Zumba Skeptic

MyChocolateDiet

thanks all, great tips!

sarahgip

I Love zumba! I sweat constantly.. even for a bit afterward. and I burnn calories. I forget im working out because Im having so much fun. although I do perfer a zumba class over a zumba dvd or game for a game console...

adry20

Zumba is absolutely amazing! Beto Perez is the Zumba creator and most of my instructors follow his choreography. I do Zumba 6 days a week. The thing about Zumba is that it's all about exaggerating your movements to burn the most calories, if you only go in there pretending to dance then you probably won't burn as much. My goal is to end the class soaked in sweat. I burn an average of 500 calories, I know because I use a heart rate monitor. The instructor also makes a huge difference, we had a substitute this past Monday that had absolutely no rhythm and was all over the place, I really don't know how he got certified to teach.


Here are some links to Beto's videos;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4jfNhXjEdg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MEkL2jcf-Y

WDEvy

If you like dancing it's a great workout. It doesn't feel like a chore and it's definitely a mood booster for me. I'd say try a class because it's night and day compared to videos. The instructors will also really make or break the class. 1 of my class the choreography include a lot of squats,lunges and core work and the other 2 are really dancy. It's definitely sweat inducing and according to my HRM I burn on average 700 cals per hour.

That said.. If it's not your thing then don't do it. I swim, hike and zumba for my cardio because I love it. I don't do treadmill and elliptical because I hate it... Pick a workout you'll enjoy doing !

daphnemoon

Do people really use the word "spastic" like that still? Sigh.

This.

And from me. We'll assume that you are from the US where I understand calling someone 'spastic' to be acceptable, but it isn't in the UK and I don't expect you will get many comments regarding Zumba from here. Most people in the UK won't have got past your wording to understand the point of the post.

Sorry, what was your point again? That you don't like Zumba?

Me too, and the OP actually apologised for offending people with their thoughts about Zumba! I'v'e seen quite a few posts on this site using that horrible word (and I'm not easily offended either) and I have been shocked that it hasn't been picked up on.
Talk about two nations divided by a common language.

Aarjono

Zumba classes vary by gym and instructor. In my gym we have two very energetic instructors. The more senior one has instructors from other gyms attend her class, usually lasts an hour and a half and is VERY energetic.

There is a wide mix of abilities in the classes I've attended, as it takes awhile. I've been taking Zumba for a few months, have the shoes and the shirt but still get lost sometimes.

Here's my blog post on Zumba:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/JanieJack/view/why-i-don-t-mind-being-the-fatty-in-zumba-450452

Thanks for that blog!! I go to zumba at a college campus rec center, and not only am I usually the fattest, I am also the oldest in the class-- old enough to be these kids' mom. I *love* zumba. Most of the instructors I've had are great (and give lots of verbal cues), and the other participants are nice too. Some have even come up after to tell me they wish their mom would do zumba. (And honestly, if there are any that aren't nice or are giving me the stink-eye, I'm having too good a time to notice.) I love to dance, I love group fitness, and zumba burns lots of calories. win win win.

sunglasses_and_ocean_waves

I think the problem with the video the OP posted is that Amy Farrah Fowler is the dance instructor.

ebonyroche

I do Zumba because to me it's fun and burns calories. I started because of a bad right ankle. Aside from lifting weights 2-3x a week, I also walk, jog, swim, ride an exercise bike, and do RIPPED classes for my cardio. I used to jog 4-5x a week but because of my bad ankle, I can't jog as much, and only jog 2x a week now. Zumba is easy on my bad ankle and going by my Polar HRM, I average anywhere from 800-1200 calories per hour. Yes, I look like a spaz and it probably doesn't help being a 6'3, 300+ lb man in a class of 20-30 females. Do people point, stare, and laugh? Yes, I've noticed, but I don't care.

Love love it!!

Corruptkitten

I think a video would bore me, but the classes are so fun. Every instructor is different and adds their own flare and personality to the class.

zumbaforever

I love Zumba. I only do the classes. My daughter does the xbox kinect and loves it. I have tried at least 5 instructors. I still go to 3. One is for toning. And only for fun. The others I do for a great workout. I sweat almost the entire time. I know the dances, so I can really push myself. Which is the key. I have been next to people who don't push themselves and they don't sweat. Their loss. I try and be around people who really push themselves. We sometimes even wear hand weights just to give it a little extra something.

