Gym review series: Kettle Bell Kick Boxing Canada

Let’s kick our woes away

Hey there, Carillon readers. As you have been reading, you know that for the month of January I am going around to different gyms in Regina for a review and interview. January is almost over, which means we only have a few gyms left. Which one do you think is next? Looks like you will just have to come back next week to find out. For this issue, I want to tell you about “Kettle Bell Kickboxing Canada” at the YQR studio, which is located on 2135 Broad Street, Regina, SK.

When you enter the doors, you walk into a very cute setup with a welcome desk, and there are some nice motivational signs and chairs to make you feel at home in the studio. Once you walk in you are now in the studio. After you get changed it is time to grab equipment. I grabbed three types of kettlebells: a light (8 lbs), medium (10 lbs), and a heavy (15 lbs). Once you get used to the gym and to the pattern, they have more choices and heavier weights, although this worked for me.

The class I completed is called “Kettle Bell Kick Boxing,” a cardio and strength mobility workout where we use Russian kettle bells combined with martial arts motions. The gym uses martial arts motions and gives you a time frame of five-minute rounds with interval training. I had the experience of 50 seconds of work and a 10 second break. I thought the 20 second cardio bursts back when I went to Oxygen studio were hard, but now that I’ve done it for 50, those 20 seconds feel like a breeze!

Now that you’ve had a rundown of what the class looks like, I will give you my overall thoughts throughout the class. The focus with these classes is to make you think about what you are doing. This way you are only focusing on what is happening in the studio, and not what happened before the class; it gives you a fresh new start. For me, the fact that I had to follow a pattern on my own and count for myself was a reset button. A routine that we did involved 10 repetitions of a movement and then a switch to a new movement in a rhythm. Then we moved down reps by two (beginning with ten, to eight, to six, etc.). This was a battle not only physically but also mentally which was an experience.

You work independently to help focus on your mental and physical health, but you still get a team environment. This was my first class here, and I felt welcomed by the staff in the studio and the clients. They helped fix my movements so I would not hurt myself and helped me follow along with the class. Even with COVID guidelines, we still worked as a team. For example, we did toe touches on the weight, and if you knocked over that weight everyone did a burpee (I would not knock it over if I were you). We worked as a team when completing bear and burpee rounds. We would all be in a bear pose and move around in a small circle. When it was your turn, you completed a burpee and then went to bear.

It is a great workout not only mentally but physically! This is a great one to try out and a great way to train constantly. If this class interested you, they also have a light class, a women’s only class, and classes for your kiddos to try out as well. Now that you have heard my reflection, let’s hear from Jodi Barrett.

What do you like about teaching classes at the studio?

I love the fact that people come through the door, and they think training is only about the physical strength. Although, as they get stronger, they find out what mental strengths they [have, and] get to work on their goals. Whether it be weight loss or confidence, it all comes in pieces which takes time to notice.

What keeps you motivated to be a fitness instructor?

[I like] connecting with people and getting…involved in helping someone. Fitness…helped and pulled me through rough places, guiding me through my life’s journey. I love to move my body, and I think it is a gift and blessing everyday.

What is some advice you would give someone who is wanting to try your gym for the first time?

Biggest challenge is walking through the door and starting; you just got to do it!

We all know January is the month for “new year, new me.” What are some suggestions you have for people to not only have a “new me,” but to improve their healthy habits and lifestyle?

Consistency is where it all starts. It does not matter if you are a newbie or a resolution person as long as you start somewhere and you are consistent. It does not always have to be crazy. It takes 21 days to create a healthy habit. Once you start be committed, because you will never know when you will be tired but that is the challenge and as you stay consistent your body adapts.

Does the gym have any special promotions going on right now? If so, can you explain them?

We have 20 per cent off our eight -session package use code “fitjan2022”. We also have a student rate that is constantly ongoing.

So come on, University of Regina students! Each gym the Carillon has gone to this month has been great, challenging, welcoming, and has had a student rate. All the gyms have been saying the hardest part of getting started is coming through that door. If I can go around to multiple gyms through out the city and find what I like, so can you. If Oxygen Yoga, Fit Project, and Kettle Bell Kickboxing don’t sound like your style, come back next week to read about one more gym!