Most people know that exercise or physical activity is beneficial for overall health. Even though people may go to the gym on a regular basis, they may not exert themselves enough to have a legitimate workout. It’s possible that people won’t burn enough calories to counteract the anything they ate all day. The fact is that about 30% of people worldwide don’t get sufficient exercise.
Maybe you work a hard job and don’t have the effort to workout when you get home. Perhaps your desk job drains you and causes utter laziness. Maybe you are a parent and don’t have the time to exercise. If any of those examples describes you, it’s time to try high intensity interval training (HIIT). That’s exactly what Vinnie, a.k.a. V-Man, did with the one and only She Beast, Nadege Ndjebayi.
What Is HIIT?
Involving short bursts of intense exercise with low-intensity recovery periods, HIIT works to improve both cardiovascular and muscular strength. Many people love HIIT workouts because they only last for 10-30 minutes. Even though they are shorter than the average gym-goer’s workout session, HIIT sessions have proven to be more effective. Studies show that HIIT workouts burned 25-30% more calories than other forms of exercise. You’ll see how exhausted Vinnie was in the video in this article. In fact, he’ll tell you all about it below.
I love a good workout. Whether it’s riding down the slopes on a snowboard, lifting free weights, surfing, or hiking, I love to explore as many activities as I can. One thing I had never done, though, was HIIT training. I’m not a cardio guy, and you’ll see how badly the She Beast whooped my ass in the training session. Am I out of shape? Cardiovascular speaking, absolutely, but that’s because I don’t focus on cardio exercises as much as I should. That left me feeling embarrassed and weak during the workout session, but sometimes it’s good to feel that way. It means the training works!
Who Is The She Beast?
Nadege Ndjebayi is one of the most inspirational and motivated women I’ve ever had the chance to meet. Born in Paris, Ndjebayi has dedicated a huge portion of her life to transforming her health. She struggled with weight gain and poor eating habits in the past, but she found the will to overcome obstacles and emerge a healthier person. She is a personal trainer who has the drive to inspire the masses, and she exudes female empowerment. Her love for fitness has helped other women find their inner she beasts. You’ll see how mighty her roar (and muscles) are in the video.
Ndjebayi trains at The Method, a black-owned gym in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, CA. It aims to give people the most efficient workouts, while offering impressive recovery methods to maintain optimal physical health. The gym offers a variety of circuit, boxing, and booty-focused workouts, but the featured one is the Metcon. This 25-30 minute HIIT workout aims to burn 600-700 calories. That’s the craziest workout I’ve ever heard of! Naturally, I had to try it.
The Workout
Before I start telling you how exhausted I was, let me first start by saying that the gym feels like a club. She Beast calls it, “the only club you should be excited to go to.” The lights are going, the music is bumping, and She Beast is yelling at you the whole time. She’s not yelling to demean you or anything like that; rather, she’s doing her best to match the intensity and motivate you to power through the workout.
I started by biking a mile on the assault bike, which is a heavy-duty exercise bike. Using your upper and lower body, you crank the pedals and pull/push the handles. From there, I went straight into pull-ups for 30 seconds, followed by tricep dips for 30 seconds. Only then was I allowed to rest for 30 seconds. Then I was back to the pull-up bar. I managed to complete a few pull-ups, but then She Beast had to assist me with reps for the remaining time. Fortunately, I could still do tricep dips after finishing those pull-ups.
After 30 more seconds of recovery, I went back to the pull-up bar. Little did I know, that I had no strength left. I tried pulling myself up, but nothing happened. My lats and traps were useless and I was done for. And we were only on the first circuit of the workout! I should’ve taken the resistance band to assist with pull-ups that she offered me in the beginning.
She Beast then pointed to the stair climber. I was excited to try this machine, which I only ever saw in the Rocky montages in the movies. Although, I did not look as ripped and determined as the boxers in the movies. As you can see in the video, I looked exhausted, because I was. I dug deep and was inspired to keep pace with the thumping beats she blasted in the studio. It was She Beast who kept me motivated to complete the workout. She kept saying, “Come on! Stay on the beat!” I tried as best I could.
Post Workout
Needless to say, I wanted to die. My lungs had never worked that hard in my life, and I was proud of myself for completing the workout. Before this HIIT session, I never needed help with pull-ups in my entire adolescent or adult life. It was definitely humbling because it exposed the areas I need to improve on in my fitness game.
Did I feel like my inner She Beast came out to roar during that session? I don’t know if it did. I think it went to hibernate after the workout, though. What I do know is that if you want to get in shape and be the best version of yourself, head over to The Method gym and take some classes from the She Beast. You can find out more about her and what she does with the information below.
Instagram: @nadege_ndjebayi
