January 21st: Get a bigger ball!

I first met Marla some time ago. I remember thinking what a nice person she was. Petite and mild-mannered she reminded me a little bit of my younger sister. I suspected that her class would be pretty easy with lots of positive affirmations and maybe even some inspirational quotes.

There were a few affirmations, no quotes, and a good dose of butt-kicking.

Marla is deceptively strong. Beneath her kind exterior, lies a wild beast ready to pounce. Okay, maybe that's being a little melodramatic, but she was tough. Men have come to her class and have never returned (seriously). Of course, there are a core group of women that have managed to stay the course. One of them turned to me early in the class and said "That's not heavy enough. Get a bigger ball!" With a determined grimace on my face, I grabbed a larger medicine ball and commenced my workout.

Marla's version of FUNctional Training was a challenge. It is a pretty rapid fire rotation of strength training and cardio. The beauty of the class was the variety of exercises. Granted, like many classes, there were sets of the same exercise, but Marla really made it fun through variety and maintaining a steady pace. She was also one of the only instructors that I have actually heard make reference to the "Mind & Body" connection, which is something that the YMCA believes very strongly in. As a matter of fact, the triangle in the YMCA logo represents the balance and unity of the spirit, mind, and body. I was so glad that one of our instructors was making sure to emphasize the importance of that concept. Marla's class was also a great demonstration of the connection. I felt that Marla did a great job motivating the class participants and encouraging us to succeed. Our mental state allowed us to push ourselves a little harder physically.

This class can certainly be modified for folks who have injuries (Marla did a great job advising a participant who had a lower back injury) or for those who need a lower-impact workout. That being said, don't expect easy. Marla wants people to really receive maximum benefits from her class and will not let you slack off. On the upside, she really is a good instructor and managed to keep even the most unruly of her students in line.

You can attend Marla's FUNctional training class on Thursdays at the South Neighborhood YMCA from 5:30pm-6:25pm.