54D is NYC’s ‘hardest and most costly’ exercise

Health

By Adriana Diaz

March 30, 2023 | 2:25pm

On a latest Saturday morning, the newly-minted 54D health studio on W. twenty fifth St. was a hive of nervous and excited vitality.

The rubber turf was filled with adults of all ages and physiques, jockeying for house, stretching their hamstrings and mentally making ready for his or her sixth consecutive exercise of the week.

Latin music pumped via the 6,041-square-foot state-of-the artwork Flatiron studio as coaches Luis Calderon, 32, and Kevin Piedrahita, 31, salsa’d across the room, high-fiving their trainees.

Stationary bikes, weights, punching luggage, a operating ramp and stairs lined the house.

“I admire the depth, [of] having to decide to this for six days every week, each week — there was no room for slacking if I needed actual outcomes,” Liz Striapko, 31, instructed The Put up throughout her fifth week of coaching.

The company banker from Queens heard in regards to the exercise program via a good friend in Miami, the place the category has a waitlist and followers in celebrities corresponding to Adriana Lima and Alex Rodriguez.

Striapko determined to see what all of the hype was about and attempt to drop just a few kilos, however this system has grow to be about far more to her.

“For one hour I’m able to absolutely disconnect from the surface world. It’s such a difficult exercise, I can’t deal with something that could be stressing me out in my day-to-day life as a result of I’m too targeted on respiration and doing the workout routines correctly,” she stated.

Each class and shout of encouragement from the coaches is calculated to push every trainee to their restrict.

All trainees put on coronary heart screens that transmit info in actual time to instructors.

Marketed as “New York’s hardest and most costly exercise class,” 54D — named for its 54-day size — made its Massive Apple debut in January, charging $5,400 for the grueling ordeal.

Created by former skilled soccer participant Rodrigo Garduño, 44, the immersion-like expertise is strictly regimented — you’re even instructed when to sip water.

Exercises are by no means the identical, however contributors can depend on a good mixture of HIIT (excessive depth interval coaching) and cardio, with a lot of squats, jumps and sprints.

Not solely are the hour-long HIIT and cardio circuit lessons intense, however this system features a weight-reduction plan, restoration plans and strict pointers.

However probably the most shocking factor in regards to the hottest new exercise on the town could be that it’s getting New Yorkers to commit — and stick with a schedule, too.

Members should be part of the category on the similar time each Monday via Friday for 9 weeks (Saturday’s schedule is extra versatile).

If you’re three minutes late, you’re locked out of sophistication.

Miss three lessons, or present up with a foul angle, and you’re kicked out of this system. (A professional-rated quantity might be refunded.)

“It’s important to practice like an athlete, eat like an athlete, and get well like an athlete,” Omar Yunes, CEO of 54D, instructed The Put up, evaluating this system to an athlete’s preseason coaching. All of the instructors are former skilled athletes.

“The entire idea is far more comparable to a college than the standard health idea,” Yunes stated. “It’s understanding how your physique works, and having anyone there with you to speak about it, which is essential.”

Every exercise is defined, demonstrated and guided by the coaches. The trainees are all supplied with coronary heart screens that permit the coaches to trace how onerous everyone seems to be working — and who wants pushing. Trainees are despatched a efficiency report after the exercise is full.

A registered dietician sits down with every trainee to information them via one week of a detox weight-reduction plan (consuming principally complete and pure meals) and assist them plan wholesome meals going ahead.

Trainees are additionally inspired to make use of one of many two restoration strategies — a chilly compression leg machine or a full physique therapeutic massage chair — on the studio at the least twice every week.

Whereas the most recent craze may need Manhattan health buffs clamoring to get in, some analysis means that an excessive amount of high-intensity train could also be an ineffective and presumably dangerous exercise for some.

“On the subject of bodily exercise, it’s doable to have an excessive amount of of a superb factor,” Sara Gottfried, a Harvard-educated physician, instructed The Put up.

Nonetheless, Yunes insists that “what issues is that you just push your self as onerous as you may to your degree.”

“We don’t actually care who’s the quickest we don’t care or the strongest. We solely care about individuals who are available and provides their 100%,” he stated.

And whereas coming into a metropolis already well-served by costly gyms and exercise lessons with a cult-like following may need initially been a problem, Yunes stated that 54D’s emphasis on studying, dedication and tailor-made coaching makes it distinctive.

To date, the required, hefty dedication of money and time seems to be paying off for contributors, who spoke of an increase in motivation equipped by seeing actual outcomes.

“It’s a bit addictive,” Kate Backhouse, 39, instructed The Put up.

Backhouse started this system again in January, when she noticed the studio opening up close to her house.

The biotech firm director has tried all kinds of exercise lessons and packages however determined to leap into the “massive dedication” to whip herself in form forward of her fortieth birthday.

“It was the identical individuals day-after-day at 6 am — all people made that dedication. All people turned up, confirmed up, tried their greatest and there was an actual sense of camaraderie,” Backhouse stated.