If you read my blog, you know I love a good dance fitness workout. If you love them, too, you’ve gotta check out the ladies of and8 Fitness.

Your instructors are twin sisters Danielle and Dominique Gillyard who, I just realized (as I’m writing and researching this post), are local to my area (they’re located in D.C.!!). Anyhoo, I’d be hard pressed to name another workout where I’ve had this much fun in 20 minutes.

Case in point: Take their 20-minute “Get Ur Freak On” workout, featuring a Missy Elliott playlist.

First of all, any dancing/choreography scenario is immediately improved when you have Missy on your playlist. Second, the twins have got such great moves. You’re twerkin’ to the music on beat, you’re poppin’, you’re doing moves that could potentially be used at a nightclub (remember those?).

And it doesn’t end with Missy. They’ve got a line-up of workouts choreographed to chart-topping hip-hop, R&B and pop playlists: Beyonce, Ciara vs. Rhianna and Megan Thee Stallion (with more than 1.4 million views!) to name a few.

The sisters’ choreography style is easy to learn because it repeats. Unlike some choreography workouts where you learn 5-8 different 8 counts that you repeat all the way through to complete a full routine, and8 teaches a few 8 counts for each song. Once you learn one 8 count (say, that syncs up with the chorus), you repeat it (each time the chorus plays, for example). And when the song is over, you’re done with that set of 8 counts.

While I love both types of dance workouts, the repetitive style that the ladies of and8 use pretty much guarantees a great sweat. I don’t use as much mental and physical bandwidth learning and trying to remember the moves. I can spend more energy doing the biggest, lowest and best moves for each song. Because of this, these workouts are definitely some of the sweatiest 20-minute workouts that I’ve found in any genre (dance or otherwise). The sisters are also great cuers (is that a word? “Cue-ers”?), so I never feel lost doing one of their routines.

But the very best thing about these workouts is that they’re such a good time. They definitely make me want to put on my shoes and get moving. Even on days that I don’t feel like exercising, I can convince myself to do one of their routines. And I never regret hearing that countdown … “in 5, 6, 7 AND 8!”

So check them out. Their 15 to 20-minute videos are available on YouTube. Find extended workouts on their website. They also do pop-up workouts around the Washington, D.C.-region. And if you go check them out in person, don’t be surprised if you see me there!

Stay well!