Co-founders Jason Layden and Stacey Beaman talk about PlyoJam and their popular dance fitness classes on Good Morning LaLa Land, a live-streaming daily talk show.
Stacey and Jason Talk PlyoJam on Good Morning LaLa Land
Author Archives: Stacey Beaman
YES! We Notice When Our Students Disappear From Our Fitness Classes!
Social media, with all its pros and cons, inevitably does something similar for all its users. It reminds us of the past…whether it’s that Facebook “On this day 3 years ago” notification or Instagram’s Time Hop, we are constantly being reminded of what was going on last year at this time, two years ago, five years ago, etc. The other day I received one such notification and both notifications happened to have photos from my PlyoJam dance fitness classes that I teach in Westlake Village, CA.
FITNESS CLASS BLAST FROM THE PAST
As I looked at the photos, I realized how much my fitness classes have changed, grown, new faces added, old faces lost. And some of the faces I saw in those photos made me sad! I haven’t seen them in so long!
STUDENTS ARE LIKE FAMILY
As a fitness instructor, we build relationships with our students. We seem them regularly, weekly (or for some, even daily) in our fitness classes and it becomes routine. Second nature. And as much as students feel they rely on their instructors, I am here to say that fitness instructors rely on their students JUST AS MUCH.
In a world full of constant change, inevitable impermanence and sometimes chaotic uncertainty, isn’t it wonderful to have a place to go a few days a week to get an amazing workout. A place to go see the instructor you love. A place to sweat it out alongside the classmates you’ve grown accustomed to seeing each week?
WHERE DID YOU GO?
But then this thing happens. A student who I’ve grown used to seeing week after week just disappears. No word. No explanation. They are just gone. And boy do I notice. That “spot” (you know how everyone has their “spot” in class) is suddenly empty, or filled with someone new. And I’m left wondering why Lauren is no longer in my back left corner or Maria is no longer center third row.
OUR PLEA
Dear students…your instructors love and value you. We rely on you just as much as you rely on us. And we know life changes, schedules change, and sometimes the fitness class you once attended regularly no longer works for you. If you have been a regular at a fitness class for a while, and suddenly must depart that class…I beg of you, let your instructor know. You may not think they’ll notice, but I promise they will. And I promise, we miss your presence.
And if you can make it back to a class, book one today! Head over to SweatNow where tons of PlyoJam teachers have their classes listed!
How a Dance-Based Fitness Class Can Help Couples Get Fit
PlyoJam is an energized and intense dance workout that blends jumping exercises with short, explosive hip-hop moves. This uniquely engaging fitness program began in California in 2012 and has been sweeping the nation with its party-like online classes. If you want to lose weight with a partner, PlyoJam can make sure you stay on track and have a blast dancing your way to your health goals.
What’s Holding You Back from Living Your Best and Healthiest Life?
When I first started my journey taking dance fitness classes, I was about to turn 36. I was overweight, unhealthy and unhappy. Having recently gone through a few bad breakups, stuck in a career I didn’t love and miles away from any kind of fitness regimen, I was just kind of lost.
THE FIRST STEPS
I remember attending my very first PlyoJam class in the summer of 2014. You know what the biggest struggle was? Figuring out what the hell to wear! I hadn’t worked out in ages, I was adamantly against showing my arms, nothing felt good, the struggle was so real! I would look in my closet and try convince myself not to go to class because I had nothing that fit right. I had done this countless times in the past, so the internal conversation of “I should just skip it” was alarmingly familiar. After trying on countless baggy t-shirts and leggings, I finally settled on something and headed out the door.
WALKING INTO THE STUDIO
Next hurdle…getting out of the car and walking into the dance fitness class. I remember driving to the class, blasting Eminem, trying to pump up my confidence and quiet my fear. “You’re a great dancer,” I told myself. “You will just stand in the back and do what you can!” So I got my butt out of the car. My memory is as clear as day of walking into the studio. Everyone seemed to know each other. Everyone looked adorable in their tanks and Lulu leggings. It was intimidating AF!
