On a side note, I love all the different names for workouts. You can take something as complex sounding as "Metabolic Resistance Training" and follow it up the next day with a class called "Pound." Anyhow, MRT is described as fun, personalized interval training. I love interval training, and this workout wound up making the list of my top five favorite workouts; however, I must admit that I was incredibly skeptical when I started on my MRT adventure.
I walked up to the building where the MRT class was supposedly located. It looked like an apartment building, or perhaps an office building. I did not see any signs for the class. As I approached the building, an older gentleman (maybe in his 50s) was standing outside the building milling around. We made eye contact.
"Are you Kelly?" he asked.
Well, I was a little taken aback, but responded "Yes."
"So you're here for the class. My name is Earl. Follow me." I trotted into the building behind Earl. It felt like half spy adventure and half blind date - so basically, awesome (on a later visit to the area, I did notice the small sign to the right).
Earl led me through the lobby of the building into a gym. We entered the gym, which had some free weights and machines. We hustled all the way to the back of the gym where there was an additional, walled-off workout room. That small workout area is where MRT takes place. The room, though small, houses all sorts of toys. Water resistance row machines. TRX ropes. Free weights. I was pleasantly surprised at what they had to offer in such a small amount of space. The other added bonus was that because the room was small, so was the class.
Like most interval training, the class is set up with a few different exercise stations. Two people were paired up at each exercise station, and each station had two exercises. There were eight of us, and I was paired up with Earl. Earl and I began the class on the rowing machines. We were supposed to row at a high intensity for 45 seconds, then we would break for 15 seconds, followed by do 45 seconds of kettle bell swings, and the return to the rowing machine to repeat the sequence. We would do this three three times. After three sets of each exercise in a station were completed, we received a one minute break while we moved to the next exercise station.
"Kelly, try to row faster." Earl starts giving me a lot of feedback and encouragement right off the bat on the rowing machine and the kettle bell swings. Earl's encouragement was sweet, but very confusing. Sir, we just met. Also, do I not look like I'm trying to row my heart out? We move on to the next station. It began with chest presses. The instructor switched out my weights for a heavier set, which I really appreciated. I, like a lot of women, am timid when it comes to free weights. She was a better read on what I could lift than I was. I really liked being pushed.
"You got this, Kelly!"
"Thanks, Earl."
We got to the next exercise station, which began with throwing medicine balls against the wall. "Twist, Kelly. Twist!" Seriously, Earl. At that point I did not know what was going on. In my head all I could think was what kind of partner are you, Earl? We have never met. There is no way I can provide you with such reciprocal encouragement while I'm trying to do what is turning out to be a very intense workout.
We take a water break. One of the other participants in the class turns to Earl. "What time are you teaching today?" Light bulb. Earl isn't just some absurdly encouraging classmate...he the other instructor for the Definitions studio. I was basically getting the benefit of personal training. Everything suddenly made so much more sense. We returned to the room to do side shuffles. "Faster, Kelly!" Sigh, I knew at that point my workout was going to continue to receive a lot of attention, which was going to be both awesome and exhausting.
The workout was great. I loved the set-up of stations and doing exercises for 45 seconds and maxing out reps. There were lots of toys in the small space. Limiting the number of people who could participate in the class also allowed for a lot of attention, which I believe would have been the case even if I hadn't had my own personal Earl.
I would recommend doing this workout. I thought it was effective, and both Earl and the instructor leading the class were very nice. Try not to be off put by the weird entrance, and if you end up in a class with Earl, try not to be annoyed. He is the instructor. You are receiving a huge benefit, not a bizarrely supportive, randomly assigned partner. I have not had the chance to return to the class, but I definitely hope to make it back at some point. Maybe, I can actually take Earl's class.
I walked up to the building where the MRT class was supposedly located. It looked like an apartment building, or perhaps an office building. I did not see any signs for the class. As I approached the building, an older gentleman (maybe in his 50s) was standing outside the building milling around. We made eye contact."Are you Kelly?" he asked.
Well, I was a little taken aback, but responded "Yes."
"So you're here for the class. My name is Earl. Follow me." I trotted into the building behind Earl. It felt like half spy adventure and half blind date - so basically, awesome (on a later visit to the area, I did notice the small sign to the right).
Earl led me through the lobby of the building into a gym. We entered the gym, which had some free weights and machines. We hustled all the way to the back of the gym where there was an additional, walled-off workout room. That small workout area is where MRT takes place. The room, though small, houses all sorts of toys. Water resistance row machines. TRX ropes. Free weights. I was pleasantly surprised at what they had to offer in such a small amount of space. The other added bonus was that because the room was small, so was the class.
Like most interval training, the class is set up with a few different exercise stations. Two people were paired up at each exercise station, and each station had two exercises. There were eight of us, and I was paired up with Earl. Earl and I began the class on the rowing machines. We were supposed to row at a high intensity for 45 seconds, then we would break for 15 seconds, followed by do 45 seconds of kettle bell swings, and the return to the rowing machine to repeat the sequence. We would do this three three times. After three sets of each exercise in a station were completed, we received a one minute break while we moved to the next exercise station.
"Kelly, try to row faster." Earl starts giving me a lot of feedback and encouragement right off the bat on the rowing machine and the kettle bell swings. Earl's encouragement was sweet, but very confusing. Sir, we just met. Also, do I not look like I'm trying to row my heart out? We move on to the next station. It began with chest presses. The instructor switched out my weights for a heavier set, which I really appreciated. I, like a lot of women, am timid when it comes to free weights. She was a better read on what I could lift than I was. I really liked being pushed.
"You got this, Kelly!"
"Thanks, Earl."
We got to the next exercise station, which began with throwing medicine balls against the wall. "Twist, Kelly. Twist!" Seriously, Earl. At that point I did not know what was going on. In my head all I could think was what kind of partner are you, Earl? We have never met. There is no way I can provide you with such reciprocal encouragement while I'm trying to do what is turning out to be a very intense workout.
We take a water break. One of the other participants in the class turns to Earl. "What time are you teaching today?" Light bulb. Earl isn't just some absurdly encouraging classmate...he the other instructor for the Definitions studio. I was basically getting the benefit of personal training. Everything suddenly made so much more sense. We returned to the room to do side shuffles. "Faster, Kelly!" Sigh, I knew at that point my workout was going to continue to receive a lot of attention, which was going to be both awesome and exhausting.
The workout was great. I loved the set-up of stations and doing exercises for 45 seconds and maxing out reps. There were lots of toys in the small space. Limiting the number of people who could participate in the class also allowed for a lot of attention, which I believe would have been the case even if I hadn't had my own personal Earl.
I would recommend doing this workout. I thought it was effective, and both Earl and the instructor leading the class were very nice. Try not to be off put by the weird entrance, and if you end up in a class with Earl, try not to be annoyed. He is the instructor. You are receiving a huge benefit, not a bizarrely supportive, randomly assigned partner. I have not had the chance to return to the class, but I definitely hope to make it back at some point. Maybe, I can actually take Earl's class.
