Hi there,

A few months ago I found the podcasts, and it motivated me to get up and start going to the gym at 5:20 every morning. I travel some, so I have been a LITTLE sketchy on going, but I have learned that my energy level goes WAY DOWN if I don’t get my workout.

So, I flipped the switch in my brain—now, instead of working out because I want to lose weight, I am working out to have more energy. This is a goal I achieve every day (and I am very, very impatient, so this works well for me). That way, eventually I will lose weight as a by-product of working out, but in the meantime, I am more productive, sleep better, and have more energy NOW.

My first goal was to “show up” at the gym, which I have been consistently doing. But now I am ready to bump up my intensity level, and I wanted to see if anyone has ever done any classes?

My gym offers Spin classes and Body Pump early in the morning, which is when I would go. Can anyone give me insights on these?

I may post this same thing somewhere else if there’s a better place, so apologies in advance if you see this twice.

Thanks for the motivation every day, Scott! I found the podcasts, then listened to a ton of them, which got me to the first phase: going to the gym in the early a.m. I listen to the ‘casts all in spurts, so I listened to more last week, so now I have another “spurt” of motivation.

Leigh in Austin

Hey Leigh! 

Glad you found MTM and it’s really good to see you here!  I have to admit most of the time THE reason I workout is for the energy.

I wanted to chime in on the Spinning/Body Pump question.

I’ve done both many times at all times of the day.  There is no doubt that Spinning is one of the best workouts you can do.  It really burns the calories and makes you feel great.  Amazing cardio.

I taught Body Pump for a while and made the class a regular part of my workout - it to is a great workout but more for your muscles.

With Spinning the primary benefit is to your Heart and Lungs.  It’s low impact and as long as the bike is setup properly you can do it everyday and be fine.

Body Pump touches on cardio a bit but is mostly a weight workout.  Any weight workout requires rest in between so you don’t want to do it everyday.  Also, the high degree of repetition with Body Pump can really beat up your body if you do it too much.  You probably shouldn’t do it more than every other day.

One more thing to factor in.

A great cardio workout have direct calorie burning benefits that last for 6 to 8 hours after the workout.  A weight workout delivers benefits for up to 24 hours after.

Have you figured out where I’m heading?

DO BOTH!  Spinning and Body Pump are two Powerhouse workouts.  Put them together on alternate days and you’ll really shape up fast.  Plus… your butt won’t get as sore by not spinning everyday.

Have fun!

That is a great idea… I will try it when I get back from my travels next week, and let you know how it goes!

Thanks so much for the feedback; I really appreciate YOUR energy!

Hi Leigh, I’ve been doing the Body Pump class for about 3 months now and I’ve definately found what will keep me going to the gym at 5:30 AM! If you like to work in groups and make friends, then I strongly recommend it. My friends there expect to see me at the classes (Tue, Thurs, and Sat morning) and that increases the guilt factor when I start to make up excuses to myself to stay in bed. One factor of the class that also gets be pumped (pardon the pun) is the music, and our instructor works us out to the beat of the music. This wakes up my brain and makes it fun. I find myself tapping my toes like Scott does. 

I gave Spinning a try, and I should look for a beginners class, because I just couldn’t keep up or finish it. MAN that’s a tough one! No wonder Scott and many other professionals tell me it’s one of the best fat burners out there.

Enjoy the classes, and I hope it gets YOU hooked as I am!

Big John

I think i am just intimidated to get started, since they say you have to sign up ahead of time and get there early. For some reason, that is holding me back.

I think what I will do is go in and ask someone about spinning first, to find out more. On the gym website, it says it can work for all fitness levels, but I am intimidated by it.

I just hate not knowing what to expect, you know? Any advice?

My only advice: Just Do It. That simple. Every one in that class had a first time. Just go, and keep it up. You’ll be inviting your friends. I’m still going and that’s what I’M doing. Loving it!