GETTING LOST IN THE MUSIC
I stood in the back, eyes flitting around the studio, waiting to get started. I was so anxious, but once the music began, I felt a little more at ease. The music filled the room and I felt like I could almost hide in the folds of its rhythm and tempo. As Jason began to teach, the moves felt super fast and hard to follow (funny to me now!) but OH MY GOSH it felt so good to move my body, to feel the sweat running down my temple! Four songs in I was addicted and I had this burning excitement in my tummy because I sensed something big could and would come from this class I had found!
FINDING THE COURAGE
I’ll never really know where I found the gumption to try that very first dance fitness class. I’m not sure what finally quieted the internal “what’s the point, I’m not going” dialogue. I think it may have been the little voice in the back of my head that kept saying, “something has to change.”
Maybe I was tired of my own excuses.
Maybe I was tired of feeling down.
Maybe it was some kind of muscle memory from years past when I used to be an athlete and I knew how good endorphins made me feel.
Maybe my poor little soul was tired of my brain being so mean to me.
Whatever it was, I’m so thankful for that initial spark.
But maybe I need to give myself more credit. Yes I was fearful and unsure and embarrassed. But I have also had a really deep internal strength. I’ve accomplished a lot and I’ve overcome a lot, so would I really let the fear of a dance fitness class get me? Hell no!
WINDS OF CHANGE
And thank God I didn’t. I walked into that class and it changed my life forever. That day was the beginning of an 8 week mission. It was summer break and at the time I was a teacher off for the summer. I ended up taking forty PlyoJam classes in eight weeks. I lost 26 pounds. What I lost in pounds, I gained ten times over in confidence, health, inspiration, happiness and a newly found zest for life!
I’ll save the rest of my story (how I went on to become the co-founder of PlyoJam, teach privates to James Corden and Adelle, be featured on the news, and teach PlyoJam to hundreds of my own students) for another blog.
But for today I want you to think about what’s stopping you. What roadblocks and hurdles are in your way. How can I help you find that SPARK to shove those roadblocks aside and take a chance on something scary and new? Because trust me, it could change your life.
Dancing 4 A Cause at AHS
Encino resident Carrie Murray joins about 140 participants at the Dance4ACause benefit fitness event on Jan. 20 at Agoura High School. PlyoJam Dance Fitness organized the two-hour cardio dance party. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the families of the victims of the Borderline Bar and Grill shooting and those affected by the Woolseyfire.
PlyoJam Founders Stacey Beaman and Jason Layden on KTLA Channel 5
PlyoJam Founders Stacey Beaman and Jason Layden make an appearance on KTLA Channel 5 with Lu Parker and Glen Walker to chat about their upcoming Dance 4 A Cause event. The event is being held to raise money for the families of the victims of the Borderline shooting and the victims of the Woolsey Fire.
Dance workout to aid tragedy victims
PlyoJam Dance Fitness will host a benefit class from 4 to 6 p.m. Sun., Jan. 20 at Agoura High School, G Bldg., 28545 W. Driver Ave.
All proceeds will be donated to the Las Virgenes Fire Relief for those affected by the wildfires and to the Conejo Valley Victims Fund for victims of the Borderline Bar shooting.
STRENGTH TRAINING JUNKIE OR CARDIO FANATIC?
As the creator of a dance fitness format, I’ve noticed something about fitness enthusiasts. Many are either slaying their strength training goals in the weight room or crushing their cardio workouts. I rarely meet people who place an importance on both strength training and cardio.
It seems that many don’t understand that both are necessary for optimal health. The two types of workouts offer different things: strength training is encouraged to build muscle mass and optimize calorie burn duration, whereas a cardio dance class focuses on having fun while promoting cardiovascular endurance.
