Shake up your fitness routine with custom-fit workout studios

Whether you intended to lose weight, grow abs, or simply live a fitter, healthier lifestyle, signing up for a gym membership is unquestionably the first step to achieving your fitness goals.

 

That is, until three years ago, when word got around about custom-fit workout studios that guaranteed results.

 

This slew of custom-fit programs are gaining popularity in the Metro. Fitness buffs are happily huffing and puffing away, attesting that though small, these studios make the workouts fun yet fast, keep your body challenged and the dreaded plateau out of the way.

 

That's not to say the gyms don't promise the same thing. But, let’s face it, if you don't have money to pay for an instructor, your resolve to go to the gym every day will slowly disintegrate as you get bored running on the mill while staring blankly at multiple TV screens. Realizing you forgot how to use them, the machines start to look like furniture. The routine that the instructor taught you during the complimentary sessions has started to plateau. Soon, your resolution to attain a sexy body for the summer goes kaput.

 

To cure that gym rat numbness, here are some of the most popular custom-fit workout studios, each with a different approach, as well as pros and cons. And if you haven’t been showing up at the gym, one of these might be the perfect way to rekindle your vow to fitness.

 

Keep up at Plana Forma

 

Since 2011, well-to-do women, notably celebrities, have been flocking to Fort Bonifacio to join a Plana Forma class, a workout that combines pilates, yoga and dance.

 

Its mantra: lose 500-600 calories in just 55 minutes. It was exactly what hard-working yuppies needed and what they could afford to accommodate in their fast-paced lives.

 

Maybe it’s their awesome playlist of workout music or the fast-talking, perky instructor, but the second the session begins, the adrenaline quickly gets pumped up. With a small class of about 10 to 12, the instructor can quickly guide you and correct you if you’re exercising the wrong way.

 

But be warned, with the way the workout quickly accelerates, you’ll have to keep up. And, I am telling you, surrounded by strangers who have attended Plana Forma several times already, you will really have to.

 

The class starts with two sets of weights for warm-up, then quickly moves on to barre exercises that target the hips, thighs, calves and seat muscles. There are a lot of stretching and abdominal exercises that will force you to the brink of exhaustion. You’ll find yourself breathless, your legs shaking, perhaps cursing under your breath. But, in the end, when the instructor wraps it up, you’ll heave a sigh of relief, pat your back, and promise to come back.

 

Tip: Do not be embarrassed when you don't get it right the first time around. It’ll get better every time. Bring a friend for support and company.

 

A welcoming environment makes Crossfit fun  

Most people are intimidated with Crossfit, which they perceive to be a workout for athletes or people who are already fitness experts. But it may be a misconception, as Crossfit is known to be a very intense workout. Add the fact that, a few strides away from the studio, you can hear sounds of people yelling during an ongoing session.

 

You’ll feel relaxed when the coach starts introducing you to the crossfitters you’ll be sharing the class with. As what Coach Matt of Crossfit Libis revealed, they try to foster a friendly and supportive environment, a sense of community.

 

In a boot camp session you will be grouped into teams with the goal of garnering the biggest score, so the sum of your cumulative exercise as a group counts. The friendly competition echoes the fun and challenge of competitive sports.

 

Every day, the workout is never the same, with crossfitters finding out what the routine is only when they arrive at the studio. A combination of plyometrics, cardio, track and field, rowing, gymnastics, kettlebell and weightlifting, a Crossfit workout usually lasts from 30 to 40 minutes.

 

Expect rounds of v-ups, burpees, box jumps, wall balls and kettlebell swings and a whole lot of other intense exercises in a boot camp session. And, if you’re not fit to begin with, expect it to be painful. But because you are part of a team, you’ll find that finishing the intense workout is as fulfilling as it is overwhelming.

 

Tip: The coaches will be with you the rest of the way. Your teammates’ support and encouragement will help you through. Bring lots of water. You’ll need buckets.

 

Time pressure at 360 Club Circuit

 

While gyms have huge spaces and boast of too many workout machines so members do not have to wait and take turns, the 360 Club Circuit goes the opposite way.

 

The floor or what they call “circuit” is made up of 20 exercise stations that you will have to complete and share with everyone else in 30 minutes.

 

Since there are other trainees waiting for their turn, time is of the essence at 360. The looped beeps and voice over will get you rushing to the next station and, in fact, is the driving force behind the circuit’s success.

 

The sight of other trainees, serious and determined, will make you reconsider your half-baked efforts too.

 

Since the owners of 360 do not believe in exercise machines, the circuit is made up of free weights, sports blocks, kettlebells, exercise balls and trampolines. They change the circuit from time to time to prevent trainees from getting bored.

 

A new member will usually start at the beginner’s level, which is general fitness and, in time, can advance to the higher levels, like weight loss, toning, muscle and strength.

 

Tip: The circuit training is basic. Members can choose to have personal training or attend group exercises as well. For the circuit training, an assigned coach will guide you for the first two to three sessions until you memorize the routine. —KDM/KG, GMA News