There’s no playing around when it comes to Solidcore. The gym offers an intense 50-minute class that will make you feel muscles you didn’t even know you had.
The studio offers a full-body workout session on a resistance based machine that works your slow and fast-twitch muscle fibers, eventually leading to a toner and leaner body. From lunges to squats to crunches, Solidcore offers a new, unique way to exercise on a Solidcore exclusive machine.
The Solidcore location in Cathedral Commons is situated alongside other gyms like Zengo Cycle and Pure Barre. Upon entering, I immediately noticed the set of 13 machines placed in a line, appropriately named Sweatlana. The purple walls and neon blue lighting create an aesthetically pleasing look for the gym, while a wall with floor to ceiling windows lets in natural lighting and a great view of Cathedral Commons.
Once you enter the studio, water and towels are provided for you, and each client chooses a Sweatlana machine. As returning clients make themselves comfortable, the personal trainer gets the class ready and explains the machine to any first-timers.
The Sweatlana is a machine designed by Solidcore to provide a resistance based workout. The machine has 8 springs for varied tensions, a stationary platform for spring changes, leather straps that are sweat and smell proof, a powder-coated aluminium based body and a pocket-free carriage. This creative new machine gives a unique, pilates-inspired workout that no other gym can offer.
My instructor, Jo Gomez, is a training manager that has been at Solidcore for two and a half years. In addition to coaching, she also trains instructors to coach and provide quality control. Her passion for fitness was very obvious during my workout. Gomez’s energy and motivation to push clients was easily noticeable as she came around to every client and helped them.
During my workout, Gomez targeted hamstrings and biceps. Every Solidcore class will feature lots of ab and oblique exercises. Each class has a different focus though; for example it could be outer glutes and chest or triceps and inner thighs. For my class, we did exercises such as plank crunches, modified plank extensions, hamstring curls, carriage lunges and standing bicep curls. These work out your entire body, like your arms, core and legs.
The Sweatlana machine can be intimidating at first, especially for beginners. Gomez did a great job at explaining the basics, but it can be tricky to keep up with the fast paced class. The class also does not have a personal trainer to watch in the front, like many other group exercise classes. Instead, the trainer walks around and helps those individually as the class is going along.
For beginners, it’s hard to figure out the machine without a visual, although it helps to just look around the room and see what everyone else is doing. The more you attend classes, the easier it will be to navigate the class and the machine.
Solidcore has locations in Adams Morgan, Cathedral Commons, Mt. Vernon Triangle, Shaw and West End. They offer a variety of packages to purchase with the gym. Clients can purchase a yearly pass for $299/month with a one year commitment, a Month 8 pass of eight classes per month for $248/month with a three month commitment, and $359/month pass with no commitment.
Classes can also be purchased in bundles, ranging from $175 to $1160, or single classes can be purchased for $37. More information about their prices can be found on Solidcore's website. To purchase classes, clients can make an account and add on classes, depending on the bundle or single class they buy.
The first couple of classes are really intense, and you definitely feel it the next day. However, it shows how effective the class will be at building muscle and creating a leaner body. If you’re looking for a gym that builds a client-personal trainer relationship and works you out like no other, Solidcore is for you.
