Written by Stephen P. Sowulewski
While a majority of guys may not gravitate toward it, group exercise offers participants—men and women alike—a challenging workout.
Gone are the days of limited choices; group exercise classes are a mainstay in most health clubs. Instead of going solo at the dumbbell rack or running on that treadmill to nowhere, shake things up and put some mojo back into your workout. If you don’t quite have the “moves like Jagger,” you may prefer to avoid classes that cater to choreography.
Recruiting guys into group exercise classes and keeping them interested is the key. According to Eric West, Ph.D., assistant director of recreational sports and fitness programs for Virginia Commonwealth University, “The main draw for guys are activities that will engage their competiveness or invite interaction, such as boot camp or abs classes.” Although he estimates that women make up 75 to 80 percent of the school’s group fitness classes, West does note that male attendance is on the rise.
“Other examples of group exercise classes that appeal to guys include P90X, Navy Seal training and yoga,” says West. The notion that yoga is only for the flexible few can deter male attendance. Classes that use creativity such as “fitness yoga” or “yoga for athletes” may appeal more to a male audience. According to a 2008 study by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), men tend to return to group exercise classes that have an element of toughness or rigor. Such classes include CORE workouts, spinning classes, and classes like Cross-Fit that involve cardio/strength-training circuits and intervals.
Guys Like Gadgets
Integrating equipment into classes—think hand weights, jump ropes, medicine balls and body bars—is a good way to attract male participants. The intrigue may simply be fueled by the challenge of using new equipment. Cardio kickboxing classes also play well to male audiences. Being able to put on boxing gloves and having the chance to punch and kick at moving targets is a great stress reliever.
Music-Man
Although a medley of Madonna’s greatest hits may not appeal to most men, a mix of rock music such as classic, alternative and modern will score some points with first-time participants and will likely keep them coming back (all things being equal). In my spin classes, for example, I pride myself on music selection. Blame it on being a Gen Xer, but I feel it’s important to incorporate tunes that will rev up participants and keep everyone riveted.
Man in the Mirror
Although group exercise classes were once dominated by female instructors, more and more men are leading these classes and have branched out into all aspects of group exercise including mind-body, water exercise and traditional land-based classes such as step aerobics. A few of my male fitness students have enjoyed the classes so much that they have become certified to teach. So, go ahead and venture out into group exercise … you’ll be glad you made the leap.
Group Exercise Classes » for Men
» Body Combat: martial arts moves and cardio routines
» Body Pump: muscle conditioning for the upper and lower body utilizing barbells and self-selected plate weights
» BOSU: half of a normal-sized stability ball can be used for balance and strengthening
» Circuits: a maze of various stations utilizing free weights, cones, steps, medicine balls, bars, stability balls as well as body-weight resistance (such as push-ups or lunges)
» Kettle bells: new trend in fitness that provides a quick workout with strengthening exercises by using cannon-ball weights with thick handles