My first High-Low Class in German!

My Thursday Thirteen can be found below this. Thanks.

I taught my first high-low class auf Deutsch (in German) last night, and it went really well. It was a Fatburner class, which consisted of 45 minutes of high-low aerobics, and then 15 minutes of stretching.

High-low aerobics, for those of you who don't know, is your traditional floor aerobics. I teach high-low with 32-count combinations, that are self-reversing. 32 count means that each combination (series of moves) lasts for 32 beats of the music. Most aerobics music is specially formatted and mixed for 32-count combinations. Self-reversing means that when we start each combination on the right foot, at the end of the combination we are ready to do it, starting with the left foot. This way, both sides of the body are worked to the same degree, so we don't develop muscle imbalances. I also break each combination down (breaking down means teaching the combination) through a variety of means.

I had three students come up to me after the class and tell me that they really enjoyed it. As an instructor, I can tell you there's no better feeling than having students tell you they enjoyed the class. So, for those of you who take group fitness classes, if you do enjoy a class, let the instructor know. You'll probably make his or her day. We do appreciate feedback and praise.

I kept the combinations fairly simple, but with lots of options for intensity, so the participants could work at their own level, from easy to hard. In between each combination I did an interval move, again with various options for intensity, to give them a "brain break".

For any group fitness instructors who are reading, here are the combinations I did:

Combo 1

• 2x Hustle Forward and Back (hustle forward: walk forward three, knee lift; hustle back: walk back three, knee lift)
• 2x Squat Right and Left (Plié Squats)

Interval 1

• Plié Squats or Power Squats

Combo 2

• 1x Grapevine
• 2x Step Touch
• 4x Heel Digs
• 4x Knee Lifts
• 4x Knees Wide

Interval 2

• (options of increasing intensity) Step Touch, make it low and wide, add power, pony, or jump moguls (both feet together, knees soft, jump from side to side like you are skiing moguls)

Combo 3

• 4x Single Hamstring Curls, moving forward
• 2x Double Hamstring Curls
• 4x Step Touch or Scoop/Pony, moving back
• 1x Repeater-4-Knee

Interval 3

• (again, with increasing intensity options as you read along) March wide and low, run the wide march lifting the knees high, football run