ATHLEISURE LIST | CHAISEFITNESS

Known for its innovative and body-redefining method, ChaiseFitness was designed and founded by mother-daughter duo Lauren Piskin, a former gold medalist figure skater, and Rachel Piskin, a former ballerina with the New York City Ballet. Their energy and decades of professional experience is the driving force behind the unique hybrid workouts at ChaiseFitness, which blends the sculpting and strengthening methods of Pilates, ballet, cardio and strength training. As a long-time professional Pilates instructor, Lauren always wanted to “get Pilates off of its back and bring it into the modern upbeat vibe of New York City,” but it wasn’t until Rachel’s ballet career came to an end that she started developing a way to make that happen. Rachel was struggling to maintain the healthy lifestyle she always had from dance, so she and Lauren began to experiment and create a new type of workout that eventually gave her an even stronger and healthier physique. ChaiseFitness and the Reinvention Method were born from Lauren’s professional experience was refined by Rachel’s personal journey to help everyone create long lean muscles, increase flexibility, and transform their bodies.

What makes ChaiseFitness stand out is the unique patented system designed with an overhead bungee system and a state-of-the-art fitness chair. This system provides the framework in which new programming is continually developed (right now there are 10 types of classes) fusing together Pilates, ballet, strength training and aerobics. Focusing on building long, lean, and sculpted muscles, clients improve their posture, spinal health, core stability and strength due to the overhead bungee system and use of resistance bands. ChaiseFitness is still a family business, that lends itself in creating a strong sense of community, which is why it is important that it always has small class sizes to ensure all clients get hands on corrections, connect with the instructor, and most importantly learn how to work in proper form.

With celebs such as Vanessa Hudgens, supermodels Anne V and Jessica Hart who have been trained in the method, it is for everyone. The college student, the working professional, young moms as well as clients in their 60’s and 70’s. The method is low impact with a focus on building long, lean strong muscles, improved core strength, enhanced posture and spinal health. Classes can be done at all the different phases of one’s life: wedding, pregnancy, post natal, rehabbing an injury and of course, just the daily work out to keep you in amazing shape all year long.

ChaiseFitness launched in 2012 with locations in the UES and Flatiron. They expanded their franchise model in Madison, NJ and plan to open of a studio in Maplewood, NJ in early 2019.

At the Flatiron studio, all of the signature classes with intimate class sizes (max 12 per class) as well as private sessions. There are over 10 types of class offerings which include: Chaise Reinvention; a signature class incorporating the fitness chair and overhead bungee system, ChaiseCardio uses the same equipment with the addition of cardio aerobic intervals, and one of the most popular classes BandSculpt using various resistance bands to sculpt and strengthen the body. At the Upper East Side location you can still experience intimate group classes, and have a full traditional Pilates floor dedicated to offering private sessions and small reformer classes. Unique to the UES location is the ability to take private sessions in all the various modalities - an hour session can include working on a reformer, TRX, and wrap with the chair and bungee system.

Both locations offer clients towels, a filtered water station, digital lockers, and select hair and face products so guests can refresh post-sweat session.

In February 2018 Chaise On Demand's platform debuted. Clients can access all of the content through the desktop or the ChaiseFitness app, which offers pre-recorded fitness videos such as 7min ab blast or a 20 min full body chair workout. Clients also get access to live streamed studio classes. The content is updated monthly so clients are constantly challenging themselves from the convenience of their homes.

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CHAISEFITNESS
Flatiron
40 E 23rd St 3rd Fl
NY, NY 10010

UES
1204 Lexington Ave
NY, NY 10028

www.chaisefitness.com

IG @chaisefitness

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Read more from the Nov Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Athleisure List ChaiseFitness in mag.

J.W. MARRIOTT BEHIND THE BARRE

We're constantly on the go and sometimes travel provides a bit of anxiety in terms of whether you will be able to duplicate your routine on the road. Regardless of how fabulous your destination is, you want to make sure that you can get your workout in whether you want to change up your exercises or simply want to do the same ones!

We swung by the newly renovated JW Marriott Essex House this month to talk about this luxury hotel brand as well as America's Premer Ballet Company, have partnered to create an On Demand Barre Workout Class to enjoy at Marriotts around the world, Behind the Barre! Now you can enjoy working out just like ballet stars from the comfort of your room. Watch the video to hear more from Mitzi Gaskins, Global Brand Leader of JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Ashley Wheater, Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet.

