Tried and Tested: Epic MMA's Body Fit Program
If you're looking for a way to slim down or beef up in time for Hong Kong summer, check out Epic's Body Fit women's program. The eight-week programs are designed to help you shape up with a mix of Muay Thai, antigravity fitness training and weight lifting.
The Buzz: Epic MMA launched its inaugural women-only Body Fit program this past fall. Aimed at busy urban women—be it overindulgent 20-somethings, new moms or busy corporate types—the eight-week program is not just about losing weight. Sure, when you’re at the gym six days a week shedding a few pounds is bound to be a perk, but the actual goal is to build strength, cardio and endurance through a varied regime.
The Drill: There are three, hour-long time slots to choose from every morning—with the first starting at a cracking 6:30am. The schedule for the first two Epic Body Fit programs included three days of serious weight lifting, a day of calming antigravity stretching, a day of intense Muay Thai training, and ab-busting antigravity suspension fitness on Saturday mornings. However, in future programs the team will be replacing one weight lifting day with a cardio Mixed Martial Arts session. Sounds cool, but it’s a bit unfortunate, seeing as weight lifting is one of the most effective means to transform your body composition.
The Experience: One of the program's strengths is in its variety. With a different class almost every day, there's no getting bored. And it beats the monotony of a treadmill a thousand times over. Most of the women in my program prefer the antigravity suspension training and the Muay Thai, which are both a blast, but I enjoy the weight lifting sessions most because you can measure your improvement week in and out. Darrel Erxleben, the weight lifting instructor, pushes you to add that extra effort across every exercise, from dead lifts to squats to treadmill sprints. Even though each session technically has 15 women enrolled in it, only about six actually come to class regularly—at least in the 6:30 and 7:30am groups. That means you’re essentially getting a semi-private lesson six days a week.
