Zumba

Ms_Natalie

Hi guys,
I've just edited a few posts that contained a quote that many found offensive...please let's keep the thread "on track".

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Ms_Natalie
MyFitnessPal Forum Moderator.

kk281

We're all adults here and if someone offers an opinion differing from mine, i welcome the opportunity to possibly view my stance in a different light or possibly even re-evaluate my position on a topic. Nothing anybody says on these impersonal public forums is going to bother me in the least. Its not going to upset me or "ruin my day" or really have any measurable impact on me what-so-ever, outside from possibly a little chuckle about individuals who can't think of anything better to say than "oh yeah well your stupid!". I would very much like to have a chance to read what was wrote, if at all possible. A spirited debate can be most enjoyable from time to time and i was rather enjoying this one.

and finally some usable info actually pertainning to the original topic...as with most CV excersise caloric expenditure is most accurately calculated by means of a HRM or BGM. There is really no accurate formula to use becuase it cheifly depends on your heart rate which is determiend by your fitness level and level of excertion. The best way to get an accurate number, without having to spend any money would be to where a watch and every 10 - 15 minutes take your pulse (using the 10-20second multiplication method) and then calculate your calories burned based on those an average of those numbers.

ka_42

I didn't read all of the posts here but I wanted to add if it hasn't been said already that the intensity and effectiveness of zumba classes very widely. I took classes from 3 different instructors before I found one that pushed me to get the work out I was looking for.

I'd also like to add that my zumba routine incorporates strength - mostly squats. My legs and butt are sore the next day! We do one song that is all arms too.

I've lost quite a bit of weight and wouldn't be discouraging of anyone's choice of exercise because I know that any little bit helps. Everyone is different and if you find something that works for you... you should keep at it. If you find a way to ENJOY exercise... by all means continue and don't let anyone tell you to stop!

I log my work outs as "dancing: Swing, twist, modern"

amorvincit105

I'm tryin zumba for the first time tonight and can't wait! I am doing it because I have a hard time excersizing more than 30 mins at a time so hopefully this will be fun! As far as the guy who made the joke.. I think we shold all take a deep breath and calm down just a smidge He apologized and I think that being the "bigger persons" (haha bad joke I know) we can find it in us to forgive the guy! I mean after all.. when does a mans opinion matter anyways? haha. JK. Anywho.. I got his joke and I take it just as it is.. a joke, so now lets get this forum back on track! Now my turn for a zumba question.. Since tonight will be my first time going.. I am 213 pounds (but only 5foot tall) and get tired easily.. will I be able to join in? or is this only easy for skinny girls? let me know, and thanks in advance for your responses!

Gillott232

I've been doing Zumba for 1 year now... and my body transformation has been AMAZING! I started 5 weeks PP with my daughter and I shred 15 lbs doing it twice a week in the first 2 months. Then since then I've been able to tone and define my body in ways I never imagined. My instructor has even motivated me to get my certification at the end of this month and join her company as an additional instructor. Zumba is amazing. its the ONLY workout program I have ever stuck with and its because it never feels like a work out at all. its FUN. and thats important to me because that last thing I want to do after chasing 2 kids around all day is go and do something that feels like more work. I've NEVER left my Zumba class not covered in sweat. its just not possible. Keep it up Zumba ladies!!!!

Gillott232

I'm tryin zumba for the first time tonight and can't wait! I am doing it because I have a hard time excersizing more than 30 mins at a time so hopefully this will be fun! As far as the guy who made the joke.. I think we shold all take a deep breath and calm down just a smidge He apologized and I think that being the "bigger persons" (haha bad joke I know) we can find it in us to forgive the guy! I mean after all.. when does a mans opinion matter anyways? haha. JK. Anywho.. I got his joke and I take it just as it is.. a joke, so now lets get this forum back on track! Now my turn for a zumba question.. Since tonight will be my first time going.. I am 213 pounds (but only 5foot tall) and get tired easily.. will I be able to join in? or is this only easy for skinny girls? let me know, and thanks in advance for your responses!

