Physique 57 now in Manila!

Barre is one of the exercises that made me love exercising; it's quiet yet challenging, simple yet fulfilling. It think Barre helped my balance and leg power a lot.

Now the origins of Barre has come to Manila all the way from New York! Introducing Physique 57, the fitness craze that has taken the US by storm and is now going to make waves in Manila!

I was invited to try the workout. Sharing my thoughts on Physique 57 below!

For starters, Physique 57 is a fitness brand from New York that combines cardio, strength, mobility, and stretching. The exercise aims to burn fat and build strong, lean, long muscles. Founder Jennifer Harper has fashioned Physique 57 after the Lotte Berck method, a system of exercise that was used in the gym that she used to frequent, but closed down. The idea for Jennifer is to keep the method alive and it eventually turned into a fitness regime that advocated the well- being of modern, busy women. To date, Physique 57 has branches all over the world and boasts of celebrity clientele, and has now made its way to Manila.

The first- ever gym has opened in BGC, Taguig City. From the get go, it's a 'breathing', fresh space; the colors and interior clears my mind and makes me more ready for the workouts! My, I didn't know there how much color affects your mood and brain!

There are also Physique 57 merchandise on display for fans of the workout and exercising in general alike.

There are lockers at the ground floor and it's for free!

The studio. The studio can fit about 15-20 people at a time. God I miss my Barre days! The place is well kept, temperature of the air conditioning is perfect (not too cold, hot).

Physique 57 teachers, at your service! These are certified Physique 57 teachers who are very helpful and friendly! Even if you're a beginner (it's been a loooong time since my last Barre class!), the teachers don't make you feel like it; instead they help you cope with the rest of the students and have a great time. After all, fitness is all about having fun!

Here are my thoughts about the workout:

1. It's basically like Pilates, yoga, and ballet all rolled into one. When I say ballet, don't fret because you don't need any form of dancing skills as pre-requisite; some of the moves are just similar to ballet. That's it!

2. The exercise starts off light. It naturally progresses to medium/hard intensity, depending on how much effort you exert in the workout. Best for those who love building up to their peak performance  instead of being explosive right away when working out.

3. It's challenging, but not very tiring. Physique 57 does a lot of small, pulsating movements that challenge your muscles in a different way, compared to Crossfit or weightlifting. You can get a good workout with Physique 57 without getting exhausted, unlike, say, Crossfit.

4. The class is comprised mostly of women. I thought that would be important information for some of the readers here, since some women love working out with women.

5. All in all, Physique 57 helps with endurance, flexibility, stability.

Physique 57 is a good complementary workout to intense workouts like Crossfit or weightlifting because it helps a lot with flexibility. It's a good standalone workout too because it helps with overall mobility and gives you a pretty solid workout after a sesh.

Have you tried this workout already? Let me know your thoughts!

Physique 57 is located at W Building 5th Avenue, BGC, Taguig City. Visit PHYSIQUE 57 MANILA on Facebook for more details.