Intensity provides a true total body workout, but is strength based. The premise is working in blocks that are long enough to fire the muscle tissues to create fatigue and subsequent change. There are three exercises per block (lower body, upper body, and core) and each exercise is performed for 60 seconds. 60 seconds should be enough time to load the targeted muscle to create fatigue by lifting as heavy a weight as possible for the participant. The rest is minimal (about 15 seconds) between exercises to keep the heart rate elevated and increase the time muscles are spending under tension.

The Cardio block is a bit different. The cardio block is a tabata style interval workout with four 30 second exercises. Each 30 second cardio exercise is followed by 15 seconds of rest. The block is repeated, for four total minutes of cardio. The goal of the cardio block is to work anaerobically (breathless), recover, and then work anaerobically again. Working anaerobically breaks down glucose for energy without using oxygen. Generally, these activities are of short length with high intensity. The idea is that a lot of energy is released within a small period of time, and your oxygen demand surpasses the oxygen supply. Your ability to recover improves over time, and this type of exercise will get you fit faster.

In Intensity, we work to load our muscles with time under tension to create muscle change, AND we work anaerobically to improve cardiovascular health and fitness faster. The marriage of strength and cardio is a powerful one and the total body effort of work in lower, upper, core, and cardio blocks is effective. The blocks of Intensity can be taught in any order. This varies the workout and keeps your body guessing, which will make your workout more effective. A warm-up (build up block, as we call it in Intensity), block of work in the lower body, block of work in the upper body, block of work in the core, combined with a cardio block (repeated twice), and a cool down (flexibility block, as we call it in Intensity) is thirty minutes. A second block of each (lower, upper, core, and cardio) makes for an hour long class. You can find both 30 minute and 60 minute Intensity classes on the schedule.