It's Harder Than You Think!

Well as EVERYONE knows by now, I have started my own Zumba class where I get to do my own favorite songs for others to shake along with me. After 5 classes thus far, I have learned a few things that might be helpful to those considering putting on your brave hats and getting in the front row (remember I'm the back row girl). In celebration of my first 5 classes, here are my top five thoughts:

1. You can NEVER hide in the back row again! Did you hear me? Never again. If you try (even if you really are just there in your favorite Zumba pal's class to learn new songs or practice favorite ones but don't want to give away all of your energy because you have your own class that evening) you will be escorted to the front row of said class. Note: This is not meant as a complaint at all. In fact I'm quite grateful to Leslie, Tanja and Robin for allowing me to lead a song in their classes, and for others (who know who they are) to help you gain confidence by nudging you up front. :) Really, I am grateful. Thank you! But I may have to find a new instructor who doesn't know me and hide in the back of his/her class sometime. Haha!

2. It is not about you! No, I didn't really think it was about me. But in case you are wondering... it is not about you! It doesn't matter if Sundays at 6, you feel the urge to lead a Zumba class. Likely others just want to unwind and have dinner with their families or friends at that late hour. You will need to center your class times and atmospheres around your fellow shakers' schedules and moods. And finally on this note, it is about feeling the music, not about you breaking down every single song for people in class. They WILL pick up the moves after a few times. They do not want to stop throughout class repeatedly, because they are truly there to burn 600 on average calories. Trust me, I'm there for the same reason.
Note: If you want to join me on Sundays at 6 though, I won't mind as I've not changed my class schedule just yet. :)

3. You have to wear the right clothes when you are in the front! Ok this point is strictly one of vanity, but if you are in the front, by golly look good. I made the poor decision on Monday night to wear my gray pants to class. I have worn them to Luci's class once and they are super comfy. However, what I failed to remember is that Luci's class is in the dark. Ok, not pitch black. But she turns the lights out and I am in the back row in her class. Well...... at Briar Chapel the lights are bright and well, you know, I'm in the front row leading class, and of course they have mirrors. Half way through class, I was distracted by said gray pants. They were clingy and I could clearly see underwear lines in them. Yes, this was distracting. Luckily it's not about me and they didn't notice it at all right? :) Well, I'm sure if I asked Tanja she probably noticed it but wouldn't say anything to me about it. Haha! I'm making an effort now to look good in the front row so I'm not distracted up front.

4. This point actually works for anyone taking Zumba classes, leading or not. Your energy level is directly connected to what you've had to eat or not eat before Zumba class. I want to show up for my shakers each and every night because they are paying to have fun, yes, but also to burn calories. I have to exert more than 100% if they are to burn maximum calories. I quickly figured out this year actually that on days when I have protein shakes before Zumba class, I have amazing energy. At times when I eat empty calories or heavy carbs, I feel exhausted and struggle through class. I have a post coming sometime on food to fuel your Zumba. But for now, just trust me, what you eat makes a difference.

5. Last but not least, don't let low attendance, missing steps in the songs or others' opinions (haven't had many of those yet), get to you and keep you from being the best instructor you can be. Keep your eye on the goal. If you show up and only one person is there that night, make that person's experience great. Use it for practice. Or better yet, ask for special requests. Regardless of attendance or screw ups, chances are after the learning curve is over, you will be successful. In fact for me, just moving from the back row to the front row is pretty darn successful. This weekend I start turning out the lights in class and I plan to be super successful from here on out.

So come join me in the dark! It is a fun experience that way! And if you don't come, well I can't make you. Only you can choose to get off the couch :) As for now my class schedule is:

Sundays, Briar Chapel Fitness Center (Chapel Hill), 6 p.m.
Mondays, Briar Chapel Fitness Center (Chapel Hill), 7 p.m.
Wednesdays, Woodcroft Club (Durham), 8 p.m.

Teacher by day, shaker by night. Shhhh. Don't tell!

Ok Ok already. I promised I would try and finish my instructor reviews before I started leading classes. Well, my first class was tonight (see unwritten blog post to follow), but before I get to that, I must tell you how much fun Tuesday and Thursday nights are over at Infuzion in Durham.