ANYONE can do zumba... the beauty in Zumba is that it is based off your level of intensity that you put into it. FIRST OFF. You will be confused at first, the footwork and armwork and butt shaking can be intimidating but just focus on your feet. get the feet down, if you do that fast, then try adding in the arm movements and then add the sass to it. It may take you 4-5 classes before you feel comfortable enough to really not focus on the instructor and just have fun. Totally normal. It starts hard and stays hard because the longer you do it, the more you learn, the more confortable you get and the HARDER you will work at it. We have women of all sizes and shapes in my class. SHort girls, tall girls, bigger girls, smaller girls, and even pregnant girls... YOU CAN DO THIS!!! :happy:

JMCade

I have gone to a 60 minute class 3 x's a week since January 4th and it is an awesome workout. Burns around 500 cals. You sweat to death and are breathless at times. Zumba rocks! It is so high energy. Good for you for doing it! Keep it up- it pays off! I've lost around 10 lbs. since I started it, but i didn't have a lot to lose. I've heard several times that the more you weigh, the more you burn. Your clothes fit better too. It really strengthens all muscle groups and makes you more flexible.

tisha732

As a zumba instructor, of course I am a big advocate for it. In general, I encourage people to get up and do whatever is going to get you moving. Bad mouthing Zumba is just dumb. Every "body" is different and is going to respond differently to different things. I have personally lost 30lbs doing just Zumba...built muscles in my arms, legs and stomach. And baby got a lot less back. You can burn anywhere from 350 to 650 calories (depends on you and your instructor). If you act like you are at a club and just kind of mindlessly go through moves...not really getting a workout. But if you do it at as high intensity as you can, then you will reap the benefits. I hated the gym, Zumba got me going because it was enjoyable and I saw results. Now on top of my classes, I include kickboxing, step and strength training classes. Zumba gave me the confidence and strength to try new things. Zumba is not for everyone, obviously not your thing. Cool. But don't discourage people from trying something that may be just the thing to get them motivated. Good luck on your journey!

kk281

thank you for that. and as too your question you will most likely be quite sore after tonight. but you CAN do it! weight loss is 99% mental. it certainly isn't easy for anybody though, if it was easy then it wouldn't be called "work"-ing out. also it can get quite loud in the room depending onthe set up so if your sensitive to that you might want to bring some earplugs, you'll be able to hear just fine through them.

jellybaby84

I don't know how rude the comment was (been deleted) but from what I've seen of many Zumba threads on this board and others the discrepancy must come down to two things:

1) The difference between individual classes and instructors
2) The age, weight and physical fitness of the individual taking the class.

The problem with 1)
We could argue back and forth all day saying things like 'my instructor has us all dripping with sweat', 'my instructor barely gets us to move our feet', 'my HRM says I burned 600 calories', 'my trainer says Zumba is for fat people who want to feel like they're exercising' etc. But, sadly, we cannot attend each others classes and experience what other posters are. So I guess we just have to accept that some classes are a good workout and others are a crap one.

Zumba seems to be a class with more variation of music, moves and intensity that most other standard classes.

The problem with 2)

We can't know what people of different builds, fitnesses and experiences get from a workout.

I am 27, fairly slim, very short and of average fitness. Therefore I have real trouble comprehending the huge calorie burns reported from Zumba because, though I have only tried 2 classes with 2 different instructors, it burns 250 cals max for me and I was bored - found the moves repetitive and the intensity level very low. However, my sister who is 24, fairly slim and of insanely high fitness makes the same complaints about a class like Body Combat which I find to be fun and a really good work out. And there are presumably people out there who would be fit enough to describe even a Spin class as a walk in the park! It's all relative and about supporting people where they are and with what works for them.

So no, if you are already very fit, slim and muscular Zumba is unlikely to help you lose weight or get fitter. But it's very unfair to tell someone to ditch it just because it doesn't work for you!

amorvincit105

Loud music wont discourage me! Loud dance music gts me pumped up!!!

kk281

again zumba's tagline is "Ditch the work out, join the party"...my comment was meant purely as an aparently-not-so-humours pun that accurately describes my opinion. If no one is allowed to express a dissenting opinion then what is the point of any opinions at all? iknow its in no way as serious, but If i see someone driving off the road towards the edge of a cliff i'm not going to shout words of encouragement and praise their driving skills. I just so happened to notice a topic that had been of some interest amoung my circle of freinds pop up in side bar on MFP and decided the chime in on. hind sight being what it is perhaps i should have followed it with a "lol" or "jk" or even a "=P", but i didn't so i apologized for offeneding anyone and moved on. perhaps if other peoples opinions wasn't desire on thios topic it shouldn't have been posted in a PUBLIC forum on the WORLD WIDE web

