Totally Tubular TBC (80's Night)

EEEP!  I'm running a little late on my post today.  Sorry about that.

Maybe I'm just running slow because of my awesome night last night.  In case you didn't know, I taught my normal Tuesday group fitness class (Total Body Fitness, or TBC for short).

But, it wasn't exactly... normal...

Yes, I definitely spent lots of time getting ready for this class... and also, getting strange looks in the locker room.  In fact, I think I spent more time getting ready for this than I do on a usual day getting dressed.  I suppose it didn't help that I had to tell about 10 people that I was teaching an 80s themed class that night.

Also, I forgot how gross hairspray is and how much I had to cake it in my hair for my 80s/90s mall bangs.  Not to mention how gross polyester leggings and leg warmers are. 

I was practically swimming in a cloud of hairspray and sweat before class even started.  Long story short, I'm not sorry the 80s are over!

Aside from a wacky outfit, I was hoping this would be a fun class, and really wanted to include a bunch of 80's style workout moves... but after watching several workouts on Youtube, I realized most of it was either too low impact for my class format, or seemed way too outdated/dangerous to even include.  Instead, I followed a typical format with a few 80's-esque stretches and cardio moves at the beginning.

Below is the playlist I used and the class format I followed, if you're curious.  I have the Tempo Magic app, and used it to pitch all the songs up to about a 134/135BPM (aside from the last two songs on the list, which are obviously meant for cool down).

And yes, I know the songs aren't all EXACTLY from the 80's... but they're retro enough.  So there.

 

 

     Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper

     When I Think of You - Janet Jackson

     Tainted Love - Soft Cell

     Cover Girl - New Kids on the Block

     We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel

     Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield

     Message in a Bottle - The Police

     Super Freak - Rick James

     Burning Down the House - Talking Heads

     The Safety Dance - Men Without Hats

     Down Under - Men at Work

     Freedom - George Michael

     Get Off - Prince

     I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred

     Love Shack - B 52's

     Jump On It - Sir Mix-a-Lot

     Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds

     Faith - George Michael 

Warm-up:
(complete below in approximately 10 minutes, repeating each move as needed)

- Stand with legs in a wide stance, take a deep breath in while reaching up, then exhale while reaching down and gently squatting.  Repeat. 
- Squat, with legs wide, and stretch arms out into a T.  Slowly reach arms out to left and right, feeling the stretch in your torso/back. 
- Hold stretch on right, tipping down and touching hand to ankle.  Come back to center and repeat to left ankle.  Come back to center.
- Rest hands on thighs, lowering shoulder to alternate knee (right & left, coming center before switching sides) deepening the stretch across the back.  Repeat several times.
- Center up again, lifting chest and shoulders, then drop chest to center and slowly roll up to standing.
- March, step touch.  Slowly add shoulder roll to step touch.
- Continue to make shoulder rolls larger, finally extending arm all the way to the ceiling for a reach, then across body, and eventually "throwing down".
- Back to step touch, adding hamstring curls, switching to pulling knees up.
- Change to grapevine right and left.  After a few sets, add 2 jacks at the end of each grapevine.
- Switch to squats.  Hold the final squat and pulse, then switch to tapping the toes back in a lunge.  Add extended T/V arms when ready.
- Hold the final lunge on the right and drop hands down into runners lunge.  After a brief stretch, bring left leg back and complete a set of 8 pushups.  Come back up into runner's lunge on opposite side.
- After a brief stretch on left, raise chest back up, holding lunge.  Proceed into jumping lunges spaced at counts of 8, 4, 2, and then singles for an extended set.
- Switch back to basic squats, then low squats with alternating knee lifts, eventually standing straight up with a high knee lift.
- Finish the warm-up with a long set of jacks, jogging in place, butt kicks and jacks.


Strength & Cardio:
(complete below in approximately 30-40 minutes, rotating through as follows: "Challenge", Set 1, "Challenge", Set 2, Set 3, repeat.  Goal is to complete 4 "challenges", and sets 1-3 twice)

"Challenge" set - 10 pushups, 20 seconds squat jumps, 8 burpees.
Set 1 - basic squats with weights, curtsey squats with weights, cardio: climb the mtn and ski down.
Set 2 - traveling lunges with weights out and back (length of room), traveling lunges without weights but extending back leg into a gluteal lift upon standing, cardio: jumping lunges
Set 3 - weighted bicep curls, bent forward rows and flies, standing overhead triceps, traveling frog jumps with a pushup (length of room), cardio: tabatta sprint jumps 20/10 (x6).


Floor work & Cool Down:
 (complete below in approximately 10-20 minutes)

"7 band legs" - using a resistance band, place handle on right foot and assume a table top position.  Run band, on floor, up along the right outside edge of torso and under hands/chest.  The band should create a 7 shape on the floor.  Start by bringing your knee to chest, and then extending leg out straight (level with hips).  Eventually, raise toe up towards ceiling on the extension.  Switch to fire hydrant.  Repeat other side.

Abdominals - lay down on back and put resistance band handles on both feet.  Lift legs straight into air above hips.  Choke up on the band, which should be hanging loose by knees - hold with hands to create resistance.  Complete a set of pelvis lifts, then a set of alternating leg drops, and finally a set of v-ups while opening legs at a 45 degree angle (closing legs again when lowering chest).  Set resistance band aside and finish with a set of oblique plank drops.

Cool down - complete various stretches, full body, preferably done laying down or seated.