Some classes are resuming with “no-equipment” restrictions due to COVID-19 concerns. Who needs equipment when you’ve got the water? AquaGym Fitness is back with a 55-minute interval workout that features 7 blocks of total body exercise using the water’s resistance.
Known for their high-powered interval style, AquaGym Fitness (AGF) Workouts #1 - #4 have become popular on Fitmotivation. AGF Workout #5, Total Body Power, featuring Stephanie Newberry and special guest, Pashence Marie Can, will not disappoint fans of their intense and athletic water workouts.
NO EQUIPMENT
Over the years, Fitmotivation has taken some heat from subscribers because the majority of videos do not include equipment use. I beg to differ. They do. They feature the best equipment of all – the water’s resistance. Due to my personal bias and safety concerns regarding large foam dumbbells and super-dense noodles, the majority of Fitmotivation videos are sans equipment because most pools do not provide smaller hand buoys and they cannot afford specialized drag equipment, such as Aqualogix. Well, who knew we would be trending in the COVID-19 era thanks to our vast library of aquatic fitness programming that does not utilize added equipment? Expect this trend to continue!
TOTAL BODY
Different from the other four AGF interval workouts, Total Body Power derives its name because each of the 7 blocks focuses on a different muscle group or training technique.
Block 1: Legs
The muscle groups of the legs represent the greatest percentage of musculature in the body and therefore demand more oxygen and effort during exercise. Choosing three leg exercises in the first block ensures that every subsequent block will end with the most intense exercises.
Block 2: Arms & Shoulders
Movements borrowed from kickboxing are used to target the biceps, triceps and deltoids in this next trifecta of exercises.
Block 3: Core
Training the core in water can be lots of fun given the uplifting force of buoyancy and the creativity this provides. These three exercises include elevated moves where the feet leave the pool floor for a period of time.
Block 4: Suspended
The uplifting force of buoyancy also allows you to remove feet completely off the pool floor for an extended period of time while exercising in water. Suspended moves do not target any one particular muscle group, but they very much force more work from the core.
Block 5: Chest & Back
Longer lever movements of the arms, as well as specific hand positions are used to target pectoralis, latissimus and mid-trapezius.
Block 6: Kicks & Plyo
These three exercises return the focus back to legs with the added power of plyometric bounding off the pool floor.
Block 7: Total Body
The final three moves are examples of compound exercises, which target multiple muscle groups.
POWER
Like other AGF Workouts, the intervals in Total Body Power progress throughout the 7 blocks of interval action in duration and thus intensity throughout the workout. Three exercises are introduced in every block and performed for 30 seconds each. Block 1 starts at 90 seconds and Block 7 culminates in over 10 minutes of intense add-on interval action. Note: Simply eliminate Block 7 if you want to create a 45-minute class.
CLASS TEMPLATES
All five AGF Workouts posted on Fitmotivation utilize templates. If you haven’t heard me say this before – I LOVE templates. A template represents a structure. A structure represents an organized and systematic presentation of exercises. Movements aren’t just randomly selected. They are purposefully selected to reflect the goals of the class template. At any time, these exercises can be swapped out for new ones. For example, after teaching the class several times the moves may start to feel jaded. You do not have to recreate an entire routine, you just have to select new exercises for the template. Several Fitmotivation videos are based on templates and this is another trend you can expect to continue. WATCH Stephanie explain the effectiveness of templates.
In addition to Stephanie, also included in the video is Pashence Marie Can, who has been attending AquaGym Fitness classes for the past year. Pashence has a personal passion for water and spends much of her time traveling the world practicing her free diving skills and underwater photography. Follow her and her photos of amazing underwater acrobats on her Instagram account.
AquaGym Fitness is an aquatic fitness company based in northern Florida in the Jacksonville area offering private training and classes in resort communities, county clubs and recreation centers. Check out their other four videos streaming on Fitmotivation: Progressive Ladders, Run2Strength, Partner Drills, Combat Basics. Stay tuned for another AquaGym Fitness Workout posting next month.