If you had told my socially-anxious self a year ago that I would be radically obsessed with a group-style workout class, I would have laughed. However, for the past nine months, I have been religiously taking classes at a facility called [solidcore] to the point where the workout is like my personal supply of caffeine, and my day is incomplete without it.
What Is [solidcore]?
Solidcore is a 50-minute, high-intensity, low-impact workout. Using a pilates-inspired reformer that the brand calls [Sweatlana], the strength-training workout is designed to get your body to second-stage muscle failure — the point at which your muscles are so exhausted they can not complete another repetition. According to [solidcore], the “core workout utilizes slow and controlled movements scientifically designed to break down muscles [to failure] so they build back stronger.” A 2007 study from the National Library of Medicine says training to failure may muscle strength and mass, as your body secretes more “muscle-building, fat-fighting hormones.”
The facility has a variety of classes (buns and guns, arms and abs, etc.) but the standard class is full body. [solidcore] prioritizes implementing an effective core warm-up that typically consists of a plethora of planks, crunches, push-ups, and army crawls. The rest of the class combines obliques as well as the upper and lower body muscles.
How Much Is [Solidcore]?
[Solidcore] offers student discounts at their New York locations. A single class is $31.50 compared to their standard $42.00, and an unlimited membership is $291.76 compared to their regular $399.00. They also offer a five-class package priced at $149.25, a 10-class package priced at $288.00, a four-class monthly membership priced at $111.75, an eight-class monthly membership priced at $213.00, and a 12-class monthly membership priced at $280.50.
Why I Love [solidcore]
Initially, my choice to take a class at [solidcore] was the result of my capitulation to the increased trendiness of pilates on social media; however, the experience quickly became an addiction.
For one, I never feel intimidated when I take classes. My experience doing weight work at the gym often riddled me with feelings of discomfort with guys mansplaining to me how to properly do a squat. At [solidcore], many other people in a class are often people close to my age, creating a space that feels safer and less daunting to me.
Also, a significant part of the enjoyment the workout brings me is due to the coaches there. At their Nolita location specifically, the coaches are supportive and friendly, and have more energy brewing inside them in a single class than I can muster up in a week. I developed a genuine love for several of them. Surrounding myself with them satiates my desire for human contact outside of my college classroom.
My one coach, Meghann, is a true shot of espresso. Often sporting cheetah-print leggings paired with an infectious effervescent personality, she is hard to miss, often twirling around the studio while she instructs. Another coach, James, is the most hardcore person I have ever met. Every time I take his class, my limbs are entirely burned out, but I feel the most invigorated I’ve ever felt. He makes taking a class at 6 a.m. totally worth it. All of them guide you and encourage you to push yourself in a non-toxic way. They are your personal cheerleaders, shouting positive affirmations at you throughout the class and making you believe you are capable of achieving hard tasks.
Mostly, I love the workout and the atmosphere I am in for 50 minutes. The coach turns off the lights in the room, so the only brightness emanates from a few blue lights lined across the corners of the room, and they turn the music up. I quickly get lost in the workout and any anxiety I feel about the upcoming day and things I spent ruminating about the night prior dissipate. In a slightly masochistic way, I love getting my butt kicked during a workout, sweating profusely and shaking to the point that my legs feel like they are going to fall off.
By the end, I feel the most alive, with endorphins pulsating throughout my body. I like to surprise myself by proving I am mentally and physically stronger than I sometimes believe I am. The anxiety-inducing barriers in my life seem less impenetrable to me by the end of each class. I used to loathe working out. It felt like a chore to me. Now, I look forward to it.