Where my ZUMBAholics AT?!!??!!

iluvsparkles
iluvsparkles Posts: 1,730 Member
edited September 19 in Fitness and Exercise
Ok ladies and gents. I know I havent been around much lately, but i am still here, and I am still a ZUMBAHOLIC!!

who else out there is addicted to ZUMBA?
I am usually a student in class, but today i got to teach it again! (i fill in for my teacher when she cant be there) I ended up burning 900 calories in an hour and a half! Thats right, i said nine hundred!!

Who out there has no idea what zumba is?

it is the exercise that changed my life! I was never a 'worker outer' (if you will) until i discovered how fun this class is!

To put it somewhat simply, it is a set of latin dances that are made into a very fun workout routine, and very very aerobic if you get into it!

It is even ok for clumsy people! It takes a minute to get the hang of it just like anything that takes some coordination but you can do less complicated versions of all of the movements until you get the hang of it, as long as you keep moving!

I belong to a class, with an awesome instructor, which makes it a blast to go to.
I hear the videos are very fun, but i personally find that going into the class does wonders to self esteem. I have talked with quite a few of the senior and younger ladies in the class (and a few men!) and they all say that even if they never danced before, they feel a little extra kick in their step every day since starting zumba. I agree!

SO anyway, i will stop rambling now about my addiction to zumba, and ask that you guys look for a class, or videos if you have time! ALSO, tell me about your zumba experience!!

oh and p.s. ALways remember, that a glass of water weighs a pound! Don't let that scale fool you! Try to weigh when you are empty to get the best idea of your weight. Because if you have even just one glass of water, you have added a pound to your weight if you havent pee'd it out yet!!
1 gallon= approx 8 lbs. 128 oz in a gallon.. 64 oz = 4 lbs, so 32 oz is 2 lbs, and so on...
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Replies

  • iluvsparkles
    iluvsparkles Posts: 1,730 Member
    Ok ladies and gents. I know I havent been around much lately, but i am still here, and I am still a ZUMBAHOLIC!!

    who else out there is addicted to ZUMBA?
    I am usually a student in class, but today i got to teach it again! (i fill in for my teacher when she cant be there) I ended up burning 900 calories in an hour and a half! Thats right, i said nine hundred!!

    Who out there has no idea what zumba is?

    it is the exercise that changed my life! I was never a 'worker outer' (if you will) until i discovered how fun this class is!

    To put it somewhat simply, it is a set of latin dances that are made into a very fun workout routine, and very very aerobic if you get into it!

    It is even ok for clumsy people! It takes a minute to get the hang of it just like anything that takes some coordination but you can do less complicated versions of all of the movements until you get the hang of it, as long as you keep moving!

    I belong to a class, with an awesome instructor, which makes it a blast to go to.
    I hear the videos are very fun, but i personally find that going into the class does wonders to self esteem. I have talked with quite a few of the senior and younger ladies in the class (and a few men!) and they all say that even if they never danced before, they feel a little extra kick in their step every day since starting zumba. I agree!

    SO anyway, i will stop rambling now about my addiction to zumba, and ask that you guys look for a class, or videos if you have time! ALSO, tell me about your zumba experience!!

    oh and p.s. ALways remember, that a glass of water weighs a pound! Don't let that scale fool you! Try to weigh when you are empty to get the best idea of your weight. Because if you have even just one glass of water, you have added a pound to your weight if you havent pee'd it out yet!!
    1 gallon= approx 8 lbs. 128 oz in a gallon.. 64 oz = 4 lbs, so 32 oz is 2 lbs, and so on...
  • Carrie6o6
    Carrie6o6 Posts: 1,443 Member
    I love Zumba too! :bigsmile: No classes around here in the boonies though, but I use some vids from youtube which arent the best but they work. I find if I dont want to work out and am feeling lazy I can always Zumba and burn the cals having much more fun than on my stationary bike haha
  • tresa1234
    tresa1234 Posts: 796 Member
    I've only been to a couple of classes but I also just got the DVDs and I LOVE it! It's so much fun!! LOL ... I even watched the advanced DVD today while I was on the elliptical!