First things first. If you haven't been over to Infuzion, it's a nice space. The floor is clean and pretty big to squeeze in 20+ people. And Angela's class has proven to be packed on a regular basis. Angela is another one of my favorite Zumba pals who frequents Luci's class. I like that Angela fuses some of my favorite "Luci" songs with her own style and has her class moving around the dance floor and room. I mean it's not uncommon to hear Moriah, Holly and Jen yelling "woot" during some of Angela's songs.

She really does cover the whole dance floor! She recently brought back a goodie. I can't remember the name of it right now but there is a part where you sorta kinda lunge and say "shhh" with your finger to your lips. It's funny because I can totally imagine Angela having to use this same motion with her elementary kids she teaches to every day. Anyways, I really do like the song. And of course, any song that Angela says "bootie, bootie" too is gonna be a favorite of mine by default.

And finally, one thing I love about Angela.. although she claims to be shy... she ain't shy. She is up front, shakin' it, and her fans (myself included) are having a fabulous time moving to the beat. If you are like me and love night classes, join me soon on Tuesday or Thursday evening in one of Angela's classes. :)

P.S. When Loretta Bates (a fabulous Zumba instructor of Zumba instructors) said visual cues are best, she must have had Angela in mind. This girl has great visual cues. I only hope I can learn this technique myself.

Well the Cat's Out of the Bag!!

Well.. I still haven't gotten around to reviewing my favorite Tuesday/Thursday night instructor, but I do promise to do that this week.

In the meantime, I simply can't wait anymore to announce some exciting news! I mean like exciting to me and hopefully to you as well :)

What started as my quest to "Just shake something" (as Leslie would say) nearly 4 years ago, has turned into more than just a fun fitness class. Zumba has been fun to say the least. But for me it's been finding that inner dancer that a former basketball player couldn't even fathom becoming. Anyone who has ever taken a Zumba class will admit, you let go (for lack of a better visual) when you dance. You burn a heck of a lot of calories. You might look like a fool, well I kinda look like a fool, but no one else really thinks you're a fool, at least that's what I tell myself. Haha!

Anyways, this journey has led me to a point of branching outside of my "back row" comfort zone. Yes, I hang in the back row usually, but for practical reasons. You want to see the instructor to follow her. Well, I'm tall and if you're standing behind me, you likely can't see the instructor. So in the back row, I am allowing many others to be able to follow along nicely.

Well back row no longer. You can be lazy in the back row. You can miss the steps in the back row. You can hide in the back row. Well no more hiding. This former basketball player turned dancer is now licensed to lead Zumba classes. Yes, I said it. I, Andrea Hirth, am a licensed Zumba instructor now and I will begin leading my own classes in like a week and a half. Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In all seriousness, I am going this route for 2 main reasons:
1. It is totally not me to be bold enough to lead others in dance. Well I need to get bold to grow as a person!

2. While I have lost 40 pounds in the past year due to Zumba and diet, I still have quite a ways to get to the end goal. And I have 5 more years to 40. Fit before 40? You betcha! It is time to loose the rest of it once and for all. And those who have begun leading Zumba classes.... well.... let's just say.... they shrink.... and I wanna shrink!

So there you have it. Cat's out of the Bag!

And where will I be shakin' it at the front? Well for now beginning in September, I'll be at the Briar Chapel Fitness Center (Chapel Hill) on Sundays at 6 p.m. and at the Woodcroft Club House (Durham) on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. I will be selling punch cards. Please do contact me for more information on how to get fabulous discounts on my classes! andrea.hirth@gmail.com

Does this mean I will stop attending my fabulous Zumba pals' classes? Heck no! Who do you think are the best dancers around? Well that would be my favorite Zumba pals of course!!!

Will I stop reviewing other instructors' classes? Well yes, I'm afraid this wouldn't be fair so I have a few more reviews to submit before I begin my own classes. Hopefully I will get them out this week :)

I will continue my blog of course. An upcoming post I look forward to writing is one on pre-Zumba workout food (or liquid in my case).

