Racks and Rings: Pilates ProWorks

'Twas the morn before Christmas, and all through Old Town, the rain it was drizzling but the sweat, it poured down.

With the majority of the Wheelers cast to three of the four corners of the world, Lisa decided to introduce me to her favorite Pilates joint in Old Town.

Pilates ProWorks is on the corner of Henry and Queen streets in Old Town Alexandria in a charming location. We opted for the early class and parking was easy enough, which is good because it was actually raining and chilly. In spite of the cold and wet, and her getting over a nasty cold, Lisa defiantly wore her flip flops.

We walked in at street level and climbed the stairs where we were immediately greeted by Charlie, the resident black lab, who was happy to see us. He was especially happy to see Lisa since she had a dog treat in her pocket. He is friendly but not overly-friendly like some labs I've known.

The overall feeling of the place is the same as Charlie, friendly and casual. I was greeted like and old friend and Lisa got hugs.

I filled out the ubiquitous liability waiver as the desk Meg (who may be head Meg) chatted with us both. She explained I would need socks, which Lisa had also told me, and said I could buy them or borrow Lisa's pink pair. I opted for a more manly, albeit festive option.

They were a bit small but they worked and made sure I didn't take myself too seriously. As if that's ever been a problem.

Once in the chamber we saw the reformers laid out and chose two next to each other since I'd require a little guidance and support.

The room was bright and open and had windows looking out to the street as well as windows into the lobby. It's easy to see that the space is designed to provide a feeling of peace and it works.

Training Meg was also a Lisa this time and she was friendly with an air of authority. There was no doubt she was in charge. She was patient and helpful getting me set up, even though I think I took her spot. She would be demonstrating the exercises during the class and I took the reformer closest to her headquarters.

It was about this time I realized I was the only man in the class, maybe in the building. It explained the lack of large sized socks but Lisa assured me later that men do take these classes. There's almost always one in a class. Being the only guy in a class stopped mattering to me back when we took that twerking class. After that anything short of pole dancing in a bikini is manly enough.

Before he class we were to select a set of dumbbells and a ring. I had no idea what the ring would be used for but I could

tell it would be something squeezy.

I should point out that my total Pilates experience has been one trip to SolidCore and I didn't know that was Pilates. In fact, when Lisa asked if I was interested in Pilates at 8:30 AM my response was, "Absolutely! What's Pilates?"

Since I only have SolidCore to compare this to, that's what I'll do. I like SolidCore and I remember it being challenging. The movements were similar in Pilates ProWorks but the difference was Pilates ProWorks' greater focus on form, muscle activation and that damn ring.

The moves on the reformer were scripted and well-timed. Anyone who takes teh class regularly with Lisa Z, the Meg, would know most of the moves. I only get that impression by observing Lisa, the Wheeler. They make sure to work each side equally so you end up evenly fatigued. A few moves were tougher than others but that has more to do with my conditioning than the exercise. The work was slow and focused and Meg corrected form as needed. I was the only newbie (and only dude) so I got most of the correction.

The exercises are primarily stability exercises but with the sled of the reformer it made it more interesting. We were instructed to do each move slow and deliberately. In some cases Meg would count out four seconds down, three seconds up, that sort of thing. She was also good about saying when we should inhale and exhale. In my experience that can be challenging. When focusing so much on form we have a tendency to hold our breath.

Towards the end we strapped up our feet and grabbed the ring. This was the toughest part for me just because I'm not limber or terribly coordinated. So with my feet in the loops and legs flailing about I did manage to get everything where it was supposed to be. The exercises were primarily leg-lifts that moved the sled. The added element on the ring meant the adductors were engaged the entire time. I've said before that too few programs target abductor and adductors. I can speak with some authority since that feeling was confirmed when I was in physical therapy for my hip. My therapist said I need to work those muscles to support my hips and it was clear I had no idea they even existed.

Adductors are engaged by squeezing our legs together and abductors are engaged when moving them apart. The ring is set up to work both but we focused on the squeezing. Meg said the goal was to make the ring into a figure eight and I took that as a challenge. I can say it's not easy. I had a few pulses that got close but no way to hold it. Fantastic burn throughout.

We stayed in that position to do our stretches and they were effective. The fact that I wasn't crippled afterwards speaks a lot to the effectiveness of the stretches.

I realized during this workout, I need to develop a scale for the effort exerted for these exercises. Those who know me know I sweat like an Olympian slug. A trainer once said, "If anyone wants to swim, Kevin just filled the pool." So I'll develop the KSF, Kevin Sweat Factor. I'll base it on how much I sweat on a three mile run, 10 minute mile, indoors so temperature isn't a factor. So if that is the mid scale between 1 and 10 then I'd rate this workout as a 7 or 8. I sweat enough that they may need to replace that reformer.

Overall the exercises were quite effective. The focus was on the leg and glutes but there were a few great arm and shoulder exercises and of course, great focus on core stability throughout. They weren't fast or complicated movements but the targeted muscles got engaged and well worked. I recommend this for any fitness level. I don't know if it will reform your body but it will certainly increase your muscle endurance.

The same studio has a boxing class and yoga as well. Lisa and I peeked in to the boxing class and saw one of our old instructors from UFC teaching. That alone is reason enough to recommend the class. He's a great instructor and his personality fits the place. He's happy and helpful and knowledgeable.

So visit Pilates ProWorks in Old Town Alexandria. Sign up online ahead of time. Class sizes are limited. The workouts are great but the spirit of the place and the people there will hook you.