it's been my experience that group excersise programs have a tendancy to be un-effective. I am sure there are people who have had success and congratulations to them, but i have noticed that people i ahve had tell me they lost weight through group excersise programs only needed to loose about 10-20 maybe 30 lbs tops, only slightly to moderately overweight. for the many people who have more or much more than that to loose group excersise can prove difficult and raises self conciousness issues that can overall hinder ones efforts. I have seen it work for people who only need a slight "tone-up" and if that is your goal then have at it. but as for a serious weight loss goes, sweat does not equal lbs lost. High intensity cardio, suchs as some zumba classes can actually burn MUSCLE instead of fat, which is actually counter-productive when it comes toones overall goal of loosing the wieght. light to moderate strength trainning combined with low intensity cardio (walking at a brisk pace is great, especially first thing in the morning, before breakfast) is one of the absolute most effective ways to loose weight. Thats not just my opinion, but that of much of the medical community, as well as plain old phsyiology as well.

jellybaby84

^^

That's frightening, I didn't know that

I do an average of 8-10 group classes a week and they make up 75-80% of my exercise.

eates

I added in my database so I can add it as Zumba.
I burned over almost 600 calories during Zumba this morning. Like other group classes & exercising in general you get out of it what you put into it.

ka_42

High intensity cardio, suchs as some zumba classes can actually burn MUSCLE instead of fat, which is actually counter-productive when it comes toones overall goal of loosing the wieght. light to moderate strength trainning combined with low intensity cardio (walking at a brisk pace is great, especially first thing in the morning, before breakfast) is one of the absolute most effective ways to loose weight. Thats not just my opinion, but that of much of the medical community, as well as plain old phsyiology as well.

There is light to moderate strength training incorporated in zumba. Lots and lots of squats, some lunges and my class even does one song that is all arm work.

rag5051

I Zumba. That is all.

breezymom81

maybe your friends are not participating as they should? Maybe they need to watch intake but high intensity cardio (ZUMBA) burns calories=weight lost. It truly is that simple, I wish I go make it to my gyms Zumba class, but can't, I know that the class lets out as I go to spin and they are drenched after it. I also know one of the trainers at the gym who is a WORLD CHAMPION weight lifter, Zumba kicked his *kitten* he said never again!!

kk281

maybe your friends are not participating as they should? Maybe they need to watch intake but high intensity cardio (ZUMBA) burns calories=weight lost. It truly is that simple, I wish I go make it to my gyms Zumba class, but can't, I know that the class lets out as I go to spin and they are drenched after it. I also know one of the trainers at the gym who is a WORLD CHAMPION weight lifter, Zumba kicked his *kitten* he said never again!!

calories burned does normally equate to weight loss yes, but as i previously mentioned not always fat loss. High intensity cardio workout leave your body in an energy crisis. When you body is in energy crisis mode it does what ever it can to get energy to keep your body functioning. Most of the times this involves burning its store of carbohydrates, your liver storage around 70g +/- and your muscles usually store around 200-300g. After this store has been expended your body turns to the next most readily available store of energy, your muscles themselves. The process is called glucogenisis and envovlve breaking down the muscles for energy. This process is less resource intensive that ketosis, or breaking down fat for energy, and therefore is your bodies second choice for energy.

Don't get me wrong a good 15-20 minutes of cardio work out is great, but anything much over that and you run the risk of loosing valuable fat-burning muscle. Sure a high intensity cardio work out might burn lots of calories for the hour or so that your doing it, but what about the other 23hrs of the day? Muscle burns calories just sitting there, if you loose muscle mass, you loose the ability to burn as many calories just resting and therefore cannot eat the same amount of calories as before.

kk281

OK. as a self prescribed penance for unintentionally causing potential damaged to some ones fitness plans, i have personally greeted and done my best to encourage 5 new members.

rwinnie2

sorry this has all got way to technical for me, I just try to burn more calories than I eat which was why I asked the question in the first place did not want to eat more calories than I was using up, so can I ask some questions.

my body find it more energy efficient to burn muscle rather than fat?

so after 20 mins of cardio I'm no longer burning fat, but starting to burn muscle?

so why do arobics, aquafit, spinning, whatever last more than 20 mins?

