factor. As I created Wicked Waves, I became even more convinced of this.
Creating Wicked Waves
This themed workout obviously includes scary names for the exercises courtesy of a lot of Googling for Halloween words A-Z. The themed exercise segments were much harder to come up with. However, each time I got in the pool, new ideas would come to me. In the end, I was pleased with how fun this workout turned out, while still maintaining intensity. Instructors could make entire classes out of some of these themes.
Rather than doing this workout all at once, I posted this workout early in October so that instructors could consider introducing individual segments during the month. As Halloween gets closer, they could then put it all together.
Halloween Music Resources
Yes! Fitness Music has two Halloween playlists, and you can make custom mixes.
Halloween Party Mix
Halloween 2020
Muscle Mixes Music has one Halloween playlist and you can make custom mixes.
Scream & Sweat
Power Music has several Halloween titles, including a Tabata one and you can make custom mixes.
Power Music Halloween Videos
Below, Mark talks about the inspiration and creation of Wicked. Then read on for a description of the 9 Halloween-themed class segments.
WICKED WAVES CLASS SEGMENTS
Segment 1: Wicked Warm-up
This segment features 8 exercises with spooky names performed for 15 seconds each. The series of exercises is performed a second time for a total time of 4 minutes.
Segment 2: Ghosts in the Graveyard
Ghosts in the Graveyard is a popular children’s game, preferably done in the evening or until the streetlights came on when I was growing up. In our splashy version we have a designated hunter. The hunter runs in search of ghostly exercises in the graveyard. Every time a ghost is found, the run begins again, and the ghostly exercises add up. The exercises and runs are all performed for 15 seconds or one 32-count music phrase. The total time of this segment is 6 minutes.
Segment 3: Monster Mash
In this segment, four monster exercises are introduced, Frankenstein, Vampire, Werewolf and Mummy. Once all 4 are introduced, it’s time for a Monster Mash. The 4 exercises will get mashed-up into various 2-move combinations. Each of the exercises and each of the mash-up combinations is performed for 30 seconds (or two 32-count music phrases), for a total segment time of 5 minutes.
Segment 4: Lucifer’s Ladder
Get ready to ascend Lucifer’s Ladder with 4 demonic exercises performed for 15, 30, 45 and 60 seconds. And then back down into the hellfire for 45, 30 and 15 seconds. The total segment time is around 4:30 minutes.
Segment 5: Witches Brew
Three exercises are tossed into the cauldron for 20, 40 and 60 seconds. And then the bubbling cauldron is stirred in the opposite direction and the timing for the exercises is reversed. The total exercise timing is 4 minutes.
Segment 6: Cast-a-Curse
In this segment, four vertical bounding & jumping exercises are performed for 30 seconds. Halfway through each exercise, a curse is cast. “Double, double toil & trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble.” The curse mandates that all four exercises are performed horizontally or suspended in shallow water – for all of eternity. All the vertical and horizontal exercises are performed for 30 seconds (or two 32-count music phrases) for a total of 4 minutes.
Segment 7: Tombstone Toning 3-2-1
This muscle conditioning segment features 3 minutes of Upper Body of the Undead, 2 minutes of Graveyard Gams and 1 minute of Core from the Crypt, for a total of 6 minutes.
Segment 8: Hocus Pocus Hi/Lo
It seems only fitting that we pay a visit to Salem, Massachusetts and the Sanderson Sisters. This segment technically serves as a cool down from the higher intensity segments preceding it. A series of kick exercises are performed, and then “AbraCaDabra Alakazem,” those same kick exercises are performed with both feet off the pool floor for a core challenge.
Segment 9: Book of Spells Stretch
The witchy spells continue into the final stretch. Here, a series of magical stretches are performed for some “feel good” flexibility and a proper ending to Wicked Waves.
If you enjoyed this video, consider checking out my other themed workouts, each of which can also be performed in both deep and shallow water.
Aqua Alphabet 1
Aqua Alphabet 2
Aqua Olympics
And stay tuned! The same subscriber who requested these themed videos also requested a holiday themed workout. Holiday Splash & Run is posting next month, just in time for Thanksgiving.
