Why Group Fitness Classes Aren’t Sculpting Your Body
Learn why group fitness classes alone won't change your shape, and what to do instead to finally get the results you're training for, on this episode of the Get Sculpted podcast.
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You show up to your favourite class three, four, five times a week. You sweat until your shirt is soaked, your heart rate spikes, and you leave feeling like you did something real. Then you look in the mirror six months later, and nothing's changed. That's the moment this episode is built for.
Tijana, Marilynn, and Jordanna dig into the question many women are afraid to ask: why am I not seeing results from working out when I'm doing so much of it? Tijana taught group fitness classes for over five years, so this comes from someone who's sweated through a CrossFit WOD and an Orangetheory class. It breaks down what those classes really do for your body, and what they don't.
Here's what’s covered:
The difference between training with intensity and training until you're just exhausted, and why those two things often get confused
Why the same workout in a room of twenty or thirty people can't build muscle the same way for every body in that room
Calorie deficit for fat loss and muscle gain, and why eating less while training more usually backfires
What progressive overload for women requires, and why most group exercise formats aren't built to deliver it
Strength training vs cardio for weight loss, laid out plainly, with the answer for anyone chasing a specific shape change
Two ways to keep the classes you love: a hybrid approach that pairs a few lifting days with your favourite class, or reframing your class time as conditioning instead of your main training strategy
Why a structured workout doesn't mean giving up the community or the fun, but putting each one in its right place
This episode is for the woman who loves her classes and isn't ready to quit them, but still isn't seeing the results she's working this hard for. It's for anyone who's been wondering if the problem is her effort, when the honest answer is usually her plan.
"Your expectations have to match your training." - Coach Marilynn
The classes aren't the problem here. A plan that never accounted for your actual goal is. Once you know the difference, you get to decide what stays in your week and what needs to change.
Ready to build a training strategy around your actual goals instead of guessing your way through another round of classes? Head to getsculpted.ca/contact and tell them you're ready to break out of the class rut.
This podcast is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.
More about the Get Sculpted Podcast
Welcome to Get Sculpted, the podcast for women who want to gain muscle and lose belly fat, improve their metabolism, and create real results using science-based fat loss strategies and practical coaching.
We go beyond quick fixes and fad diets to give you sustainable fat loss, strength training for weight loss, and fitness tips for women who want results without burning out. You’ll learn how lifting weights supports fat loss, how to train smarter instead of longer, and how to build habits that fit your lifestyle. Think less about guessing, more about clarity, and about progress you can maintain.
Whether you’re getting started or focused on building muscle after 30, this podcast gives women the tools to lose fat, gain muscle, and feel stronger, without relying on endless cardio or restrictive plans. We emphasize fat loss without cardio extremes, so you can train with confidence and consistency.
We’re your hosts, Jordanna, Marilynn, and Tijana, fitness professionals with over 20 years of combined experience and 1,000+ client transformations. With a strong focus on helping women 30 and older, we specialize in strength training, improving metabolism, and weight training for sustainable, realistic weight loss.
We’ll cover questions like:
Can you build muscle and lose belly fat at the same time?
How does strength training support weight loss?
What’s the best way to lose fat without losing muscle?
What’s the best way to lose fat without relying on cardio?
How can lifting weights improve my metabolism?
Why am I not losing weight even though I’m working out and eating healthy?
How can I stop yo-yo dieting for good?
If you’ve been searching for sustainable fat loss, women’s nutrition, and weight training that actually works, you’re in the right place. Join us every week for practical guidance, honest conversations, and tools to sculpt a stronger body and a more confident life.
Connect with us on Instagram at @getsculted.ca
The unedited podcast transcript for this episode of the Get Sculpted podcast follows:
Marilynn [00:00:29]: Yes, let's dive in.
Tijana [00:00:30]: Okay, so what we're talking about is like CrossFit, F45, and Orangetheory. And I'm gonna start off actually by sharing that I used to be a group exercise instructor and I absolutely loved, loved classes. And you know what, to this day I enjoy them so much. I never got into spinning, I just, it was never my thing. But there was a class called Body Attack. I remember like way back when I got into the gym, I was doing my own self-guided stuff that was like, know, fluffy, whatever. So then I remember walking by the group exercise studio, and then there was a sign at the time that said like all the, uh, Body Combat, Body Attack, Body Flow, all that stuff. And it said how many calories they burned.
Cardio vs. Muscle Definition: What Gets Results?
Tijana [00:01:06]: And I remember it said 800. And I was like, at the time, of course, I'm like, the most calories is the best. Like, if I'm gonna do something, I'm not gonna do the fluffy ones.Marilynn [00:01:15]: Yeah.
Tijana [00:01:15]: So then when I did Body Attack, I was like, wow, this is like the best workout I've ever had in my life. And my heart rate was like sky high, and I was drenched in sweat. So I thought it's got to be the best. And then I ended up teaching it for, um, I think it was over 5 years. I was— at one point I was doing like 3 to 5 classes a week plus strength training. I remember that when I did my shows in 2014, 2015, I was doing 5 Body Attack classes a week.
Marilynn [00:01:38]: Yeah.
