Meghan Markle is an adherent of the American version of Beatcore./ Image: Getty.
Exercise
It’s called Beatcore, a high-intensity, low-impact workout inspired by Pilates and Megaformer, which is triumphing in the United States and already has followers of the stature of Gigi Hadid and Sofia Vergara.
By María Muñiz Marcelo
October 9, 2023 / 7:15 p.m.
He Beatcore (or, well, its versions, the Megaformer workouts from which it is inspired) is one of the new workouts that has become the most fashionable in big cities in the last year. First, it was New York and Los Angeles that filled their streets with studios dedicated to this type of exercise that has conquered Gigi Hadid, Sofia Vergara and Meghan Markle herself. Now it is the turn of our capital, where it was created.
As they point out from their headquarters in Madrid, Beatcore is a high-intensity, low-impact training technique inspired by Pilates. Strength, flexibility and resistance exercises are combined in a machine similar to the traditional pilates reformer, but more evolved and adapted to this specific training. But it is much more than that and I was able to see it on my own skin.
It all started when a press release about this new training arrived in my email along with the invitation to try it. Something I couldn’t resist since that’s how I really believe things can be properly talked about. So, even though I was a little scared, because in the email they promised me that the classes would be doubts, I dared with the invitation. I have to say that they were not lying when they told me that the ideal was already have a sports routine before starting these workouts or be, at least somewhat fit.
What is Beatcore?
Beatcore trainer with one of the chest exercises./ Image: Courtesy of Beatcore.
«Es a full body workout in which you will put your body to the test by working strength at a high intensity,” they inform us from the center before starting the class to warn me of what is to come. “Are strength exercises performed without impact. The training takes place in the Beatforms. This machine, inspired by the traditional Pilates reformer, works with springs that will allow you adjust resistance and, therefore, the intensity of the exercise. All movements performed on the machine must be done very slowly and for a long time in a certain period of time«, they add.
What should I bring to a Beatcore class?
To a Beatcore class you have to be equipped as you would go to a regular gym session. That is, we will wear leggings and a sports top or gym t-shirt. Furthermore, it is very important to keep in mind that will be done barefootso, at most, we can wear socks.
It is also recommended bring a small towel so we can dry ourselves when we need it and a water bottleessential to be able to hydrate ourselves after each exercise, in the moments that the instructor tells us to rest.
What is a Beatcore session like?
The Beatcore center I went to is located in Chamberí and has only one classroom where they offer classes every hour. Inside the room there are five machines, as I said, similar to pilates machines. That is to say, There can only be a maximum of five students per class plus the teacher, so the attention is super personalized. This is something that I loved, since the instructor controls you much better and prevents you from making mistakes in the postures. Something that helps you get much more out of each training exercise and minimize the risk of injury.
The tough class 50 minutes and it takes place in a dimly lit room with quite stimulating music, which makes it much easier for you to focus on the exercise and forget worries and intrusive thoughts. It was divided into tnothing different blocksto focus on the different parts of our body and work on them in order. The first was core exercises. We start with the abdomen with different dynamic planks: raising one leg and then the other while holding on with our forearms and placing our feet on the farthest back platform, for example. Or crunches (abdominals) with different supports and postures. We also work the lumbar part.
Beatcore core exercises./ Image: Courtesy of Beatcore.
The second block was dedicated to training the upper body. We mainly use the pulleys to work the chest, back, shoulders and arms at the same time. Furthermore, in this case you could perfectly notice how you were working with your own weight when pulling the pulleys.
The last part of the class was aimed at the lower limbs of the body. Here it was the turn of the lunges that separated the platforms and maintained the posture, the squats on the large plate and hip and gluteal exercises.
All of these exercises are done with this pull-and-war system of pulleys and platforms. They jump from the mobile to the fixed front or rear, and they move closer to each other through the pulleys and handles. Movements were made quickly and fluidly, almost like choreography. In fact, they are perfectly studied by the instructors.
Beatcore platforms in motion while doing exercises./ Image: Courtesy of Beatcore.
To end, It’s time to relax, where you notice the heat in your muscles and feel them much more flexible. Of course, be prepared for stiffness the next day, because you are going to have them.
What benefits has the new favorite sport of celebrities had for me?
Beatcore squats./ Image: Courtesy of Beatcore.
One of the main clear benefits that this training provides is that it is perfect for body sculpt. But what it has caused in me has gone beyond the merely physical. The atmosphere of the class due to the dim light, the personalization of the discipline and the small number of attendees is a perfect combination to be able to disconnect from the outside and connect with myself. In fact, it is like a kind of meditation, as you become completely aware of your body and see how far you can go with it. This has helped me, although it may seem contradictory, to relax and combat anxiety that I suffer In addition, it makes you want to surpass yourself and always go a little further, so it is a shot of motivation. Not to mention that it is one of those disciplines that are engaging and that, once you try it, you want more and you always know how to find the moment, because you need it to feel better.
2023-10-09 17:16:56
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