Viveca Jensen
Piloxing uniquely blends boxing with pilates in one fluid motion (no standing up, then lying down-you'll perform everything from an upright position). The workout is straightforward and non complex.
The class is varied with students of all abilities. Some choose to perform the workout in barefeet which is doable as the workout is low impact (however if you are on a hard surface shoes may be a good option).
The set appears to be inside a real boxing studio. The girls are all wearing black and pink. The music is fast and edgy. (the background girls really get into it as several times they will let out a "whoop")
Viveca begins with a warmup that includes gentle punches and arm swings. She also includes dynamic stretches and twists. It's quick, about 3-4 minutes, but effectively prepares you for the main workout.
The main workout runs about 45-46 minutes. You'll see all the boxing basics: jabs, hooks, upper cuts, etc. The pilates movements are rhythmic, sometimes moving very quickly. (your heart rate never really comes down) Viveca shows lower impact options for higher impact moves. For added intensity and to tone the arms even further, you'll wear 1 lb hand weights.
A floorwork segment that works the legs and glutes follows the cardio section. This really compliments the standing pilates. Viveca also includes abdominal work to tone and tighten the midsection. A nice stretch concludes the workout.
Viveca creatively blends the two disciplines. I enjoyed how she took it up real high with the boxing segments and brought it down (sometimes only slightly) with the standing pilates combinations. My 18 year old daughter has been using the workout in her own personal workout rotation and loves it!!
Instructor comments:
Viveca has high energy and provides form pointers.
Denise R
2-15-2008
Nice workout! It alternates boxing combinations ("power") with standing ballet/Pilates work ("feminine"), plus about 10 minutes of floorwork for abs and butt. Total workout was just under an hour, with a 4-minute warmup/stretch.
Boxing sections seemed shorter than the pilates sections, maybe 5 minutes as compared to 10 (just guestimating). Jab, fast jabs, jab corner to corner with fast feet, cross-body punch (like Taebo), jab-jab-cross-jab-cross-country skis etc. are fun but go by all too fast. There is also Taebo-like standing side crunches, but she then does them at different angles as well.
Pilates/ballet work was quite a balance challenge. For instance, you do leg flutters to the front, side and back and add in arms, so your standing leg gets really worked. There are plies side to side, first- and second-position plies, and standing arm work like flutters and weightless curls and kickbacks (again, compounded with leg pulses).
Floorwork included modified 100, torso twists and punches while in the C-sit, crunches and bicycles (no plankwork!) Butt work included donkey kicks coupled with mini-pushups (felt somewhat awkward to me), fire-hydrant leg lifts and side leg lifts while on all fours.
The setting is a gym with a boxing ring in the background. Music is generic Dynamix stuff, not very loud but audible enough. The backgrounders looked like normal, fit women, no glossy Playboy bunny types.
I felt I got a nice moderate-intensity cardio with light toning workout. Some very creative standing ballet/Pilates work that definitely challenged my balance.
Instructor comments:
Stylish, European-esque instructor, very lively and "woman power" oriented. Her students whooped a lot in a very practiced way but it wasn't overly intrusive.
acey
3/3/09
