actually, it put me to the test, who am I kidding?

ICYMI: [solidcore] has taken the NYC fitness scene by STORM. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed such a hype surrounding a new studio. Naturally I was intrigued and bumped what’s considered D.C.’s hottest gym to the top of my studio list.

I heard through all of [solidcore]’s victims fitness aficionados like myself that it was THE hardest class in all the land, and if you read nothing else in this blog post, know this: YES, is one of the hardest, most grueling classes I’ve ever taken. That being said,  I would absolutely jump on a [swealana] at least once a week if it didn’t cost at least 15 credits a session at A MINIMUM. A girl’s gotta preserve her credits, ya know what I’m saying?

So, what is [solidcore]? It’s essentially a megaformer class on steroids. Some of you may be asking: ‘Mega-what?’ Think of it as your average pilates reformer classes’ badass older cousin, if you will.  If you’ve taken at least one pilates reformer class, you’ll have some familiarity with the moves you’ll run into throughout at 50-minute [solidcore] session, and experience on a megaformer will truly prepare you for what’s to come. Although nothing can quite prepare you for the loud house music and boot-camp style instruction from the trainers. It keeps things lively, that’s for sure!

In a standard class, you’ll encounter more planks than you ever thought imaginable, squats, lunges and various moves in between. What makes the workout so unique is the fact that they literally work your muscles to failure. You will sweat. You will SHAKE. And you will enter a mental state that you didn’t know existed. Nick Silverio taught my first ever [solidcore] class and he said that people literally black out during the session because of the intensity. This is true.

Here’s where things get weird: while the workout is high-intensity, every move is extremely slloooooow, and done without any momentum while under constant tension. For instance, we’re talking 6 to 10 counts to get into a fully extended lunge and then back up to your starting position. The slower you go, the harder you work, the more you sweat, and the more you shake. We were doing curtesy-style lunges today with one foot on the front platform and our back foot behind on the carriage and at one point, I felt like I couldn’t even feel my right butt cheek!

Instead of just sliding into a lunge and back up various times, you’ll encounter a TON of variations. For example: we kicked off our lunge sequence with a fully extended lunge. Then, we held the lunge out at full extension for a static hold. We then did some small, almost minuscule pulses, before one more stationary hold. Then we returned to the full range of motion. My muscles feel the burn just writing about it. This format is typically the same for pretty much every move you do in the class, whether it’s a plank variation or inner thigh work. It’s an absolute KILLER, but I loved every second of it. You’ll tackle various different exercises in this class and the transition between each is incredibly quick. No time is spared at [solidcore] that’s for sure!

Let’s talk about those planks for a second, though. You will hold so many types of planks in this class that you will be sore days on end. I kid you not, I was so sore after my first class that just LAUGHING was painful for the days that followed. As were my arms. The arm work in this class can be VERY intense, as the trainers typically adjust the springs to a rather heavy setting. It can feel nauseatingly painful, but soooo worth it in the end.

[solidcore] wouldn’t be what it is without the amazing talent behind it, though. The instructors are AMAZING and they’ll talk you through the entire class from the moment you walk in to the moment you step off the machine. They’re incredibly motivating creatures, as they’re constantly pumping you up throughout the class, especially when things get so tough that you feel like you’re about to throw in the towel. You will NEVER encounter a moment of silence, which makes this class a fun, energizing experience (that and you can’t hear the little voice in your head telling you to quit.)

So, to summarize, [solidcore] is NOT for the faint of heart or the weak (although they welcome all levels!) It’s a truly challenging experience that is absolutely unlike any other class you’ve ever taken before – I can guarantee it. So spend the credits or the money and don’t look back, because you’re literally about to have your life CHANGED.

Have you taken a class before? Let me know in the comments below.