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Discover XCO: Extreme Core Group Training
Ever wanted to train your core explosively in a group setting? You can! Meet XCO, short for Extreme Core, a 45-minute group training where you train your abdominal and back muscles using a weighted tube. In addition to training your core, XCO promises to develop more muscle strength and improve connective tissue while burning lots of calories. Our experience? Read on to find out.
Reactive Impact with XCO
The first thing you notice when you see an XCO class is the weighted tube used by the participants, called the XCO Trainer. This tube is weighted with grit and comes in 3 different sizes and weights. The goal is to train with this for 45 minutes. The XCO Trainers are weighted because they are filled with grit, weighing between 450 grams and 1,200 grams, depending on the size you choose. The difference from training with dumbbells is that you normally train with so-called dead weight. Inside the XCO Trainer, the grit moves along with the movement, providing a heavier load on the muscles. At least according to the creator of XCO. The moving weight inside the tube could provide more stress deeper in the muscle group or in the connective tissue, which is called reactive impact.
What Does an XCO Class Look Like?
An XCO class is led by an instructor and takes place in a group setting at the gym. At the beginning of the class, you choose the XCO trainer you will use for the 45-minute session. The exercises mainly focus on strengthening and improving your core, including your abdominal muscles, obliques, and lower back. But other muscle groups and your cardiovascular fitness are also trained. Given that the class is accompanied by upbeat music, it’s a high-impact workout where you can burn quite a few calories. During an XCO class, you can easily burn 500 calories or more.
Because not everyone has experience in sports, there are different levels at which you can start. At the beginning of the class, you choose the XCO Trainer, available in various sizes and weights. This largely determines the intensity of your class. You can choose from 5 sizes of XCO Trainer:
Small: 450 grams of grit, 30 centimeters long, and a diameter of 5 centimeters.
Medium: 600 grams of grit, 40 centimeters long, and 5 centimeters in diameter.
Large: 900 grams of grit, 60 centimeters long, and 7 centimeters in diameter.
Extra large: 1,200 grams of grit, 40 centimeters long, and 7 centimeters in diameter.
Walk & Running: 325 grams of grit, 27 centimeters long, and a diameter of 5 centimeters. Intended for use during running.
Will I Get Muscular from XCO?
Because you train with weights during an XCO class, it’s not uncommon for many women to think that they will get very muscular from XCO. That’s not the case. The way you train, even if you train with the heaviest weight, always results in a certain, specific stress on the muscles that can lead to some soreness, especially if you’re untrained. But the training method (many repetitions with relatively light weight) will not lead to a lot of muscle growth. If you want to achieve muscle growth, you need to create hypertrophy through progressive overload. Not only do you need to train well, but you also need to adjust your diet to provide the muscles with the nutrients they need to grow. So if you’re afraid of getting too muscular from an XCO class, rest assured: you won’t end up looking like a bodybuilder.
Our Experience with XCO
We, as an online fitness platform, attended an XCO class at Health City in Amsterdam. Because we already have quite a bit of experience in the gym, we opted for the Large XCO Trainer. After all, we usually train with heavier weights. Or so we thought. Because an XCO class is not something to underestimate. During the class, you make movements that indeed send the grit in the XCO Trainer in all directions, making it feel different to train than with regular dumbbells. This was something we hadn’t taken into account, along with the high tempo. Additionally, we were pleasantly surprised by the way the class was taught. Our concern with group classes is that an instructor can never properly monitor and coach all participants in terms of executing the movements, but during the class (attended by about 15 participants), we were well supervised by the instructor.
In summary: if you want to train your core, muscle condition, and endurance in a fun, intensive way in a group setting, XCO could be something for you.