Tijana [00:01:38]: Wow. It's very, very, very, very intense, by the way. It's like physically HIIT for an hour. I actually did it like last year for funsies and my heart rate got up to 186. So it's good. But anyway, all that to say, I'm not coming at this as someone who hasn't done it. And, uh, the reality is I did it at the time, you know, I did want to change my body. I did go into it thinking like, I ain't doing this, uh, it's like, you know that Ja Rule song that's like, I ain't doing this for nothing. Tijana [00:02:04]: But anyways, I did want to change my physique. And this is just my opinion, I think like most people do work out, some part of them does want to change their butt. I'm gonna be honest.
Marilynn [00:02:12]: Yeah, of course.
Tijana [00:02:12]: I think, yeah, I think the ones that say I don't care at all, I think they say that as kind of a protective mechanism because they're like, what I'm doing is not changing my body, so that's okay. But let me tell you something, you don't— again, it's not that you need to give them up completely, but we really want to look at like what is actually gonna get you sculpted. So let's start there. When we say change your body, this is, this is what I wanted, and this is probably what you want, some variation of like looking like you work out, right? And that means more muscle definition and less body fat. You want a good body composition. And at the time when I was doing all this cardio, I couldn't put that into words. I think a lot of people think like this where they're like, exercise exercise equals fit body. So they're like, if I, if I'm a cyclist, if I'm a ballerina, if I'm a yogi, I'm fit.
Tijana [00:02:55]: No. So what you want is more muscle. And not everything is going to build muscle. Not everything is— even all resistance training is not going to build muscle. And, uh, I, I promised I wouldn't go on sidebars today, but just so you know, the group, the group classes that are strength-based, they ain't building muscle either. But we'll talk about that. Um, but anyway, you need muscle in the right places. You need to build it, and then you need low enough body fat.
Why Most Workouts Don't Build Muscle
Tijana [00:03:16]: Okay?Marilynn [00:03:16]: Mm-hmm.
Tijana [00:03:17]: And this is what's going to create that shape. Okay. So for example, if you're like, well, you know, I want a flat stomach, I want defined, toned arms and legs. I just want a firmer body overall. And I want people to look at me and say, yeah, she works out.
Marilynn [00:03:31]: Okay.
Tijana [00:03:31]: So what does that require? Well, muscle takes a lot more effort than you think. Right. And this is just the reality. You know, don't shoot the messenger, but it means you're training with intensity and not intensity of like sweating. Because I used to think that. I'm like, oh, no, no, no. I'm training with the most intensity. Not the same.
Marilynn [00:03:45]: No.
Tijana [00:03:46]: Intensity when you're lifting means like you can't pick up that weight anymore.
Jordanna [00:03:49]: Yeah.
Tijana [00:03:49]: And that means you need the right form, you need the right technique. If you're just kind of picking up the weight and thinking, I'm doing my own thing, you've never had feedback, you don't really know if you're lifting the weight the right way, your body's in the right position. Okay. And the exercises need to be specific to you because—
Marilynn [00:04:01]: That's right.
Tijana [00:04:01]: Let me pose you this. If you're going into F45 and everybody's doing the exact same workout, everybody and my, you know, grandma can come, my teenage sister can come, like someone with a big booty, small booty, like how, how is that the The same workout is going to get everybody ripped.
Marilynn [00:04:15]: That's right.
Tijana [00:04:16]: It doesn't work that way. I could have a— you know what I mean? If my booty is tiny—
The Problem With One-Size-Fits-All Gym Classes
Jordanna [00:04:20]: It works for general health. But if you have a specific goal to change your body shape in a specific way, then you need something that's going to address that specifically.Tijana [00:04:31]: That's right. That's the thing. And that's where a lot of people— I get hate because they're like, oh, you're poo-pooing on people just doing the thing. I'm like, no.
Jordanna [00:04:38]: No.
Tijana [00:04:39]: No. But I'm saying if you're like me, because again, I was there. I was doing the thing so, so much, and I'm like, for all the things I'm doing, I should get more. So like, again, you could shave down what you're doing in half and do and get more. So anyway, you need to repeat a group of exercises, and you do them again and again, and you get better, and you lift heavier. Okay, with weights. All right. And then, you know, it's not enough.
Tijana [00:05:01]: And this is where the people say, oh, you know, in Body Pump we did a very glute-heavy day. I'm good. I'm good for my strength training. Okay, well, every time you do that class, the instructor is like, Okay, we're going to do this today and it's different this week and it's different the next week. Not to even mention that there's like 30, sometimes there's like 60 people in a class in Body Pump. And, you know, I'm going to be honest, a lot of the time these instructors, they might not even know the best form themselves. You know what I mean? They're trying to help 60 people with their form.
Jordanna [00:05:26]: And then even if they are amazing, you can't just have eyes, like attention to detail on every single person's form. Well, for every single exercise while you're instructing the class.
Marilynn [00:05:37]: Exactly.
Tijana [00:05:38]: And if we get to the science of it, it's like to get the right intensity, change your body. But like, you need to lift the weight to the point that you can't lift it anymore. And like, when you're lifting a lightweight, and it is a lightweight, I know for you, you think it's heavy, but it ain't that heavy. I'm telling you right now, those little plates at Body Pump, like you're doing it 5 million times, 15, 20 pounds, that doesn't change your body. So anyway, just because the class says glute class, have glutes been built from it? You know, look around.
