Iluminar Aerial, 2655 Industrial Lane, Broomfield, 720-445- 0415, iluminaraerial.com
Instructor: Daniel Nolasco is originally from El Paso, Texas, and he moved to Colorado at a young age. His resume is very impressive. He trained in aerial dance at Frequent Flyers Productions in Boulder. He then completed the two-year professional program at the New England Center for Circus Arts in Brattleboro, Vt., before joining the staff at Iluminar Aerial.
It doesn’t end there. He is headed off to Germany in a few weeks for an eight-month contract on a cruise ship. If you ever wondered what someone can do with training in aerial arts and circus, here is a great example. He’ll be traveling through Europe and North America taking his passion for performance on the road — or should I say water? The AirFIT class will continue as usual in his absence, with other instructors filling in.
What is the workout? AirFIT is a unique strength-training workout, using aerial silks and rope to build practical strength. By practical, I mean that these exercises build the strength needed to excel in other aerial endeavors. Whether that’s aerial acrobatics, trapeze or just climbing a rope.
Aerial silks are large ribbons of fabric that hang from the ceiling. They can hang either like a hammock, with both ends secured at the ceiling, or straight down, like tails that can be tied together or hang loose. The rope is not the kind you might have used in middle school gym, the rough, rather painful variety that was used for climbing. This rope is made of cotton. It’s soft with some stretch, grippy without being painful to the touch.
The class began with a very thorough warm up, some jogging and lunges across the floor. This was followed by plank holds, push-ups and crunches. There isn’t any question that this is an intense core workout. Once you get further into the class you’ll understand why. There were 10 different stations, each one using either an aerial silk or rope. Daniel explained the exercise for each station and demonstrated how to use the apparatus.
Each one focused on a different part of the body. There was rope climbing, side crunches with your feet in the aerial sling, upside-down crunches, leg lifts while holding onto the rope, and a stretching station, to name a few. My personal favorite was the crying station, which is like an aerial hammock for when you’re tired and you need a break, or you want to freestyle. I just laid in it like a cocoon and lamented that I shouldn’t have eaten half a pizza before working out.
We had three minutes at each station, we could pick which one we wanted to do, assuming no one else had claimed it already.
What’s different? The aerial apparatus takes this workout to a whole new level. It’s one thing to do crunches. It’s a whole other thing to do it upside down while trying to keep your body stable.
My core was constantly engaged and I didn’t need any verbal reminders from the instructor. To stay in the silks or on the rope, my abs had to be engaged to complete the exercise. “It targets the body in a different way. Being upside down makes you more self-aware of your surroundings. It makes you think individually of the muscles, trying to engage and trying to target them,” says Nolasco.
The workout is self-guided. Everyone is doing something different. You can take your time, relax when you’re tired, and then jump back in. If your arms have had enough you don’t have to choose the rope climb. You can chill at the stretching station or do side crunches.
Cost: Drop-in classes are $20. The studio offers multi-class punch cards: 12 classes for $144, 8 classes for $112 or 4 classes for $64.
Level: Beginner to advanced students can take this class. If you are looking to try an aerial class, this is a good place to start and build some strength. Advanced students can focus on areas where they are lacking. “Especially for the warm-up, I try to tone it down if I see there are a lot of new people,” says Nolasco. “If not I try to push it further. There is no limit on age or body weight, anyone who wants to try it can try it. As long as you have the enthusiasm and drive for it, you’re going to do really well.”
When: 7-8 p.m. on Mondays, 11:10 a.m.-12:10 p.m. Saturdays.
What to prepare: Regular workout clothes. Long pants are suggested so your legs don’t come into direct contact with the silks. This can be uncomfortable and cause rope burns.
Muscles worked: This is definitely a core workout, followed closely by upper body. Your legs get in on the action with the leg lifts and rope climbs, but from the waist up I was exhausted. At least I could still walk out the door at the end.
What I loved: I felt like I was getting a workout on a jungle gym. You’re having a fun time, doing something cool and different, while working every muscle in your body. I always enjoy workouts that make you feel like you’ve learned a new skill, something you can take home with you instead of just sore muscles.
What I didn’t like: It was very humbling, which I begrudgingly admit. Doing an exercise for three minutes is difficult, especially a new one. There wasn’t any expectation from the instructor that I should be able to do it the whole time, just my personal drive to prove myself. We could all use a little reality check from time to time.
How I felt after the class: Like jelly. My arms made it until I got home and I collapsed on the couch in a heap. I keep telling myself I need to work on my abs: mission accomplished.
Know of any interesting workouts? Tell us about them so we can check them out: quentin@dailycamera.com.
Know of any interesting workouts? Tell us about them so we can check them out: quentin@dailycamera.com.
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