17 Jul Could CBXT Be The Most Effective Workout in NYC? We Think So.

At CompleteBody Gym, we offer a lot of valuable group fitness classes, but one of them stands out in terms of its effectiveness and impact: CBXT. When CompleteBody’s CEO Alex Reznik designed the program, he had the idea to create a tabata-based cross training class that was special. I was here from the beginning and helped take the program to where it is today: an incredibly effective, high energy group personal training class with over 450 exercises.

We like to call it group personal training because that’s the best way to describe a class like this, where the participants get plenty of one on one interaction with an instructor, in a group setting, and at a fraction of the cost of personal training. I definitely think this program is one of the top NYC workouts that everyone should try.

For anyone wanting to know more about how it works, here’s some information about CBXT and what makes it so different from other group fitness classes.

My Perspective on CBXT

First, just getting down to the basics, CBXT combines tabata and cross training into a 45 minute group fitness program. Anyone can do it – in fact, we encourage everyone to come out to a class. It’s designed in such a way that no matter where you’re at in your fitness journey or how athletic or fit you are, you can do it. Will you burn a lot of calories? Yes. Is it challenging? Of course. But that doesn’t mean it’s only for the super strong or very fit. It’s an incredibly effective workout for literally everybody.

During the class, monitors track people’s effort and heart rate and there are zones associated with them. For example, if someone’s in the red zone, they should pull back a bit. If they’re in blue, they might want to push themselves. This is a great tool for the trainer and trainee because they can monitor the workout, calories burned, points earned, etc. Then, when they come for the next class, they can see their personal best and their points and try to do even better.

The tabata-based workout makes CBXT one of the best for the body, truly. We love tabata because it levels the playing field, so to speak. It makes the class accessible regardless of whether you’re really fit or are just starting out. With tabata, you get 45 seconds to just do your best. Somebody may do 10 TRX pushups in those 45 seconds and somebody else might do 4 TRX pushups. Each of them is giving their best. And the next time they repeat the exercise, maybe they’ll be able to do more.

What Makes CBXT Unique

Top Rated Trainers

We can say, “CBXT is an effective workout for everybody” because it’s actually – on some level – a group personal training program. For one thing, our instructors aren’t just instructors. They work with people in the class on a personal level. And for another thing, your progress is tracked so that at each and every class you attend, you can see where you’ve been and what you need to do to step up to reach your goals. No other group class is like that.

In a traditional group class, you come and go. Your progress isn’t tracked. Most of the time, the instructor stays at the front of the class and demonstrates the movements. Sometimes, they’ll get out into the class and walk around and help, but that’s not the norm. Most group fitness class instructors motivate and demonstrate. But with CBXT, the trainers get out into the class and get personal with people.

All of our trainers for CBXT are ranked #1 on ClassPass.com. We hire the best. One of them was rated the top in NYC. So I’m very comfortable with saying we have the better trainers and that’s a lot of the reason these classes are the best in NYC.

Better Setup

1. The space itself is different with a colorful environment and rocking music. The way the space is designed goes right along with the energy of the classes. We keep the music high energy, too. I’d say the Top 3 Songs to kick up the class up a notch are probably “Outta Your Mind” by Lil Jon, “Big Booty” by J Lo, and “Bang Bang” by Jessie J. Music is important to the class. As an instructor, I tend to lean toward the dance music but I find that people tend to ask for hip hop more. You can ask your instructor to play certain things if you want. Music definitely affects how you work out.
2. Options and challenges. We avoid labeling movements as “modified” or “progressive,” because that just feels very limited. If someone is struggling, we’re not going to point it out and tell them to “modify” the movement. For every exercise and for everybody, we offer options and challenges. You can choose from a couple different options for the exercise or you can choose to challenge yourself.

We don’t like people to feel like they can’t do the exercises, and we don’t want people to feel “less than” anyone else or start comparing themselves. It’s 45 seconds. Everybody’s giving their best and no one has to feel like they need to be better than the person next to them.

Benefits Go Beyond the Class

People who aren’t familiar with tabata don’t realize how beneficial it is. Tabata is high intensity interval training (HIIT). It raises metabolism and results in EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) which really just means that 12 to 24 hours later, you’re still burning calories.

In CBXT, you burn calories during the class (around 1,000), it’s very effective both for cardio and strength, and it taps into your fat storage after about 15 to 20 minutes.

We include strength training and cardiovascular exercises, and CBXT contains both aerobic and anaerobic activity. CBXT tones and creates muscles, too – people don’t always realize that in these programs you can build muscle. You’re tearing down the muscle during the workout and then when you go home and rest, your muscles will grow and adapt. This creates more muscle mass.

There are just not a lot of classes that can match all of those benefits.

How CBXT Works

Again, CBXT is based on one of the most effective workouts, which is the Tabata method. Each exercise is a burst of high intensity (45 seconds), followed by a short rest (15 seconds).You don’t have to rest during the 15 seconds. Some people keep moving.

Small class sizes

We keep the classes to 18 people. There’s technically room for more, but we found that it’s more comfortable when the group size is smaller, and everybody gets more attention that way.

Stations

People rotate between 6 stations that have 2 exercises each, and they go through these stations twice. They are at most 3 people at each station.

Tablets with Video Demonstrations

Each station has a tablet showing a video of the exercises. That way, everyone can see how the exercise should be done. The trainers definitely make it around to everyone in the class but it’s nice to have the videos there. That’s something we added recently – in the past 6 months.

Over 450 Exercises

You won’t get bored coming to CBXT. We rotate through over 450 exercises. Each time you come, you’ll be doing something different.

CBXT Is Not a Class – It’s Group Personal Training

I don’t think of CBXT like a class. It’s group personal training. It’s personal training at a fraction of the cost, really. Depending on your package, basically it could be as low as $20/session and you’re getting very similar benefits to regular personal training.

It’s effective for all levels and it’s never the same each time you come. We have people who come regularly and we want to make sure they have a different experience at every class. There are are a number of ways to work out your chest, butt, and legs for example. Hundreds. We mix it up.

What’s New: Videos and CBXT+

In the past 6 months, we added the videos and tablets, so that’s still relatively new. We also created CBXT+ which is an hour long class that includes spin. The spin room is attached and we open the big separator between the spaces for this class. In between stations, people jump on the bikes and go for 2 minutes. It burns more calories.

How to Sign Up

In order to attend a CBXT class you do have to sign up in advance, because the classes fill up. The peak hours are in the morning, starting at 6:30 AM – that’s when classes typically get booked. The off-peak classes are usually around 8 to 10 people.

Want more information? Read all about the CBXT program, features, schedule, and location at cbxtworkout.com

David Buston-Luthier is a Group Fitness Director and the Regional Group Fitness Manager at CompleteBody Gym in Manhattan. Follow him on IG @coachdavide.