My First Boot Camp Workout

Being a group fitness instructor has its perks: One of the fitness centers where I work has given me the opportunity to participate in a weekly boot camp style workout! And the best part: It’s free for me!

Last night was the first night. I was unsure what to expect, other than calisthenics and some good, old-fashioned exercise. We started by running stairs – something I hadn’t done since high school (1997 if you must know). Running stairs transitioned into quickly hopping up stairs, one-by-one…

The rest of the hour-long boot camp workout incorporated chopping and high knees, burpees, and mountain climbers. We used stability balls, hand weights, and mats. It was an awesome total body workout and I’m excited to see what the results will be after this session of boot camp workouts once per week.

The instructor was great very motivating and encouraging, but strict. We shouted out the number of each exercise. If we started to slack or if our form started to get sloppy, we started the exercise set again at ONE.

Many of the participants were also very motivated and encouraged others to perform, but I was a little disappointed with some of the other participants. Do yourself a favor: If you’re not prepared to work hard, don’t register for a boot camp workout. No one can make you do anything you don’t want to do, and you’ll just be holding back other participants.

My January Zumba Song List

Happy 2010!

Pa’mayte (Calypso)
ZIN MegaMix15

La Fiesta (Flamenco + Belly Dance / Warm Up)
Zumba Original Soundtrack

Baila Esta Cumbia (Cumbia)
Zumba Megamix 14

Hava Nagila (Traditional)
Zumba Gold

A La Nena Le Gusta (Merengue)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24

Solo Se Vive Una Vez (Rumba Flamenca)
Zumba ZIN Megamix 13

Ritmo Caliente (Quebradita)
Zumba ZIN 22

Kiss Kiss (Belly Dance)
ZIN Megamix 4

Krazy (Hip Hop)
(Pitbull Featuring LiL Jon)

La Morena (Merengue)
Zumba Megamix 14

African Beat (African)
Zumba ZIN 22

Fuego (Cumbia)
Zumba ZIN Megamix 4

Baila Pa Emociona (Calypso)
Zumba

Me Gusta, Me Gusta (Salsa)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24

Tigy Tigy (Reggaeton/Arabic)
Zumba ZIN Mega Mix 15

Chaiyya Chaiyya (Bollywood)
Bombay Dreams

Drive (Reggae)
50 First Dates Soundtrack

Best Zumba Shoes for Men

Despite being created by a genius man, Beto Perez, Zumba classes are overwhelmingly women. The token males in my Zumba classes are absolutely adored.

That is all I thought about men regarding Zumba until this week when a reader, Dan, posted a comment on my post Where to Buy Dance Shoes. Dan asked:

can you recommend a zumba shoe for men?

What a great question and in fact, yes I can recommend some shoes for men for Zumba!

One of the most well-known brands of dance shoe is Capezio. My college dance team used Capezio dance sneakers as part of the team uniform and several of my Zumba regulars where Capezio dance sneakers to class.

Capezio offers several varieties of men’s and unisex athletic dance shoes for men that would no doubt work well for men doing Zumba. My personal favorites are the Capezio Rockit and the Capezio Toggle. The main difference is that Capezio Rockit has laces and the Capezio Toggle doesn’t. Reviews for both models are excellent and some reviews actually list Zumba as the main reason the person bought the shoe. Online shoe stores like Zappos and Discount Dance Supply carry Capezio dance sneakers in men’s sizes.

How Many Calories Does Zumba Burn?

I recently saw a thread on MyFitnessPal.com discussing how many calories does Zumba burn. Not that I need a reason to do Zumba, but what a good question!

The Zumba FAQ does vaguely address the question:

How many calories can I burn during a Zumba class?

The number of calories each person burns per class varies. However, depending on your body parameters (type, composition, intensity, range of motion), you can burn hundreds of calories per class.

A good source for calories burned is the list of Calories Burned During Exercise list from NutriStrategy.

Calories burned during exercise is affected by body weight, intensity of workout, conditioning level, and metabolism. Calories burned per hour are listed below for the example body weights of 130, 155, and 190 pounds.

According to NutriStragegy, “Dancing, aerobic, ballet or modern, twist” burns 354 calories per hour for a 130-pound person, 422 calories per hour for a 155-pound person, and 518 calories per hour for a 190-pound person.

The only way to know exactly how many calories you are burning during any given Zumba class is by wearing a heart rate monitor that is able to take into account your heart rate as well as your age, height, weight, and gender to calculate your personal amount of calories burned.

My November Zumba Song List

Better late than never… Happy Thanksgiving!