Marilynn [00:06:03]: Right.
Tijana [00:06:03]: No. So Marilyn, um, talk to us about like progressive overload.
What Is Progressive Overload and Why It Matters
Marilynn [00:06:07]: Yes, I'm so happy we're digging into this because 2 episodes ago we started to talk about, like, you know, the difference between training and working out, and progressive overload is a big component of that. So we do want to kind of break it down in the simplest terms. What does it mean? It essentially means that your muscles are being challenged more and more over time. But it's important to know that we don't just mean, like, random ways, like you said, T. Like, strategic progressive overload can look different ways. Like, it can be lifting more weight. It can be doing more reps at the same weight. It can be better execution of the movement.Marilynn [00:06:40]: So what we're talking about there is actually better form, which is why we pride ourselves on having our in-house movement specialists, because that makes a huge difference. It's not just the what, it's the how, right? And with that, all of that means greater control. So you're getting the most out of the exercise you're doing, and it means more productive hard sets when you're training. T, you're so right, because I was like a Body Pump addict for quite a long time. Like, when I think about it now, it is— it's like you'd be doing like a bajillion reps with this weight, and it's like—
Tijana [00:07:10]: It's burning.
Marilynn [00:07:11]: Okay, but yeah, it's burning, but is it actually changing my body? It's not building.
Jordanna [00:07:14]: Yeah, yeah.
Marilynn [00:07:15]: So what you want to understand is your body adapts to what you ask it to repeatedly do. So if you're doing the exact same thing and you're challenging your body in the same way forever, at some point your body's like, Okay, well, I have no reason to change because I've already done and dealt with what you're just asking me to do, so I'm good. Progressive overload isn't like you must lift heavier every single workout. Nobody progresses in a perfectly linear line, but there needs to be clear progression over weeks and months for change.
Smart Strategies for Advanced Strength Training
Jordanna [00:07:44]: I love this because I think maturing in the gym is really an opportunity to know that you're going to get to the top end of the weights that you can lift. There is a top end eventually. We kind of joke, there's an industry joke that you're lateral raises as women, you're never going to be lateral raising like 55 pounds, right?Tijana [00:08:04]: Oh God, no.
Jordanna [00:08:04]: Like, it's just not going to happen. But can you do more reps? Can you do it with more control? Can you slow your tempo? Can you have pulses? Can you change where the lever is so that the variation is adapting that you can make it a harder exercise? Is it in a different spot in your workouts? You're maybe more fatigued by the time you get to that exercise. So that you've worked other muscles.
Tijana [00:08:27]: So many levers to pull.
Jordanna [00:08:27]: There's so much strategy that can go into progressive overload. And I almost hate it when people are like, but I didn't increase my weights. That is only one variable.
Marilynn [00:08:38]: Yeah, exactly.
Jordanna [00:08:39]: There's so much to play with here.
Marilynn [00:08:40]: So much nuance.
Tijana [00:08:41]: You made a great point. I heard this quote that I want to add too that was like, progressive overload isn't actually something you actively do. It's something that's an inevitable thing that happens. So in other words, it's like stairs, right? Like you're lifting.
Jordanna [00:08:52]: Yeah.
Tijana [00:08:53]: Yeah. You're here. And then it's like, well, if I need to challenge myself more, if I did a 300-pound cast glute bridge, I'm just using my yesterday workout for like 9 reps. And then I'm starting there again. And then this time, that was my top strength last week.
Marilynn [00:09:07]: Right.
Tijana [00:09:07]: But I'm a little bit stronger this week. So if I'm pushing to failure this week, my progressive overload is at like 10 or 11. Because I do hear this and I just wanted to add it. Someone was like, I've been progressively overloading. I started with 20-pound squats. Now I'm at 25 pounds. I'm like, well, you ain't loading enough. You got to reach the point where you're at failure and then step up a little bit from there.
Tijana [00:09:27]: That's progressive overload. Right.
Marilynn [00:09:28]: So yeah, so there's tons of nuance, right? But like you started, T, we're not like poo-pooing on fitness classes. It's just now that you know all that about progressive overload, this is why like we want to empower you with the reasons why random classes are going to make progress so much harder. So, if you think about it, when you go to these classes, you are doing something different every time, right? Like, I do remember those Body Pump classes. It's like—
Tijana [00:09:52]: What are we going to do today?
Marilynn [00:09:53]: Yeah, you'd be doing like squats one day, kettlebell swings another day, this and that on the other day. So, it's something completely different and like there's no cohesiveness there. So, you're doing a lot of things, but you're not getting progressively better at any of them. And an analogy that we like to use is like taking courses in school. So, if like you said, I want to major in math, And then, okay, like Monday you go to school and you study your math. Next week you're like switching to English and then you're switching to history. And it's like you'd be exposed to a lot, but you wouldn't be actually building any expertise in the thing you wanted to build, which was math, right?
Jordanna [00:10:26]: Yes.
