Chicago Fitness Studios Sexy-Up Workout Routines

Helicopters, snakes and butterflies may not seem to have anything in common, but in a dance studio with metal poles and mirror walls, all three are giving women an innovative work out.

Strippers and firefighters aren’t the only ones sliding down poles. Fitness studios around the nation have started offering pole dancing, striptease and other sensual fitness classes instead of regular aerobic, weight and cardio workouts. Ditching the free weights and elliptical machines for poles and chairs has become a hot fitness trend for Chicago women looking to stay fit, tone up or lose weight.

“Pole dancing pushes you harder than any other workout,” said Rebecca Lee, an intermediate pole dancing instructor at Flirty Girl Fitness. “It’s one thing to lift weights, but try combining dance, gymnastics and cardio, and then putting it all together in the air.”

Flirty Girl Fitness at 1325 W. Randolph St. offers a variety of feminine fitness classes  including chair striptease, XXX power strip, hottie body boxing and pole dancing. The studio started in Toronto and opened its Chicago location in June.

“The Toronto location reached 100 percent capacity for every class, and investors decided to start a second location,” said Michelle Epstein, public relations director. “Membership in Chicago has tripled. We started with five members on opening day and now have more than 300 regulars.”

Flirty Girl Fitness is a women-only facility that prides itself on offering its clients a comfortable environment where they can not only lose weight and stay fit, but also be flirty, fun and healthy.

“We are set up here to give women a place unlike regular gyms with men and machinery,” said dance instructor Kristen Buerster. “We try to empower women and make them feel confident and sexy by using choreography that is flirty and fun, but will also help everyone reach their personal fitness goals.”

From the pink plush towels, pink boxing bags, pink chairs, pink hula hoops and pink lights, Flirty Girl Fitness is just that – flirty.

“I don’t like weights, I want to get fit, and I like to dance,” member Saba Chaudhr said. “Since it’s only women here, I can pole dance and not feel bad about it.”

Chaudhr has participated in XXX power strip, pole tricks, and intermediate pole dancing since Flirty Girl Fitness opened.

“Pole Tricks and Intermediate Pole Dancing are my favorite classes here,” she said. “Learning to move up and down the pole has definitely improved my dance and strength.”

The stage-like pole dancing studio features 16 silver poles, wood flooring, a room-length mirror wall and booming music beats. Beginning with a hip-hop dance routine, the women warm-up to the beat of the music in eight-count choreography as the routine transitions to dancing around the pole. Some women add their own personal touches, extra hip thrusts or flipping their hair around.

The routine progresses to more difficult techniques that involve climbing up and sliding down the pole and all the way to floor, incorporating break dance and gymnastic techniques that rely on total body control and strength.

“Pole dancing is the hardest class here because you have to be flexible to contort your body into the positions, you need strength to get up the pole, and you need cardio to last the whole routine,” member Arlyne Chin said. “The sensual dance aspect is the best part because it’s what makes it look good.  It pulls it together so you don’t look like a robot and actually look like a dancer with rhythm and grace.”

Flirty Girl Fitness is not the only Chicago area gym offering sensual and sassy classes. The S Factor offers classes that incorporate yoga, pilates, pole tricks and dancing.   Pole Velocity Dance and Fitness offers beginner, intermediate, advanced and private classes, as well as exotic dance workshops and home parties.

While participants enjoy these unique workouts, some feel the trend furthers the idea that women must not only be in shape, but also sexy in today’s society.

“The femininity of women has been reduced to an image and a physicality where women have to stay fit and beautiful,” said Judith Gardiner, director of  Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “The flirty aspect fits in the ideas of our contemporary society where being attractive is a competitive sport and not at all personalized.”

Instructors said the studio does focus on personalization and strives to make sure every woman meets her own goals. Members said they have lost weight because of these workouts, and have gained confidence in their own ways, even though it may seem raunchy to outsiders.

“I’ve literally dropped inches, and I can tell because I need smaller clothing sizes,” Christine Spiro said. “Everyone here is supportive and makes sure you feel comfortable in your own way. At first I thought I looked like an idiot on the pole, but I became confident and have taken that confidence in myself outside of Flirty Girl.”

“I’ve been to the S Factor, Pole Velocity and Flirty Girl. I like to try classes everywhere, because even though the classes are similar each studio has a different vibe,” Roosevelt University sophomore Christine Perkins said. “People may think I’m a stripper or promiscuous, but really it’s just fun and an amazing work out.”