Slowing Down to Tone Up…Physique 57
Since partnering up with Vision Fitness and Wellness, I have been able to network with a few amazing organizations, such as Women Empowered, a non-profit organization that basically connects women of all ages and backgrounds and inspires them to give back to their communities through mentorship and volunteering. I was lucky enough to get to volunteer for them last month to educate underprivileged teenage girls on fitness and nutrition. This month I got invited to another cool event that was more about networking and less about volunteering. Not only that, but it involved an exercise class. Exercise AND networking? Yes, please!
Women Empowered organized a private class at Physique 57. I was really excited to attend this class, because my sister in New York is obsessed with the workouts there and always talks about how great they are and how much it has changed her body. I was pretty sure one workout wouldn’t change my body, but I was still pumped to try out the class and see if it was a workout I would become “obsessed” with and want to do more than this one time.
So, a little background, Physique 57 is a workout program that combines isometric exercises (essentially using the weight of the body against some form of resistance that strengthens and tones the muscles, but no movement is seen) and orthopedic stretches to lengthen and sculpt your muscles and help you create a more lean body. This workout is supposed to help improve your posture, give you a more sculpted physique and stronger core muscles, among other benefits. The class lasts 60 minutes and includes a warm up, low-weight arm exercises, thigh exercises at the bar, butt exercises on the floor and/or bar, some work with a ball, some thigh work on the floor and then 15 minutes of abs before stretching cool-down.
I can honestly say, I can see where this workout would helpful, but I can also see where for someone like myself, who likes to sweat and feel my heart thumping in my chest during a workout, it could also not be enough. We were also in a beginner class, and I found out later that there are mixed, intermediate and even advanced classes, so perhaps one of those might have been a little more my speed.
The pros to this class are that it will definitely hit all those areas on your body you kind of forget about when you are exercising. For me, for example, I like to run, hike, spin and run stairs. These are all great workouts, but none of them really isolate different muscles. The day after this class, I was sore in odd places, probably because I rarely take the time to work on specific areas that this class will help you work on. Another pro to this class, is it teaches someone like me to SLOW DOWN. Not all great workouts have to be intense and sweaty and kill your body. Like I mentioned earlier, perhaps taking an intermediate class would have made me sweat harder, but I did feel some burning in odd spots on my body, so that means something happened. Yay!
There were a few cons of this program for me. The price per class, (which we got a discount on for this event) is daunting. 31 dollars for one class, and although an introductory month is 110 dollars, a month is normally 275. I would have to absolutely LOVE this program to spend that. Second, I don’t like working out on carpet. It just feels weird and leaves a weird feeling on your skin after. Sorry. The other con is the intensity. I would have wanted more–longer holds, deeper bends, and more cardio.
You could take this class in conjunction with a morning cardio workout and get your sweat and your physique on all in one. I would consider that. I will probably have to try this class again at a different level. I feel like if you were to do it all the time, not just once, you might see some results.
Overall, it was a good experience and a good way to connect with other like-minded women. When it comes to networking, nothing beats a little activity and it never hurts to try something new.