Marilynn [00:10:26]: It's the same thing. Your body works the same way. If you want to build your glutes, you got to spend months getting better at specific movements that build your glutes, right? Not doing a different variation every single session, changing something every single week. You've got to repeat the workouts, the movements that matter, and get stronger with them.
Tijana [00:10:43]: Mm-hmm.
Does Working Out Hard Mean Better Results?
Marilynn [00:10:44]: That's what we're saying. That's why progressive overload is so important. So, Jor, talk to us about what training hard enough actually means. Ti already kind of brought this up, like, what does that actually mean? Because I think there's a bit of a misconception there with what is hard enough.Jordanna [00:10:58]: Yes. So what is hard enough? That's a great question because it can actually come down to what is hard enough for you. What's hard enough for me might be different than what's hard enough for Mare or Ti, or what exercise we're doing or what Our goals are, you know, what injuries you're navigating around. All of these things do matter. And what we really want to talk about is intensity. So your body does not care that the dumbbell that you're using is 20 pounds for your goblet squat in your class. We want to know, is that the appropriate load for you? If it's day 1 and you've never done a class before and this is your first workout ever, 20 pounds might actually be too heavy. In that scenario because your form might not be good, you might not be getting great depth.
Jordanna [00:11:42]: I don't know how many reps you're doing, so the intensity may be fine for you in that scenario if you're like day one, brand new. But if you've been doing these classes for like 5 years and you're still picking up that 20-pound dumbbell, I can guarantee that is no longer heavy enough for you to be training hard enough, quote unquote, for what we need for muscle growth and change in your body. Because when we look at muscle growth, the sets need to be taken to reasonably close to failure where you literally cannot do more than 1 or 2 more reps. And if you are still using that same dumbbell that you were 5 years ago in your class today, then I can tell you, you can probably do another 20 reps with the same weight.
How Heavy Should You Lift For Muscle Growth?
Marilynn [00:12:24]: And can I make a point, Jordan, too? Like if you're using 20 pounds in the gym, like you're schlepping around your 50-pound kids. That's also a good indication that like, girl, that is too light for you.Jordanna [00:12:35]: You can go heavier.
Marilynn [00:12:36]: Way heavier. So much heavier.
Tijana [00:12:38]: People grossly underestimate their failure as well. It's funny because I've trained clients, and no hate, because I think I will say some ladies just don't like the feeling of like grunting and lifting heavy. I can relate. But they'll be like, okay, I failed. And I'm like, no, you didn't.
Marilynn [00:12:53]: You didn't.
Tijana [00:12:54]: I'm like, keep going, girl.
Jordanna [00:12:55]: Or if you're using the same weight that you're using for a lower body exercise for an upper body exercise, I can tell you you need to go heavier on the lower body exercise right away. So what we want—
Tijana [00:13:06]: Or the combo movements.
Jordanna [00:13:08]: Yeah.
Tijana [00:13:08]: The lunge to shoulder press, don't do that.
Jordanna [00:13:11]: So if you have, let's say, 12 reps and you put the weight down, let's say you're doing lunges and you're holding 10-pound dumbbells and you do your 12 reps and you wrap up and you're like, oh wow, that was great. And you move on to the next exercise. Realistically, in your tank, how many reps are left? Could you do 10 more? Could you do 15 more? Or could you really only get out 1 or 2? Because if you could get out 1 or 2, then you're lifting heavy enough. If you can get out more than that, then you need to increase the weight. On the other hand, we don't need to fail every set. We want to work towards a place that each set has 1 or 2 reps left in the tank, because then you're kind of like leaving some stimulus on the table for the next— And classes make this really difficult to do because they're trying to keep to the timeline of the class. Class is only like 45 minutes or an hour or half an hour, whatever it is. You need to move to the next station.
Jordanna [00:14:10]: If you're at something like an F45 or one of those like circuit-type training classes, you're more concerned about getting the number of reps done than you are about actually hitting the intensity level that you need to do. Someone might've even stolen the heavier weights that you need and there aren't actually any more dumbbells left for you to get to the heavier weight.
Marilynn [00:14:31]: That has happened to me in a class. That has absolutely happened to me. I'm like, what the hell? Okay, I'll just use these.
Jordanna [00:14:36]: They do. And the last one is that you know what to expect in the class. So you might know that the next exercise might be harder or whatnot. And so you might be saving some energy for what's to come in the class because it's getting you gassed, right? And getting you gassed at the end of the class is not necessarily what is helping you get the shape and definition and the muscle that we need. Those are 2 different goals. Okay? So if you are pacing a workout instead of really taking your muscle to a meaningful level of fatigue, that is the problem there. And so, T, we know we've heard it time and time again, the girls love the burn, but talk to us about how. The burn, the sweat, the soreness, how that can actually be masking the fact that you're not really doing what you need to be doing.
Jordanna [00:15:26]: Yeah, the progress.
