We are pleased to welcome Seiji, our “Bungee Buddy” to the Chair!

This past week was quite an eventful one for Mr. Seiji!  Team Chaise surprised him with a birthday bash last weekend and his Cardio Chair Express class was featured on Pix11 News!

Check out the article and video clip here!

 This week we sent Seiji to the chair to ask him some of your most burning questions!

Q. What is your favorite exercise to torture people with in class?

A.  Pikes of course!

Q. What is your favorite pre-workout snack?

A: I usually don’t eat before but I love a protein shake after.

Q: What is your favorite song to Chaise-it-out to?

A: I’m a closet Britney fan.

Q:  What’s an example of a quote that inspires you?

A: “Show up; be present; speak your truth; and don’t be attached to the outcome.” — Anonymous

Q: What do you like to do for fun besides being a Bungaholic?

A: Travel, travel, travel! Did someone say Europe?

Q:  What do you find the most rewarding about teaching group fitness?

A: Seeing my students get stronger and tackle obstacles.

3 things you may not know about me…

1. I’m an Aquarius.

2. I was an only child for twelve years.

3. I was 20 years old the first time I ever saw snow.

Follow Seiji on twitter @BungeeBuddy23

(2013)

In this post, Tara shares her Chaise Journey and reveals the reasons for her Chaise-Craze.       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Tara in 2010

After two years of running on a treadmill (which I hate), lifting dumbbells, doing traditional squats and lunges, and crunching, I was bored with the gym. More importantly, I still hadn’t reached my fitness goals. I stumbled across Chaise23 on the internet and it looked like a fascinating and unique way to get in shape. The chair/bungee combination piqued my interest. I’d never seen anything like it before. On top of that, the new client special was incredibly reasonable (probably the best

 Best. Decision. Ever.

After my first Reinvention Chair class, I was hooked. My instructor was enthusiastic, attentive, and encouraging. I’d never experienced a full body work out like it. I was actually surprised by how difficult it was.  I was moving in ways that were foreign to me and using my core in a way that I never had, keeping my abs engaged was essential to every movement. I got a total body workout and I was whittling my waist the whole time.  The chair and the bungees pushed me to the max and literally forced me to focus on form.   It wasn’t easy, but I truly enjoyed every second of it. I finally found a workout that didn’t feel like a chore. One visit per week quickly became two visits per week. Twice a week turned into 3 times. Now? They can’t get rid of me!

Before Chaise23, I was in pretty good shape. I was active but my workouts were becoming a bit monotonous and my muscles were a little bulkier. I just wasn’t as trim as I wanted to be. Now, I can honestly say that I’m in the best shape that I’ve ever been in. I’m about 10 pounds lighter since I started working out at Chaise (and about 30 pounds lighter since I graduated from college in 2010). I’m the smallest that I’ve been since my days in high school. My strength, stamina, flexibility, and coordination, have improved tremendously. I’m so much leaner.  My muscles are toned and I’m seeing definition in my body that I’d never seen before.

(Hi, abs, toned back, and slim thighs! Nice to meet you!)                                                                                                     

Most importantly, as often as I go, the workouts never bore me and they ALWAYS push me.

Overall, my experience at Chaise23 has been exceptional. The staff is remarkable. Honestly, they are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet (especially in New York City) and the instructors are top notch. You feel the positive energy as soon as you walk in the studio – its contagious. My relationship with everyone at Chaise has grown so much within a relatively short period of time.

At this point, my workouts at Chaise23 are top priority. Good mood? I go. Bad mood? I go. Bad weather?  I’m there, Why? Because I usually leave the studio feeling a little lighter (literally and figuratively speaking). Chaise23 has helped me look my best. When you look good, you feel good and the power of positive can do wonders for your daily interactions and activities. Above all, working out at Chaise23 has truly enhanced the quality of my life. And for that, I will always be grateful to the Chaise team.

Meet Marissa the Newest Member to Team Chaise

Marissa post am workout with Chaise instructor Maria Carofano. 

Becoming a Certified Wellness Coach completely turned that theory on its head and gave me a new definition of wellness.

Marissa Vicario is a NYC-based Wellness Coach, Healthy Living Expert, creator of the Total Reset Plan and Author of How To Be Holistically Hot: A 30 Day Guide to Making Men Swoon and Your Friends Want What You Have. She shares her own health secrets, get-fit tips and the cooking expertise that has inspired countless women to end their love/hate relationship with food and turbocharge their health to become holistically hot in a way that’s fun and fearless. No crazy diets or all-juice cleanses required.

Marissa has been featured as a wellness and cooking expert on Vital Juice, eHow and Shape.com and is a contributor to MindBodyGreen, Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Life, Gal Time and The Well Daily; she regularly publishes on her own blog, Where I Need to Be. Marissa received her nutrition training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP). She has a BS in journalism from Northwestern University and an MA in Marketing from New York University. She has taken cooking classes at the Natural Gourmet Institute.

Web site: www.mwahonline.com

Blog: www.whereineedtobe.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/marissavicario

Facebook: www.facebook.com/marissaswellbeingandhealth

Rachel Piskin: From ballet barres to bungees!