Ok well whew, that's it for this post. Wish me luck! I'm gonna need it :)

Can I say Leslie is just awesome? She had a gym full of kiddos groovin' to the beat!

Leslie, Leslie, Leslie.....

Leslie Anderson is one of my favorite Zumba gals. Like me, she lost a significant amount of weight doing Zumba, and she was already hot to begin with. The girl has some abs. Ok, this is not about her hotness. She might shoot me after reading this review :)

In all seriousness, Leslie helped continue Luci's legacy, but she is not defined by that. Leslie had a large following of friends who supported her several years ago when she decided to get certified and begin teaching Zumba class. She was and still is a natural for the "job." She's a great dancer and can put a smile on your face! Her dances are fun and when you look around, you can see how inspiring to others she is.

That following remains today in her classes. Some of her buddies, Jen, Holly and Angela, stand in the front row with her, and along with Leslie, bring a TON of energy to class at 9:30 in the morning. That's right, folks. This class is now at 9:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I am barely awake before noon but somehow these girls get me up and going early.

I actually learned today that Leslie (in her previous life) was on her college dance team. I mean, I am so not surprised. It makes perfect sense to me. She is so itty bitty and has some great choreography that can only come from a true dancer. There is a new song that I'm pretty sure she put together a fun new dance to. I remember the words "when you talk that talk." Anyways, it involves some hip shakes and rolls. And we all know I got some hips to shake and roll. Shake what the good Lord gave you is my thought!

Anyways, after going to Leslie's Friday a.m. class and loving it, as usual, I returned to the reality of the stress of work. I then found out Leslie was leading a Zumba dance party at Pearsontown Elementary School where her 3 daughters attend. I know all too well that my son, Owen, could use some serious one-on-one time with me so we filtered in to a packed gymnasium half-way through the dance party. Owen's face lit up as he saw all the kids dancing around. On the way over, we had talked about the fact that we were going to a dance party and Owen said, "You mean I get to dance with the girls tonight in that other room?" He was referring to the "girls" that I dance with in Leslie's class. He is next door in the child care room. Ok, so it was cute. :)

Leslie was up on stage rockin' it to "Drop it Low" with a bunch of elementary kids. Some of their teachers and parents were on the floor just trying to keep up. Everyone seemed to be into it and even Jen Martin handed out glow sticks to the kids who loved them. I know Owen was happy to be there. As for me, well let's just say we went to get ice cream afterward, so I was just happy for the chance to take Leslie's Zumba class twice in one day.

Free Zumba! And twice in one day :)

Clearly it was a busy Zumba day since 2 blog posts are coming out of it. In honor of going to Zumba twice today (and free both times I might add), I decided to do 2 posts. No worries.. this one is much shorter than the first. :)

1. Free Zumba class this morning at Briar Chapel with Tanja Cole.

Tanja is testing Thursday morning classes at 9 am at Briar Chapel so she kindly offered a free class this morning to anyone wanting to try out her class. Let's just say, there were some sweaty ladies there. And I was one of them. She made us work hard with a lot of hip movements and shakin' it. If you haven't ever been to the club house at Briar Chapel, it's really nice. It has hardwood floors and a nice view of the pool and a child room next door. Ahhh. It was a nice start to the day.

2. Free Zumba at Athleta Store at Southpoint Mall with Angie Fernandez of Excel Body Fitness

This evening I went to a free Zumba class being taught onsite in the Athleta Store at Southpoint Mall. It was fast paced and there was a lot of traditional Latin moves being taught. I got a pretty darn good sweat. Angie is a personal trainer so she liked to focus on form and toning of arms with certain movements. Not such a bad thing. May check out her class sometime if I can find a convenient time.

Whew. Long day. Let's just say.. I don't smell so great now. Off to take a shower!

Let's Get Down to the Basics: Getting started with the Zumba Obsession

As promised for far too long, here is my guide to getting started with Zumba. I know so many people out there who secretly want to shake it like nobody's business, but they think they're not coordinated enough or thin enough or have enough energy or time, finances, etc.

