Samantha Beck/ Winonan
The door to the fitness class was crowded with girls, a mix of freshman and upperclassmen. Butt N’ Gut was starting in ten minutes, and the girls looked excited.
Sam McElmury and Nicole Sorensen, both freshmen, were the first two girls at the door.
“Butt N’ Gut is our favorite so far,” McElmury said, “This is our second time going.”
Butt N’ Gutt seems to be very popular, Sorensen said, since it is offered three times a week.
“It is very popular,” Sorensen said, “We ran out of equipment last week.”
The class was packed as I entered, and I quickly became protective over my spot and equipment. The number of people attending the class created a fun, energetic atmosphere, and the loud music made it exciting.
So what does Butt N’ Gut entail?
“It is fun cardio, and you find new ways to tone your body,” McElmury said.
Cardio was one of the main focuses for the class. It incorporates lunges and squats with dumbbells for an intense workout.
Sarah Vincent, the Butt N’ Gut instructor, took charge of the class and directed the girls into moves that varied with the songs.
“It is usually two moves with a song. I like to get that repetition in there because it helps work the muscles deeper,” Vincent said.
Vincent is a senior majoring in physical education and has been conducting fitness classes for almost two years. As a freshman, Vincent would attend a lot of fitness classes remembering the moves for years to come.
“I gather my moves from a lot of sources,” Vincent said. “P90X, Insanity, other classes and Pinterest.”
As the class got going, the participants did a variety of squats, cardio and ab exercises. By the time the class was over, I was out of breath but Vincent looked fresher than ever.
“This is my life,” Vincent said. “I like to work hard, see other people work hard and to motivate them to achieve their goals.”
I tried to stop a lot, but Vincent’s voice beckoned me to keep going. She would do a preview of the moves for an upcoming song to give us an idea what was coming ahead, which was helpful.
At the end, Vincent directed us to stretch. She said we should stretch more at home and drink plenty of fluids. I will definitely take her up on that tip, although I am 100 percent certain I will not be able to walk without limping for days to follow the class.
All in all, it was a great experience and the other participants were friendly and some of them were in the same boat as I was in: new and ready to experience what the class had to offer. I walked out already sore, but also with a new sense of confidence.
