Sample Class: Sweat, Strength & Stretch: S3

Keep participants engaged and active with this cardio, strength and yoga fusion workout.

Group fitness fans love creative total-body workouts, and this class perfectly fits the bill by combining 3-minute intervals of cardio, strength and yoga into one fun, balanced experience. Customize this template to play to your strengths as a teacher and get people moving!

Sweat, Strength & Stretch (S3) Details:

Goal/emphasis: total body

Total time: 1 hour

Equipment: yoga mats, one set of “heavy” dumbbells (10–12 pounds) and one set of “light” dumbbells (5–8 pounds) per person, jump ropes (or resistance bands), and a timer or stopwatch for the instructor

Music: Play a midtempo mix (132–135 beats per minute) for the warmup and main class, and then switch to a slower mind-body/mellow mix for the last 10 minutes, which is all yoga-based. If you’re making your own playlist, search for a variety of styles, genres and lengths to potentially avoid needing a timer/stopwatch (sync movements
to music).

Warmup (5 minutes)

Perform each of the following for 30 seconds:

• alternating knee lifts (pull knee into chest)
• alternating hip circles (roll shoulders back)
• alternating hamstring curls (gently pull foot closer to glute)
• alternating side lunges (reach arm across body)
• alternating high front kicks (reach opposite arm toward toe with big arm circle)
• alternating reverse lunges (reach arm up to ceiling)
• step-out squats right and left (reach arms forward)
• sumo squats

Hold last squat and shift side to side for 10–20 seconds. Walk out to plank and do 5–10 pushups (modification: from knees). Walk hands back to feet and roll up through spine.

S3

This class includes

• a 5-minute warmup;
• five 9-minute work segments consisting of 3 minutes of cardio, 3 minutes of strength and 3 minutes of yoga; and
• 10 minutes of yoga practice for cooldown and stretch.

Segment One (9 minutes)

Cardio

• Place jump rope or band in long line on floor.
• Do lateral shuffle along length of rope (30 seconds).
• Step forward and backward over rope while moving side to side (30 seconds).
• Perform small side hops with both feet over rope while moving forward and backward (30 seconds).
• Repeat all.

Strength (heavy weights)

• Lunge back on R foot and do biceps curl with L arm; return to start and continue, 1 minute.
• Switch to other side and repeat, 1 minute.
• For last minute, perform bilateral triceps kickbacks from forward-bend position. Switch to lighter weights if needed.

Yoga

• Perform 2–3 rounds of sun salutation A, flowing from one posture to the next.
• Hold downward-facing dog for 2 breaths.
• Keep a nice, even flow. Focus on the breath and do not stop for any significant amount of time.

Segment Two (9 minutes)

Cardio

• Do jumping jacks, 30 seconds. Offer low-impact options.
• Do high knees or fast marching, 30 seconds.
• Lightly leap or step side to side, 30 seconds (over the yoga mat is a fun option).
• Repeat all.

Strength (one light weight)

• Start in side plank, holding weight in upper hand, arm at side.
• Perform lateral raises, bringing arm slightly higher than parallel to floor, 30 seconds.
• Transition to pushups, 1 minute.
• Do side-plank series on other side, 30 seconds.
• For last minute, hold forearm plank or high plank or do more pushups.

Yoga

• Flow through sun salutation B, holding final downward-facing dog for 2 breaths.
• After 2 cycles, if time permits, do alternating leg lifts from downward-facing dog, opening front hips.

Segment Three (9 minutes)

Cardio

• Jump rope for 1 minute.
• Perform fast feet for 1 minute, emphasizing athletic-ready position.
• Transition to high skipping in place.

Strength (one heavy weight)

• Hold dumbbell at chest.
• Squat with alternating knee lifts and torso rotation, 1 minute.
• Hold weight overhead with both hands and do alternating lateral flexion, 30 seconds.
• Repeat all.

Yoga

• Move through 2–3 rounds of sun salutation C.
• Choose from knee-down hip flexor stretch, crescent lunge, standing lunge twist, etc.
• Hold each posture for just 1–2 breaths. Allow participants to feel lengthening in the muscles without becoming too static.

Segment Four (9 minutes)

Cardio

• Set jump rope on floor in upside-down V shape.
• Stand inside rope; step out R, out L, in R, in L, 1 minute.
• Stand to far L of rope. Step into middle R and L, out to far right R and L, then return, 1 minute.
• Stand inside rope. Jump forward R, back to center, forward L, back to center, making an upright V, 1 minute.

Strength (one heavy weight)

• Do side lunge R, add left-hand row from inside R knee out to L hand side (elbow high and wide), release, step back to start, 1 minute.
• Repeat L, 1 minute.
• For last minute, do bilateral rows from forward-bend position, using two heavy dumbbells.

Yoga

• Perform one each: sun salutation A, B and C.

Segment Five (9 minutes)

Cardio

• Mix and match 3–6 movements from previous segments. Perform each movement for 30–60 seconds.
• Challenge participants to be faster or stronger than their previous time.

Strength

• Do Russian twists, 1 minute, with or without weight.
• Transition to supine, arms and legs wide on floor. Exhale, sit up, lift R arm to meet lifted L leg. Lower; repeat other side. Alternate, 1 minute.
• Lower legs to floor, hold for 3 seconds and bring back up to start, 1 minute. Cue students to keep lower back on floor.

Yoga (extended for cooldown)

• Start with flowing sun salutation A.
• From downward-facing dog, transition to standing posture (e.g., triangle pose).
• Spend 3–5 minutes flowing and hold hip-opening, grounding standing postures (e.g. warrior two) for 4–5 breaths each.
• For remainder of class, transition to mat and hold remaining postures longer. Target hip flexors, hamstrings, glutes and spine. Suggestions: pigeon pose, seated forward fold, figure four, spinal twist, etc.
• End class with participants lying on their backs, eyes closed, practicing deep breathing.