    I have to watch out or I'll get the music playing in my head and be shaking it out in public ... n1qshok.gifn1qshok.gifn1qshok.gif
  • I'm thinking about trying zumba. Any idea how to log it?
  • Anna_Banana
    Anna_Banana Posts: 2,939 Member
    I use to have the tapes and one of my girlfriends would come over a couple of times a week to do them. Then my tape player died.:sad: We had the best time. I miss it.
  • peej76
    peej76 Posts: 1,250 Member
    I really really want to try it!! Sounds like alot of fun! Unfortunatley I have not been able to find any videos yet, and classes are out of the question because of lack of time and money! I really need to find a video, maybe time for some online shopping! Exactly what dvd's do you guys use?
  • tamazinglee
    tamazinglee Posts: 186 Member
    I am curious about what DVD to use too. There are no classes out where I live. I've heard a lot about Zumba and would love to try it. But I'd like a recomendation for a DVD before I go out and spend money.

    Any help would be appreciated!

    Thanks,
    Tammi
  • zumba
    zumba Posts: 4
    I love ZUMBA, too! We have a zumba studio in near our town. It is a fun place. I have been tracking it as aerobic dance. But it only calculates 400 calories per hour. How do you calculate ZUMBA calories burned?
  • tresa1234
    tresa1234 Posts: 796 Member
    I really really want to try it!! Sounds like alot of fun! Unfortunatley I have not been able to find any videos yet, and classes are out of the question because of lack of time and money! I really need to find a video, maybe time for some online shopping! Exactly what dvd's do you guys use?

    There are 4-DVD sets from Zumba fitness on ebay for less than $30 per set. My teacher is letting me borrow an older set of the DVDs and there isn't a whole lot of instruction on the beginner one, but the steps aren't too hard if you back up and look at them several times. The beginner one has two options, one where you just see the Zumba guy dancing by himself and that would be better for picking up the steps, but to actually do it it's more fun to do the option where there is a whole class in the video. In general, if you just dance around and shake your hips until you get the steps you'll still have fun and burn calories!

    The advanced DVD actually has some instructions for the steps, so you could also take a look at it, too.

    Good luck, and I hope you like it if you decide to buy them! :happy: :happy: :happy:
  • iluvsparkles
    iluvsparkles Posts: 1,730 Member
    HI all!

    well yesterday was a great Zumba day for me..we are learning a new dance that i love!

    As for logging calories burned... it is hard to say. Mine average between about 650-800 and I will explain.

    Calories burned is calculated using your age, weight, gender, and max heart rate. Alot of factors i know, but it is the only true way to tell how many TRUE calories you are burning during your exercise.

    The best way, is to get a heart rate monitor. Mine is my primary source of inspiration because I know it is telling me accurately how many exercise calories I can eat. The kind with the chest strap is essential.

    When i do Zumba, I go all out. Meaning, I do all of the moves very big, break a sweat early during the workout, and keep my heart rate up the whole time. Zumba is good because it implements the 'interval training style, meaning your heart rate goes to max and back down several times instead of staying full speed on the whole time. Interval training has proven to be more effective..anyway...

    So during one hour, my average heart rate stays between 150-190 which is my max. (I am 156, 26 yo and my estimated max hr is about 190) On an energetic day, I burn up to 900 calories during the hour!!
    on a day i am not feeling as well, i will burn more like 600...

    As for the DVDs, unfortunately I am not alot of help there, as I feel blessed to have an awesome class/teacher at my rec center...

    I love love hearing you guys thoughts on Zumba, and urge everyone to keep it up! I do it three days a week since I started MFP back in March, and have very rarely missed a day, and so I have lost a lot of fat a replaced it with alot of muscle. I have never had such little fat on my backside/thighs!!


    So can we be a Zumba support thread?
  • jackeh
    jackeh Posts: 1,515 Member
    LOVE ZUMBA thanks to you Em.... :heart:


    SO i burn according to my HRM about 700 -800 calories in 1 hour... I do agree though that a HRM is the best way to calculate your calorie burned... On web sites they just do a guesstimation of the calories burned!!
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    Zumba class in 22 minutes!!:heart: YAY!
  • TexasAngelBeth
    TexasAngelBeth Posts: 315 Member
    Where has everyone been finding the DVD's at? The kiddo told me she would do them with me...
    but she is 14 so no telling how long that will last :)
  • tashjs21
    tashjs21 Posts: 4,584 Member
    EM!!!! It's good to see you!!!

