Hardcore class works total body fitness

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Amanda Dick
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  Looking for a workout class that exercises the total body and affords a convenient way to get fit? Then, hardcore class is the answer.

The Southside and Northside Fitness Centers here offer hardcore classes Mondays through Fridays at noon and give members a thorough core muscle workout while also preparing them for the Air Force physical training test.

"What we're targeting for is to strengthen up the body, consisting of the abs, thighs and from the knees to the chest area and the arms," said Demetrius McDowell, 86th Services Squadron class instructor and recreation technician. "I try to target those areas, and a lot of hard-to-get muscle areas, like the obliques. The class aims to trim the body, getting it ready for PT testing and all-around fitness."

According to the instructor, he directs participants during two-minute sets such as using wall balls, balance disks, stability balls and rowers, then has them complete a middle exercise, incorporating some form of running either outside, on the stairs or on the other side of the court.

"This class consists of functional movements you use in everyday life," said Isaac Melendez, 86th SVS fitness and sports director. "You squat or bend over to pick up a wall ball for class and that translates to picking up a child or groceries. Other exercises can translate to getting out of a foxhole or out of a vehicle with your gear on in combat. Versus monotonous or isolation movements, this focuses on total movement where your entire body is functioning as one ... this is what hardcore provides."

For many, motivation to attend the class may be the new Air Force PT program.

"I go to class to get overall fitness and to get in shape, especially since the Air Force has gone to the twice-a-year PT test," said Tech. Sgt. David Bragg, 86th Airlift Wing safety flight noncommissioned officer. "I can tell my cardio has gotten a lot better and so has my overall conditioning."

Sergeant Bragg says he tries to go to the class three times a week, and he's even invited friends and coworkers to go with him.

"They almost always say how much of a good workout it is," he said.

When Mr. McDowell teaches the class, he targets three main areas.

"I like to focus on cardio, fat burning and trimming the body. I honestly just want class members to get a really good workout," he said.

Hardcore classes are free and open to any ID card holder and their family members. Mr. McDowell and other class instructors are certified through the Cooper Institute, and they receive additional training through the Ramstein Health and Wellness Center.

For more information on the types of classes offered at Air Force fitness centers in the Kaiserslautern Military Community, visit the 86th Services Squadron Web site at http://86thservices.com.