Health and Fitness

What the hell is wrong with me!

This is what goes through my mind midway through each "Core Fusion" class. I'm shoved up against a ballet bar in what the instructor likes to call a "water ski" position. I grasp the bar and hold on for dear life as I shift all of my weight away from the bar. Meanwhile my feet are shoved against the wall such that my body's at a diagonal and I'm on my tippy toes. In the instructor's defense, I actually do look like I'm about to go water skiing, sans the fact that I see no beach in sight, or fun-time motorboat attached to the cruel ballet bar for that matter.

Additionally, there's a woman to my left that looks like she was recently released from a stint with Cirque de Soleil, stretching herself into a pretzel at every free moment. While to my right there's a woman shot up with so much botox I can only assume she is a lady of leisure with nothing better to do with her time than to take 2-3 of these sessions a day. I feel somewhat behind the curve, disadvantaged, and, dare I say, damn near intimidated. This is only until I see my nip-tucked counterpart wince through her recently tightened brow as even the pretzel drops her head in agony, as we're all instructed to dip "down an inch and up an inch; down an inch and up an inch." I'm reminded that everyone is in pain and I am not alone, because, no matter what your fitness level, the class is challenging for anyone.

And then it happens, after the 20th count my thighs are hot enough to start a forest fire as I stare into the mirror that lines the walls and curse myself in my head …What the hell is wrong with me? Why do I continue to put myself through this excruciating torture! Not to mention that I can only imagine how ridiculous we must all look to someone not familiar with the class.

So, what is this "Core Fusion" class that I speak of? They are a collection of studios originating in NYC that teach Lotte Berk. Similar to pilates and yoga, the Lotte Berk method concentrates on targeting specific areas for strength and flexibility training. Working from the "core" provides an intensive workout and promotes the growth of muscle tissue, which burns calories at a faster rate than a nominee the week before the Oscars. Lotte Berk was an actual ballet dancer in the 1920's and 30's. She was born in Germany to a German mother and Russian born father, both of whom were Jewish. She fled Nazi Germany to England in the 1930's and was unable to make a living as a dancer. So, in the 1950s, with the help of an osteopath, she developed a series of exercises that were based on her experience with dancing.

Lotte Berk opened studios in England and New York City, but with no copyright and low barriers to entry, (her students began to open similar studios and drove her out of business) Core Fusion and other studios like the popular Physique 57 franchised throughout most major cities in the U.S. And thankfully so since the new studios have added an array of classes, including Core Fusion Sport, targeted specifically for men (think boot camp fitness on steroids). So, Lotte Berk, and specifically Core Fusion do not discriminate, Core Fusion Sport was named best Guy-Friendly Gym Class in New York Magazine's Best Of 2009

It's like nothing I've felt before. I liken it to a 1-hour torture chamber that I somehow forget is excruciating each time I enter a class. Sound familiar? Maybe it's the cheerful instructors, who really do, without sounding cliché, make it fun. Maybe it's the fact that no matter how often I go, I can never get through an entire workout and know that I'll be supremely challenged. Or maybe, and this is my favorite, it's because individual classes are steeply discounted for students. There are no words that can capitulate the feeling of accomplishment these classes can bring, and no way for me to explain exactly what it is that makes the workout so challenging.

But don't take my word for it, I highly recommend torturing yourself on your own. After all, we're in business school, so if you're here at Stern, you clearly like this kind of thing anyhow.

Core Fusion Classes at Exhale Spa *

http://www.exhalespa.com

*Suggested Core Fusion Sport Class Instructor: Bergen Wheeler

*Suggested Core Fusion Open Class Instructor: Michaela Butler, Page Rockwell

Physique 57

http://www.physique57.com/