Ever heard of PHIIT, Barre or Piloxing Barre? No? You will soon! These current trends are currently conquering the USA and are already in the process of spilling over to Germany. Because Pilates is on the rise, and with it many new concepts surrounding this popular form of exercise. Find out from us what's behind these artful names and where you can already try out these new types of workouts in this country!
Oversaturated market gives rise to new concepts
Pilates and yoga were the first types of training with which trainers went into business for themselves and opened small studios. Thus, the current trend of "boutique gyms" was born, as nowadays more and more micro studios are created for different special interest groups. This also has an impact on the Pilates market, as it increases competition. And if you want to keep up with the competition, you have to come up with something new. Modern concepts are therefore flooding the long-saturated Pilates markets in New York, Los Angeles and London. While some continue to focus solely on Pilates, others are adding new concepts to their offerings.
Barre Workout
Barre training comes straight from Hollywood, where it is currently all the rage among the stars. In the USA and London, for example, there's no getting around this innovative concept, which mixes elements of ballet, Pilates, fitness and yoga.
Dancer Lotte Berk developed a workout back in the 1940s that incorporated ballet exercises on the barre. Concepts like barre3 and Xtend Barre are similar to this method and additionally integrate elements from Pilates.
Xtend Barre, a mixture of ballet, dance and Pilates, originated in Florida and is also already offered in Düsseldorf at the "Pilateszeit" studio. The owner, Cindy Vandevyver, has completed a trainer training course in London and will also be offering training courses for trainers in her studio herself from the fall. Barre training can also be tested at the "Sunyard Pilates Club" in Munich.
Piloxing Barre
Piloxing (Pilates and Boxing) is already known to many in this country - but Piloxing Barre is new and also here the ballet barre is used. Piloxing Barre combines classical ballet with standing Pilates, boxing movements and cardio elements.
PHIIT: Pilates + HIIT
The idea of PHIIT comes from London: Pilates combined with HIIT, i.e. high-intensity interval training. The small studio "PHIIT" is already quite well known there and offers a workout in which ballet bars, Pilates balls, suspension trainers, kettlebells and the MOTR Reformer are used.
What's behind this idea? Pilates can be used to train core muscles, but it doesn't offer a fat-burning cardio workout. The combination of the two is designed to change that! PHIIT alternates six different Pilates exercises and six cardio intervals, each repeated twice and lasting 30 seconds each. Popular combinations include Pilates Bridge and Split Jumping Jacks, Rear Leg Lifts and Jump Squats, or Flutterkicks and Push-ups. A cool-down with stretching is also not to be missed at the end. Due to the calmer elements from Pilates, PHIIT is not quite as sweaty and intense as HIIT.
Image Source: PHIIT
What sounds cool and effective is unfortunately not cheap: a 5-person card in "PHIIT" costs 125 pounds, more than 147 euros. For this, the participant receives good and personal care, because only eight people take part in a course, and water and towels are provided by the studio for free on top. The concept's target group is business people with little time.
Pilates and functional training
At "Chaise23" in New York, Pilates is combined with ballet on the barre and with functional training on ropes - this trend is called Ballet Bungee. The trainee holds the elastic ropes, which hang in pairs from the ceiling, by handles and performs pulling, pushing and jumping movements. Pilates is also mixed with functional training at New York's "Flex Studios," founded by Jeanette Simon in 2012.
In Germany, there are already studios that also offer concepts from Pilates and functional training, including Sling Pilates, TRX Pilates and 4D PRO Pilates. Here, too, a rope is used on which the Pilates exercises are performed.
Flying Pilates
A trend that was developed in Germany is Flying Pilates. Since 2012, this form of training has been available in Hamburg, where the exercises are performed in a 3.70-meter-long and 2.80-meter-wide cloth suspended from the ceiling. Flying Pilates was invented by Sonja Ehrlich, who has since opened her own studio where she even trains trainers. She has already developed over 150 different exercises based on those of classical Pilates.
Image source: Flying Pilates Hamburg
Many new concepts that have not yet caught on in this country, but at least can already be tried out sporadically in a few studios. Keep your eyes open! Maybe Barre, PHIIT and Flying Pilates will come to your city soon! Or take a look around at FIBO! At the largest leading trade show for fitness, wellness and health you will surely find one or the other new trend!
New or used Pilates equipment like for example mats you can also buy and sell on fitnessmarkt.de!
Editorial fitnessmarkt.de (SIS)
Published on: 3 April 2017