Many people have heard of Zumba®, a dance exercise program that uses choreography to Latin and other world rhythms to provide a workout that incorporates cardio-respiratory and muscular fitness as well as flexibility. Zumba® is easy to follow and gives a fun but effective workout for people of different fitness levels.
STRONG Nation™, formerly known as STRONG by Zumba®, is a very different type of fitness program developed by Zumba Fitness. It is a type of high intensity interval training (HIIT) program that combines body weight, muscle conditioning, cardio and plyometric training moves. In contrast to other HIIT classes where the music is just something that is played in the background, the music for STRONG Nation™ (a mix of EDM and hip hop) has been specifically developed for the program and is used as the framework for the martial arts-inspired moves. Because of the importance of the music to the moves, the STRONG Nation™ program is more like high intensity “tempo” training. The tempo and strength of the beat dictates the intensity of the moves. Plyometric or explosive moves like burpees, jumping jacks, and high knees alternate with isometric, lower intensity moves like lunges, squats, and planks in sync with the music.
The structure of a STRONG Nation™ class consists of the Warmup, four quadrants with a transition (called Recharge) after each quadrant, followed by the Cooldown. The Warmup prepares the body for the more intense moves to come, gradually lubricating the joints and increasing the body core temperature and heart rate. The goal of the first quadrant, Ignite, is to get the heart rate to a moderate intensity level and is more aerobic in nature. During this stage, breathing will range from normal to breathy (able to talk with some difficulty). The second quadrant, Fire-Up, involves more challenging intervals with active recovery breaks. In this quadrant, you would feel breathy to breathing heavy so talking would require a lot of effort. The third quadrant, Push Your Limits, is where the intensity is close to max threshold levels. Breathing in this quadrant would range from breathy to breathless or even out of breath (talking almost impossible). The final quadrant, Floorplay, is where all moves are performed on the floor, emphasizing the core and focused muscle work. The short Recharge (30-90 s) after each quadrant uses simple moves to get the heart rate back down in preparation for the subsequent quadrant. For the final Cooldown, you are back to standing and the focus is mobilization and flexibility while bringing the heart rate back down to pre-exercise levels.
STRONG Nation™ is the most intense program that Zumba Fitness has developed, but the instructors are able to offer modifications to the moves to either lower or increase the intensity over what is called the base move, making the program accessible to a wide range of fitness abilities. The regular STRONG Nation™ class is 55-60 minutes long. However, there is a STRONG 30™ version which strengthens your core and tones your arms, abs, and glutes like the full version but in only 30 minutes. All the sections are shortened except for quadrant 3 (Push Your Limits) to maximize the benefit in half the time.
We have a STRONG 30™ workout that you can check out in the Video On-Demand section of our website along with other Zumba fitness workouts. Always consult your physician before beginning this or any other exercise program.
