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Under Review: Piloxing (and a Chance to Try for Yourself!)

piloxing-1I love hybrid words. Fantabulous is one of my faves, as is ginormous. But combining Pilates and boxing to get Piloxing? Well, I just had to find out if the workout was as strange as the combo-word. Plus, I had a hard time imagining just how this workout would go down; I envisioned doing the dreaded Pilates Hundred while punching my dog. But I didn’t quite envision dripping with enormous amounts of sweat, which is actually what happened.

Viveca Jensen is the Swedish phenom being the Piloxing fitness craze. (It seems that a top requirement to making a workout DVD these days is having an accent—after being fit, of course.) The light ½- or 1-pound weighted gloves add to the challenge of the workout, not to mention increase the bad-ass factor. The gloves are sold separately, but I do highly recommend them, as they do increase the arm-sculpting power of the workout.

The 62-minute workout starts with a basic warm-up that combines a lot of reaching and squatting, plus some hip flexor and hamstring stretches to get the whole body warm. After the warm-up, the boxing begins. The workout basically alternates between your basic cardio boxing, and Pilates-inspired toning and strength portions. Basic punches, jabs, uppercuts and quick foot work get your heart pumping, and you actively recover with both upper- and lower-body toning moves such as leg lifts, squats, bicep curls, and balance and core work. You also combine the two disciplines at times, such as leg lifts with speed bags and punches.

A bit of mat work is included at the end in which modified push-ups are combined with leg lifts targeting the rear—definitely a challenge at this point in the workout. Ab work is also included, with highlights including the old faithful Pilates Hundred and twisting punches. Fortunately, my pug came out of the entire punch-fest unscathed.

While you can select different segments of this lengthy workout, there is no customizable menu to mix and match the sections to create a workout that fits your time constraints. Although that’s a drawback, I still thought this was a really well-rounded DVD. You get cardio, strength, balance and core work, plus it’s a fun new twist on the tried-and-true boxing workout. I also liked that it had the feel of a class you would attend, especially with the enthusiasm of the other participants of the video.

My only real beefs with the DVD was that the “formation” of the participants wasn’t always symmetrical, I think because of both camera angles and the talent themselves. It drove me a little nutty but wasn’t a deal breaker. Also, some of them wear shoes and some don’t. I get that it’s Pilates, which can be a barefoot activity, but with some of the hip thrusting and pivoting inherent to boxing, I didn’t risk going shoeless, even on carpet. Viveca’s alignment cues were good, but she was occasionally hard to follow as she counts in sets and sometimes ends before you think you’re done. Again, not a deal breaker for me.

FBG Rating (Out of 5)
Instruction: ★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★
Music: ★★
Fun Factor: ★★★
Meets Expectations: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★1/2

Fit Bottom line: If you get bored with regular Pilates or have ever wanted to ramp up a Pilates routine with cardio, this fun video is for you. —Erin

Dying to try out Piloxing yourself? We’re happy to help! Comment below or email us at contact@fitbottomedgirls.com by July 9 for a chance to win a copy of the DVD and a set of the weighted gloves! U.S. residents only, pretty please!

Want some weighted gloves to ramp up your next DVD? Check them out on Amazon!

FTC disclosure: We often receive products from companies to review. All thoughts and opinions are always entirely our own. Unless otherwise stated, we have received no compensation for our review and the content is purely editorial. Affiliate links may be included. If you purchase something through one of those links we may receive a small commission. Thanks for your support!