A Vive by any other name

I am not a regular Body Viver by any means.

Though this is a post that has needed to be written for a while.

I've done two full Vive classes before today, both being filming classes - the filming for Body Vive 11, and Body Vive 13. I thoroughly enjoyed both; and the atmosphere of the BV11 filming in particular was absolutely electric. In some ways, it exceeded some of the passion and energy I've felt at a Jam filming. Oh yes, I did just say that.

Body Vive is stereotyped as a easy, gentle class that is for the older generation and those who can't handle a 'true' fitness like Body Attack or RPM. Quite often, I hear scoffing around the gym at someone admitting that they've done or are going to do a Body Vive class.

Even though I am not a regular Viver by any means, this upsets me.

I did my third Vive class today - and I was totally keen to when I saw the name of my lovely friend Amy (also known as 'Legz') covering for Mark Nu'u on the timetable. She's also covered Carla Fitzsimons and Susan Trainor's classes while all of the program directors and international presenters have been over in Brisbane for a trainer's meet that they're having. I bumped into Amy earlier in the week and told her that I was going to go to her class, and she was INCREDIBLY excited. She surprised me by saying, "Noone EVER comes to my Vive class!"

After doing her class today, I really cannot understand why. She's a fantastic instructor, and Vive is a fantastic program that totally kicked my butt. My heart rate was elevated, I worked up a sweat, and my muscles burned during the strengthening tracks. I really was wobbling once the class was done, and as I sit here, I'm thinking, "I'm in for a sore day tomorrow..!"

Though how many people turned up for Amy's Vive class?

5. And one of them apologised during the class and left early, so for the majority of it, it was 4 participants. The one who left looked like a regular Viver since she had invested in an official Les Mills Body Vive top, so something must've happened to pull her away from the class.

Amy was a fun, engaging instructor, and she even gave specific attention to something I'd mentioned casually about how when I'd done Vive in the past, I'd felt that the Vive tubing was going to slide out from underneath my foot and whack me in the chin. The instruction that she gave me made a MASSIVE difference to the way that I performed in the resistance tracks, I didn't feel like the band was ever going to slip out from underneath my feet, and as a result, I had a wicked awesome workout.

I had a great Vive workout, and given that I'm recovering from an injury, the nature of the moves in the choreography were perfect for me. Worked me hard, whilst not being hard on my ankles. It couldn't be a more suited workout.

Yet again, I've said, I'm not a regular Viver.

What are the factors contributing to why I am not?

1. Not enough classes to attend at not enough times. Most classes are during the day, or late at night. During the day, I would have to have a flexible workplace. At night, I am more likely to do other classes and go home earlier. It's hard because if you swap out a popular evening class with Vive, there is a HUGE fear that that class won't attract the same numbers as previous evening class did. At the same time, I don't think a class is ever going to be popular if you don't put it at a popular time.
   
   
2. Poor mix of instructors. At New Lynn, only one instructor teaches Vive. I don't know her personally, and a lot of people have told me that her other classes are fantastic, but I've done Balance with her and quite frankly, I'm freaked out enough to ask, "Is there anyone else...?".
   
   
3. The music. This is the same reason why I don't really attend much of Step or Attack. I prefer the music selections used in RPM, Body Pump, Body Combat and Body Jam. That's just my preference. I love the odd track here and there, but more often than not, I will probably not rush back to a Vive class to listen to the music like I do for the four that I've listed above. I've gotten some great music ideas for my own personal music library from those classes, and so far, Vive has inspired me to get 1 track - Billy Idol's 'Mony Mony' from BV11. Now, it is impossible to please everyone and I am but one person. So someone else might think that the music is absolutely not a problem - or even, it is a refreshing change from the head-banging doof doof music that you get from the other classes.

Now. None of the reasons why I can't get to Vive are because 'it's too easy'. In fact, as a complete workout system, Vive is probably the only program that combines all of cardio, strengthening, lengthening, and balance. Before Vive was introduced, you would have to combine multiple programs to experience all of these components. Cardio from either Attack, Step, Jam, Combat or RPM. Strength from Pump. Lengthening and Balance from Balance/Flow. Vive gives you all in the one workout. I really do think it is an incredibly well rounded program.

RPM and Jam are still very much my two favourite classes, without a doubt. I'm not being paid by Les Mills to write this, and in fact, I'm not even being asked by a Vive instructor to write this. I'm writing this on my own steam and own beliefs.

I just think that 4 participants in a great fitness program with a great fitness instructor is a bit of a crime. And if saying my say about it makes at least one person have a more open mind about the program?

Then the objective of this post has been fulfilled.