05.01.08
Are You Pulling My Cable?
“Ruth and Keith, you’re on Gamma. Randy, get on Beta. Evelyn, jump on Delta.” Sound like a weird Sorority hazing ritual? Yeah, I thought so too. And the four contraptions against the wall in front of me - different configurations of cables with handles - looked like medieval torture devices. Then Erin Carson, the energetic fitness director of Rallysport, fired up a beat-filled soundtrack and put us to work. “This is Kinesis!” she yelled.
No wonder it’s the latest fitness craze. Unlike with regular weight machines, Kinesis employs a 3-D resistance system that gives your body full range of motion in every direction and plane. The cables can switch into over 200 exercises like one-legged wood chops, reverse lunges, punches and side-kicks. Can’t picture it? Imagine a cross between Pilates with strength training, martial arts, muscular endurance, and balance. Once we started, Carson gave me one look and declared, “You’re a runner” (she’s right), and tailored my exercises to work specifically on my hip strength. It worked: I was sore, but not too pathetically sore, the next day.
And that’s what makes Kinesis so effective (and actually fun): It’s totally customized. Between Delta and Alpha, there are a gazillion different moves to try, and you’re always guided by a trainer. Case in point: Carson told a hottie in our class, “You’re the only man I know whose chest is stronger than his butt!” The ladies laughed. The guy blushed. And then Carson took his weakness, exploited it, and made him squat.
Interested in pulling some cable? Call your local gym or yoga studio for Kinesis class recommendations near you.
- Tested by our very own Lab Lass
No wonder it’s the latest fitness craze. Unlike with regular weight machines, Kinesis employs a 3-D resistance system that gives your body full range of motion in every direction and plane. The cables can switch into over 200 exercises like one-legged wood chops, reverse lunges, punches and side-kicks. Can’t picture it? Imagine a cross between Pilates with strength training, martial arts, muscular endurance, and balance. Once we started, Carson gave me one look and declared, “You’re a runner” (she’s right), and tailored my exercises to work specifically on my hip strength. It worked: I was sore, but not too pathetically sore, the next day.
And that’s what makes Kinesis so effective (and actually fun): It’s totally customized. Between Delta and Alpha, there are a gazillion different moves to try, and you’re always guided by a trainer. Case in point: Carson told a hottie in our class, “You’re the only man I know whose chest is stronger than his butt!” The ladies laughed. The guy blushed. And then Carson took his weakness, exploited it, and made him squat.
Interested in pulling some cable? Call your local gym or yoga studio for Kinesis class recommendations near you.
- Tested by our very own Lab Lass
