Checked In at Ritual

[Ritual gym abruptly ceased operations on 29 February 2024 and plunged straight into provisional liquidation.]

Never underestimate peer pressure. I caved and signed up for a 5-class pack at Ritual. A bunch of friends are Ritual devotees and are super enthusiastic about classes right now. So I shall just hop on the bandwagon for a bit. I don't intend to do long-term memberships more than six months at a go. The HIIT portion of the exercise regime will be more disciplined and can effectively supplement Pilates and krav maga (this is really for self-defense, not for its exercise benefits).

HIIT workouts are super effective in the 20 to 30 minutes range. I don't need more than that to get the heart rate going. I go all in and work up a sweat. But I'm honestly not as motivated to do them on my own. There's something fun about doing HIIT in a group environment, even if I don't talk to anyone else in class. HAHAHAHA. The Ritual workout is only 20 minutes. They split exercise sets into three levels — depending on how I feel for that day, I pick whichever level to do. 

An instructor took me for an introductory session, and pegged me to Level 2 workout intensity. It's still all about burpees and mountain climbers. UGH. HATE THEM. They've got the gymnastics rings that I haven't touched for three decades! Wahahahaha. Okay lah, not like I'm going to perform stunts on them. They'll be useful to provide another angle for pull-ups and build the shoulder muscles. I'll likely do a 20-class pack membership instead of an unlimited annual term membership thing. I've got commitment issues. 

To be honest, the Ritual workout isn't as intense as LES MILLS Grit Strength, which is my favorite, but it will do. The aches the next day confirmed that the exercises are indeed what I'm looking for- a cardio hit. When I woke, only the triceps and the teres major and minor were sore. Even so, the aches disappeared by lunchtime. It meant that I could up the intensity to Level 3 for a greater core workout, or do the dreaded kettlebell swings. But that isn't exactly what I want out of Ritual. I'm looking for a cardio hit without having to run so much. Ooof.