Well, I can tell you that excuses never got any of us anywhere! I have been "doing" Zumba on and off for close to 4 years now and it has helped me to not gain too much during pregnancies, help me take off 40 pounds since October of last year (along with diet and Arbonne protein shakes of course), and quite simply help me overcome the waves of life and parenthood. :)

But you don't have to be a parent who needs some sanity or a big girl (or dude) to need Zumba. But if you are like most and you simply want a work out that really doesn't seem like a work out and is way more fun than the treadmill, then let's get started!

Andrea's Let's Get Down to the Basics tips:
1. Shoes, shoes and shoes! Probably one of the most important things you will need in Zumba class is a good pair of dance shoes. And you may likely need a few different pairs or gliders, depending upon the dance surface you are dancing on. A few of my personal favorite brands are Zumba label, Capezio, Bloch and Sansha. There are other shoes out there that will certainly work. In fact some of my instructors and other Zumba peeps wear some regular name brand shoes to class. No worries. You don't have to spend a lot of money on shoes. You will spend about the same amount you would spend on running or cross trainers. The most important thing is that you can spin in them. The less tread the better. So, try them on at a store and spin in them.

There are 2 dance stores in the area that I've purchased shoes from:
1. Dance Design in Ram's Plaza in Chapel Hill 919-942-2131.
2. Releve Dancewear near Crossroads in Cary 919-854-4442

2. Wear clothes that will allow you to move. I typically wear a sleeveless shirt (so my arms can move freely) and yoga pants or capris that move and breathe easily. Some people wear skirts, etc. Whatever makes you most comfy is great. You WILL sweat!

3. No one is looking at you while you dance. That's right. No one is paying you any attention. So it's ok if you don't know what you are doing. Everyone has been or is still there :)

4. Ok this next tip is one that I found incredibly useful personally. However, it is by no means necessary to do in order to attend Zumba classes or pick up the moves. I took a salsa class with the infamous Luci :) I found it great that she taught a variety of Latin moves like salsa and merengue, etc. The basic moves are used often in Zumba classes taught by all different instructors. So, you will see, that although every instructor is incredibly different, I am comforted knowing that I can usually pick up on the song.

5. Some instructors break down the steps before the songs start and some do not. DO NOT FRET. Just because you have never done the dance before and it isn't being taught to you does not mean that you can't do it. Stand and watch the instructor or folks in front of you and you will pick it up. I promise. I think for me it takes on average 5 times watching a dance before picking it up completely. Ask the instructor or someone in class to show you the dance after class. I'm sure they will be more than happy to.

6. Zumba is an exercise class. So don't focus on what you "can't" do but instead on what you can do... shake it! Just keep moving! This point is a favorite one offered from 2 of my favorite Zumba gals (AKA instructors), Leslie Anderson and Tanja Cole. "Just shake something," they would say. :)

My final tips were submitted by Tanja Cole who teaches at Joy of Movement studio in Pittsboro and Briar Chapel in Chapel Hill. Her class is a lot of fun and she can get those girls moving!

7. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Bring lots of water and take small sips in between songs. You'll sweat more than you know and dehydration is not a good thing.

8.  Bring a friend. It's always more fun to try something new with a friend. And some classes may offer perks when you bring a friend to class.

9. Have fun. Laugh. Move your body. Don't be afraid to mess up. Don't push your body beyond what it's ready for. It's not about keeping up with the instructor or the gal next to you. It matters more that you let loose a little and move your body to the music and have fun doing this "exercise in disguise". Everone has a first time and if you watch closely, you'll catch the instructor messing up here and there and laughing at herself.

10. Try different instructors. Every instructor has a different personality, prefers different song choices, has a different energy level, instructs differently, and moves their body differently. Find someone you love and stick with it. Consistently come to any zumba class at least twice per week for the best over health/body results. Also try different instructors because you'll get a better workout, since you'll work different muscles in different classes. Go to zumba.com to find classes/licensed zumba instructors near you.

