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| - Was a little let down. It didn't seem like a Beginner's experience to me. Even the woman I booked my trial lesson with on the phone didn't ask my name. When I got there, an instructor (who also didn't ask my name) pointed out where the changeroom was and that was it. He didn't explain what the warmup would consist of or ask what my fitness level was. I felt like a body in a sea of bodies. I worked for years in a service-oriented industry and on somebody's first day, you're supposed to roll out the welcome mat!
The Beginner's class seemed to assume a certain level of fitness and familiarity with various terminology and proper form for things like pushups, burpees and planking. The instructor teaching the basics of kickboxing was not encouraging but seemed to enjoy making threats like "If you make a mistake, everyone does 50 pushups!" Not terribly motivating, and saying that to a group of people on their first day makes an instructor look a little foolish, in my opinion. It was hard to view him as an actual "teacher" so much as a bully. There was little encouragment, only critisism, throughout the lesson, and there was nothing fun or engaging about the staff. The website is a bit misleading about the supportive environment.
The way this place could be improved is by assigning someone to properly orient new people when they come for a trial- do an actual intake interview and see what the person's fitness background is and then work accordingly with them. Fitness is supposed to make you feel good about yourself, and that good feeling is what motivates you to work hard and challenge yourself.
I think if you are already an athlete in great shape, and want the Jillian Michaels style of training, this place will suit you. Otherwise, be kind to yourself and look elsewhere for a motivating environment to start your fitness journey.
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