Have you tried Piloxing? It’s a new group exercise class that combines boxing and Pilates. While the founder Viveca Jensen is from Sweden, the class originated in Los Angeles but is expanding across the US. I was invited by Ali Baldassare to come take a class with her at the downtown Equinox last night. Always up for trying something new, I said yes.
I tried Piloxing years ago when Exercise TV still had videos OnDemand. I didn’t remember hating the routine but couldn’t remember much else. Gloves at the beginning of class were offered to purchase for $20. Each one weighed .5 lbs. I assume they intensify the arm movements, but at the beginning of class, I had no idea and opted not to since they were optional.
Class began like any aerobic group class, very similar to Lauren’s Barre Burn warm up. Next we moved in to some boxing movements to get our heart rate up. Ali’s energy and graceful form made me want to just dance. I felt like I was in a stress relief version of Zumba. The cardio component had my heart rate around 130-140 BPM the entire time. It was fun and got me sweaty. While it wasn’t super challenging, I would be curious if the intensity would change with the addition of the gloves.
There was little Pilates influence on the surface except for the quick ab series at the end. To be honest, it seemed more like a Boxing/Barre Burn fusion class. There were plies and leg lifts, lots of jumping and of course boxing. I actually really like boxing by itself and this made it a less serious bro-type workout. There of course was a crowd of gym goers staring into the class room. While you couldn’t “tell” Pilates was infused, the “belly button tucked in” position was protocol for most moves. I think the workout would benefit from light hand weights, because even with .5 lbs, I’m not sure I would feel it (but I can’t make the statement without trying it so I’m just speculating).
Ali was a fabulous instructor (sorry for the blurry photo, darn iPhone). She did the entire workout pretty much with us and looked great the whole time. You can always tell what instructors have a dance background in a class like this. She has infectious energy that makes you want to jump just a little bit higher and jab faster in the case of this class. I have similar feelings to this class as I did with Zumba, it was much more challenging that I thought. It was a good cardio workout on the surface. Like Zumba, I think the more you do it, the more calories you burn and are able to get a good strength workout from it. From just the first class, I wasn’t able to feel any burn in my lower body but was challenged by a few of the front leg lifts. We just did one set, and I’m used to 3 in bar.
Overall, if you like Zumba try Piloxing. If you wish Barre Burn had a little more cardio, try Piloxing. If you love Pilates and hate cardio machines but need some cardio in between classes, try Piloxing.
Ali put on the event with Lululemon to increase awareness and perhaps get Piloxing on the schedule at Equinox. She’s a lulu ambassador and after just one class I can see clearly why. She rocks as a motivating and energetic instructor. If you go to Equinox, let them know you want the class added next year!
Have you tried Piloxing before? What did you think?