READY S.E.T. GO! ADD A POPULAR CLASS TO YOUR AQUATIC SCHEDULE

Tuesday, July 02 2019

The above preview is for Ready S.E.T. Go!, which was posted on 9/26/16

Looking to reinvent your aquatic fitness schedule with classes that are more reflective of popular trends?  May I suggest one class that will be a giant leap forward?  USA Aqua Expert, Stephanie Thielen, just shared her signature workout, Ready S.E.T. Go!, with Fitmotivation video subscribers.  Aqua S.E.T or Aqua Strength and Endurance Training, is an excellent way to increase muscle strength & endurance and provide class participants with invaluable results. Pre-formatted to assist instructors with class set up, muscle balance and segment timing, this is an easy class to teach and will be a popular addition to your aquatic schedule.

Adding a Popular Class
If you attend or work at a fitness club that offers a Les Mills Body Pump class in the studio, you have probably noticed that class is consistently jam-packed.  Why?  Because it delivers results and it appeals to non-traditional group exercise patrons who eschew classes that require rhythmically gifted skills.  Body Pump is plain, simple weightlifting that leaves participants feeling accomplished, toned and yes…pumped up. Variations of the same exercises are performed week after week, month after month and year after year. Class participants don’t get bored; instead they get results. If something is that successful on land, history has proven it will be enthusiastically embraced in the pool.     

Aqua S.E.T. Format
The Aqua S.E.T. format has been specifically designed by Stephanie to alternate sets of strength training with sets of endurance training for the major muscle groups.  Fitmotivation video subscribers receive formatted notes that outline the 45-minute Aqua S.E.T. format, including a recommended warm-up, S.E.T. prep, main segment and final stretch.  The main segment details the recommended order of muscle groups and the featured exercises for both strength and endurance for each muscle group. The specific S.ET.s are timed to the 32-count phrasing of the fitness music.  The strength and endurance sets typically average out to around 2 minutes of strength and 2 minutes of endurance per muscle group.

Equipment?
No equipment is used in the Aqua S.E.T. format, however the addition of webbed gloves would be ideal for maximizing the water’s resistance.    Due to the class structure of strength followed by endurance, without a rest between sets, or a rest between muscle groups, Stephanie feels that incorporating equipment could jeopardize the flow and the outcome of the exercises.  “The use of equipment such as noodles and hand buoys can place a limit on which muscle groups can be targeted and can place excessive strain on the upper body due to the continuous flow of exercises with no built in break or recovery,” says Stephanie.  The other concern is that form and alignment is often compromised with the addition of equipment.  However, the Aqua S.E.T. format could be adjusted over time to allow for eventual inclusion of various equipment types once participants develop proper form and alignment with the pure anatomical movements required to target the muscle groups. 

AEA CEC Handout & Quiz
For the Aqua S.E.T. format to be successful, the instructor needs to be educated and knowledgeable about basic anatomical movement – joints actions and the targeted muscle groups. For this reason, Stephanie and I thought it would be a good idea to expand the educational content for Ready S.E.T. Go!   Stephanie wrote an 8-page extended educational CEC handout and drafted an optional 20 question online quiz approved for 2 AEA CECs. This handout includes extended education on anatomical movement planes, joint actions, strength & endurance exercises, S.E.T. formatting and timing protocols, teaching tips and more.  All subscribers have access to the one page workout outline, but access to the extended 8-page handout and optional AEA CEC quiz requires a separate purchase - $20.00 for Basic subscribers and $10.00 for Premium subscribers.

Music Recommendation
Below are Stephanie’s music CD recommendations, available at Muscle Mixes Music.
Final Cuts, Volumes 3, 5 & 7
Balletone 3

More Aqua S.E.T.s?
In the extended handout, Stephanie provided recommendations on how to select exercises for the strength and endurance sets and how often to change the format.  However, if there are subscriber requests and an interest in seeing future Aqua S.E.T. releases, we have certainly left the option open to make Aqua S.E.T. an ongoing video series.  Your comments are most appreciated.

 On behalf of Fitmotivation, I cannot thank Stephanie enough for sharing one of her most popular aqua classes with Fitmotivation subscribers.  Be sure to find out what Stephanie has to say about this class in the Fitmotivation Video Interview.  And if you are interested in contacting Stephanie or requesting her workshops, visit her at Stephanie-Thielen.com.  

 

 

Author: Mark Grevelding is the founder of Fitmotivation. He is also a training specialist and consultant with the Aquatic Exercise Association’s (AEA). Mark has been active in the fitness industry for 22 years as a group fitness instructor, personal trainer, international presenter and a continuing education provider for AEA, AFAA & ACE.