Natalie Tries: Girls With Guns

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On hearing the name of this latest fitness craze I was secretly hoping that this was some sort of spy-inspired regime where we would roll on the floor avoiding lasers and dive around with a fake AK47.

The class was in fact using ‘lad-lingo’ where the term ‘guns’ actually means biceps, but my disappointment didn’t last long. I may not have been James Bond, but this intensive, varied weights class, alternating toning with tough conditioning, certainly made me feel ready for anything.

What’s the class all about?

At just 45 minutes long this class is ideal for early mornings or lunchtime sessions – you’ll be back in the office before anyone even notices you’ve gone. I’m a fan of doing my exercise first thing in the morning before my brain has a chance to realise what’s going on – so I trooped into the sports hall at 7.30am preparing myself for a brutal awakening.

Our instructor was a tiny little firecracker of sheer power. A competition bodybuilder (showing a photo complete with oily tan, bikini and ludicrously impressive muscles) there’s no one I’d trust more to build up the tone in my upper body, and her enthusiasm was infectious. Seemingly oblivious to the fact that it was basically the middle of the night, she bounded around grinning and cranking her music as she instructed us on which pieces of equipment we would need.

And there was quite a lot of it. A step, mat, a variety of weights and a bar were strewn at my feet as we began with some stretching and a few cardio moves using the step to get out hearts going. With weight training it’s vital to prepare your muscles to minimise your risk of injury so I was grateful of a thorough warm-up. I was slightly intimidated by the huge amounts of kit needed, but after a quick explanation from our instructor I was ready to get stuck in.

We started with a variety of lifting moves, working our biceps and triceps before moving onto a range of moves to work the front, back and sides of our shoulders. Alternating our positions from standing, to squats, to lying on our back engaged our entire bodies and I could really feel the burn in my quads, glutes and core. So despite the focus being on our upper-bodies, the rest of your body is far from neglected.

The verdict

- Not enough cardio. As a cardio-fiend I found the class a little bit static, and didn’t feel as though I’d done enough fitness for the day. Although it would be perfect to work into your fitness schedule to give you a break from impact training.

- Strength is vital. No matter if you’re training for a marathon, play netball, football, or are just trying to improve your fitness, strong muscles form the basis for this. Strength in your core and your limbs helps you run faster, jump higher, improve your stability and enhance your explosive power. No matter what you’re training for, strength will help.

- Accessible. The class is great for people of all abilities, with a variety of weights to cater to beginners and hard-core weight trainers. With loud music and high levels of energy this class will fill you with endorphins to help you take on the day!

Give it a go at Thirty Seven Degrees gym in London. www.thirtysevendegrees.co.uk

Natalie Morris, Sportsister
The Women’s Sport Magazine

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