August Zumba Playlist
I’m so proud: Next month (September 2010), I will have been posting my Zumba playlists for one year.
I try to add one or two new songs per week, but that doesn’t always happen. There are two songs that I am still using one whole year later and they are warm ups. I’ve tried to retire them, but as soon as they disappear, someone asks for them back. I guess they’re here to stay…
Asejeré (Latin Pop / Warm Up)
Las Ketchup
Choreography by Rencsi
Disturbia (Pop / Warm Up)
Rihanna
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by Zumba with Renee
La Bamba (Latin Hip Hop / Warm Up)
Wyclef Jean
Choreography by Rencsi
Mil Horas (Cumbia)
Zumba ZIN 27
Choreography by Zumba Fitness
Waka Waka (Latin Pop)
Shakira
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by Shakira
Danca Da Maozinha (Axe)
Zumba ZIN 27
Choreography by Zumba Fitness
I Need to Know (Cha Cha)
Zumba ZIN 25
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by Zumba Fitness
El Baile Del Pescao (Reggaeton)
Zumba ZIN 27
Choreography by Zumba Fitness
A La Nena Le Gusta (Merengue)
Zumba ZIN 24
Choreography by Zumba Fitness
Boro Boro (Belly Dance)
Zumba ZIN 22
Choreography by Rencsi
Kalinka (Russian Folk / Pop)
Yamboo
Choreography by Rencsi
Lean Like a Cholo (Zumba Toning / Latin Hip Hop)
Down AKA Kilo
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by this YouTube video
Te Extrano (Bachata)
X-Treme
Choreography by Rencsi
Take Me Home Country Roads (Reggaeton / Cool Down)
Toots & the Maytals
Choreography by Rencsi
An Open Letter to the Zac Brown Band
Dear Zac Brown Band,
If there was a clean version of Toes available to the public, I would use it in my Zumba classes.
Thank you,
Rencsi
I was looking for a fun end-of-summer song to add to my Zumba playlist and I decided on Toes by the Zac Brown Band. I had the choreography ready to go. All I needed was a clean version of the song…
No such luck – there isn’t one. The clean version made available to radio stations is not available to the public.
I’m all for free speech, but I can’t blast the word “ass” over a loud speaker system to a captive audience of all ages. So Toes is a no-go and I’m sad.
Filed under Zumba, music | Tags: ass, band, brown, Clean, Clean Version, country, country music, Explicit Lyrics, lyrics, music, play list, playlist, radio, song lyrics, Toes, Version, zac, Zac Brown Band, zack, zak, Zumba, zumba play list | Comment (0)July Zumba Playlist
Taking a cue from Zumba with Alena, I am now sharing links to choreography or the choreography that inspired my own choreography when available. Enjoy! (Sorry, I don’t post any videos of my own choreography… yet.
Startin’ Somethin’ (Pop / Warm Up)
Michael Jackson
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by CarlyandJanelleZumba
Disturbia (Pop / Warm Up)
Rihanna
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by Zumba with Renee
La Bamba (Latin Hip Hop / Warm Up)
Wyclef Jean
Choreography by Rencsi
Waka Waka (Latin Pop)
Shakira
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by Shakira
Suavemente (Merengue)
Elvis Crespo
Choreography by Rencsi
Que Te Pica (Reggaeton)
Notch
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by this YouTube video
La Agarro Bajando (Salsa)
Zumba Megamix 4
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by Mary Pirela
Shake (Latin Hip Hop)
Ying Yang Twins Featuring Pitbull
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by this YouTube video
Boro Boro (Bollywood)
Zumba ZIN 22
Choreography by Rencsi
Kalinka (Russian Folk / Pop)
Yamboo
Choreography by Rencsi
Lean Like a Cholo (Zumba Toning / Latin Hip Hop)
Down AKA Kilo
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by this YouTube video
La Negra Tomasa (Cumbia)
DJ Kane
Choreography by Rencsi
Te Extrano (Bachata)
X-Treme
Choreography by Rencsi
Take Me Home Country Roads (Reggaeton / Cool Down)
Toots & the Maytals
Choreography by Rencsi
Kashi Go Lean Protein & Fiber Bars – Chewy PB & Chocolate Versus Crunchy Chocolate Caramel
Some days, meal replacement bars are a group fitness instructor’s best friend. On my latest trip to the grocery store, Kashi GOLEAN Protein & Fiber Bars were on sale 10 for $10 so I decided to give them a try. I bought four Peanut Butter & Chocolate Kashi Go Lean Chewy Protein & Fiber Bars (13 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, 290 calories) and six Chocolate Caramel Kashi Go Lean Crunchy Protein & Fiber Bars (8 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, 150 calories). These two varieties were my only options at the time.