At the age of 25, Rachel has accomplished more than most and has performed on some of the world’s largest stages. 

Three things you may not know about me:

1.  I was 7 years old when I performed with the New York City Ballet for the first time as Marie, better known as Clara, in The Nutcracker.

2. Law and Order SVU absolutely terrifies me!

3.  My mom, Lauren Piskin, is the founder of Chaise23 and working with her is my favorite part about working at Chaise!

Q: What is your favorite song to bungee-it-out to?

A:   I love switching it up with some Oldies Remixes.  Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era!  One of my favs is Tutti Frutti by Little Richard (Jake Reno Remix)

Q: What do you like to do for fun, besides being a Bungaholic?

A: Every month my 6 closest friends, my boyfriend and I plan a dinner party and it’s a wonderful excuse for me to wear something other than workout clothes! I also love any chance I get to spend time with my sister Tori. She makes me laugh like no one else can. When I don’t get to see her I can watch her hysterical youtube page.

Q: The pictures of you dancing are gorgeous!  What made you stop?

A: Dancing was my passion but it took a toll on my body in very unexpected ways.  After 20 years of dancing my body finally shut down, and as a result my endocrine system was failing me.  The professional ballet world unfortunately was not a supportive environment in which to get my body back in a healthy way, so I needed to find a new place to reinvent myself.  While I may not have envisioned my career ending in the way it did, it’s something that will always remain one of my proudest accomplishments, but in a way was a blessing in disguise and allowed me to find my new passion.

Q: How have you stayed in shape since you left New York City Ballet?

A: I struggled a lot with my body and weight after I stopped dancing.  Always being lean while dancing, it was difficult at first for me to find a healthy path while  dealing with my health issues.  I tried everything from pulling sleds to bootcamps!  I was on the verge of giving up, until my mom, began working on the Chaise Method.  The two of us started experimenting, and created a new type of fitness that actually changed my body and brought my shape back to where it was when I was dancing, but even stronger and healthier.  Not only was my mom my biggest supporter but she was also the answer to all my frustrations.  This is why I not only truly believe in the Chaise program, but I also understand the frustration people face while dealing with the challenges of weight loss.  I am the biggest advocate of living a healthy lifestyle, feeling your absolute best and most importantly comfortable in your own body.   One of the reasons I love teaching so much is because I am able to guide my clients on their own fitness journey, just as my mom did for me.

Q:  What made you want to expand the programming at Chaise and develop your Ballet Bungee class?

While the chair classes will always be the foundation of our brand , I wanted to offer our clients more options and programming in order to continue to challenge their bodies and minds.  Many people aspire to have a dancer’s long and lean body, which is why I have created Ballet Bungee.  The combination of ballet exercises with the Chaise Bungees creates a challenging full body workout that will complement our Chair Classes.  Instead of using a ballet barre, clients must use the bungees, an unstable surface, challenging the core even further.  On top of that you get to feel like a true dancer while practicing arabesques, the perfect exercise to give you that perky butt! It’s been really fun for me to combine my previous career as a professional ballet dancer with New York City Ballet and my current position as a group fitness instructor, two very different worlds that share the common foundation of music and movement!

Rachel’s Class Schedule

Monday Reinvention Chair 5:30pm

Tuesday Chair Challenge 11am/ Reinvention Chair 6:15pm

Wednesday Reinvention Chair 6:30pm

Saturday Ballet Bungee 11:35am

Any questions not answered here email, tweet, or facebook us! flatiron@chaise23.com

Let’s begin with some Bungee Troubleshooting!

At Chaise we offer 3 different bungee strengths. Take a look at our Bungee Guide provided below, to see which strength best suits your needs!

• Green: Light resistance, good for working on posture, or if you have any neck, shoulder injuries.
• Blue: Medium resistance, this is what the majority of Chaise clients use and they provide the best full body workout.
• Black: Heavy resistance, most men use black, but if you have been coming to Chaise for a long period of time or are very strong, your instructor might suggest you try the black bungees. If you are trying black bungees for the first time it is best to use them in Reinvention Chair.

“I think I’m in between band strengths and want to challenge myself without making it too difficult or too easy, what can I do?”

• To find your desired bungee strength, arrive to class early and look around the classroom and notice the different lengths of the bungees.  Even if the classroom is full of blue bungees, some of them are knotted at the top making them shorter and more difficult.  The longer the bungee, the lighter the resistance, and the shorter, the more difficult!  You can also have two different strength bungees hanging at your spot and switch between the two throughout the class. It is all about experimenting to find the perfect balance. As always your instructor will be more than happy to help you find the right set of bungees at each stage of your progress.

