Rockin' Piloxing!

I have to admit I was a tad bit skeptical when I heard of this Pilates-Boxing hybrid class in Toluca Lake.

Sometimes when you try to be innovative and combine two awesome things that are very different, you end up with a bad version of both. Think Snooki and the Jersey Shore ladies sporting couture in the Harper's Bazaar spread, just rubbed me the wrong way!

But upon making the trek over the hill and meeting the amazing creator, Viveca Jensen, I was sweetly surprised and immediately a devotee of the amazing concept called "Piloxing."


Jensen, a Swedish professional dancer, created Piloxing as a way to combine the wonderful toning benefits of Pilates with the increasing requests from her clients for more cardio.

"My clients always wanted extra cardio exercises," says Jensen, who has been running her V Pilates studio for the past 9 years. "Both of these exercises work from the core, so I put them together. It's a standing cardio workout."

During the hour long class you switch between high cardio blasts and active recovery phases...that's where the pilates comes in. You get a chance to slow it down in a pile position or re-group while doing stationary leg lifts after an intense spurt of cardio...and boy did I need that!

"It's an interdisciplinary interval training program," says Jensen. "It's the best burning exercise there is. You burn from 500-900 calories in a one hour session."

But besides burning, there's also buffing. The main muscle group worked in the class, is your core.

"You're working your abs the whole time," says Jensen. "You do a lot of twisting, a lot of standing crunches, and you use your abs to even hold your balance during the pilates moves."


And considering you're carrying 1/2 lb weights in each of your gloves, you're buffing those biceps as well.

"It intensifies the muscle toning and it kicks up your cardio a bit," says Jensen. "You will tone your legs, arms, and butt...a lot of emphasis on the butt."

The best part of the class is the up-to-the-minute music Jensen plays, and the female friendly environment. Booty shakes and seductive shoulder shrugs are interspersed between the powerful punching and enthusiastic cheering can be heard over the beats.

All this can be encompassed in the Piloxing motto: "Sleek, Sexy, Powerful."

The class is so popular that along with her private client of 5 years, Hilary Duff, Jensen has also had Ashley Tisdale, Vanessa Hudgens, and Kristen Dunst frequent the studio.

And it's no surprise that these rock bodied beauties would love the class, as every lady in my session was in stellar shape, including a Victoria's Secret model!

If you're interested a class schedule can be found at the Piloxing website and there's a $5 discount for your first class.

But sorry boys, if you didn't catch it from the text, this workout is Women Only. Enjoy Ladies!