Solidcore - How I learned Sheila might be a masochist (July 31, 2015)

Sheila is incredibly sweet.  When I started blogging about my workouts and said that my goal was to try a new workout every week, she took the time to tell me about a listserv called Active Life DC.  I signed up and I now receive emails almost daily about workouts, many of which are free, available around the city.  Super thoughtful suggestion from Sheila, right?

She recently sent a few gals, including myself, a group email about Solidcore.  She was very excited because a Solidcore studio opened up right next to her condo.  I was very excited because I had no clue what she was talking about.


I arrived at the Solidcore studio still knowing nothing about the workout (my preference).  When I walked in, the machines on the floor looked like heavy-duty Pilates carriages.  In my head I thought, "cool, fancy Pilates."  Per usual, I was wrong.  Solidcore is so much harder than Pilates. Actually, Solidcore is the hardest workout I have ever tried.  I sweat more doing Solidcore than any other workout.  That includes running distance races.

It is difficult to articulate the exercises done on the apparatus, but it allows you to work all of your body parts.  There is a carriage in the middle of the machine that moves back and forth, and there is a stationary platform on either side of the carriage.  There are different pullies on the machine to perform exercises like overhead presses.  Or, you can perform triceps dips on the handles on the end of the stationary platform.  You can do lunges while standing on the machine, off the machine, or to the side of the machine.  It is difficult to adequately describe all that you can do with the machine, so I encourage you to watch the brief video on the Solidcore website: http://solidcore.co/

Now for the synopses.  The 50-minute class goes by incredibly fast.  As soon as you walk in and get on the machine you are working hard.  I have now been to a few classes, and they all seem to start with abs...and finish with abs. The class also goes quickly due to the  fast-paced music and the instructor counting down each exercise.  "In ten seconds...eight seconds...you'll switch to lunges...five seconds walk to the the back platform...only three more seconds..." you get the drift.  The countdown is necessary and not annoying at all.  I know that I am a sarcastic creature, but I am being one-hundred percent sincere.  Some of the moves are so challenging that if I didn't know that I only had to make it through eight more seconds, I would probably just give up and collapse on my machine.  After working out hard for roughly 45 minutes, you don't want to start doing planks to pikes as fast as possible on the torture apparatus, but you manage to get through the reps because you know there are only ten seconds left...five more seconds...three more seconds.

Encouraging things are written on the floor under the workout machine (see below picture).  I believe these sayings are to keep you going when you are crumbling from the successive mutant planks. For example, I saw one that said, "You're inspiring your neighbor."  I don't know if I am inspired by my neighbors in that class, but I have definitely been impressed by the strength of the other people in the class.    I am extremely confident that I have yet to inspire.  I was probably uninspiring the day that I forgot a shirt, purchased one at the studio, and then went home to realize that I was wearing it backwards the entire time.  For context, it wasn't a loose tank top.  It was a halter sports bra shirt.  I must have looked absurd.  Other sayings include, "Smile, you're getting stronger."   I smiled when I saw that one, but mostly because I was laughing from pain delirium.   I think the pain is pretty visible on my face because the other day I took a class and the instructor (standing directly in front of me) said, "just because it hurts doesn't mean you're doing it wrong or injuring yourself."  Okay, I guess I will take her word for it?  I think it hurts me because the class requires me to use a lot of muscles that I never usually use...or even knew existed.  Seriously, I think I worked a muscle that wraps around my ribs.  I didn't know there were muscles there prior to taking a Solidcore class.

All that said, the class is fantastic.  I swear that I notice a difference in my abs after one session. I now go in for tune-ups periodically (like post-fudge season, otherwise known as Christmas).  Admittedly, the classes are expensive.  There is no way around that fact, even when you buy a package.  Given that I already participate in Classpass, and I can't commit to any studio, I would never purchase a package, but I like going every now and then.  I think if you were trying to tone up for a wedding or a tropical vacation, it is hands down the best workout package you could purchase for fast results.

Thank you, Sheila.  I enjoy going to Solidcore every now and then.  Also, I'm completely convinced there is a masochist hiding behind your kind smile because Solidcore definitely hurts.  You are a bad ass for being a Solidcore regular.