Students visit the gym on campus for multiple reasons: shed a few pounds with a spring break trip in mind, buff up those arms before a night out or hope to run into the night’s future date.
Regardless of your reason, it’s easy to become bored while on the elliptical or waiting for a machine in the weight room. Instead, Virginia Tech offers more than 100 group fitness classes each week with a variety that ranges from “Yogalates” to boot camp, and all of which are taught by Tech student instructors.
Junior Ricardo Boulware keeps busy working toward a dual degree in Spanish education and human resources management, and he has a job as one of Blacksburg Transit’s most popular drivers, according to a Facebook group made in his honor. Four times a week, however, you can find him in one of the studio rooms in McComas Hall teaching the classes “Advanced Step,” “Advanced Abs” or “Body Pump.”
Despite his busy schedule, when Boulware is in a fitness class his concentration is focused on bringing the most enthusiasm to his students.
“The rest of my business is thrown to the curb,” Boulware said. “When I’m in that studio, it’s all about fitness.”
In each class, Boulware builds his energy from the reception he gets from participants.
“Honestly, the part that makes the class fun is seeing the girls and guys come, glowing in the face, sweatin’ bullets but still smiling” he said.
To keep students excited and challenged, Boulware spends time studying different instructors’ styles as well as YouTube videos to develop creative choreography for his step classes.
“Sometimes if a move is too complicated or too simple I’ll change it up, adding my own style to it,” Boulware said, who’s most famous move is called “Crazy Girl.”
Junior Rachel Blackwell, who teaches six different fitness classes, has also learned that enthusiasm is key.
“I know I have to turn it up every time I walk in the door,” Blackwell said. “It takes a lot of dedication.”
Among the classes she teaches each week, her favorite is “Yogalates,” a class described as being a complete mind-body experience.
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