Chaarg is a women’s fitness group on campus that’s goal is to “liberate girls from the elliptical.” They do this by offering a variety of fitness classes and an opportunity to join a small group, which allows you to meet up with 4-6 girls once a week and get in a group workout. Besides getting to meet new people (my best friend was my group leader my Freshmen year!), Chaarg was a great way for me to branch out and try different types of workouts. There are tons of places to workout in and near the Akron area and Chaarg has kind of acted as a way to sample some of these places. Sometimes we would go to a studio and sometimes a trainer would come to us but no matter what I always left feeling accomplished and in a better mood than when I had come. Here are my top 5 workouts I tried with Chaarg.
- Pound
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My all time favorite is Pound. This rock and roll style, cardio based workout utilizes drumsticks and your sense of rhythm to get in a killer full body workout. The great thing about Pound is you are so focused on hitting the drum sticks and syncing your movements in time with the beat that you don’t think about the burn in your glutes. I can’t say the same for the next morning though….
- SkyFit
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Trampoline workout? I mean come on, of course it’s a blast. It also is hilarious how every time, without fail, the kids who are supposed to be jumping on the other side come over and start disturbing the workout, completely ignoring the instructor asking them to move. Eventually they have to be physically chased off. It’s hilarious.
- Tabata
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Tabata is something I like to sprinkle in when I need to fit in a quick workout. Essentially you pick 2 exercises and superset them 20 seconds on 10 seconds off for 4 rounds. So it would go something like; 20 seconds of push ups, 10 seconds off, 20 seconds of jumping jacks, 10 seconds off and so on. I would do 5 different sets making a 20 minute high intensity workout. I first learned about tabata at a Chaarg event. It is named after the man who created it-Dr. Izumi Tabata, a Japanese physician and researcher. According to BreakingMuscle “Dr. Tabata took two groups and put them on an exercise program for six weeks. The control group did one hour of moderate-intensity exercise five times a week. The other group did the high-intensity Tabata-style training…..[T]he Tabata group improved both its aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels. The anaerobic fitness level increased 28%”.
- Pure Barre
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Barre is a ballet inspired workout. According to verywellfit “essentially, these classes focus on strengthening and tightening the hips, glutes, thighs, and core—while improving posture, which can result in greater confidence and the appearance of a longer, leaner physique”. These classes took me back to my 3 year old ballet class….minus without the snazzy rubber duck costume.
- Rala Bala
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I’ve done a lot of tough workouts in my day but this one takes the cake. The instructor, Beth Anne Lazaro is an absolute badass and is very encouraging during this grueling workout. I remember one year the warm up was 50 push ups, 50 jumping jacks, 50 squats, 50 squats and 50 lunges. This is one of those workouts that when you are done, you are amazed at what you can do.
Chaarg has been a great addition to my college experience. I am excited for next Fall when (fingers crossed) we get to all be back together working out. Trying new things is always worthwhile and if you are interested but nervous that you can’t keep up- don’t worry, there are girls from all different fitness levels who are in Chaarg. Honestly, I feel like girls who are at the beginning of their fitness journey may even have the most to gain from Chaarg. Working out can be discouraging when you first start because a lot of people have found fitness more of a chore than something fun. In reality, there are so many ways to get your body moving that if the basics like running or weight lifting don’t float your boat, Chaarg is sure to find a workout that does.