Kendra Gray leads K30, a 30-minute fitness class designed to make workouts manageable for those with tight schedules.
Photo by Chloe Durham
Have you ever noticed K30 advertised in your Lee weekly newsletter and wondered what it really is?
K30 is a 30-minute group fitness class led by Kendra Gray. This program is geared towards making workouts manageable in a tight schedule but effective on all areas of the body.
Gray serves as the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Public Relations here at Lee University. When Gray first started teaching the class in August of 2017, she was just temporarily filling a vacant position. She had not had any previous training for the class and was not certified.
However, Gray was encouraged by a co-worker to continue and ended up getting certification to teach the class. Once she had her credentials, the Rec Center was able to begin advertising the class to the Lee community.
Prior to her certification, she brainstormed with the class for the program’s name. They landed on K30, with “K” standing for “Kendra” and the “30” for the length of the workouts.
“I like to say that it stands for ‘kick-butt,’” Gray said, “and a few of the others say it stands for ‘killer,’ but it really stands for ‘Kendra.’”
Photo by Chloe Durham
K30 workouts are never the same, but they follow a general structure.
On Tuesdays, Gray focuses on working out as a group. Everyone does two to four different activities and repeats them throughout the class for the full 30 minutes. On Thursdays, the group rotates through seven different stations. Gray does this to allow the group to use all types of workout equipment.
The class is broken up into a three-minute warm-up, a 22- to 23-minute circuit of strength and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) rounds, and a four- to five-minute cool down.
Despite the goal to limit the workout to a half hour, Gray encourages an additional 10 to 15 minutes for pre-workout stretching.
Gray plans out the week’s routines the weekend before and then goes through the workout herself the morning before the class in her home.
“That way, I feel exactly…what the body is tending to do on a certain move so that I can be mindful of that when showing them what to do,” Gray said.
Gray’s focus is on working the entire body, but her goal is to improve the overall health of the participants, not just on the outside.
“My goal is to help them reach their goals—bigger picture,” Gray said. “I want them to all have goals of overall better health, and I want them to see this as just one part of it.”
K30 usually attracts around 16-18 participants, one of whom is sophomore theology major Chloe Emery. Emery has been attending K30 since spring of last year and explained that the program has kept her accountable with her workouts.
Photo by Chloe Durham
“I started going to K30 because I’ve always tried to be consistent with my fitness, and I work best when in a class or group setting,” Emery said. “Already knowing Kendra, who is super sweet, and some of the people who attend, I wanted to try it out and loved it.”
Not only does it provide a full body workout, but it’s also at a great time [in the day], so I can get a workout in to keep me energized the rest of the day,” Emery continued.
Freshman business administration major Grace Wassef also attends the class. She explained learning the technical side of the workout provides an additional interest to exercise.
“My favorite part is learning new exercises that target every muscle group while being pushed by Kendra and the others in the class,” Wassef said. “It is also so helpful to be taught correct form and stretches for post-workout.”
For those considering trying the class but hesitant to jump in, Emery suggests just going for it, as the workouts are versatile and can be tailored to individual needs and goals.
“No matter your body type or age or athleticism, the class can help you a lot and can be modified to fit what you need,” Emery said. “There are lots of different people from lots of different ages and with a variety of experience with exercise, so no matter what you’re looking for, you can probably find it during the 30-minute class.”
The K30 class meets at the Rec Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m.
For further information, contact Kendra Gray at kgray@leeuniversity.edu or stop by the Rec Center.
