ChaiseFitness Upper East Side

If you’ve never taken ChaiseFitness’s Reinvention class before, give it some time before forming an opinion. This class uses a fitness chair and overhead bungees as props, assisting and challenging your body in ways you’re probably not used to … so you might feel totally uncomfortable, unbalanced and unsure about how you’re supposed to be working. Trust us though, with Kendrick Carter leading the way, once you get the groove of the positions, you’ll feel the burn and leave appreciating the awesome workout.

RUNDOWN

WORKOUT

Standing behind the fitness chair with bungees in each hand, Kendrick began the class with a series of arm movements, plies, squats, and isolated holds. With the bungees providing resistance, we could already feel our arms and core working before the warm-up ended. We then stepped onto the fitness chair with one leg in a squat and the other on a resistance bar that folds away from the chair, with hands in the bungees. We pulsed isolating legs then arms and then the two together and really challenged our balance and muscles. The elevated position of standing on the fitness chair allows you to get into muscles in a totally different way than your typical squat and activates your core through the mix of balance and holding onto the bungees. The ab series of pikes was probably our favorite part of class. Standing on the lever bar of the chair, Kendrick instructed the class to get into a plank-like position with hands on chair and then use our core to raise and lower our legs into a pike. You can literally feel your entire core working during this series … and see the sweat hitting the chair. At the end of class, Kendrick took us through a cool down of stretching and balances and we were off!

INSTRUCTOR

Kendrick is down to earth and welcoming. Throughout class, he was full of energy and hands-on, and approached each person with the casualness of a friend when giving adjustments. He played great music and made sure to keep the class moving so the positions never felt too repetitive. The instructors speak the entirety of the class, giving directions and counting, but Kendrick managed to personalize the class a bit by making his way around the room and giving positive feedback. We will definitely be back to take his class again.

SPACE

The Upper East studio on 82nd is smaller than the others we’ve been to. Because of the smaller space, the class gives off a personal trainer vibe more than a group class. The studio is at ground level and one of the walls is a window, which can be a bit distracting with the cars and people on your side unless the shade is pulled down. There are lockers and two tiny changing rooms. There’s definitely not a lot of space within the changing/locker area to get ready in, and no showers … so beware when planning to take a class at this location.