Rise Up Fitness, Body Balance, 2747 Iris Ave, Boulder, riseupfitness.net
Instructor: Poul Collins has been a personal trainer since 2006. He interned at Drake University in Iowa, working with Division 1 athletes. In 2012, he moved to Colorado, and after working at local gyms he opened Rise Up Fitness.
What is the workout? A weight training class that focuses on small groups of students. Poul hesitates when he calls his class a boot camp. “That usually implies a lot of people running around. There is not as much attention to detail, focus on form and technique,” says Poul in reference to traditional boot camp classes.
The class incorporates circuit training, usually eight to twelve repetitions in sets of three. All-in-all we did about 15 different exercises by the time class was over. I have taken many group fitness classes, but I have never seen a personal trainer. Some of the exercises were new to me, like Romanian deadlifts, battle ropes and throwing a weighted ball against a wall then catching it in a squat. Collins even corrected my technique for Russian twists, which I’ve been doing (incorrectly) for years.
The class marries the intensity of a boot camp class with the attention of a personal trainer. Students get all the benefits of weight training along with individual attention from the instructor.
What’s different? There is no one screaming in your ear to go harder than what’s tolerable or pushing you past the point where your form breaks down. Collins is always looking out for good technique, pushing students further while emphasizing safety.
“The reason people go to classes, the reason people get personal trainers is so they know what to do and how to do it correctly,” says Collins. “When you get into large groups I think the attention to detail can really fall off.”
If you’re tired, you take a break and then jump back in. Students choose the order they do the exercises in and set their own pace. You never have to worry about catching up to anyone, you only focus on your own progress.
There is a maximum of eight people per class, on average Collins has two to six people. “I want to keep it fairly small. We can still do a lot, it’s very affordable for people to come and get a training experience, but I can also give individual attention,” says Collins.
Cost: Drop-in classes are $20, cash only. One month unlimited is $140, two months is $130 per month and three months is $125 per month.
Level: With such small class sizes Collins is able to scale the class for any level, from beginners to more advanced students. He asks if students have any injuries or surgeries, along with their physical fitness background before class, so he can tailor the workout to everyone’s needs.
When: Classes are held Wednesday to Monday. Class times vary, some are early in the morning and others are at 6:30 p.m. Check out the website for all available class times.
What to prepare: Regular workout clothes and a bottle of water. Towels are provided at the gym.
Muscles worked: The front of my legs were crazy sore the next day — stairs were the bane of my existence. This particular class focused more on legs. The workout is constantly changing. Like personal fitness roulette, you don’t know what you’re going to get when you walk in the door, but it’s sure to challenge you.
What I loved: With such a small class, you could get self-conscious with all the personal attention, but surprisingly it was more laid back than I expected. Collins’ personality is very open and friendly, you never feel like you are being judged. You quickly feel like you are amongst friends, even though you’ve just met everybody. Collins has a great rapport with the students and everyone who walks through the door.
What I didn’t like: Honestly, there was nothing I didn’t like about the class. I never imagined I’d be able to afford the luxury of a personal trainer. This changed my mind entirely.
How I felt after the class: I left knowing I was going to hurt the next day, but I still wanted to go back for more. I couldn’t have condensed so much in to one hour, on my own, at the gym. It was invigorating, knowing I had worked as hard as possible in such a short period of time, with the help of a personal trainer.
Know of any interesting workouts? Tell us about them so we can check them out: quentin@dailycamera.com.