This segment is brought to you by JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts

IN THE STUDIO WITH Y7'S SARAH LEVEY

Athleisure Culture is all about how the different lifestyles come together and it lends itself to some pretty amazing mashups. We took a moment to chat with Y7's founder, Sarah Levey who has merged yoga and hip-hop together through her classes which have a great following of enthusiasts, who enjoy studio classes on the west and east coasts! In addition, she is a part of Cole Haan's StudiøGrand campaign,  so it was the perfect time to talk with her about her involvement in this collaboration, how she came about creating Y7 and how she keeps it together. 

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about how you came to be involved in the Cole Haan StudiøGrand campaign? 

SARAH LEVEY: As a young and self-funded woman I know every step I take needs to have meaning. Cole Haan reached out to me and pitched their StudiøGrand campaign concept… I knew immediately it would be a fit for me and the Y7 Studio. And it’s certainly been fun!

AM: What is StudiøGrand? 

SL: StudiøGrand is a versatile women’s lifestyle collection born out of a need to fit the active on-the-go woman from the studio to work and everywhere in between. Making every step count, the collection features understated minimalist silhouettes and items such as outerwear, shoes, bags, water bottles, yoga mats - it’s a complete lifestyle collection.

AM: How does this campaign align with your brand and way that you go about your day to day? 

SL: StudiøGrand is a great fit for Y7 as the collection offers style and function. So often my clients are trying to squeeze so much out of their day (work, kids, dating, etc) and this collection makes it possible for them to make the most out of every step. The collection is both stylish and comfortable, so you can wrap up a great yoga session at my studio and then head off to brunch with the girls.

AM: Tell us about Y7 Studio and what made you create this method of fitness. 

SL: I love music. It is so powerful. For me it can elevate, motivate and relax my mood depending on the beat or song. I thought why not take two things I love and put them together. There are no rules for this. It's an opportunity for the client to work on what they want to focus on. If they want to make the flow harder and add in poses great, if they want to take it easy that day that’s good too. It's all about giving our clients the freedom they are craving in that moment.

AM: What should we keep our eye out for as we go into the spring in terms of new offerings that will be available at the studio whether it's a new location here in NYC, class etc?

SL: We are trying to take over! You can expect a ton of new merch collections dropping monthly, plus we will be opening more locations in NYC and LA.

AM: How do you stay balanced in the midst of running a business (especially with your significant other - which we understand that very well), being a Boss Babe and leaving time for yourself?

SL: It’s definitely challenging. I am almost always overwhelmed with emails, meetings and check-ins with my staff. What has been a game changer for me is putting our corporate team in place. Alex (Director of Operations), Melanie (Retail Coordinator), Natalie (HR) and Stephanie (Teaching Director) are incredible and really help keep me focused and hold me accountable. I also recently set a bedtime and do a nightly meditation routine just so I can take some personal time. It’s not much, but I am working on taking more time for myself so I can be the best possible person for my team.

AM: What are your favorite pieces from this StudiøGrand collection?

SL: The StudiøGrand Bomber for sure! It's the perfect weight and easy for layering. And to top it off, I got to wear it in the campaign shoot! The shoes are so comfortable and stylish as well. The entire collection is extremely versatile.

See additional notables that were tapped to be a part of this campaign including: New York City Ballet's  Principal Dancer Sarah Mearns and Model, Entrepreneur and Author Coco Rocha.

Read more from the Jan Issue.

KYLOSOPHY

The world of fitness training goes hand in hand with motivation and providing it to those that you work with. During this season of NBC's Strong (Executive Produced by Sylvester Stallone), the Athleisure Mag team was introduced to Ky Evans who was a professionally trained dancer turned top trainer (Shape named him in the top 50 in 2014). After seeing him for a few episodes, not only did we find his passion and energy contagious but we liked his methods and how he works with his clients.

Ky's classes have a month long waitlist in Studio City, Venice and in Hollywood. His clientele
includes Olympians (Carmelita Jeter), professional athletes (Ronda Rousey) and TV/film personalities (Giuliana Rancic, Hayden Panettiere, Sophia Bush, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Rosario Dawson) to name a few. We took a moment to find out about Ky's experience on the show, his fitness method and how he obtains balance in his life.