Sweat, Soreness, and the Myth of the “Good Workout”
Tijana [00:15:27]: Yeah. So this is something I'm very passionate about, this whole thing, just because I felt it. Right. And I've had clients who are like this. And I know my client Candace won't mind me sharing. She's made phenomenal progress. She looks incredible. Completely transformed her body.Tijana [00:15:38]: She came to us doing HIIT classes almost every morning fasted, which she no longer does. She still trains early, but we eat properly for that. And she was kind of like, coach, I'm not really sweating a lot from the workouts. Like, should I do more? Should I finish the workout with cardio? And I was like, I love that you asked that. And she's very coachable because some people will still do their sweating on the side. And I'm like, well, here's the thing. These things are ingrained in our mind as what equals a productive workout. I know it's a small thing, but it gets me when someone's like, I had a good workout.
Tijana [00:16:05]: And I'm like, what do you mean? They're like, ooh, I was sweating. And I'm like, okay, so like you feel totally like wrecked afterward and you're sweating and your body's burning and you're shaking and even like The soreness the next day. None of these are indicators that, in my eyes, a good workout is something that changes your body or gets you the result you want, right? Like getting faster, stronger, better looking, whatever. I mean, in our case, it's like, is it changing your body composition? Are you building muscle from that workout? And guess what? If you ain't a big sweater, like, you might not sweat at all. Like, I honestly yesterday was working out. I don't sweat. I don't sweat. I don't shower after I strength train.
Tijana [00:16:42]: Like straight up.
Jordanna [00:16:43]: I don't sweat anymore. When I was earlier in my journey and I had a lot of weight to lose, it did not matter what I was doing. I was sweating and I was sweating a lot. And as I got more conditioned and I got leaner and I got stronger and I had the right rest between sets and I was lifting heavy enough, I sweated less. And I think it was, I had to adjust to that. I didn't know that at the beginning.
Tijana [00:17:10]: And it's not bad to sweat, but you made an excellent point, Jordan, that like if you are deconditioned, it's actually very fatiguing for your body to even lift weights.
Marilynn [00:17:16]: Yeah.
Tijana [00:17:17]: Without getting into the science of it, when you're doing aerobic, like cardio, you're doing continuous movement, right?
Jordanna [00:17:22]: Yeah.
Tijana [00:17:22]: And then you're using your aerobic system and you're sweating. When you're lifting weights, essentially you're like, rest a long time, lift. Blood pressure goes up, heart rate goes up, it comes right down.
Jordanna [00:17:33]: Yeah.
Tijana [00:17:34]: And it's a different experience.
Jordanna [00:17:35]: You're spiking the system as opposed to continuous elevation.
Marilynn [00:17:39]: Yes.
The Importance of Rest and Recovery in Fitness
Tijana [00:17:40]: Your intensity is using a different energy system. So you're just kind of going for 30 seconds or however long your set takes. But anyway, with the rest period, you made a good point too, because I've had clients too where they're like, I felt like I was just kind of relaxing too much between sets, so I did jump squats. I'm like, well, no, you just took away from— the whole purpose of your rest is so that you, like, you know, if you're going to do a heavy squat, whenever someone's like, I'm bored between sets, I'm like—Marilynn [00:18:03]: Yeah, you're not lifting heavy enough then.
Tijana [00:18:04]: Okay, well, that's because you're just lifting the bar and that's because you're doing your jump squats. So like, you know, when you're doing that stuff, you're going for the wrong sensation here. So all that to say, this is where having guidance is so important because again, like these concepts is what I hear women come a lot. They're like, oh yeah, I know about progressive overload. Yeah, progressive overloading, 20 pounds, 25. I'm like, well, that's not enough. And they're like, oh yeah, I'm lifting weights. Yeah, I'm resting 30 seconds, 60 seconds between exercise.
Tijana [00:18:28]: I'm like, girl, you're not lifting heavy enough. And The whole other thing is people just put together like 12 exercises and it's like you're doing too much. You're not resting enough. Anyway, all that to say, the sweat, the soreness, none of it is actually like what you need to look for.
Marilynn [00:18:43]: No.
Tijana [00:18:43]: You need to actually look for like when you're lifting that weight in the moment, the set, the 10 reps, the 12 reps, whatever it is, the weight should be moving slower. Like you can barely lift that weight and then you fully rest so you can do it all again. So You know, if you're thinking like, okay, I get it, I want to change something, if nothing changes, nothing changes, help me. This is exactly what we do. This is what we work on with our clients. We will give you the exact blueprint for you, tailored to you, your body, not just, you know, F45's program, right? We're going to help you really create those changes in your physique. So, uh, if that's what you want, apply to work with us. Our applications are open.
Tijana [00:19:18]: getsculpted.ca/contact. Mare, talk to us about why people like these classes so much. Yeah, I know you've had fitness classes.
Why Fitness Classes Are So Addictive
Marilynn [00:19:24]: I was going to say, I live this too and I've had clients, but fitness classes are addictive. Like, let's be honest, right? Like, and especially if you've done them like we have, they are. You can't dispute that, right? I think the big thing is like when you go to a fitness class, you don't have to think, right? Like, you're just like, I'm there. Someone else is planning the workout. There's good music, there's energy, especially like I remember at that—Tijana [00:19:45]: Your friends.
Jordanna [00:19:45]: With the pump class and stuff.
Marilynn [00:19:47]: Social side. Like, it literally would pump you up, right? So yeah, there's your friends, there's community.
Tijana [00:19:51]: They have good music.
