Which exercise class is right for me?

Not sure which exercise class to do?

Then this is the blog for you! We've got 60 live gym classes a week on our timetable at Workout Ashton so we understand that it can be a little bit challenging to know which exercise class to try, especially when you first join.

So to help, we’ve put together a cheat sheet so you can decide which gym classes are right for you and your exercise goals! We've put each class into the category it's most suited to and we've also ranked each class across categories so you know exactly what to expect.

The categories are:

SWEAT! - The aim of these classes will be to get your heart rate up and keep it there, expect cardio gains and endorphins to follow.
TONE UP WITH WEIGHTS! - Focused around lifting weights, typically for higher reps to feel that burn!
BECOME A LIMBER NINJA! - Great for mobility, flexibility, undoing all the damage of sitting down all day and lots more.
GET FUNCTIONALLY STRONG! - Full body movements that get you fitter for everyday life!

SWEAT!

1) Calorie Killer, Tabata & HIIT

All 3 are high-energy classes using your bodyweight & minimal equipment combined with short & sharp intervals to really spike your heart rate. The difference between them? The instructors, each have their own style of teaching but each of these classes are guaranteed to leave you feeling like you've worked super hard!

Sweat! 5/5 - Tone Up! 2/5 - Limber Ninja! 2/5 - Get Functional! - 5/5

2) Spin

BIKE + CARDIO + MUSIC : a whole lot of fun!

Sweat! 5/5 - Tone Up! 3/5 - Limber Ninja! 2/5 - Get Functional! 4/5

3) BoxFit

Love hitting things? Then this is the class for you! Based on boxing training without the black eyes or the sore head.

Sweat! 5/5 - Tone Up! - 3/5 - Limber Ninja! 2/5 - Get Functional! 5/5

4) OldSkool Circuits

Blending strength exercises and cardio, moving from station to station! Once the class starts, you won’t stop until you’ve completed all the exercises.

Sweat! 5/5 - Tone Up! 3/5 - Limber Ninja! 2/5 - Get Functional! 5/5

5) Blitz

Fairly similar to Calorie Killer, with the addition of weights and any other wonderful equipment Vicky chooses to use.

Sweat! 5/5 - Tone Up! 2/5 - Limber Ninja! 2/5 - Get Functional! 4/5

TONE UP WITH WEIGHTS!

1) Legs, Bums & Tums (LBT)

TONE, TONE, TONE. Expect your legs, bum and abs to be sore by the end of this. It's a great low-impact option too!

Sweat! 2/5 - Tone Up! 5/5 - Limber Ninja! 2/5 - Get Functional! 2/5

2) Body Sculpt

Consider this the full body version of LBT. A great low-impact option and also a great way to be introduced to lifting weights, under control and with sound technique.

Sweat! 2/5 - Tone Up! 5/5 - Limber Ninja! 2/5 - Get Functional! 2/5

3) Les Mills BodyPump

WEIGHTS + MUSIC: also a whole lot of fun! A full body workout divided into different music tracks which focus on different parts of the body.

Sweat! 4/5 - Tone Up! 5/5 - Limber Ninja! 2/5 - Get Functional! 3/5

BECOME A LIMBER NINJA!

1) Yoga

Doing yoga is an absolute must if you want to keep your body fit and healthy long term – especially if you’re sitting around all day at work or play lots of other sports.

Sweat! 2/5 - Tone Up! 3/5 - Limber Ninja! 5/5 - Get Functional! 4/5

2) Pilates

Like yoga, we could all benefit from doing more pilates-inspired exercise! Coupling mobility and flexibility movements with a focus on improving core strength & posture. A strong core (think abs, bum, lower back) is key to having a healthy body.

Sweat! 2/5 - Tone Up! 3/5 - Limber Ninja! 5/5 - Get Functional! 4/5

GET FUNCTIONALLY STRONG!

1) Kettlebell X

Kettlebells are great – they can be used to get stronger, improve cardio and to tone up, so expect a combination of these in the classes! Plus, learning specific kettlebell movements is a great skill that you can always improve on. A real all-rounder of a class.

Sweat! 4/5 - Tone up! 4/5 - Limber Ninja! 2/5 - Get Functional! 5/5

2) Bootcamp-FXT

Similar to circuits in that it blends functional full body movements and cardio, typically using slightly different pieces of kit, like sandbags!

Sweat! 5/5 - Tone Up! 3/5 - Limber Ninja! 2/5 - Get Functional! 5/5