Don’t sweat that New Year’s resolution – or
rather, do sweat it. ELLE editors test both cult classics and current crazes to
find your best workout for 2013
Health
Plans
Barry’s Bootcamp
The
program
Instead of roughing it outdoors, Barry’s
Bootcamp devotees work out in dimly lit, camo-embellished studios in NYC,
Nashville, and throughout California. Ultraripped instructors keep up morale
with a playful narrative (“Sweat is your fat crying!”) rather than
drill-sergeant-style abuse. Each hour-long class features high-intensity
intervals on the treadmill and strenghth-building floor exercises.
Barryshootcamp.com
Editor’s
take
In an attempt to drop holiday-party pounds,
I sign up for 10 sessions before a long weekend in South Beach. As a sometime
runner, I’m drawn to the treadmill-based workout; the intense strength-training
component will offer a new challenge and, I hope, much-needed muscle tone. At
roughly $30 per class, Barry’s isn’t as cost-effective as a typical gym
membership, but it beats enlisting a personal trainer.
Results
Studies suggest that interval training
raises the body’s metabolic rate, a claim I take too literally at my
postworkout for-yo pit stop. Still, in just two weeks, a friend notices my
“jacked” arms, and I feel more energetic – even on resting days. While I never
step on a scale, my body looks tigher than before, and my South Beach swimwear
anxiety begins to subside.
Intensity
P90X
The
program
Create by parky trainer Tony Horton, this
as-seen-on-TV, 12-DVD program promises transformation in just 90 days. Using a
mix of free weights, resistance bands, and a pull-up bar, each hour-long
workout targets a different muscle group, with cardio and yoga peppered in. it
also comes with a supplemental diet plan and a “100% satisfaction guarantee.”
Beachbody.com/P90X
Editor’s
take
Each winter, working out falls by the
wayside as I choose food, wine, and warmth over exercise. In an attempt to
avoid my usual weight gain, I order P90X. Don’t let the cheesy infomercial fool
you – it’s hard. In the beginning, Yoga X is the only DVD I’m able to complete
without a break. The low-card, high-protein diet plan is brutal at first, but
it helps me shed three motivating pounds in the first week.
Results
Of the countless infomercial workouts I’ve
succumbed to over the years, P90X is the only one to deliver results. After
three months, my tummy is flatter and my arms rival MObama’s. and, for the
first time, I think twice about what I eat. I missed the community that a gym
offers, so for now my DVDs are tucked away. But if I ever need a lifestyle
reboot, I’ll dust them off again.
Intensity
Ballet beautiful
The
program
Devised by former New York City Ballet
dancer Mary Helen Bowers (Natalie Portman’s coach for Black Swan), Ballet
Beautiful promises to deliver the lifted derriere and sleek limbs of a dancer –
no pointe work required. You can attend classes at Brower’s airy SoHo studio
from anywhere via live video feed (she can see you, so no sneaky Cheetos!).
Balletbeautiful.com
Editor’s
take
When I spot something that can only be
described as “knee cellulite” in a J. Crew dressing room, I make haste to
Ballet Beautiful, about which I have heard hosannas from fashion-world friends.
The interminable leg lifts and glute-squeezing bridges are punishing, but I
find Browers’ lithe physique and calm instruction inspiring.
Results
After three weeks of either attending a
class or working out at home to one of Browers’ DVDs every other night, my
thighs feel firmer and leaner. I was supersore for the first few days, but it
was worth it: By the start of the second week, that bulgy, dimply
above-the-knee wedge that so horrified me already appeared visibly diminished.
Better than Spanx!
Intensity
The sweat spot
The
program
At Ryan Heffington’s the Sweat Spot, people
who want a dancer’s body have to earn it the old-fashioned way – actually
dancing. Heffington’s L.A.-based empire began in 2010 as a Sunday afternoon
dance class known for welcoming newcomers. Now classes – and Heffington’s
anything-goes environment – attract both off-duty professionals and the
rhythmically challenged.
Thesweatspotla.com
Editor’s
take
Dancers at the Sweat Spot are dressed in a
mix of ironic neon spandex or American Apparel cotton basics. Every class
starts with a high-energy yoga-meets-aerobics warm-up, which gets me huffing
and puffing. Unlike in some hard-core studios, at the Sweat Spot, the pros are
so friendly that I never feel self-conscious about my subpar skills.
Results
The Sweat Spot feels more like a party than
a workout, a welcome alternative to my running regimen. I leave each class
feeling lighter, more limber, and, as the name promises, drenched. I’ve picked
up ballroom and ballet basics, my arms don’t give out now during yoga’s
chataranga, and my relevé is less wobbly. And I’ve learned that dancers come in
all shapes and sizes – even with my two left feet, I quality.
Intensity