Marilynn [00:19:52]: Yeah, and there's a sense of, you know, accountability because everyone's doing the same thing and you're cheering each other on, and you walk out of there feeling like, okay, I am accomplished. I did something very hard today. Amazing. And there is actually a psychological reward when you finish something hard. And I think—
Jordanna [00:20:08]: Mm-hmm.
Marilynn [00:20:09]: Sometimes we confuse that sense of accomplishment with evidence that our physique is changing, and they're not the same thing. 2 very different things. Feeling good about your workout, Great. Not the same as I just did a workout that is actually going to change my body. Another big thing which we touched on is like the resting. Okay? Because like you said, those classes, you are like, go, go, go, go, go, go, go from like start to finish. And for a lot of women, resting can feel uncomfortable, especially if they're used to the addiction of classes because they feel like it's a waste of time. I've actually heard that.
Marilynn [00:20:40]: I've heard women say like, oh, it's such a waste of time, like resting.
Tijana [00:20:43]: Yeah.
Marilynn [00:20:43]: whole other conversation about the fact that you're not lifting heavy enough and all of that. But classes are just like, go, go, go. The rest and recovery is very important. So the point we're making is like, you need to recover. If you are lifting heavy enough, intensely enough, with the right form, progressively overloading, then it's not negotiable. Like, you absolutely need that rest. It is not a waste. It's what makes it productive, right?
Tijana [00:21:05]: Yeah.
Personal Stories: Why We Loved Group Classes
Marilynn [00:21:06]: So let's get into our own experience because I know we've all had experiences with like group classes. So I want to talk about like, what did we enjoy about them? I actually taught F45. Well, you girls know this for a short while. So again, I'm not like anti-classes. I've been on both sides as a coach and as like a participant. And, you know, for a while I liked them because like I didn't know what I was doing. It was very intimidating walking into a gym and being like, oh my God, all these machines. Sometimes like, what do I do?Jordanna [00:21:31]: Do I do a triangle? Totally.
Marilynn [00:21:32]: So I didn't really know how to train. So having the class with like a clear beginning, clear end, Someone else planned it. I just literally had to like follow. The thinking was gone. That's part of why I enjoyed them. What about you girls? Like, was there anything that pulled you toward them?
Jordanna [00:21:47]: When I did classes, I was not aware of strength training at the time. It was like more like my late teens, early 20s. And like you're doing some random weight exercise from a magazine and you're like, okay, with like your girlfriend from university, like, hey, let's go to the gym. And you're like doing half an hour on the elliptical trying to burn as many calories as possible. And then you do like your 10 minutes of weights and it's like, oh, let's go do do the spin class after the—
Tijana [00:22:12]: Cardio.
Jordanna [00:22:13]: After the—
Marilynn [00:22:14]: yeah. So true.
Jordanna [00:22:15]: So like the format of it was so messed up.
Marilynn [00:22:18]: Yeah.
Jordanna [00:22:18]: Because I just didn't know. We also didn't have social media in the sense where—
Marilynn [00:22:22]: True, true.
Jordanna [00:22:23]: You can learn at such a rapid pace.
Marilynn [00:22:26]: Yeah.
Jordanna [00:22:26]: But what I liked was I did love spinning and I loved the freedom I felt on the bike.
Marilynn [00:22:31]: Yeah.
Jordanna [00:22:32]: And the way that like I could move through it and the conditioning level I got. And I still spin. Spin because I love it, but also it's great on my joints, you know, like with my knees and stuff. I don't run anymore, so that is great from a cardiovascular perspective, but that is complementary to what I do. It is not the strategy that's going to get me where I want to go. So that's where, like, I've evolved from it, and it's— you can use it in different ways to complement the overall strategy as opposed to it being the strategy.
Marilynn [00:23:02]: Yes, and we're going to get into that because I think that's a really important point to distinguish. T, what about you? Like, what— when you were doing it coaching and Participating. What did you like?
Tijana [00:23:10]: You know what's funny is that, uh, that's exactly it. I still loved the, like, group element. I loved— yeah, to me a good workout was the, the hardest one. Like, I sweat the most, my body just, yeah, couldn't move after. I felt completely gassed. But, um, still to this day, I would much rather do something like that for cardio, um, even if it's more intense. That being said, yes, I, I see, like, even cardio can be very fatiguing if you're doing Look, an hour of, uh, like the elliptical is completely different than an hour of like a HIIT class. It's a whole other thing to recover from.
Tijana [00:23:42]: So that's another thing. But yeah, anyway, I loved, uh, the, the community element and the fact that it was just a lot more fun way of getting in your cardio.
Marilynn [00:23:50]: So I, I feel like, you know, like as you're listening to this, you can see why, like even we found them like pretty addictive and pretty enjoyable to go to. But as we've gotten into it, it's, it's just not the same thing when you're trying to change your body. There needs to be more strategy. So So, Jor, take us through the next part. Like, you know, when you're getting the fatigue and you're feeling all those things, but like you don't look like you work out, you're not getting that sculpted muscle.