I have always loved weights and hated cardio. Hated running and the treadmill. So zumba and kickboxing are the only way I get any real cardio. I am 5'4" , female and bench 115 most days. I am also 52. So zumba was the best thing I was ever drug to. LOL There is one male in my zumba class. He MOVES, he is my encouragement. I go to classes that use music I can mostly understand. My instructor throws in a lot of squats and kicks. Can't say enough about it. You have to go long enough to learn the moves. Then you can just let your body move.

bcf7683

I've never watched any of the videos, I did the Zumba class at my local gym for around 7 months. I lost damn near 30lbs with it, so I must've been doing something right.

KirstenTheFamilyCoach

I don't want to look like this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5ksfpQSrg0

Did you google "worst example of Zumba ever"? I have danced my whole life and find this to be a fun way to get in some cardio but if a class I paid for looked like this I'd ask for my money back.

acrue21

I love zumba!!! It is fun and i have a great time when i go. I

sarahmartin2013

I go to Zumba Class on M-W-F and well i love it. I think it depends truly on the instructor how good of a work out it is.. Mine will pretty much dead by the end of the hour long class but at the same time its fun and you burn a lot of calories..

Fittreelol

Do people really use the word "spastic" like that still? Sigh.

And make assumptions about who "should have rhythm", double sigh.

That was all I could think about when I read this, but the OP is concerned about offending zumba lovers? :noway:

altinker

I enjoy cardio that is fun, and dance workouts are fun to me. I am sure that I look worse than the person doing that youtube video. I do it with my XBox 360 and have the DVDs. I like that I have fun and burn calories. Don't care what I look like since I'm home. Do what you like? If you go to a boot camp or do Insanity and hate it, then you won't do those things long-term, right?

suemcmurry

I tried Zumba classes and found the instructors were pretty much ......forgive me!.....CRAP!!! I found it to be glorified dancing/aerobics with not much benefit besides being confused and sweaty, mostly from frustration! BTW, I was a fitness instructor a while back so I DO know what I am talking about!
Try it if you want to......and good luck with that.... :)P

nmb0717

You have to find the right instructors! I have an amazing instructor who is very high energy with slightly challenging choreo and most of her dances tend to be on the hip hop side of things, which I absolutely love! The first time I tried Zumba, it was similar to that video and I was bored out of my mind, only burning 400-500 cals an hour. Then I found my favorite instructor and I'm burning up to 850 cals an hour, dripping sweat and shedding a ton of weight! If you're not sweating after class, you're not doing it right!

deltayork

I definitely agree it's about the instructors for me! Good ones motivate you to step up the intensity. According to my HRM I average 700-800 calories burned / hour. I started Zumba in June then as I was just getting the moves down and intensity up my regular instructor was in a serious accident and broke her arm. She was out for almost 6 Months!!! My fitness facility had substitutes but their classes were not near the workout. I finally found a good instructor as an alternative and was able to keep up the pace. I now go 4 days per week (sometimes 5). One more thing that is helpful is varying the instructors. There are 3 instructors whose classes I love. They all have different styles, one more latin dance, another hip-hop and then one adds in toning so it never gets boring!

Guamybear

I love my Zumba.. prefer my wii to the classes we have here.. I burn my calories doing Zumba than on the elliptical or walking. if it wasn't for Zumba I probably would have quit trying to lose weight.

SRH7

I don't give a cr*p if there is a lost in translation moment going on here - since when is it acceptable to use any kind of term for someone with a disability in this way?

A few of you are suggesting that the words 'spastic' and 'spaz' are commonly used in the US, but would the original post be any less offensive if the words were exchanged with 'person with cerebral palsy'?

To suggest that when doing zumba you look like you have a physical disability is crass beyond belief. How would you feel if you had a disability and found people thought it perfectly acceptable to talk like this? If the comparisons were with a particular race or religion being used then this thread would have been shut down within minutes.

Think before you post people!!!

jimmie65

Okay sorry for offending any of you or MANY of you I should say, but I only post this question so someone can correct me cause I'm sure you are not all into what looks to me like glorified aerobics.