11. Oh my gosh!! I almost forgot to mention that Zumba simply improves your mood. So if you're having a crappy day and the last thing you can do is round up enough motivation to go to Zumba class, well by golly, go!!! I speak from personal experience :) - Andrea

Recent Zumba class reviews

So a little late is better than never right? Here is a run down of recent Zumba classes I attended....

1. I went to a class with my friend at O2 Fitness in Chapel Hill and an instructor named Aaron Edwards taught the class. I have to say. Whew! That girl can move. She reminds me a lot of Luci but blonde :) Anyways, it was a blast. I had to stand behind my friend so I happened to be right in the middle of class. Having been the first time I attended that class, I was nervous since I wouldn't know her dances. Luckily her moves made sense and I could follow. I would totally attend this class on a regular basis, however, this was her last class being taught in the Triangle. She is moving out of state. Sigh... A personal favorite was some song that had the words "take your shirt off" repeatedly in it. It was kinda neat because she did a move that kinda looked like taking your shirt off. It was rather liberating! haha.

2. The same week I attended a class with a friend at Lifestyle Fitness in Apex. Wow, I was impressed with the facility. The staff were super friendly, it was a large building with lots of machines with personal TVs on them and the group fitness room was the perfect size for a rock star performing Zumba instructor. I'm not sure who usually teaches the class there, but a sub named Julia taught this particular day. The good news is I did break a sweat and a lot of people seemed to be having fun. However, it was completely different from what I'm used to. You know how I've referenced those "cheesy" songs that sound like they may have come off of some Zumba CD, and you know how I love "booty shakin'" songs? Yeh... well you get the point.

If you were a beginner and wanted to learn the basic steps of salsa, merengue and other latin dance moves, you might be able to pick them up with this instructor. However, there was a lot of repetition and not a lot of moves that flowed well from one to another. I was also surprised with a song was repeated later that we had already done.  Anyways, some people seemed to love it and that's all that mattered.

3. I attended a class just the other night at the Brightleaf club house in Durham. While it was a tiny dance floor, it seemed to be just the perfect size for the number of people attending the class. I was excited to try out this class because I checked out this instructor's Web site before I visited her class. She looked spunky based on her profile and a video of a Zumba event she participated in.

Half of the small class had never attended Zumba before. She seemed to cater to that group with her routines. For my cautious Zumba beginner friends out there, I would recommend this class. She will begin teaching on Tuesdays next week. She taught on Monday of this week. Her class time is 7. She does a lot of basic routines that are easy to follow. If you are move advanced, I would recommend you stick with your favorites or the ones I attend led by my favorite Zumba gals! :)

Oh I almost forgot, the instructor over at Brightleaf is Alicia Betancourt.

4. Last but certainly not least, I went over to Infuzion last night to attend class usually taught by one of my favorite Zumba gals (Angela Howell: review to come later on her and my other favorite gals). I was pleasantly surprised to see a sub, the infamous Gaby Zinn. I knew the class would be fun as I attended one of Gaby's classes before over at Meadowmont. This class was a blast! Gaby, well let's just say, another ball of energy, does a lot of authentic latin dance steps in her class. That is what I love about her. I mean I did start out with Zumba because of my love of Salsa dancing! But, even better, she threw in a few hip hop moves/songs here and there. All in all, a great time was had by all in the class. Of course we miss Angela, as she is a favorite, but if we can't have Angela, well we were treated well! I am going to try to attend more of Gaby's classes at other times. :)

So there you have it... recent reviews of others' classes. Hope I didn't leave you too confused. One is great for beginners, the other is great for beginners or more advanced dancers.

BTW, hey ya'll.... do you have any of your own beginner classes to recommend? I have quite a few friends who want to try out Zumba but are looking for pretty basic beginner style classes. If you do, please comment on this post.

Thanks!!

Saturday Was National Dance Day

So Saturday was like a national day of dance and boy did I dance! I got up early Saturday morning with the kids in tow and left Wilmington to head home to make my all-time favorite instructor Luci's class at Infuzion in Durham. I mean, I really can't describe this class in a way to give it justice. Luci is seriously a little ball of energy and the girl can dance like nobody's business. Someone in class mentioned we all only come to class to see her. I mean, if I weren't a Zumba fanatic, I might just have to agree. Haha! But in all seriousness, all of her moves are so graceful, spot on and ALL of her choreography makes sense, and just trying to keep up with her alone, is a complete workout! Whew!