    I am one of those clumsy people so I have only tried it twice. I felt too embarrassed. When everyone else went right I went left and vice versa. :embarassed:

    I should give it another go.
  • tresa1234
    tresa1234 Posts: 796 Member
    Where has everyone been finding the DVD's at? The kiddo told me she would do them with me...
    but she is 14 so no telling how long that will last :)

    You can get a set on ebay ... I saw lots of them there new for less than $30. I think it'd definitely be more fun to do at home if you have somebody doing it with you, but it's fun either way ... probably a good idea to watch the whole thing with just the guy doing the moves by himself, then watch the advanced one for more instruction on the steps (unless they've come out with a newer version since the ones I have are borrowed & older). Then just take off!

    One of the great things about Zumba is that you can pretty easily adapt it to your fitness level by doing the moves smaller or bigger. I have to do it kinda small right now and don't always do the arms ... but I know I'm going to get to the point where I can do it all out too...
  • tresa1234
    tresa1234 Posts: 796 Member
    EM!!!! It's good to see you!!!

    I am one of those clumsy people so I have only tried it twice. I felt too embarrassed. When everyone else went right I went left and vice versa. :embarassed:

    I should give it another go.

    You should definitely give it another try! Just plant yourself in the back of the class if you're feeling embarrassed and have fun! I know that I've gained a lot of coordination since I've been taking some other dance lessons & doing Zumba ... but it's taken me a while. My daughter, who is a dance teacher, told me that EVERYBODY feels kind of ridiculous when they dance ... it's just part of it. The main thing is to go out there, do your best, and have fun!! :happy: :happy: :happy:
  • tbanking
    tbanking Posts: 28 Member
    I love Zumba too! I used to go to a class, but it was only offered once a week and was to expensive! I am going to get online and try to find a DVD!
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    EM!!!! It's good to see you!!!

    I am one of those clumsy people so I have only tried it twice. I felt too embarrassed. When everyone else went right I went left and vice versa. :embarassed:

    I should give it another go.

    You should definitely give it another try! Just plant yourself in the back of the class if you're feeling embarrassed and have fun! I know that I've gained a lot of coordination since I've been taking some other dance lessons & doing Zumba ... but it's taken me a while. My daughter, who is a dance teacher, told me that EVERYBODY feels kind of ridiculous when they dance ... it's just part of it. The main thing is to go out there, do your best, and have fun!! :happy: :happy: :happy:

    Omgosh, I look like the biggest, non-rhythmic idiot on the zumba floor!!!! BUT I keep a smile on my face and laugh at myself, knowing I'm still getting an awesome workout and moving much more than I ever have before! Today was only my second class. If in another year I am still this bad, well at that point I may hire the instructor for private lessons!! :laugh:

    Luckily, about 1/4 of the class is as non-rhythmic and clumsy as me, so we all laugh with one another and keep moving about. :bigsmile:
  • connieq288
    connieq288 Posts: 1,102 Member
    I have a heartrate monitor and that is how I calculate my calories burned. I weigh 273 and burn anywhere between 800-900 calories in an hour. It is alot of fun. I only get to go once a week though because the other night I have other plans that I cant get out of.

    COnnie
  • iluvsparkles
    iluvsparkles Posts: 1,730 Member
    hey guys! I am so glad you are all checking out the zumba thread!

    our class was so full and HOT today! But we are learning a great new song!

    Rhythm is definitely not necessary, it helps but it is definitely not required. As long as you keep that heart rate up, no one is going to make fun of you! They are there for the same reason, to get fit and they probably feel just as embarrassed as you!

