@ShockTherapyNyc
I’m not going to lie; I’m no workout junkie. But when I find a workout I really like, I just can’t stop. When I first heard about Shock Therapy Fitness, I’ll admit, I was worried—especially by the name, but I was also incredibly intrigued. After reading how it actually worked, I knew had to try it.
After researching and reaching out to the owners, I set course for my first class, called Metabolism (they also offer a Strength class which I’ll talk about later). The metabolism class is a low impact HIIT class that is intensified by specialized Shock Therapy apparel, that looks a lot like what you’d wear when you go to play laser tag. The class itself is only 30 minutes, but let me tell you, you feel every single one.
How does it work you ask?
Well, the vest itself wraps around all the major muscles in your body—upper back, lower back, abs, glutes, thighs and arms—and is activated by a belt. When you first arrive, you’re given an Under Armour-like long sleeve T-shirt and leggings, then you’re strapped into the suit. Before the class starts, a belt is added, which triggers a vibration, or “shock”. This is felt throughout your session, and is said to increase the effect of the moves you’re making, meaning a shorter workout brings about bigger results.
I should also note, the suit is dampened, presumably to offset whatever heat would otherwise be generated by the electric pulses it gives off.
For this particular class, the vibrations feel like a strong poke at your muscles, which you feel less the more you move. There’s an option to strengthen the level of “shock” as you go too. Activities include working with medicine balls, doing burpees and the like, then switching to 3 minute spin on a bike. This is repeated about 4-5 times, and by the end of your 30 minute workout, you’re pretty much dripping in sweat.
I enjoyed it enough to go back and try the Strength class, which is saying something because that workout (as most HIIT classes do) wiped me out!
The Strength class has a few differences. For one, the “shock” is more like a vibration, definitely not subtle, but less intense at the start. Like the other class, you can choose to heighten the intensity of the vibrations based on muscle group, throughout the class. For this session, it was more barre stylized class, in which you’re doing small movements to target specific muscles. Within a day you’ll feel it in every muscle group and it hurts real good.
It hasn’t taken long for me to become a huge fan of this workout and sometime soon, I hope to be able to commit to the full package, so I can really track the results. Until then, I definitely recommend giving it a shot! You can see more and book a class here!
