Fits Do Fitness Class Reviews: [solidcore] MSP

I was recently contacted by the owner and "Chief Inspirational Officer" (love it!) of [solidcore] MSP to come try out a class at their new studio in the West End in St. Louis Park.* I tried it out tonight and am excited to share my experience with you!

To be honest, I hadn't heard of this new studio yet...probably because they just opened on Saturday!

Though I'm always excited to try a new workout, I did spend some time beforehand checking out their website to see what I was in for. Here's what I learned beforehand:

What is [solidcore]?
[solidcore] is a fitness studio offering classes that follow the "Lagree Fitness Method." This method uses slow and controlled full-body movements with constant tension to work your muscle fibers to failure. The idea is that if you're working your muscles to failure, you will force them to rebuild a more sculpted and stronger you. The solidcore classes are small, with only about 12 students in each, as each student is on a  "Megaformer."  A Megaformer is a cross between a Pilates reformer and a Total Body Gym.

It looked a lot like a Pilates reformer machine to me, but the workout was very different- more intense.

What sets [solidcore] apart from other reformer classes (such as Pilates ProWorks?)
I asked this question of Alyssa, the owner, ahead of time. She said that their machine is similar to the Fitformer at places like Pilates ProWorks but the workout is very different. At [solidcore],  they exhaust and break down one muscle group then move on to the next one, never going back to the same muscle group. The intensity is much higher as well compared to a normal Pilates reformer type class.

WHERE is [solidcore]?
Twin Cities fitness fanatics, we should consider ourselves lucky! There are three [solidcore] studios in Washington D.C, but we get the first one in the Midwest. The studio is located at the Shops at the West End at 1653 Park Place Blvd, St. Louis Park (plenty of free parking!)

It seems that most of the time when a new type of fitness enters the market (barre, surfset yoga, etc) it happens first on either the West coast or the East coast and then it eventually makes its way to the Midwest. So it's really cool that this studio came straight from the east coast (D.C.) to Minneapolis! The owner, Alyssa, said that the fitness market in D.C. is actually very similar to that in the Twin Cities so she was excited to open a studio here.

How is the workout supposed to work?
The theory behind [solidcore]'s workout is that you perform the movements slowly and with control, forcing the muscles to stay contracted throughout the entire range of motion. Every class is designed to work the muscles to failure. According to the theory, when "failure" happens your body starts recruiting your slow twitch fibers, then the intermediate muscle fibers, and then your fast twitch fibers. [solidcore] also works through the use of compound movements where you work multiple muscle groups at the same time, which of course is extremely time efficient (and let's be honest, we are all crunched for time, right?) Each class is only 50 minutes long, but you are working hard the entire time.

I need proof...does it really work?
Have you seen the First Lady's arms?

 FLOTUS is kind of well known for how fit she is, and as THIS ARTICLE tells you, she is huge fan of [solidcore] in D.C. That's incentive enough for me!

So..what did I think of the class?
Holy moly. It was intense! I actually went into it thinking it would be kinda easy, or at least on the same level as barre or Pilates (and I love both of those but they are a good workout in a different way). However, from the first core series, I knew this was going to be hard. I was sweating like crazy and had to take a lot of breaks. WOW!

I don't know if every class follows the same structure, but at tonight's class, we started out with a ton of core on the machine. Then we went into quads/butt (OMG- so much legs!) and we ended with upper body. No particular move was so different than other moves I have done in other classes, but for whatever reason, it was hard. I think you just have to try it out to see what I mean. I'm pretty sure you'll agree.

Everyone at the studio was super nice, from the instructor, to the owner Alyssa, to the other two other coaches who were taking the class. The primary instructor was really helpful with assistance on form. In the beginning of class he took five minutes to breakdown some of the more complicated moves we would be doing. Yes, the instructor was a guy. In fact, there were two other men in the class and I heard them talking after class that they thought it was awesome! [solidcore]  is not just for the ladies.

I know that it wasn't the smartest thing for me to take this class during my marathon taper but I still have three weeks to recover from one class. I think I'll be alright. Taper starts now. But...I will definitely be back to  [solidcore] after the marathon!

Where can I find out more information, purchase classes, and reserve my spot in a class?
Find out everything you need to know here: http://www.solidcoremsp.co/ 

What's the right fit for a [solidcore] class?
I had thought that Alyssa had told me to wear grippy socks like you wear in barre. But when I arrived no one else in the class was wearing them, so I went barefoot.  For apparel, yoga pants/capris and a tank (you will sweat!) work best. The guys were wearing shorts and t-shirts. Be sure to bring a water bottle. Towels are provided.  Keep the jewelry at home. No cell phones in class. I don't think there were any showers onsite, but there were small lockers at the front of the studio for your personal items.

How much does it cost for me to work out like Michelle Obama?
Well, there are a few Grand Opening Specials going on.

FIRST and most importantly, if you refer 10 friends, you get 10 free classes. So, please go and tell them Jessie at the Right Fits sent you! Thanks :-)

Grand Opening Specials:
First class is only $17
5 class package: $99
1 month unlimited: $199

Seriously guys, my mucles are super shaky right now. I can barely lift up my glass of wine....don't worry though, I'll manage.

(Every blogger needs to post a picture of a glass of red wine while watching Scandal, right? Just doing my job...)

Go check out [solidcore] soon. Your muscles will thank me!

If you have any questions about the class, please feel free to ask.

*I was offered a free class to come try out [solidcore] and share my experience with you. All opinions are my own. I'll always tell you the truth!