Twice now, I’ve used my lunch hour to go to a class at NYSC (don't get me started on my love of NYSC).
I’m not a huge fan of the midday workout- I would much rather get up and get it
done in the morning, and if that’s not possible, I’ll settle for end of day as
a way to transition into “me” time. But William Jackson’s 12:15 “Burn” class
was so great the first time I went that it might become a regular part of my
routine! I almost want to keep my lips zipped, since the class is already
packed, but I’m going to write a review anyway because if you can take classes
with this instructor at some point, you really should- he’s great.
I can usually tell whether or not I’m going to get a good
workout from a class as soon as I see what the set-up is. When I walked into Burn I saw that each
person needed a step with risers, a barbell with between 10-20 pounds worth of plates on each
side, a mat, and an assortment of different dumbbells. (Is the phrase “assortment of different” repetitive?)
I was totally on board with this!
When Will walked into the class he wasted no time in telling everyone to put away their cellphones and not to touch them…for the next 45
minutes we were here to WORK. When people walked in after 12:15, he legit had them get down and do pushups! He's no joke about not wanting people to waste his time!
The class is a great mix between cardio and strength
training- my heart rate stayed up the entire time thanks to toe touches, speed
skaters, runners and mountain climbers on the step combined with jumping jacks,
burpees and single count squats (the barbell was used for squats and
lunges). Will touched on all the main
muscle groups for strength training with a squat/curl/press sequence, row/tricep
kickbacks, ab work on the mat, pushups and other stuff I’m sure I’m
forgetting.
Throughout the class Will has you count down to the end of
each exercise- and if you aren’t as enthusiastic or loud as he wants…you’ll
keep counting down until he’s satisfied!
This isn’t the most killer class I’ve been to, as I’ve left
boot camp classes literally drenched in sweat and panting, but it’s definitely
an enjoyable challenge and Will is a great instructor. He isn’t afraid to call out people in the
class who aren’t giving it their all.
When I stopped using the barbell and switched to dumbbells for my squat
and press, he said, “Don’t feel like using the barbell?” as he passed me. Oops,
busted!
The music was great, and worked good for keeping your pace
based on the rhythm (BPM perfection makes me happy!)
Apparently, Will Jackson also has his own project- WRKNYC. They do outdoor (and indoor) training classes
that I really want to check out! He’s super motivational and doesn’t take any
shit, and clearly knows what he’s doing!
He’s also super upbeat and happy (even while he’s yelling at you!) I’m
definitely going to be checking out the WRK community and you should too!