See Athleisure Mag's Interview with Olympian, Carmelita Jeter

ATHLEISURE MAG: We enjoyed seeing you on Strong and love your energy that you brought
during the weeks you were on! Prior to being a fitness trainer, you were in ballet - tell us how
you chose to work in that field, what company you were in and when you realized that you
were ready to transition your career.

KY EVANS: Strong was an incredible experience and it allowed me the opportunity to show the world that fitness is not about muscles, or medallions, but about the ability to truly express ones greatest gift – our body! I never really chose the career of dance, it chose me. I never really wanted to be a great dancer, I just wanted to feel free and alive, expressive, and safe. I spent a life time of feeling small, and not enough. Dance was the only time I felt alive and free. I started dancing at a very young age with ethnic Macedonian “Oro” circle dancing at church functions. This led me to study Ballet in college. The power and grace with the vulnerability and truth of ballet was the real reason I danced. I never wanted to be famous. I never danced in a company, never even auditioned, you see its much easier to have unlimited potential and
not try, then try and fail. I was so afraid of failing that after college I never put on ballet
shoes again. Instead I spent the next 10 years lost in complete state of fear, doubt, judgment and anger all because I was afraid to fail, afraid that I would never be enough, afraid that people would laugh at me! So I stopped doing the one thing that set me free, and started doing what most people do when they are that lost, drugs.

AM: How did you decide upon being a fitness trainer?

KE: It’s the same kind of theme, I never really thought about being a fitness trainer. I loved
expressing my body, but never really cared about the results, just the feeling and sensations that it gave me. When you train, you want to fail. Failure is a good thing when you train. You go 'till you fail, yet in life I was paralyzed by the idea of failure. I mentioned above that I spent 10 years in black hole of pity and self-hatred. At my lows, of lows at the age of 36, I had my awaking. I was homeless, couch surfing were I could, partying every night when I got a phone call from my father. It was the first time I ever heard him cry and he said to me, “I know what you’re doing. We did not escape the communists to get to this great country for you to end up like this. I want you to get up, stand up, and make it happen.” He then hung the phone up, I didn’t say a word, instead I walked down to Venice beach and took a plank position in the sand, closed my eyes and began to weep so hard that when I opened my eyes I was holding plank for almost 30 minutes. That’s when it hit me, that’s when I decide to dedicate my
life to teaching HOPE, and giving the gift of FAILURE!

AM: We know that your classes have quite the waitlist and that Shape noted you as one of the top 50 hottest trainers - what is it that keeps your clients coming back?

KE: I am truly blessed with the most amazing clientele on the planet. I am currently teaching
close to 500 people a week. I have been blessed with a lot of attention, but I think the real reason that people keep coming back is that it not about me. Its not what I can do, its not about how fast I can get you results, but what I can get them to believe in what they can do if they just embrace how truly great they already are! There can only be one you, so why do we spend so much time trying to change that. Instead we need to embrace how great we are through expressing or gift, or body! My classes are not about adding on, but rather the peeling away to the truth of how great we really are. But to do that we must first embrace failure. My classes are like a journey of self, but you're not alone. You are failing with others, proving the point that everyone fails, that we are not as alone as we might think. And when we fail together we realize we are all the same!

AM: What is Kylosophy?

KE: Kylosophy is just my interpretation of life and art. When I teach I go into a flow state where I take a lot of philosophical ideas and apply it to expression, life and failure. I studied a lot of philosophy in college and the fastest way to free the soul is to exhaust the body to complete failure so that the mind turns off and the spirit is set free. The fastest way to God is through the body. I believe that true meditation isn’t stillness, rather the ability to own one’s self during complete physical and mental failure. Adversity introduces us to our self, and failure erases the ego!

AM: What is the Megaformer and how integral is that to your training as well as to your clients?

KE: The Megaformer saved my life. It is the perfect combination of art and science. It allows me to create like no other and is limitless in its possibilities. It is my canvas and my clients are my paint. The machine itself is a custom built machine designed and created by Sebastian Lagree. Simply put it is the ultimate in neuromuscular non impact strength and conditioning. It’s the future of you!

AM: You worked with Sebastian Lagree who taught you the Lagree Method - what was that like?

KE: Sebastian Lagree was the only person that gave me a chance. After I had my awakening, I was washing dishes at a hotel on Sun got to see and train on his first machine in the “Proformer.” After that class my search was over. I found my vessel of truth, and the man to mentor me. He took me under his wing, and the rest is history. He still is my mentor and I am currently working at his newest studio with his newest creation the SUPRA.