I've seen good latin dancing, and good aerobics classes but this looks like neither and this was the 3rd video I found. So please show me some good video of this thing you are all loving so much? Otherwise I can only think that the appeal is that it's done to very very good music? Played it without sound so I don't know that's all I can think, it just looks odd.

I don't want to look like this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5ksfpQSrg0

Funny how the one person who "should" have rythm is the only one who doesn't?

IDK. It just does NOT look like something I want to be doing. (only interested because it seems to burn lots of cals. and lot's of my "friends" list do it and they don't seem like spaz's?)

I agree with you. Zumba looks like it sucks and therefore everyone should just stop going to Zumba class.

redheaddee

I do it because I think it is fun. Not everything is for everyone though, and that is perfectly acceptable.

jenlatham

I really have fun in live classes, and usually burn 700-800 (taking 20% off the HR monitor so as not to overestimate). But man is it hard on my knees and Achilles. Wish I could do it more often.

sniker_doodles

I am Mexican and the dancing the do is good for burning calories. its a lot of dancing that I normally do.

HeidibooJB

I tried Zumba 6 1/2 years ago after back surgery. At first I felt silly and didn't know any of the moves, but I got a good sweat on, I had fun, and I felt like a million bucks. I've tried several types of aerobic exercise, but never stuck with anything; if it's not enjoyable, I just won't do it.

6 1/2 years (and 55 lbs later) I am a Zumba/ZumbAtomic fitness instructor. I absolutely LOVE what I do!! I have a solid following of folks (both genders) who amaze me every class. I constantly have my participants come up to me after class and tell me how much fun they had, how great they feel, and how much they love it.

The instructor on the video you saw was showing very basic movements on a news program while still conversing with the host; not at all a good representation what a real Zumba class looks like.

Try these ones http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sAq1GK2JL0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqkPr63co6s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOmw3WeVfec

Every instructor is different, with their own particular 'flavour', so every class is different. Some instructors are very technical stepwise with less aerobic energy, some loosen up on the technicality of the steps to really amp up the energy. It's all personal preference. Zumba fanatics have are a real 'family', which is also part of the allure.

That being said, it's not for everyone. I don't particularly like running, some people love it. I love to dance and act crazy. Zumba allows me to do it, get a great workout (I burn between 500-700 cals per hour), and make an income all at the same time!! I can honestly say it is one of the best things that has ever happened to me!

wikitbikit

I don't give a cr*p if there is a lost in translation moment going on here - since when is it acceptable to use any kind of term for someone with a disability in this way?

A few of you are suggesting that the words 'spastic' and 'spaz' are commonly used in the US, but would the original post be any less offensive if the words were exchanged with 'person with cerebral palsy'?

The words are just not viewed the same in the US. I don't know why there is such a difference... maybe people in the US never referred to people with CP as "spastics," thus never giving it that particular connotation of being a disability-based word (unlike, say, "retard," which I think most people from the US would react to poorly). It is just sincerely not thought of that way, much like words like crazy, dumb, or lame are used easily without the thought that they could also refer to differently-abled people.

Pickypeggy

I love zumba. I go to three classes a week. You get out of it what you put in. For me is has meant the difference between sitting and watch tv to getting out and driving 50 miles just to take a class. I not only get exercise but I get out of my box to sort of speak.

ravensmistress

I've been skeptical in regards as to how many calories zumba burns. I've been doing some research and I found this. Hopefully it's helpful to others who are as paranoid as I am about assuming they are burning more calories than they actually are.

http://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/2813/

BinaryPulsar

I don't give a cr*p if there is a lost in translation moment going on here - since when is it acceptable to use any kind of term for someone with a disability in this way?

A few of you are suggesting that the words 'spastic' and 'spaz' are commonly used in the US, but would the original post be any less offensive if the words were exchanged with 'person with cerebral palsy'?

The words are just not viewed the same in the US. I don't know why there is such a difference... maybe people in the US never referred to people with CP as "spastics," thus never giving it that particular connotation of being a disability-based word (unlike, say, "retard," which I think most people from the US would react to poorly). It is just sincerely not thought of that way, much like words like crazy, dumb, or lame are used easily without the thought that they could also refer to differently-abled people.

I'm from the U.S. and this was my experience of it also (what was said in the second quote).