Why Group Classes Leave You Tired but Not Sculpted
Jordanna [00:24:14]: Absolutely. Because when you're going through these classes, I think the common theme that we're hearing is that people love to have the burn and feel tired after and all of that. And these types of classes are creating stress and fatigue on the body for sure. And that's what you're feeling when you feel Your dome's like 2 days later and you're so tired and you feel like you've sweat through all your clothes and all that. It's not necessarily a bad thing because training also creates stress and also creates adaptation. But the adaptation happens when the training stimulus is paired with enough recovery. That is the missing gap that most people have with these classes. They wanna do one every single day.Marilynn [00:24:55]: They want to do— Sometimes 2 a day. 2 a day. I was gonna say sometimes a morning class and then a night class.
Tijana [00:24:59]: And fasted.
Jordanna [00:25:00]: A different type of class. Yeah.
Marilynn [00:25:01]: Fasted.
Jordanna [00:25:02]: And that, that becomes a recipe for disaster.
Marilynn [00:25:05]: Yeah.
Jordanna [00:25:06]: Because if training is the signal to create the adaptation, you're tearing down those muscles, you're wanting them to rebuild. Recovery is when your body is responding to that signal. And if there's not enough recovery because you're doing class after class, you are creating an environment where you're likely to get injured. You're going to be more sore. Your motivation can go from being sky high, getting those huge dopamine like hits from being in those classes. to being very, very low. Sleep can suffer because there's not enough recovery. Performance in those classes and in other areas of your life can start to drop because you're exhausted and you're overall gonna continue to feel sore.
Overtraining, Under-Eating, and Burnout Risks
Jordanna [00:25:46]: And so how do we counteract that? We need to be thinking about how we're fueling and how we're recovering, because the typical scenario that we see— and tell me, girls, if there's anything you would add to this— People who tend to be addicted to these classes and want to do them all the time, And wishing for these body composition changes at the same time are also the same people eating in a constant calorie deficit. They're not eating enough food in general. What they do eat is very little because they're pairing that thinking, the idea of if I move more and eat less, I'm gonna get where I wanna go. And that relationship with food and exercise is bringing them to have poorer sleep, higher stress at work because your responsive time isn't like where you need it to be. You might be more reactive as a person, and your mood swings might be more difficult. Compound that with the fact that you have kids and life and work and all these other responsibilities, you're just going to end up feeling super burnt out. So if you're not taking the recovery piece seriously, you're missing out on all the gains of what you get when you're doing your strength training workouts. And so this is why that relationship between the classes and the overall strategy that we're putting together for someone in a strength-based workout program that's customized for them, it includes the recovery time.Jordanna [00:27:07]: When we work with our clients, we pull together their program. We don't just say, here's all the things you're going to do. We tell them, these are the things you're not going to do. This is when you— this is how much sleep you need. This is how much rest days you need. This is the level of intensity that you need to train at, but this is how we need to fuel you and recover you in order to get the best out of those workouts.
Marilynn [00:27:27]: Definitely.
Jordanna [00:27:28]: T, since underfueling can be the opposite side of that relationship of making progress happen, can you walk us through what that means at a deeper level?
Why Fueling Is Key to Fitness Progress
Tijana [00:27:40]: Yes. And I want to talk about this again. I was in this mindset too, and I hear so many women say this. Like, I remember talking to someone that was kind of like my mentor when I became an instructor with BODi Attack, and she's like, I just do this so I can eat a ton of cupcakes. And I'm like, yeah, I hear that a lot where it's like we just don't want to be in that cycle for several reasons. It's not mentally healthy, but also like it's not productive to like eat high calorie food and then burn it with number one. Like, it's like, you know, if you burn 500 calories in an hour doing like really intense exercise or cardio, like heck, a few bites could erase that. You're not tracking your food, then it's not good.Tijana [00:28:17]: So there's a lot of skewed view. And I think this is where women see it wrong. And you just touched on this is like, like you said, Jord, they're eating very little.
Marilynn [00:28:25]: Yeah.
Tijana [00:28:25]: And then they're working out so much. But we want to be a lean, mean, fat-burning machine, right? So we want to— we want a healthy metabolism, and that doesn't actually come from eating less and moving more over time. So look, we've done so many episodes and we don't want to make this like 2 hours long, but like, you need to be in a calorie deficit to lose fat. You need to be eating enough to build muscle. So what are you really focusing on matters. But this is a common scenario. The woman wants fat loss. She wants to lose the belly, lose the jiggle, whatever.
Tijana [00:28:52]: All right, I'm gonna do HIIT. I'm gonna do high intensity. The more intense, the better. I'm gonna slash my food. That's gonna make my results even faster. I'm gonna cut carbs because that's gonna drop the scale. I'm exhausted. Oh my God, I can't focus at work.
Tijana [00:29:04]: All I can think about is food. Oh my God, my body's hurting. And then you get the cravings, and then lo and behold, pantry raccoon. Here's the thing. When you're not eating and training properly, you're just putting in effort and not getting the reward. We just talked about this. So like, you think you're doing better by eating less, but you're not changing your body. So more is not better.
Tijana [00:29:25]: Better is better. So, you know, remember, if you want to build muscle, protein, yes, we talk so much about it. You need carbohydrates to fuel that training, to fuel the recovery. When people talked about that, I'm like, that's, that's like a, like a fluffy thing. That's like people talk about that who were like, you know, losers sound dumb. But I'm like, oh, no, no, I'm not like, I'm not about that. I'm about like, do more. I was looking soft and fluffy when I was thinking that way.
