Treadmills and exercise bikes are out, and kickboxing and stick fighting are in.
As local fitness guru Nicole Marinez explains, "It's very trendy to include martial arts in your fitness program." A new batch of women, and some men, began kicking and punching their way to a better body on Monday, April 3.
These local residents are the latest group to step up to MKG Martial Arts International's Body Sculpt Challenge.
A well-rounded program
There are no step aerobics in these sweat sessions. Instead, students "swing sticks in the air for an upper-body workout" and tone their legs by practicing the "quick, jabbing kicks" of Jun Fan kickboxing," said Marinez, co-director for the program.
Marinez designed the program alongside fellow MKG student Laura Wilson, and together they lead the class.
Those embarking on the Body Sculpt Challenge meet one hour a day for five days a week to improve their athleticism and get in shape. Over the 10-week course, students will put up their fists to learn regular boxing, as well as Jun Fan and Muay Thai kickboxing.
They also will arm themselves with 2-foot-long sticks to practice Kali, a stick-fighting sport Wilson dubs "the volleyball of the Philippines."
After 50 class sessions, the goal is for students to "adopt a lifetime of fitness and healthy eating," Marinez said.
Wilson, who also works as a personal trainer, stressed the importance of well-rounded fitness program. "I do a lot of balance and core work with all my clients," she said, and in this program, "we incorporate strength training."
In addition to buffing up on the martial arts, students spend two days a week toning up their quads, glutes, biceps and triceps with exercises such as squats and lunges.
"These days are more like a group version of a personal training session," Wilson said.
Marinez schools her students in a different lesson. "I tell them you can work out harder than you ever have before, but if you don't eat right, you won't see results," she said.
The aspiring martial artists also meet with a nutritionist to shape up their diets.
Incentives
Even if this advice does not inspire students to get fit, the instructors hope prizes will. Working to squelch a 20-percent dropout rate, MKG is offering a free dinner, makeover and shopping trip to the student who kicks out the most fat and punches off the most pounds.
Despite the high stakes, Wilson said that students usually find plenty of encouragement right in the MKG studio. "It's a community," she explained. "People are supportive, they are motivated and they urge on each other."
Marinez agreed: "They build group camaraderie, and that is really motivating. There is a sense of accountability because their cohorts look for them to be there."
Not only does the class foster friendships, Wilson said, but it builds self-esteem and relieves stress.
Learning martial arts, working out and dropping pounds is a "major confidence booster," she said.
At first, women are often tentative, said the body sculpt coach: "They see martial arts as foreign or maybe just for those who are more athletic."
Hard-hitting exercise
MKG's other courses are male-dominated, with a female enrollment of only 30 percent. The body-sculpt class, on the other hand, is almost 80-percent women.
"I think that martial arts is somewhat intimidating for women, because it's basically fighting," Marinez said.
Marinez is not sure what first draws the female clients to her course, but she knows why they keep coming back. Unlike an aerobics class where you just "stand there in front of mirrors," she said, "it is empowering for them to hit a heavy bag. It just feels good to have that release."
At first, women limply raise their fists, lightly tapping the bag. "Then you teach them form and how to bob and weave," and soon the new boxers are walloping it, Wilson said.
One of the hardest hitters is Gail Davison. "She looks like she is in her 40s, and when you see her hit the bag you will be even more astonished by her real age," Wilson said.
At 60, Davison is back for her third session of the body-sculpting course.
"I have changed from a person that did no physical activity to a person who is consistently active," she said.
Wilson said that Davison's continuing commitment to fitness is characteristic of Body Sculpt graduates: "People are staying involved in the martial arts. They are keeping up with their fitness program after they are done."
Martial arts is a lifetime sport, say the instructors. While most participants in the Body Sculpt Challenge are women in their 30s and 40s, some of Davison's classmates are in their 20s or younger, Marinez said.
MKG also offers programs for youngsters, said Marinez, who began martial arts after seeing what fun her kids had in the school's Lil' Ninjas classes.
MKG Martial Arts International is located in Greenwood at 8310 Greenwood Ave N. For more information, call 789-2411.
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