I started with the Chewy Peanut Butter & Chocolate Go Lean Bar on day one. I eat in the car between classes. I opened the package and it looked like a giant chocolate bar, and in my opinion, that is a good thing. The first bite was sadly disappointing. Inside the chocolate was a grainy, flavorless mass that did not resemble any peanut butter I’ve ever tasted. I forced myself to eat half the bar for nourishment, and I left the rest in my car to melt in the summer heat while I taught Zumba.
After my bad experience with the Chewy bar, I hesitated a couple of days before trying the Crunchy Chocolate Caramel Go Lean Bar. Actually, my boyfriend tried it first. He described it as a Rice Krispies bar. I tried it and agreed. It was something like a soggy Rice Krispies bar or Special K bar with chunks of marshmallow on a bed of chocolate. Between me and my boyfriend, all six are now gone. I will buy these again.
The Kashi Chocolate Caramel Crunchy Go Lean Protein & Fiber bar is low in calories and protein, but it was the clear winner of the Rencsi.com Crunchy versus Chewy taste test.
Filed under Food, exercise, group fitness, health | Tags: caramel, chewy, chocolate, crunchy, Fiber, go lean, golean, kashi, nutrition, peanut butter, Protein, protein & fiber bar, snack bar, taste, taste test, test, Zumba | Comment (1)Want Z1 Zumba Shoes from Zumba Fitness? Get Them While You Can!
I’m a Zumba and Zumba Gold instructor and I had the same pair of Zumba shoes for a year. At first, I was only wearing my Zumba shoes for about one hour per day, two or three times a week, and they were holding up just fine. As luck would have it, I started getting more and more classes at more and more facilities and soon I was teaching two or three times per day, four days a week! As awesome as it was, my Zumba shoes broke down quickly. I was having foot, ankle, and shin pain during and after Zumba class. It was obvious I needed a new pair of Zumba shoes and I needed them fast.
I had been wanting the new Z1 Zumba sneakers from Zumba Fitness so I went to the Zumba shop to order a pair. I searched and searched, but they were not there – the Z1 Zumba sneakers were temporarily unavailable! I needed new shoes badly, but I decided to wait a week.
A week later, I checked the Zumba shop again. No Z1 Zumba sneakers! I couldn’t wait any longer and I decided to replace my Nike Musique IV with the exact same pair.
I just checkd back and the Z1 Zumba sneaker is now available at Zumba.com.
The moral of the story: If you are thinking about trying out the Z1 Zumba sneakers from Zumba.com, do it while you can! They are insanely popular. If they are temporarily unavailable, check back regularly because they might come and go from the Zumba shop as they are in stock. Hopefully, this means new styles and colors will be available soon.
Good luck!
June Zumba Music Playlist
It’s finally July! I love July! Here are some of my June Zumba songs. Enjoy! And enjoy July!
Zorba (Greek / Warm Up)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24
* Warning: For the first time ever, I actually had a participant yell out, “I HATE THIS SONG!” during this warm up. I think she was referring to the choreography that gets faster and faster… Personally, I like it!
