LVAC Fitness Festival

The first annual fitness festival at LVAC was amazing!  It was an almost week long event... We kicked it off with a Zumbathon on Tuesday night.  So much energy in the huge 20,000 sq ft tent at the bottom of the Rainbow property.  Wednesday night was 8 Strikes with Alan Giron....crazy time!  Squats, kicks, punching, lunges, burpees, ab work.....it was awesome.
LVAC teamed up with the LES MILLS mega quarterly so there were trainings and other events during the day and evening.  A 300 bike, indoor bike ride that I didn't get to do, but plan on next year.  The fitness buzz was in the air.  I wasn't planning on it but got antsy on Friday night so I went back for more.  The LES MILLS dance explosion featuring Shbam and BodyJam was fun.
A different kind of workout than Zumba but a lot of sweaty fun.  We did get to represent with one Zumba track and just before, ZES (master trainer) Abraham asked if I would go on stage with them so that was unexpected!  Glad I dragged my tail there for one last hurrah!

BodyPump launch

First BodyPump launch at the YMCA.

Body pump training

I had heard from other BodyPump Instructors that this training was going to be "Life Changing" but I didn't understand what they meant until I went through the two day training myself.
Day one was good, lots of energy & working out, kicked it off with a Master Class with Jeremiah and David (our Les Mills Trainers, who were amazing), we did a lot of breaking down form, reviewing technique and going through the way to teach BodyPump.  It was good and exhausting!
Day two was the life changer....we began with a warm up that already had my legs hurting because of the two plus classes from the day before....more paper work/study/talking then the game changer.....THE BODY PUMP CHALLENGE...we began with a short mile or so run (as a team - no one left straggling) then back to the room where we partnered up.  I ended up with two awesome ladies....Jen & Jewel.  It's hard to describe certain feelings about this challenge but what I learned about myself was overwhelming.  We had rotating stations where we did challenged ourselves with the weight we choose and did repetitions of 20/25/30 of various exercises - weighted squats, lunges, push ups, crunches, triceps, chest press.  My team coaches were encouraging and motivating.  Both ladies were so strong physically that they made me work harder.  Of course my adrenaline was pumping so I felt like superwoman!  After the first round I was beat....so tired and sore and then Jeremiah announced we were doing it all over again...WHAT???  It was like something magical happened on round two...I felt stronger, I lifted more, I challenged what I thought were my limitations and I couldn't believe the strength and commitment I had to finish that second round.
We worked for over an hour!!
I remember when I ran my first 5K and the feeling I got as I crossed the line....I couldn't believe that I had done what seemed like the impossible for me.  I remember collapsing in tears that I...Kim....had run that far.  I never ran like that before.  That same feeling overtook me as we finished the challenge.  I never thought I was that strong physically and could push myself....and yes, I cried after the pump challenge too.  I learned so much during that challenge.  I learned that coaching others is so important for them to achieve their goals, believing in them and cheering them on makes all the difference.  I learned that what we tell ourselves in our heads changes how we approach challenges.  Positivity is the key.  We can do anything we set our minds to and work for.  I could see then why everyone had described the training as life altering.  In that moment something within me changed about myself and the way I will help others with their goals.   When they told me at the end of day two that I was passed to teach, I was ready to tackle the world!

Les Mills Trainer Jeremiah

Thanks Les Mills Trainer David for teaching us to bring HEART

My Challenge Sisters, Jen & Jewel

New friend  - representing the British Isles - Rachel & Me

My Zumba sister - Blanca, on this fitness journey together

I'm Famous!!!

Looky here.....my sister tagged me on Instagram!  I was on Fox5's More demonstrating Zumba with some of my Zumba Instructor Peeps. If you didn't get to see it click HERE