La Fiesta (Flamenco + Belly Dance / Warm Up)
Zumba Original Soundtrack

I Gotta Feeling (Hip Hop)
Black Eyed Peas

Ça Plane Pour Moi (Merengue)
(Plastic Betrand – National Lampoon’s European Vacation Soundtrack)

Baila Esta Cumbia (Cumbia)
Zumba Megamix 14

Bonita (Samba)
Zumba Megamix 14

La Morena (Merengue)
Zumba Megamix 14

Solo Se Vive Una Vez (Rumba Flamenca)
(Zumba ZIN Megamix 13)

Rompe (Hip Hop)
(Daddy Yankee)

Fuego (Cumbia)
(Zumba ZIN Megamix 4)

African Beat (African)
(Zumba ZIN 22)

Ritmo Caliente (Quebradita)
Zumba ZIN 22)

Krazy (Hip Hop)
(Pitbull Featuring LiL Jon)

Dance the Night Away (Salsa)
(The Mavericks – The Best of the Mavericks)

Every Breath You Take (Cool Down)
(UB40 – 50 First Dates Soundtrack)

Zumba with a Purpose

Attention Zumba lovers in Minnesota!

Zumba with a Purpose to benefit Toys for Tots with a $10 donation on December 12, 2009 from 1-3pm at Gold’s Gym in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. This Toys for Tots benefit will feature a group of local Zumba instructors and, keeping in the spirit of Toys for Tots, Marines.

Click here for more information and enjoy!

Knee Pain During Zumba

I heard one of my Zumba class regulars who disappeared recently has quit doing Zumba because of knee pain. This is not the first Zumba knee pain complaint I’ve heard. Why do people’s knees hurt from Zumba?

As I mentioned in my past Rencsi.com post Sticky Shoes During Zumba, most athletic shoes are designed for forward movement only. Running shoes and walking shoes have heavy traction and robust soles to resist sliding and turning and this is exactly what runners and walkers need. This is not what we want in Zumba class.

Zumba incorporates the twisting, turning, and sliding movements of Latin dance. While the body is moving, the heavy traction of popular athletic shoes causes the Zumba dancer to stick to the studio floor. The foot stays put and the leg, knee, and hip twist, turn, and slide.

Think of a basic Cuban salsa move – you step to the side, shift your weight to that foot, shift your weight to the other foot, and bring your feet together and repeat and repeat and repeat. The thick, wide soles of most athletic shoes are designed to prevent the lateral movement of salsa, one of the basic dances in a Zumba class.

It’s no wonder some exercisers experience knee pain from Zumba!

The good news is knee pain does not have to end your Zumba workout. There are many styles of athletic dance shoes available that will allow you to turn and slide freely. Here are some articles to help you find the best shoes to wear during Zumba. Enjoy!

Zumba FAQ – What are the best shoes to wear in a Zumba Class?

Do I need Zumba shoes?

Coming Soon: Z1 Zumba Shoes

Where to Buy Dance Shoes

Good Dance Shoes for Zumba

Best Zumba Shoes

Sticky Shoes During Zumba

Zumba Faq – What are the best shoes to wear in a Zumba class?

Straight from the horse’s mouth: What does Zumba Fitness have to say about finding the best Zumba shoes?

What are the best shoes to wear in a Zumba class?

Zumba Fitness recommends that you wear “cross training” or “aerobic” style shoes. They provide the cushion and medial lateral support needed for side-to-side movements. They also have low traction rubber for easy sliding and turning. Please be careful with “running shoes” since they use a heavy tread on the bottom and are designed for forward movement.

Click here to read more Zumba Faq’s.

Win Free Zumba DVDs!

As part of the three-page feature on Zumba creator Beto Perez, Reader’s Digest is offering a sweepstakes to win one of 50 free Zumba DVDs! (FYI: Registration opened October 5, 2009 and the contest runs through November 30, 2009.)

Click here to enter the Reader’s Digest Zumba DVD Sweepstakes.

Click here for the Reader’s Digest Zumba DVD Sweepstakes Rules.

Good luck!

Do I Need Zumba Shoes?

Do you need athletic dance or Zumba shoes to participate Zumba?

Technically, no. Special shoes (other than athletic shoes of some sort) are not required to do Zumba. However, if you plan to attend Zumba classes regularly, you will be most comfortable in athletic shoes designed for dance.

I hear people in my Zumba class say that their shoes stick to the floor during Zumba class. The stickiness increases as the temperature, humidity, and Zumba class intensity (and sweaty bodies) increase. Pretty soon these people are forced to modify their Zumba style to accommodate for their sticky shoes during Zumba. The sticky shoes during Zumba can also cause knee pain from the foot staying planted to the floor while the body is twisting and turning.

I recently purchased a pair of Nike Musique IV athletic dance shoes from the clearance rack at Famous Footware and I am very happy with my selection. My shoes cost $30, but I have seen this model of dance shoe cost up to $65 at other shoe stores.

Other Rencsi.com articles about finding the best Zumba shoes for you:

Sticky Shoes During Zumba at Rencsi.com

Good Dance Shoes for Zumba at Rencsi.com

Best Zumba Shoes at Rencsi.com

Where to Buy Dance Shoes at Rencsi.com

Coming Soon: Z1 Zumba Shoes at Rencsi.com