La Cucaracha (Latin Hip Hop / Warm Up)
Kumbia Kings
* Warning: This song contains the word “marijuana.”
Buttons (Pop / Warm Up)
Pussycat Dolls
Telephone (Pop / Warm Up)
Lady Gaga
Krazy (Hip Hop)
Pitbull Featuring LiL Jon
Suavemente (Merengue)
Elvis Crespo
Que Te Pica (Reggaeton)
Notch
Zu Bailaito MIX (Quebradita)
ZIN Bonus Download
La Agarro Bajando (Salsa)
Zumba Megamix 4
Boro Boro (Belly Dance)
Zumba ZIN 22
I Need to Know (Cha Cha)
Zumba Fitness ZIN Volume 25
Rain Dance (African)
The Very Best Featuring M.I.A.
Evacuate the Dance Floor (Pop)
Cascada
Lean Like a Cholo (Zumba Toning / Latin Hip Hop)
Down AKA Kilo
La Negra Tomasa (Cumbia)
DJ Kane
Te Extrano (Bachata)
X-Treme
Body Language (Pop / Cool Down)
Jesse McCartney
What Are Zumba Shoes?
One of my Zumba participants walked into Lady Foot Locker and asked for Zumba shoes. The LFL sales team looked confused and responded, “What are Zumba shoes?”
How embarrassing! Someone is willing to walking into an athletic shoe store and drop $60 to $110 USD on a pair of dance shoes and the sales team at a store like Lady Foot Locker doesn’t even know what Zumba is?
In an athletics store, you are most likely looking for Nike Musique athletic dance shoes. Ryka also makes a couple of styles of athletic dance sneaker, Ryka Studio D and Ryka Sync, and from what I’ve seen, they are similar to the Nike Musique. This type of shoe is used by cheer and dance teams at the high school and college levels so they are somewhat easy to find. They are attractive athletic shoes, but obviously not built for most sports. You’ll find them on the edge of the athletic shoe section, not mixed in with the running shoes. Because they are not common, they are also easy to find on the clearance rack if you are a bargain hunter.
There is also currently a Nike shoe called Nike Huarache. It is more of a hip hop dance shoe so you might find it mixed in with the street wear.
If you have access to a dance studio or dance supply store, look for Capezio or Bloch athletic dance sneakers. These sneakers are also worn by dance teams and instructors so they are easy to find. Capezio and Bloch sneakers usually have a split sole which allows more foot flexibility during dance training and performances. To me, the split sole takes away some of the stability of these athletic dance shoes. The split sole is why I personally chose NOT to wear them for Zumba – I need stability and support. However, I do know plenty of people who DO wear them for Zumba.
In stores, you will pay about $30 USD for Zumba shoes on the clearance rack. Full price, Zumba shoes will cost $60-$110 USD. Online, you have more options and better prices. You will find Nike Musique and Huarache and Ryka Studio D and Sync online. Discount dance supply stores sell Capezio and Bloch athletic dance sneakers online.
I hate to order shoes online, but I like online shoe store prices so I use a little trick. I go find the shoes I want in a shoe store, try them on, and make note of the size, style, and color. Then I go home and order the same shoes online. It take a little more time, but I think it’s worth it.
If you have a favorite brand or style of shoe that you use for Zumba, I would love to hear it!
