Introducing piloxing: A new workout for the new year
MANILA, Philippines — Research shows that “to lose weight” is among the top New Year’s resolutions people make every year.
Studies by statisticians like Statisticbrain.com show that to "lose weight" and "healthier eating" are even at the top of people's wish list this year.
After downing lots of holiday booze and buffet, try this new exercise designed to bring you back in winning form, just like returning World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao.
In a recent workout session at Shangri-La the Fort, apparel retailer Adidas introduced piloxing, a relatively new exercise combining boxing with dance and pilates.
According to Filipina piloxing trainer Roselle “Roz” Manlangit, piloxing was created in 2009 by Swedish dancer and pilates master Viveca Jensen along with co-founders Cortney Gornall and Natasha Bellroth.
It was developed in Los Angeles when Viveca was still pursuing a career in dance. She then drew elements of dance, boxing and pilates—all three disciplines she loved—into an interdisciplinary workout and branded it piloxing.
By 2010, they began certification trainings around the world and also developed Piloxing Barre in 2014 and Piloxing Knockout in 2015. In the Philippines, the first batch of instructors were certified by Gornall in 2014.
“Pilates and boxing are two completely different disciplines in terms of feel and intensity. It makes a good combination because with boxing, you get to feel powerful, work on cardio and intensify your workout, while pilates complements it with grace, dynamic flexibility and helps in creating long, lean muscles. The program also follows an interval training program with the two extremes, allowing maximum results and high caloric burn,” Manlangit explained.
She added that in piloxing, participants work with blocks and each block belongs to a discipline (either boxing, pilates or dance).
“In Knockout, we take out the dance and replace it with functional training or HIIT. For example, in one round of a Knockout class, you do a base choreography influenced by boxing or Pilates then go into one minute of drill preparation and do two minutes of functional training such as walk-out planks or burpees.”
She assured that there are a lot of benefits you can get from piloxing, apart from burning as much as 1000 calories per class.
“We particularly help in cardiovascular endurance, dynamic flexibility, and so much more. It's a full body workout that targets arms, abs and butt specifically.”
In an interview with Philstar.com, Roz expounds more on this latest exercise craze to hit Manila.
To whom do you best recommend piloxing? Why?
“All three programs were created to cater to all kinds of people and fitness levels. We also make sure that even if your first class will be challenging, you'll still find it fun, safe, and effective. It was initially created to cater to women, but especially with Knockout, we also want to give men a challenge that will test their athleticism.”
How often in a week or a day and how long should a piloxing workout be done?
“Piloxing can be done every day if you're up for it! Haha! But of course, rest and recovery is still important so make sure to listen to your body before doing any kind of workout.”
What equipment and uniform are best for piloxing?
“For piloxing SSP (boxing, pilates, dance) and Barre, I would encourage students to wear form-fitting athletic clothes like leggings or tops. It's for you to be able to see your form and technique better. We also encourage barefoot training in SSP, since we believe that training yourself to move barefoot allows you to strengthen your feet and ankles and promote dynamic flexibility.
However, since we do plyometrics/functional training in Piloxing Knockout, it is essential to wear shoes and comfortable clothes (leggings or cycling/running shorts) to allow you to move fast and absorb the jumps properly.”
What simple steps from piloxing can we do at home?
“We have a signature move called the Flat Back. This move is inspired by pilates and helps with strengthening your core, sculpting your legs and glutes, and it challenges your balance. All you have to do is to stand with your feet together in a small V (heels together, toes apart), add a small plie, hands raised and straight to both sides, then extend one leg diagonally to the side.
After a couple of taps with your leg out to the diagonal and then back to the small V, lift the whole leg up and down to the side while keeping it straight. Lastly, hold the leg off the floor to add that extra burn on the glutes and your standing leg.”
What results can we expect to get from piloxing after doing it for some period of time?
“Long-lean muscles, better balance, stronger core and a lot more, really. Not to mention, feeling empowered and strong.”
So far, how is the reception for piloxing among Filipinos? Who are the celebrities from here and abroad who are raving about it?
“Piloxing is gaining quite a following here in the Philippines. I'm sure a lot of celebrities have had the chance to try it, but personally, I have been able to teach Ina Raymundo in a class. A lot of students get into Piloxing as a way for stepping up a notch in their fitness routines and they really love the sweat you get from it!
In the US, Hilary Duff, Kirsten Dunst, Ashley Tisdale, and Vanessa Hudgens are known to be Piloxing enthusiasts as well.”
Where is Piloxing available or how can we take part in it in the Philippines?
“You can search the Piloxing website for classes or visit different gyms/studios to see where classes are available. You can also follow our Facebook page (Piloxing Philippines) to get updates on what’s happening in the Piloxing community here.”