    So go shake your booty!
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    Okay, technically it isn't rhythm that is my problem. I can keep a beat. I just have no groove.:laugh: But call me Stella cause I'm determined to get it back! Just gotta figure out where I left it.... Last time I remember seeing it was about 10 years ago...:grumble:
  • I'm addicted to zumba also. I take zumba at the ymca 5 days a week and I never get burned out on it because it's a blast. If I miss zumba you know I'm really ill. It's been the best workout ever invented. I'm having to miss zumba tomorrow because of an interview & trick or treat tomorrow night for my children but I will be back at it Friday morning.
  • tresa1234
    tresa1234 Posts: 796 Member
    I have a heartrate monitor and that is how I calculate my calories burned. I weigh 273 and burn anywhere between 800-900 calories in an hour. It is alot of fun. I only get to go once a week though because the other night I have other plans that I cant get out of.

    COnnie

    Wow, I can't wait to get my HMR so I can see how much I'm burning! It should be here Friday I hope!! I can only go to class one night a week because that is all that it's offered at the rec center (plus I am doing something else every single night of the week!!) but with the dvds I hope to get to zumba-ing 2 or 3 times a week...
  • iluvsparkles
    iluvsparkles Posts: 1,730 Member
    we had such a small class tonite because of trick or treating, and so i really did big moves because I had so much room!!

    mlh, i would die to have zumba five days a week. Mine is three times a week, and i miss it on the off days!
    I actually bought one of the cds so i could do it at home on the hardwood floor, but i just wish i had a big dance mirror in my house! LOL

    tresa you are gonna love that hrm! I never go to zumba without mine and feel naked exercising without it. It is such a motivation for me to see my progress and my exact final number. You will not regret that purchase.

    happy halloween everyone!

    em
  • imdawn
    imdawn Posts: 50 Member
    Yay..glad I found this thread! I just ordered 4 Zumba dvd set off of Ebay last week ($23.50 buy it now if anyone was wondering) and they should be here Monday (I hope!) Can't WAIT!!!! ANYWAYS....my question those heart rate monitors...are those something you can get at Walmart in the sporting goods section, like for your wrist or are those not the same kind you guys are talking about? Do I need the kind that goes across the chest? Does anyone have a website or a name brand that I could use if the Walmart kind aren't the right ones????? THANKS!!!
  • iluvsparkles
    iluvsparkles Posts: 1,730 Member
    im not sure about the inventory at wal mart, but i can tell you that you definitely need the kind that HAS a chest strap. that is what monitors your heart rate constantly, the watch is merely a receptor and screen for the information. The kind that is just a watch has two sensors on the face of the watch that you have to press your fingers against to get a heart rate, so to calculate calories burned you would have to take your pulse very often, average it, and do some math. The chest strap eliminates that.

    The kind I have is a High Gear pulsewear duo. It was cheap on amazon, but rather hard to set up and understand how it works. It does also have the finger sensors in addition to the chest strap,

    BUT i am saving my money up for a polar. there are quite a few kinds, and it is the number one brand in my opinion!
  • imdawn
    imdawn Posts: 50 Member
    Thank you for responding so quickly...you wear it outside of your shirt or inside?...sorry for so many questions..I guess I've never actually seen a chest heart monitor before! :blushing: But I'm getting one now...going to Amazon right now to look up that brand that you gave me =D Thanks again! :happy:
  • alf1163
    alf1163 Posts: 3,143 Member
    I love Zumba!!! My sister is a Zumba instructor and she is now at the convention in Orlando!!! My instructor is also there and there were going to meet up. They are not kidding when they say you burn from 500-800 cals per session. Last time I took the class I burned 536cals!! It all depends on how much you challenge yourself. There have been times that I have burned about 400 but I was tired or I did not have much room to move around :laugh: But no matter if I burn more or less I still have lots of fun when I go!! :flowerforyou:
  • iluvsparkles
    iluvsparkles Posts: 1,730 Member
    i wear the chest strap tucked under my bra, the sensor on it has to rest right at your breast bone, and make skin contact with a bit of sweat (or spit) to get it conducting. I cant really even tell it is there, because i already have a bra on, it is just one more strap.
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    I :heart: zumba even though I can't dance :tongue:

    I burned 393 calories in 45 minutes today. :bigsmile:
This discussion has been closed.