Filed under Zumba, exercise, group fitness | Tags: aerobic, aerobics, athletic shoes, bloch, capezio, Dance, dance shoes, Fitness, group, group fitness, group fitness instructor, huarache, instructor, musique, Nike, nike huarache, nike musique, Nike shoes, ryka, shoes, studio d, sync, what are zumba shoes, Zumba, zumba gold, zumba instructor, zumba music, Zumba shoes | Comment (0)Calories Burned During Zumba
I’m a Zumba instructor and I was tired of guessing how many calories I was burned during Zumba class so I bought a Polar FT60 heart rate monitor. I’ve been wearing it for a couple of weeks now. Here’s a quick summary of how many calories I burned in recent classes:
Zumba
Minutes / Calories Burned
50 / 474, 60 / 733, 50 / 676, 60 / 734, 50 / 626, 50 / 810, 50 / 652, 50 / 790, 50 / 701, 50 / 779, 50 / 638, 50 / 668, 50 / 595
Average = 683 calories per class
Zumba Gold
Minutes / Calories Burned
50 / 461, 50 / 492
Average = 474 calories per class
What I learned is that the number of calories burned during Zumba varies widely depending on the content of the class. There are certain songs and dances that really get my heart rate up. For example, there is a significant increase in calories burned during those classes that include a quebradita (i.e. Zu Bailaito and Ritmo Caliente). Choreography that includes jumping or “riding a horse” also bump up the number of calories burned (Evacuate the Dance Floor, Jump in the Line, and Que Te Pica to name a few).
Stay tuned while I learn more from my new heart rate monitor! Zumba hugs!
Filed under Zumba, exercise | Tags: calorie, Calories, calories burned, Fitness, ft60, group, group fitness, group fitness instructor, heart, heart rate, heart rate monitor, monitor, polar, polar ft60, quebradita, rate, Zumba, zumba gold, zumba instructor | Comment (0)May Zumba Music Playlist
Time flies! Some of my May Zumba songs. Enjoy!
Telephone (Pop / Warm Up)
Lady Gaga
Obsesion (Bachata)
Aventura
Chaiyya Chaiyya (Zumba Toning / Bollywood)
Bombay Dreams
Salome (Salsa / Pop)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24
Que Te Pica (Reggaeton)
Notch
A La Nena Le Gusta (Merengue)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24
Zu Bailaito MIX (Quebradita)
ZIN Bonus Download
Boro Boro (Belly Dance)
Zumba ZIN 22
I Need to Know (Cha Cha)
Zumba Fitness ZIN Volume 25
Rain Dance (African)
The Very Best Featuring M.I.A.
Evacuate the Dance Floor (Pop)
Cascada
La Agarro Bajando (Salsa)
Zumba Megamix 4
Lean Like a Cholo (Zumba Toning / Latin Hip Hop)
Down AKA Kilo
La Negra Tomasa (Cumbia)
DJ Kane
Waiting in Vain (Reggae / Cool Down)
Bob Marley
Heart Rate Monitor for Zumba
Enough guessing. I’m buying a heart rate monitor for Zumba.
I’m a Zumba instructor and I track my diet and exercise through a free online fitness diary called hotcal. Until now, I’ve been using the cardio exercise entry “Dancing, aerobic, ballet or modern, twist” to track Zumba. According to my height, weight, age, and sex; I should burn about 272 calories in one 50-minute Zumba class.
As an instructor, I exaggerate all of my movements and give 100% during each song of each class. After Zumba classes, I am drenched from head to toe in sweat. I don’t think 272 is an accurate measure of the calories I burn in a typical Zumba class. That is why I’ve decided to buy a heart rate monitor.
After a little research, I’ve settled on the Polar FT60 heart rate monitor. This hr monitor comes with the fabric chest band with the snap on/snap off electronic brain. The fabric band was important because I’ve used hr monitors with the plastic band with the built in electronics. It was very uncomfortable and I can’t image doing Zumba while wearing a hard plastic band around my rib cage. As I mentioned, Zumba makes me sweat hardcore. I need equipment that I can rinse or it will be ruined in no time.
The FT60 is not cheap, but I am also a long distance runner and biker. I don’t need a foot pod or gps capability now, but these are optional add-ons to the FT60. I would not like to buy another heart rate monitor any time soon, but I may want to accessorize later.
The other nice thing about the women’s FT60 is that it is attractive. The band is magenta and the face is white and silver with decorations on the face. If I have to wear this thing daily, I might as well like the way it looks.
Stay tuned as I try out my heart rate monitor for Zumba.