To get you in shape this Summer, I'm sampling group fitness classes that will make swimsuit and sleeveless season as painless as possible. This week's class I chose based on the name alone: Total Body Blast, which sounded promising, if not quite as literal as Bikini Body Sculpt at Equinox.

Offered at one of my all-time favorite gyms, The Sports Club/LA (747 Market St., 415-633-3900), Total Body Blast combines all your fitness needs into one tidy hour. It's offered throughout the week, morning and evening, in the extraordinarily expansive group fitness studio, which feels uncrowded even when it's at capacity.

I took a 6 p.m. class with Michael Walker, who was easy to follow, energetic, and not at all scary or aggressive. The workout incorporates barbells, dumbbells, step platforms, and your body's resistance: think lots and lots of lunges. Alternating between strength exercises and cardio with a focus on the former, this workout epitomizes circuit training, one of the best calorie-burning strategies around.

Since you choose your weights, this class can be harder or easier depending on your ability, so I highly recommend it for beginners. It's easy to figure out the moves yet challenging enough that you know you're getting a workout. The best part is, I didn't feel like I'd been hit by a bus the next day. You could definitely do this class multiple times a week, which might be just what we need as July rapidly approaches.

Got any classes you'd suggest I try next?

Source: The Sports Club/LA