It’s an average Wednesday evening at the Student Recreation Fitness Center. Students wait in line to use squat racks, trade off sets at bench press stations and mill about the weight room in search of unclaimed dumbbells.

There’s plenty of space, however, in the room next door. Melanie Kurz, Leavenworth junior, is leading a group fitness class called “Just Lift,” a resistance training-based session that targets the same muscle groups many of the students in the overcrowded free-weight area are trying to work out.

KU Fit includes more than 40 classes featuring cardio, strength and flexibility exercises. The classes are taught by certified fitness instructors and are available throughout the day.

Wednesday evening’s class is well-attended, as most KU Fit workouts are, but one thing sticks out about the group’s demographics: The female-to-male ratio is 12-to-1. That figure is in line with a KU Recreation Services’ estimate that males account for just 6 to 10 percent of KU Fit participants. While male activity in group fitness has picked up in recent semesters, men still aren’t flocking to the sessions in droves.

“A lot of it has to do with guys only wanting to work their upper body with heavy weight,” Kurz says. “They feel like they need to use more weight and fewer repetitions, whereas most of our classes focus on doing a lot of repetitions.”

“Just Lift” is a 50-minute class divided into four-minute sections that focus on each major muscle group. Each exercise is performed at three different speeds during the four-minute block. Kurz says the continuous motion can help improve

cardiovascular fitness along with muscular endurance. In The Encyclopedia of Muscle and Strength, author Jim Stoppani recommends extended repetition training because it can increase blood flow to the muscles and help release growth hormones.

No matter the benefits of fitness classes, male students don’t tend to be overly interested.

“Getting together in a group to work out—it’s not for me,” says Andrew Geha, Overland Park sophomore. “I don’t know why, but I think it’s just viewed as more of a feminine thing. It might just be in the media or on TV, but it seems negative.” Geha’s take on communal fitness seems common among college-aged males, but KU Fit is hard at work trying to make men aware of the exercise options available outside of the weight room.

Kurz says that since she began teaching group fitness at the University three years ago, she has seen a steady increase in male participation. KU Recreation Services Fitness Coordinator Amber Long has taken steps to transform and improve classes at the University by tailoring them to a wider audience. “We’re always working on participation levels, and the diversification of our schedule has helped a lot,” Long says. “I don’t know what the whole stigma has been with group fitness, but we’re hoping to debunk it, so we’re pleased we’ve seen an increase in popularity.”

Yoga and Pilates classes are the most popular among males because of the new mainstream appeal of the “yoga lifestyle,” Kurz says. She suggests attending “Completely Core” to find new ideas for abdominal workouts, and “BOSU n’ Glide” for men seeking a first foray into group fitness.

As proof that there’s something for every man, Kurz says she has even noticed a few dedicated guys making repeat visits to her “Cardio Dance Party” class.