Are you looking to switch up your at-home gym workouts? Want to bring fun to your fitness and combine it with some girl time?
We were feeling the same AND THEN… we were introduced to the Boss Chick Dance Workout® (BCDW) – a studio based in Miami that specializes in a signature twerk-based cardio and toning classes.
The Boss Chick Dance Workout® (BCDW), as you might’ve guessed, is a fully dance-based workout that activates energy in the hips, resulting in an energetic release that helps balance your root chakra. The choreographed routines are the brainchild of the gym founder, Simone Sobers, who professionally trained in classical ballet with Alvin Ailey and studied of NYU’s Tisch School of Arts. Simone saw a need for inclusive aerobic exercises, so she created an endorphin boosting, non-stop jam session that will have you shaking, jumping, and sweating until the very last move of class.
BCDW breaks the common stigmas associated with twerking and instead positively showcases these dance moves rooted in rich African culture. Its origins get inspiration from Côte d’Ivoire‘s Mapouka dance style, where women would dance away from the male gaze as a means of achieving a closer connection to God.
“My program is entirely focused on the female body, and how twerking and dance can promote physical and mental health in women while celebrating black culture,” says Simone. “Anyone can do a workout, but twerking requires a special set of skills! Once I realized that everyone wanted to learn to twerk, we adjusted the program’s format to teach the fundamentals of twerking in addition to incorporating the fundamental dance moves in some way into all of our BCDW® classes.”
Unlike most dance-style fitness classes, each class has a different format. No memorization is required, instead, you just jump right in and catch on as quickly as you can. BCDW is a follow-along style class format that combines Hip Hop, Dancehall, Soca, and Afrobeats choreography to today’s hottest artists. They offer seven different classes for different levels: Soca Twerkout; Twerk Cardio; Twerk 101, 102, 103, 104; Twerk H.I.I.T; as well as Twerkography for beginners and Twerkshop for those looking for the ultimate 90-minute workout.
Not a dancer? Don’t worry about it. BCDW is all about keeping your heart rates racing from start-to-finish to build confidence, boosts body positivity, and improves mental health and physical wellbeing in women from all walks of life, including transgender women and those who identify as women. Toning exercises like ‘twerk jacks,’ ‘twerk push-ups,’ and ‘twerkees’ (instead of jumping jacks, push-ups, and burpees) and movements like punching and leg extensions (similar to cardio kickboxing) are incorporated and disguised as fun dance moves. The Twerk Body HIIT class also infuses a lot of traditional exercises, like lunges, crunches, and squats. Also, there’s a series of ab work in every class.
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Simone recommends beginners start with Twerk 101 and 102 to get your muscles familiar with the exercises before moving on to more advanced classes. Twerk 101 and 102 is a 45-minute class that breaks down basic twerk steps for beginners to advanced dancers and fitness enthusiasts and is offered monthly. But if you are looking for more choreography-based where class time is spent breaking down a dance routine, Twerkography is for you.
“The workouts can be intense, especially if your body isn’t yet accustomed to certain movements. It’s always a challenge, but your body will adjust, and muscle memory will kick in as you continue to move,” Simone says. “Our classes are designed to be accessible to all women, regardless of age or body type (the BCDW® participant age ranges from 18 all the way to 60+). Just go at your own pace, hydrate and breathe often, and modify any exercise as needed, so you feel most comfortable.”
“Most of our participants say it’s one of their favorite forms of stress relief,” she says. “It’s about letting loose, throwing on your favorite music and your Zoom camera. And most importantly, having fun!”
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Now is definitely the time to keep your mental and physical strength, and stay in touch with your support system, even if it’s only by digital means for now.
BCDW also now offers six instructor-led live-streamed virtual workouts Monday through Saturday, with two classes on Wednesdays and an online self-paced instructor training program to certify new teachers. Registration is open and rolling, so if you’re interested in becoming a Boss Chick Dance Workout instructor, you can begin at any time.
Bring your girls and set up a Twerk date. I mean, who wouldn’t love twerking out to Cardi B. with your BFF anytime, anywhere and… and it counts as a workout. Sign us up!
