Alright fitness people, here’s a little something we never thought we’d be reporting on: a choreographed barbell “dance” complete with very serious head hair tosses and eight count thrusters.
At a recent Rush Club Nation event held on Saturday June 25, a sort of half time show occurred in between the men’s and women’s events. Rush Club Nation, for those that haven’t heard of it, is a UFC-esque style functional fitness throwdown. Complete with smoke machines and dramatic lighting, athletes go head to head in a pseudo fitness fight ring.
The event has attracted an array of athletes including adaptive athletes and Games athletes like Elijah Muhammad, Annie Sakamoto, and Becky Conzleman. The events seem legit and apparently a blast to watch, but back to the matter at hand…
…this video:
Yes, that is nine hair sprayed, dolled up dancers known as the RushChicks who apparently can also bust out a decent squat. Is it CrossFit? Is it Jazzercise? Is it Dance Moms?
We’re really not sure how to feel about this. On the one hand, these women clearly have some training, both in the gym and in dance. It’s not a huge stretch for someone to finally bridge these the two activities together. On the other hand, we can see globo gyms picking up this sort of thing and branding the latest group fitness craze as something like “R&B Sculpt: Be the Best You in 2017 with our new Rhythm & Barbell sculpting class.”
Tae Bo ain’t got nothin’ on R&B Sculpt.
But seriously, kudos to these women for trying something new. Whether or not this becomes the next bit thing in functional fitness, putting yourself out there in a passionate and opinionated community takes some serious cojones. Thus far, the reaction of the general internet has been mixed. Comments range from “Amazing! When are auditions?” to “Some things you just can’t unsee.”
We’re very curious to hear all of your thoughts, so comment below and let us know what you think!