So there you have it. Saturday began with 2 hours (yes, I said 2 hours) of fun, sweatin' it type booty shakin' with my favorite Zumba gal and fellow Zumba gal followers.

I have to stop here and say a big THANK YOU to Luci! I mean, really, when I was very pregnant with Conner and taking a break from Zumba, Luci and her family up and moved to Winston-Salem. After Conner was born and I was brave enough to go back to Zumba, the sad reality set in that Luci was not here. What would I do? Well, for starters, this crazy Zumba gal makes the trek from her new home on Saturdays often to lead class. It is commitment and it really means a lot.

The other great news is that she left a legacy that my other favorite Zumba gals have continued on in. So now, Leslie, Angela and Jen all lead fantastic, high energy, booty shakin' style classes that I try to attend regularly. So the bottom line is, the world did not end! Zumba is still just as much fun and maybe even more fun now that I get a variety of amazing classes to attend!

But back to Saturday. It ended Saturday evening with country line dancing with some of the Zumba gals. Yes, I said country line dancing. So much fun :)

Music that makes me move.... Part 1

I realized while putting together my favorites, that Pitbull seems to dominate in what I call "Zumba songs." There are "zumba songs" (those I would imagine come from some sort of cheesy CD issued by Zumba) and then there are shake your booty songs (the ones that you can't listen to without envisioning the dance your favorite zumba instructor has choreographed it to).

In fact those songs are so bootylicious, that I can't bring myself to just listen to them without dancing (yes, in the privacy of my own home or car of course).

I call this Part 1 because I wanted to share some without giving them all away in one setting. Ok, really, I was just too lazy to look them all up. There are at least 5 more that I just adore dancing to.

So, in no particular order, or by no association to any of my particularly favorite Zumba instructors (see previous post), I give to you.... songs that make Zumba well.... Zumba!

Andrea's favorite "Shake Your Booty Songs"
1. Danza Kuduro by Don Omar & Lucenzo
2. Hey Baby by Pitbull
3. Hips Don't Lie by Shakura
4. Rock That Body by Black Eyed Peas
5. I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas
6. Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas
7. I Love Salsa by N'Kiabe
8. Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO
9. Rude Boy by Rihanna
10. Turnin Me On by Keri Hilson
11. Sexy Movimiento by Wisin &Yandel

And a final one that I used to grumble through in class but I've learned to love (ok like). I discovered that I liked it a lot more after losing 45 pounds as it involves a lot of jumping :) It is Raise Your Glass by Pink.

Note: I hope my favorite Zumba teachers don't shoot me for giving away any Zumba secrets by sharing some of their play lists with you. If you like these songs, come with me to class!! :)

All Things Zumba

Well.. I'm finally doing it!! I love to talk and I love to post of Facebook. But let's admit it, not everyone loves to read it. So I'm channeling all my zumba excitement into a blog all about zumba. Ok, it's starting out as all about zumba, but as it's my lifetime goal to get more active (or stay active) and get in shape, it may branch out from here. But for now... it's all things zumba! Enjoy the ride.... and please... please.... please.... participate and share your thoughts and advice on zumba.

My only rule here is that I will strive to always stay positive. While I'll review on some zumba classes that I may simply think were a waste of time, I'm going to tell you why it's a waste of time, but not really say it's a waste of time. Catch my drift? The bottom line is anyone can zumba. And to all you brave zumba instructors out there, it is way hard to stand in front of the mirrors and lead a group.. more props to ya! It is hard to remember how the heck the damn song starts at times :)

And it won't be a complete first zumba post without publicly thanking and plugging my all-time favorite local zumba instructors. They have taught this basketball player (ok former basketball player) how to dance! So thank you Luci Pestana, Leslie Anderson, Angela Howell, Jen Gillie and Tanja Cole! You girls rock! Wait... isn't that a "zumba song"... "Rock that body".....