Im not trying to be super toned just not overweight

amorvincit105

Well Itried the zumba toning last night and holy cow! If thats not burning fat I dont know what is! It was great!

meechellebelle

Zumba for the wii is amazing. I'd say the intermediate and expert levels mirror the intensity of a live zumba class very well...and targets your whole body. I encourage you to get it! I've lost 23 pounds so far, as well as toned up EVERYTHING just by doing wii zumba ) Have fun!

rwinnie2

my lovley hubby got it for me for easter instead of chocolat, which was why I was trying to get the calorie count right I have unlocked all the intermediate levels and am now working on the expert ones I want to try the marathon one.:happy:

do this on the days I dont have classes, either that or the wii fit.

keiraev

They offer this at my gym- I don't know why I haven't tried it yet to be honest!

kk281

sorry this has all got way to technical for me, I just try to burn more calories than I eat which was why I asked the question in the first place did not want to eat more calories than I was using up, so can I ask some questions.

my body find it more energy efficient to burn muscle rather than fat?

so after 20 mins of cardio I'm no longer burning fat, but starting to burn muscle?

so why do arobics, aquafit, spinning, whatever last more than 20 mins?

Im not trying to be super toned just not overweight

my body find it more energy efficient to burn muscle rather than fat?
when you are under going extended periods of anaerobic activities your body goes into energy crisis mode. your body is no longer able to provide the necessary energy to continue functioning at that high of a level. in light of this crisis you body takes the most efficient way out of the crisis. burning fat would indeed give it some energy, but if you body begins breaking down muscles for energy it kills two birds with one stone. The breaking down of muscles both provides energy as well as reduces the amount of energy needed to be supplied. If the body experiences these extended energy crisis' for a prolonged period of time it can actually go into starvation mode and start storing more fat to deal with the constant demand for more energy.

so after 20 mins of cardio I'm no longer burning fat, but starting to burn muscle?
that's a rough estimate and all depends on your body type, diet, and intensity level, but yes after depleting your bodies energy supply (which is primarily carbs, not fat) at such high exertion levels it turns to your muscles.

so why do arobics, aquafit, spinning, whatever last more than 20 mins?
well aerobics (both regualr and water) classes general are low intensity cardio (110-130bpm on average). as far as the spinning classes, i have only been to two or three so i can only generalize, from what i understand the go through a 10min low-intensity warmup, a 20minute high intensity phase sections then a 10minute low intensity cool off section phase. i don't want to get too preachy about the economics of it, but in summary, almost anytime your doing a group exercise program somebody, somewhere, is getting paid for something, whether its directly by you or not. but i digress....

its totally awesome that you have decided to loose weight. i just know that from experience that ineffective weight-loss plans can be detrimental to ones overall success. i'm not saying Zumba isn't healthy or that you wont loose a little weight doing it, i just wouldn't use it as a core of any serious weight loss program. in the long run, for sustain weight loss absolutely nothing can beat a strength training / low intensity cardio combined with a balanced diet. If it is something that you liek to do and is fun then i would use it as a motivator for those days when you just can't get yourself to the gym. i would stick to a regular workout plan with weights and a good morning walk and if you just feel completely drained and don't think you could make yourself get to the gym, maybe instead go to the Zumba class for a change and a little fun. If you do zumba all the time and its your primary work out then eventually it will start to be more work than fun and might loose some of its appeal.

deltafour1212

In all fairness kk281 is right. You do need muscle to help loose wieght. To much cadio will burn muscle. (look at any marathon runner)

But........there is always a but. Trouble with any type of excercise ( I have done them all) if it isnt fun or hold your interest or you get bored after a week or burned out (put any excuse you want here) it doesnt matter what excercise you choose if your not going to stick with it.

With me, I am in great shape I am a 48 male.
The reason I am in great shape is that I choose an excercise that is fun and it doesnt seem like excercise. I hate weightlifting bores me to tears. I hate running, just the thought of running 3 to 5 miles makes me say "forget it"

So I choose bicycling because I can go super fast on my road bike love the speed!. Love boxing, talk about a workout!
A few basic bodyweight excercises to build the muscle like pushups, dips, pullups and ZUMBA because it freakin fun

Zumba is great, it gives you a workout without seeming like a workout. To me I'm learning to dance and dancing is fun! Women love a guy that wants an can dance!

Like I said kk281 is right, to much cardio will burn muscle ( look at a marathoner) and you do need some type of excercise that will build muscle to keep you from losing it.

But just make sure you choose and excercise thats fun for you to where you will stick with it LIKE ZUMBA!

you do need to build muscle to help loose weight. high intensity cardio does burn lots of calories while your doing it, but it can also burn muscle through glucogenesis(which is quite counter-productive). adding more muscles (not he-man like muscles) helps you burn more calories the other 23hrs of the day that you aren't working out as muscle burns calories just sitting there.