COMMON COMPLAINTS BY DANCE FITNESS LOVERS
Let’s examine some of the things people say when it comes to why they prefer one method of exercise over another. I’m a dance fitness instructor, so I’m going to focus on what I’ve heard from my students. People who love dance classes don’t necessarily love strength training because it’s not as fun as dance cardio class. It’s boring, it can be intimidating and it may not provide that endorphin high or feeling of camaraderie a group fitness class provides.
GYM GOERS P.O.V.
On the flip side, people who love strength training may like the idea of a cardio dance class, but assume that they’re not going to get the calorie burn necessary to achieve optimal results. Or perhaps they won’t achieve the cut look they desire.
There are biases and assumptions from both groups of people, and those biases and assumptions aren’t helping anyone meet their fitness goals!
ARE CARDIO DANCE CLASSES NOT COOL?
There’s also the reputation that’s been associated with dance fitness. It’s unfortunate the bad wrap that cardio dance classes have gotten, especially from millennials. It’s pretty obvious at the gym, when you walk into the group exercise room and the median age is 52. It’s just not cool, right? Turn around and check out the weight room to find people usually under the age of 40 throwing weights around trying to build that bodybuilder physique! Definitely two different vibes!
FIND THE BALANCE
As for me, I prefer taking a cardio dance class over strength training. One is definitely more fun than the other! I try to find the balance in both. To be honest, it’s not fun or easy, but I try. I realize the importance of strength training and the benefit it has on my body, but I also know my soul and my heart appreciate a good gyration and booty bounce.
MY TRICK TO MAKING WEIGHT TRAINING FUN
I’m here to tell you that you can incorporate both strength training AND your favorite dance class in your fitness plan! How? You can achieve this with your favorite music!
Obviously, music is the key ingredient to a dance class. Finding the right songs with the proper BPM (beats per minute) can really help motivate you in the gym. It works for me! My suggestion for all you dance lovers that don’t do strength training outside of dance class is to create a strength training workout around a motivating playlist!
WORKOUT EXAMPLE
Here’s an example of what I do on a day I’m working out my chest and triceps. I first decide on the five different strength training exercises for those muscle groups. For every exercise, choose a song. For example, I would pick, “All I Do is Win,” by DJ Khaled, to do the tricep extensions exercise. The BPM on this song is just the right speed so that each extension would match the beat of the song.
The goal is to work out to the rhythm of the song. It’s the same feeling as dancing, just more controlled. This song is the perfect length to perform the three required sets for each of the five exercises. This formula would then be repeated for each exercise, with a different song for each exercise, of course.
GYM HACKS FOR SUCCESS
Hopefully this gym hack will help you dance fitness enthusiasts find a better balance between your time on the dance floor versus your time in the weight room. Feel free to give this a try and let me know in the comments below how it worked out for you! If you need suggestions for songs, please see our Spotify page!
DON’T BE AFRAID OF A DANCE FITNESS CLASS
As far as you gym rats are concerned, I suggest trying a PlyoJam class. Dancers love PlyoJam yet the class is designed for those that also have never taken a dance class in their life. The music in a PlyoJam class is contemporary and most likely up your alley. We promise this ain’t your mama’s fitness class at the YMCA. The combination of the plyometrics and Hip Hop dance moves will help you achieve the calorie burn you desire!
I hope I’ve done my job in letting you all know that strength training and dance cardio can coexist! In fact, it should! You no longer need to be an either or person! You are free to, and most definitely should, engage in both forms of exercise!
See you in class!
Local fitness business helps Borderline and Woolsey Fire victims
PlyoJam, which offers dance fitness classes, will donate all proceeds from an upcoming course to victims of the Woolsey Fire and Borderline shooting.
The A-List Booty Workout
Loved by celebs such as Reese Witherspoon and James Corden (who dragged his mate Adele along), Plyojam fuses hip-hop dance moves with plyometrics (basically any exercise that involves jumping) to create a cardio class where you’ll sweat and smile. Co-founder Stacey Beaman told us, “PlyoJam is a sexy, fun and intense workout designed to shed massive calories. All routines are set to pop and hip-hop tunes you know and love.”