The insatiable interest in HIIT continues, and is inspiring fitness professionals to create ever more imaginative ways to work up a sweat. For instance: PULSE House, which opened last September, is the first and only VersaClimber
studio in the nation’s capital. Each week, it offers its members 67 30-minute cardio and cardio-strength group sessions on 37 of its VersaClimbers.
“I believe that there’s no better low-impact tool for strength and cardio training than the VersaClimber,” says Shafer Minnick, the founder of PULSE House. “Because we’re constantly innovating with group fitness, we intentionally seek out tools and methods—such as the VersaClimber—that aren’t often utilized by others.” Now, logging more than 500 class visits per month, Minnick is planning to open new units in the greater Washington, D.C., area.
Another HIIT-focused provider, F45 Training, which originated in New South Wales, Australia, has expanded to 1,450 studios in 38 countries over the last few years. Its trademark offering is 45-minute sessions that combine HIIT, circuit training, and functional work, creating constantly changing combinations from more than 3,500 exercises.
Classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday emphasize cardio; Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday are resistance-based; and Saturday is a hybrid. Sessions vary the number of exercise stations used, work/rest time ratios, and repetitions to promote progression. The F45 Athletics and Peak Performance Department, composed of trainers, athletes, and exercise scientists, develop, test, and fine-tune every routine.
“The variation of our programming keeps members challenged, eager to grow, and ready to have fun,” says Rob Deutsch, the co-CEO and founder of F45 Training. “We encourage members to regard fellow exercisers as teammates, working together toward goals, celebrating achievements, and sharing their own successes to inspire and motivate.”
F45 is now introducing stretch-based sessions.
Stretching
East Bank Club, Chicago
StretchLab, nationwide