AM: How was it being on Strong and what did you learn from being on the show?

KE: Strong for me was never about showing off, or look at me, I’m fit! It was never about
winning money or even the tower. Strong for me was about sacrifice. Sacrificing my ego for the benefit of my partner’s growth and success. It was about vulnerability and being able to fail in front of the world. Owning the idea that win or lose, I am enough. At the end of the day, it was just a TV show. The real tower started when I got back. The only tower that matters, is LIFE! And when I got back from filming the show, my partners told me that I was no longer needed and that the brand that I started was going in a different direction. So basically when I got back, I lost everything. At the highest point of my career, I was back to zero. Talk about the ultimate test of Strength! Losing one’s entire identity, career, and income in less than 10 minutes. Now the real Tower begins!

AM: Were you able to meet with Sylvester Stallone who Executive Produced the show?

KE: That was my only regret. I never got to meet Sly. But the wardrobe people keep telling me that I reminded them of him. Sly gets it. He trains to express who he is and how he feels. He is an artist. He writes, directs, produces, and acts. He does it all. All because he embraces his body, he lives to train because he knows that his training keeps him in total inspiration! The ROCK is like that too!

AM: Will there be additional seasons and will you be coming back for the next one?

KE: There is a good possibility that there will be a season 2, I am currently on hold by the
network and that I might be coming back. So I better get practicing on my climbing!

AM: What's next for you?

KE: Everything and anything! Right now I am working on opening my own super gym here on the west side of LA. I have spent the last 10 years helping others uncover there gifts and reach their goals. I have opened over 12 gyms in LA, and it is time for me to own my worth and create my own place. A place that is the ultimate in self-expression, creativity, and inspiration for all to experience. After that I need to finish my book, and hopefully turn that into a motivational speaking tour. I am a huge fan of Mastin Kipp, Bob Proctor, and of course Tony Robbins. And I hope to be that next generation of self help guru’s that end bullying, and show people how truly great they really are if they would just trust their body, embrace failure, and lead with
their heart.

AM: What exercises that can be done to get that lean ballet style body?

KE: No workout changes body composition better than the Lagree method. There are over 300 studios world wide, so go out and find one near you and get to class. Also nutrition will be key, I have an amazing program on my site. It was designed by PFC Nutrition and it was the same programming I used for my partners transformation. You are what you eat! Your sport is Life and your body your instrument. You can train all day but if you are not eating to support the demands of your daily life nothing will ever change!

AM: Do you guest teach in other cities?

KE: I would love to travel and do a guest teaching tour. We are currently working on getting
that up. With over 300 studios would wide I hope to be coming to a city near you very soon! So if there is a studio near you, have contact me and I would love to come out and do a little preaching and teaching! For more info go to my site: kyevans.com

AM: How do you maintain balance?

KE: HA! Balance!? It’s called no sleep and a lot of coffee! Actually when you truly embrace one’s higher purpose, it’s never work, and its play. I am truly blessed to be doing what I love, and I can never really get enough of it. I am driven with the simple idea that if I can just get through to one person day. Show that one person that he or she is enough. That there is one you, and there can never be another you ever. And that the worlds needs you. That you are enough! That we train to reveal how truly great we already are. So stop competing, and start creating. My fear is that if I stop, I wont be able to get through to that one person that needs me the most. And that would crush me.

Personally, I try to meditate once a day. Sometimes it's for 5 minutes, other times is an hour I try to train 6 days a week, again sometimes it's 30 minutes other times its 2 hours. I read a lot and on Sundays I go to a monastery and hang out with monks in Malibu to kind of recharge myself. The bottom line is, its not about how much you do, or how often you do it. It’s about doing the things you need to do so that you are always the best version of yourself at all times. To truly understand self, one must truly embrace failure. I try to fail at least once a day!

AM: Please feel free to share anything that you would like to from charities that you are apart of, projects that we may not have covered etc.

KE: I am currently working on getting with this amazing charity called “Defeat the Label.” It's an anti bullying organization out of Detroit, where I am from. I spent my life being made to feel small, not enough. And I am really excited to help teach others to take back their power by own their greatest gift, their body!

Pictures courtesy of Ky Evan