Everyone’s getting in on the High-Intensity Interval Training craze, New York Sports Club included. The ubiquitous gym’s newest class, UXF Burn, fits cardio and strength training into a fast-paced hour with tough interval circuits.
Before you hit the circuits, your instructor explains the moves—from simple tricep kick-backs to lunges with bicep curls to walking planks.
Then you move through the full circuit five times. You’ll spend 60 seconds on each exercise during the first round, then less on each subsequent round until you’re doing just 20 seconds in the fourth and fifth.
Instead of resting between circuits, plan on a super-intense 90-seconds of cardio that may include high knees and burpees. (Maybe plan your pre-workout meals accordingly.)
Overall, the class is a tough, calorie-burning 60 minutes. But the level of intensity really depends on how hard you push yourself, since some of the moves are simple weight lifting, and no one is yelling at you to do those squat jumps faster and higher. (It’s more like Medium-Intensity Interval Training.) This, of course, probably varies by instructor.
The best thing about the class is that you’ll never get bored. I went two weeks in a row, to the same time slot, with the same trainer, and not one move was the same. Even the cardio bursts and warm-up were fresh and new. —Lisa Elaine Held
Who’s it for: Those whose fitness resolutions include interval training. Gym rats who want to mix up their treadmill routine. Boot campers. Already ripped? Try the more intense version, UXF Ripped, that involves props like battle ropes and sleds (additional fee required).
Book it or skip it: Book it.
New York Sports Club, free for members, multiple locations, www.mysportsclubs.com
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