The Class: Pop Physique

Location: Flatiron / Nomad (See on map here)

Duration: 60 minutes

Instructor: Emily-Ann

Classpass?: Yes

The Studio

I went to Pop Physique on a Saturday afternoon in March. My first impression: this is a place for the girls.

The studio decor is clean white walls with neon pink signs and artwork, plus plants. The friendly desk staff told me to grab two or three sets of light dumbbells and a ball – all various shades of pink and purple – before finding my mat.

The Workout

My second impression of Pop Physique five minutes into class: this place is for the TOUGH girls. Barre is freaking hard, okay? Don’t be fooled by the one or two-pound hand weights. Four minutes into the arms part of class after a short warm-up I was thinking, why did I sign up for yet another barre class?

Then I looked at the instructor’s arms. Oh, yeah. That’s why.

After some arms and core, we moved to the bar and did leg exercises. Think standing on the balls of your feet and squatting for about 10 minutes. I really appreciated Emily-Ann’s laser-like focus on each person’s form. She took the time to look at each person’s body and make minor adjustments that seriously increased the overall burn.

The Pop Physique class included a good amount of stretching in between each exercise. The stretch in between helped me recover and put my full effort into the next exercise.

Class finished with more core work. I’ve never done a Lamaze class (since I’ve never been pregnant) but the breath work I did here felt like I was preparing to give birth. “Breathe through the pain ladies!” Then, some light stretching before collapse.

Workout Summary

• Butt and abs on the floor
• Arms
• Leg & butt exercises on the bar
• Core on the bar
• Final stretch

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking for a traditional barre class experience that exudes a particular girly-power vibe, look no further than Pop Physique. Burn, baby, burn.