Tim Bass, Teaching Boisterously

Walk down the JCC’s fitness hallway on a Monday evening or Saturday morning, and you’ll hear music blasting, laughing and cheering, and people generally sounding like they’ve having the time of their lives. That would be the J’s Total Body BoxJump Group Exercise class, led by instructor Tim Bass.

Four years ago, Tim suffered a heart attack at 53 years old. In the months following, he realized he needed to take his health into his own hands. “A lot of my recovery centered around jump rope and cardio,” Tim said. “I felt like it was still missing a lot of full-body movement.” It was around that time that he started his jump rope class at the JCC, and quickly started to add components like punching bags and weights. Now, the Total Body BoxJump class has a vibe entirely its own, because of Tim’s personal dedication to it.

Total Body BoxJump

Tim watches boxing in his free time, so the class takes inspiration from boxing workouts. The title “Total Body BoxJump” may sound intimidating, but this total cardio class is made for anyone who wants to join. “People like to take it at their own pace,” Tim said. “We do a lot of full-body work, so we like to make it a fun environment with lots of music and motivation.”

The environment in Schloss Gym during Tim’s classes is electric because of his loud music, words of encouragement and overall positive attitude. During his classes, he stands in the center of the music-filled room and yells words of instruction and praise. The members of the class, including Tim’s wife, Gina (pictured on the left), yell encouragement to each other as well.

Total Body BoxJump shows that working out and prioritizing health doesn’t have one set of rules. Fitness can be done in a group and still be personal, it can be taken at your own pace, it can be fun while also posing new challenges.

Tim Bass is the Best

The best part of coming to Total Body BoxJump isn’t the music, despite popular belief, but Tim himself. Tim is the kind of person that remembers the name and face of everyone in his class, week after week. He’s the kind of person who tries to get to know everyone for more than face value. “He’s 74,” Tim said while pointing to a member of his class, “and recovering from a heart attack as well.” Directing his attention toward two regulars who entered the room, he said, “They’ve both lost probably 40 pounds since coming to this class.”

Tim’s efforts aren’t lost on the patrons of his classes, either. According to newcomer Chris Croyts (pictured on the right), “Tim really makes the whole class. He’s welcoming and a great leader.” Croyts, who was originally just looking to find a way to add variety to his workouts, found himself coming back repeatedly for Total Body BoxJump with Tim.

Xiao Wang has also only been attending Tim’s class for a few sessions. “Tim is a very nice coach,” she said. “His class is different because it has more efficient cardio than anything else. I stopped coming to work out when the pandemic happened, but I came back to find this class and it brought me back to the gym.”

The extra care Tim takes to make his class a positive environment is evident, as is his passion for providing an inclusive and healthy workout space. Total Body BoxJump is FREE for JCC members, so come on by and try it out for yourself!

Total Body BoxJump Mon, 5-5:30 pm | Sat, 9-10 am Schloss (small) Gym FREE for JCC members