If the area between your thumb and pointer finger is bothering you:

•  It may be because you are “crab clawing” the handle, meaning that you may be pinching your thumb and pointer finger together or making a “C-shape” with your hand to hold the bungee, which is incorrect!  You should press through your palms enough to control and resist the bungee.  Try leaving a little space between your fingers to discourage yourself from “crab clawing” the handle. You can also wear fingerless fitness gloves, which add extra padding and can be a stylish accessory!
• We love fitness gloves by Femme Fitale!  Who said that fitness gloves have to be clunky and masculine?  These gloves are sleek, come in bright fun colors or animal prints and are embroidered with Swarovski Crystals!

http://www.femmefitalefitness.com/crystalized-with-swarovski/

If your wrists are bothering you:

• Make sure that your arm beginning at your shoulder creates one long line all the way to your finger tips!   Do not break the line by bending your elbows or flexing your wrists; again don’t be a crab!  Press into the bungees using the palm of your hand, and hook your thumb under the bungee to help keep your hand placement perfect! Think about lengthening all the way through your arms and past your fingertips. Bonus tip, this will also help tone your back and arms (think Claudia if you have ever taken from her!)

“How do you make the Chaise Pikes look so easy?  I still can’t get my feet off the floor!”

• Rule No.1 for the “Chaise Pikes”: Don’t be afraid!  The pedal WILL NOT, I repeat, WILL NOT catapult you off of the chair! Make sure your hands are placed on the far corners of the chair and don’t be afraid to take a risk and really shift your weight into your hands, relax your legs a little bit, scoop your abdominals and the pedal will assist to lift your feet off the floor.  The more weight you shift into your hands and arms, the easier it will be!  If you’re still having difficulty  you can always adjust your pedal to a 4 instead of a 3.
• Your foot placement is also important. There are two foot postions for pikes: 1) place the arch of your feet on the pedal or 2) place the balls of your feet on the pedal.

“Any pointers for the Side Series?”

• The main idea in the side series is to position your body in a long line so that it is parallel to the floor.  Don’t be afraid to lean and place the weight from your upper body onto the pedal.  You can always use a block to assist you keep correct form. Proper form equals better results! Your head should be in line with your spine so your ear should be facing the floor as if you’re listening to it! If you feel neck tension you can just turn your head towards the floor and look down throughout the side series. The side series is the magical waist cincher! If you are still unsure of what is right for your body ask your instructor to help you before or after class.

Any questions not answered here email, tweet, or facebook us! flatiron@chaise23.com

For our first blog entry we are pleased welcome Chaise23 Owner & Founder Lauren Piskin to the chair!

Lauren answers all your burning questions about the studio, life, and of course fashion!

How did you create such a unique system?  What made you decide to combine the bungees and chair to create a full body workout?

I have been working with the MVe chair for years, certifying instructors and training private clients at my Uptown location, Physicalmind Studio. One day my daughter Rachel, who danced for New York City Ballet, was experimenting with different overhead elastic bands while on the chair, conditioning herself  for her upcoming ballet season. The idea was born and we then spent a few months working with different types of bungees, once we found the perfect fit I was able to incorporate it into the full program you see today. Not only did peoples bodies begin to change, but they saw that a workout could be fun!

Why did you choose the word “reinvention” and what does it mean to you?

For me it started with reinventing the body and changing the way people thought about working out.  The Reinvention Method is a way of working out where you don’t have to  kill yourself in order to completely transform your body.

What does the Chaise23 community mean to you?

Seeing the 1st Chair studio in the country come to life has been such a pleasure. I love seeing people of every age having a blast and reinventing their bodies. Chaise23 is a true family affair and we treat every client like they are a part of our new Chaise family.  I have loved building relationships with our clients and hosting events with their businesses as we expand our community.  What I appreciate most is how open our clients have been with giving us wonderful feedback and seeing how much they want to be a part of our community as well.

 How do you do it ALL: being a mother, entrepreneur, wife, mentor to all your instructors and staff, and teach!?

First, my daughter Rachel joined the business 6 months ago, which has been a tremendous help. The business has taken on a new growth and  youthful mindset, and of course there is no one you can trust more than your own daughter! I have a tremendous staff which I have built over the last few years, and one of the most rewarding things for me is to be able to mentor and then watch my staff flourish. In order to do it all you have to have a team behind you that you trust and believe in, and at Chaise I believe we truly have that!

How many times a week do you recommend a client to take class in order to see results?

I believe 3 times a week is the magic number to start seeing results quickly without having to push your body to extremes.  What’s wonderful about our program is that we offer different class types and each instructor teaches class differently and uniquely to themselves!  I always recommend our clients to switch it up and take different classes in order to create that long and sculpted body.

2 things you should know about my class:

1. I have been told I am very entertaining

2. I have also been told that even at my age I can kick your butt!

3 things you may not know about me:

1. I am addicted to chocolate

2.I have two dogs weighing each 85lbs, which is a funny sight since I am so tiny

3. I was the first fitness convention speaker at International Dance Association in Chicago.

 You have amazing fitness style! Where do you get it from?

I love to mix it up with different brands, currently Track & Field leggings are my favorite!  Sweaty Betty from the UK also offers sleek and interesting options, and I can always find really cool stuff at Adidas in Soho, NYC.  If you throw in a Lulu Lemon piece it becomes eclectic and fun!

 Favorite pre-work out snack?

Almonds!