Class Review: Slowburn

7th May

As an avid watcher of Married At First Sight Australia, I’ve been hearing the phrase “slow burn” a lot over these last few months, but this latest class offering from Gymbox has an entirely different, less romantic, meaning. Slowburn is a 45-minute circuit full of isometric holds that will really test your willpower and work your muscles in the process.

I asked class instructor Jai Morrison if it would be a good idea to take this class after Reppin’. She politely told me that, given its intensity, it may not be a good idea.

I was glad I took her advice.

While the structure of Slowburn is straightforward, the workout itself is anything but easy. Over the course of the lesson, we would be completing a circuit three times, but with each new round of the circuit we would be holding an isometric hold for longer.

In practice, it looked something like this. In the first round, we would be doing 40 seconds of squats followed by a 20-second hold. In the second round, this would become 30 seconds of squats followed by a 30-second hold. By the third round, we would be holding a squat position for 40 seconds. And this was all while holding a weight.

You may be thinking this doesn’t sound too hard. But trust me: it was.

Jai had put together a varied circuit complete with squats, plank jacks, bent-over rows and front plate raises. These were done with a mixture of resistance bands, kettlebells, and other free weights. While the exercises felt easy to begin with, finishing each one with a hold was torture. At least it felt that way to me, someone who never incorporates holds into her workouts.

But I should probably start. A quick Google search tells me that isometric holds can be good for enhancing your stabilization. Studies have also shown that they may help lower your blood pressure. That’s definitely enough of a reason to add them into your routine.

As we went into the third and final set, my muscles were beginning to fatigue. Even the short, 20 seconds of movement felt tough. I’ll confess that I did collapse during my final, 40-second plank hold, despite Jai’s unwavering encouragement.

By the end of the class, I was well and truly spent. This full-body workout had given me a burn like no other, and I was grateful to catch my breath and go through a stretch.

Slowburn is definitely as much a mental workout as a physical one. Staying in those isometric holds, especially in the final round, demanded every ounce of focus and willpower. But there’s nothing like being in a class full of people to encourage you. I doubt I could have done as much as I did without that added source of motivation.

For anyone seeking a full-body workout with a twist, I highly recommend this class. Though deceptively simple in concept, Slowburn will test both your endurance and willpower, showing you what you can achieve if you put your mind to it.

Slowburn is running until the end of June. Book now via the Gymbox App.