Crash Course: Jaime Andrews is most well known for her popular bootcamp classes, but her business also offers a full roster of workout opportunities including personal training, yoga, and fitness getaways. Her latest class is called “Women & Weights”, a 45 minute total body workout using dumbbells, kettlebells, bands, medicine balls, and other tools of the trade to focus on strength and muscular endurance. It’s designed for women of all ages and fitness levels. This class is scheduled for Thursday mornings at 6 a.m. and Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. Visit the Jaime Andrews Fitness website for more information. [line]
[left]where: 1440 N Street NW // Logan Circle
bring: yourself, water bottle
perks: small class, towels, all ladies
sweat score: 7 out of 10
[/left][right]wear: anything you like
cost: $35 drop-in[/right] [line]
I had so much fun crashing Jaime’s outdoor bootcamp class last year and had been looking for an opportunity to come back. Logan Circle isn’t the most convenient neighborhood for me to get to, so unfortunately I put it off time and again. When she reached out to me about the newest addition to her class roster, I eagerly signed up for another chance to be part of her small, upbeat, no-fuss workout crew. If I’m willing to get out of bed at 5 a.m. for it, you know it has to be good!
I was up before the sunrise and slowly made my way through the city on a bikeshare bike, enjoying the quiet darkness and taking the downhill ride as a much-needed opportunity to wake up my sleepy body. I arrived to a bright and chipper studio occupied by five other ladies and Jaime.
We circled up, went through a few introductions, and started a dynamic warmup full of squats, swings, and stretches. Jaime then went over the breakdown of the mornings workout, demonstrating each move and explaining the mechanical breakdown of proper technique.
We did an AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) circuit of three exercises at three stations with tabata intervals between each. Each station included a good mix of weights and cardio, ensuring we worked up a good sweat as we moved around the room. My partner and I started at a station that included 8 push ups, 8 dips, and 8 goblet squats.
The second station included 8 shoulder presses, 8 deadlifts, and holding a plank while pushing a dumbbell back and forth between your hands 8 times to throw off your balance. That move was so much tougher than it looked! By this point in the workout I was sweaty and starting to feel the fact that I hadn’t lifted weights in a few weeks. Clearly, this workout was just what I needed!
Our second tabata sequence involved weighted split squats. I wish I could tell you what the first tabata was, but it was obviously too early for my brain to remember. I remember it being challenging. I remember wondering how many gosh darn rounds of the 4 minute sequence we had left. But I can’t for the life of me tell you what the movement was. Oh well. Some things are best left to imagination.
The final station included 8 TRX rows, 8 kettlebell swings, and 8 resistance band arm curls. I was struggling at this point, but not in a “I’m going to collapse and pass out” kind of way. In the muscle-burn, this is going to feel good tomorrow kind of way. And let me tell you, I definitely felt it the next day. I obviously need to get back to some form of weight training, because my body let me know that it didn’t appreciate the sneak attack.
The class environment was casual, friendly, and very supportive. Jaime played good music and we talked throughout the entire thing, covering a wide list of topics ranging from marathon training to kids to the weather. It felt like a personal training session with Jaime and five friends. The time flew by and 6:45 came in the blink of an eye. We didn’t stretch as a group at the end of class, but I bet if you wanted to stick around for few minutes to cool down it wouldn’t be a problem. Most of the ladies had to leave right away to start their mornings and get ready for work.
All in all, I loved the experience and really recommend it to anyone looking to incorporate a little more weight training into their workout schedule. There were no “big lifts” involved, but that didn’t make it any less effective. I really enjoyed it. Jaime, can you open a studio closer to Cleveland Park, please?