Tijana [00:29:47]: So like, when you're sleeping and eating and like fueling and like doing less and doing it better, your body's gonna look amazing and you're gonna feel amazing.
Jordanna [00:29:55]: So it's gonna reward you.
Tijana [00:29:57]: It feels so good. Exactly. You need protein, you need carbs. Yeah, I'm gonna, I'm gonna leave it at that. So, Mira, talk to us. Do we, do we need to give these classes up? The F45, the CrossFit that we love so much?
Do You Have to Quit Group Classes Completely?
Marilynn [00:30:06]: Okay, because I was actually thinking that, you know, all of you listening are probably wondering, oh my gosh, does that mean I have to give it all up? Because I really do like my kickboxing or my Orangetheory and all that. And so No, the answer is no. We are not saying that. This episode is not meant to— even though we like to rant, it's not an all-or-nothing situation. If you enjoy those classes, it is possible to keep them as part of your routine. But this is why we wanted you to really understand the role it's playing in the bigger picture when it comes to your goals. So if you want to keep them, there are a couple of ways that you can do this very strategically. The first is a hybrid approach.
The Best Hybrid Approach: Lifting Plus Classes
Marilynn [00:30:41]: So we did start to touch on this, right? I think you brought it up, right?Tijana [00:30:44]: Yeah.
Marilynn [00:30:44]: So this can look like, you know, Maybe it's like 3 or 4 structured lifting days a week, right, with progressive overload, lifting the way we need you to be lifting, and then maybe 1 or 2 classes sprinkled on top of that. That's a hybrid approach using both. The second option is to use it— and you mentioned this one— use it as like cardio or conditioning.
Tijana [00:31:05]: Yeah.
Marilynn [00:31:05]: Right? So think about it. Your body composition and muscle work happens in your lifting sessions. Your classes can be for the conditioning or getting your sweat on if that still floats your boat. But this option is a good reframe, I think, because you stop expecting the classes to shape your body. Like, you know, stay in the lane. Like, this does this, this does this, and let each be good for what they actually are good for, right? And we actually have a lot of clients who do this, especially if they come to us already doing classes and stuff like that. Like, we don't go in and say to them, no, you may not do anything, right? Like, we want you to do what you enjoy.
Tijana [00:31:38]: Yes.
Marilynn [00:31:38]: But what you enjoy cannot replace the things you need to get to your goal. Exactly.
Tijana [00:31:43]: We— and we're realistic. I will say that I've had clients where they're like, I love this. And I'm like, yes, but are you able to do 3 structured workouts and, and not an additional 3 or 4 of your classes?
Marilynn [00:31:53]: Yes. No. Right. Because we, we are talking about recovery is so important. Right? Like, that's the thing. Like, recovery is of the utmost importance. So that way you're getting what you need out of your workouts. But, you know, if someone comes to us and says, like, I want to take classes because I love them and I have no interest in doing anything else, That's fine.
Marilynn [00:32:09]: Like, again, we're not going to tell you what to do. Our job is to empower you with the knowledge and drive home the point of like your expectations have to match your training.
Tijana [00:32:17]: Yes, agreed.
Getting Real: Matching Training to Your Goals
Marilynn [00:32:18]: So if you have been doing these classes and you're still not toned, sculpted, looking like you work out, then there's a disconnect. So if you want to have fun, cool. If you want tighter glutes, sculpted shoulders, all that fun stuff, then you need a different strategy, full stop. Like, there's no kind of middle ground there. So if that's you, If you absolutely love your classes, but you have been chasing those body composition goals for a while now and you are seeing nothing change, that's what a structured program will fix. And as coaches, we build the lifting around what you enjoy, yes, but with a strategy that gets you to where you want to be. That's what we do.Tijana [00:32:54]: Mm-hmm.
Marilynn [00:32:55]: So our applications are open and you can find our link in the show note description. So reach out because we love talking through this and we'll get you to those goals.
Final Thoughts: Fun, Results, and Sustainable Fitness
Tijana [00:33:05]: Absolutely. All right, girls, so let's put a bow on this. What we're saying here is we don't, you know, hate the CrossFit or the group classes. I think we've made it very clear we've enjoyed them and we see why you enjoy them. But the reality is you got to face the music if you really want to change your physique. It takes a strategy. It doesn't just take putting in more effort. And we want you to get the best results possible while still being able to have some fun.Marilynn [00:33:27]: Exactly.
Tijana [00:33:28]: So, you know, implement these in a way that makes sense for you. For fun and community. I mean, there's— I always say there's different ways to have fun as well. That doesn't need to be just the training, right?
Marilynn [00:33:37]: Yeah.
Tijana [00:33:37]: Because at the end of the day, like, what is required is building more muscle, and you got to eat and train for that result.
Marilynn [00:33:43]: That's right.
Tijana [00:33:44]: So if you guys got value from this, don't forget to give it a share. Please spread the word, because then more women can get awesome results and ascend to their 2.0 self. Thank you guys for joining us, and we will see you in the next one.