It's been awhile - a long while, really - but we finally got our instructor challenge off the ground! Here's a look what went down when eleven of us warriors chose our weapons this past Saturday...


With a word of encouragement and a brief round of opening instructions, Tami set the team in motion. First on the agenda: Get the heart rate elevated with a fifteen minute run. We took ours on treadmills, but a dash outdoors is just as effective.
Then we took the party back to the studio where we split into teams of 3-4 instructors to tackle each of the four workstations. With teammates cheering and Pump music hammering overhead, each instructor dives into the workout. Having trouble getting all the reps in? Well that's where the team comes in - you gotta finish what's on your plate before your buddies get their turn, so they're gonna help you get every last rep in! Oh yeah, it's three rounds per team before moving on to the next station...

Chest - Start with a bar loaded heavier that your usual and get busy: 15-20 rounds on the bench, then hit the floor with a round of push-ups. There's no getting around this one!

Clean & Press + Lunges - The action goes straight overhead with 15-20 reps and a bar heavier then you'd ever dare to move in front of the class. Then move it to your back for a round of lunges - and don't forget to hit both legs!

Biceps + Triceps - The muscles may be smaller, but the pain's just as real. A big round of 15-20 with the bar, followed up with bench dips and a long drag from your water bottle - if you can still lift it to your mouth...

Aerobic Shuttle - You'll either love it or hate it, but the job's gotta get done. A fast dash down the straightaway with a round of fancy footwork on the bench, then back to the middle for a round of shuttle jumps and pushups. That flash you saw after your last rep was your teammate flying past for round #2!

Well, there it is. What took you a minute or so to read took us an hour to complete - and it was a long hour at that! The sandwich plate waiting for us in the break room was almost as good as knowing we'd completed the toughest workout of our week. You know, we'll have to do this more often!