Some people like Pilates. Some like to lift weights. Some believe high intensity cardio is king and others still are convinced the mind-body connection is the be-all end-all.

Then there are people that cherry pick the best of different forms of fitness, creating a fun, physical, fusion of exercise! People like Jessa Freeman, founder and owner of MOD-Physique in NE Portland.

Major thanks to co-owner, Gregory, for taking photos during class for the blog! 

After the First Four Classpass workouts I did, the next stop was MOD Physique. I barely glanced at their website which mentioned “fusion fitness” and my first thought was, “Okay, there is no way I can know what to expect.” So I just showed up ready for anything.

Fusion Fitness

MOD Physique advertises as Cardio+Pilates+Ballet Barre. At least 1 out of 3 isn’t terrible. I haven’t always enjoyed the few barre classes I’ve tried and actually, I don’t think I’d done a “real” Pilates class at this point, ever.

So how did it go?

Well, there was definitely cardio. I got to do burpees!

Can’t go wrong with burpees, IMHO. In fact there was an entire section of on high intensity intervals with burpees, push ups, vertical mountain climbers, and lunges. Squeee!

Then there was definitely Pilates stuff. My sports bra matched the balls!

These were more fun than I anticipated. Jessa made class fun.

And yes, finally, there was ballet barre, which makes me feel like a fish out of water. I am pretty sure ballet muscles and runner muscles are entirely separate and not at all connected. 😉

 

But wait…there was also WEIGHTS!

These little pulsing weight movements – I find them to be very difficult. A stupid little 2 pound weight destroys me! Then I feel the urge to go squat 150 lbs and feel like a woman again.

5 Reasons to Try MOD-Physique:

1. Jessa is an amazing instructor. She’s fun and lively, clear and direct in her cues, she WILL gently correct you back into good form. I had fun!
2. You need to switch things up in your fitness routine. Maybe you’re bored. Or purposefully avoid things you need to do. MOD Physique changes the exercises each week and keeps things interesting and varied. They blend things I like (cardio) to make me do things I avoid (whatever that Pilates 100s thing was).
3. You need personal attention but not personal training. Classes are limited to 8 people and Mod-45 offers a slightly shorter class with a focus on form. Whether you feel out of shape or have to be careful about certain injuries, you will get the help you need yet still be in a class with others and feel the energy/motivation.
4. You need recovery movement. MOD Physique offers a class called MOD Release. It’s an hour of guided self care with foam rollers, thera-bands, and balls to stretch and massage your body. If you can’t bear to stretch for more than 10 minutes at a time, MOD Release it’s a good class to sign up for to restore your range of motion and relieve soreness/tightness.
5. The “one size fits all” model doesn’t include you. If you’ve struggled to find a home at traditional studios that offer one kind of training, I highly recommend a fusion fitness studio like MOD Physique. We all know people who swear Pilates alone made their dreams come true. If making your dreams a reality requires a blend of styles, MOD Physique is a great place to go.