One popular option for getting into shape for summer is through months of exercising and dieting. But for the truly impatient, even this healthy approach takes too long.
Instead, they are now joining one of the latest sports trend – ultra-intense fitness classes that push the limits of human endurance. But this intensity pays off with quick results, participants say.
One club that offers this kind of program in Kyiv is Ryvok, which has been operating since 2013. Its members gather six times a week for extreme one-hour workouts. The program does not involve weight training, but instead, concentrates on daily cardiovascular exercises. Sundays are the one day off from the routine, but not from the balanced diet recommended for participants.
Ryvok promises new bodies for those who can withstand the grueling two-month regime.
“One of our clients has lost 24 kilograms in two months,” says Maksym Yaroshenko, who founded Ryvok, basing it on a Canadian concept.
Thus far, 2,000 people have completed the two-month program at Ryvok. According to Yaroshenko, only one percent of members drop out early in the program – possibly because the bulk of the two-month membership fee (Hr 4,000) is paid up front.
The club’s alumni are advised to visit the class a couple of times a week in order to preserve and maintain their hard-earned results.
Ryvok’s chief competitor is Sekta, an international fitness initiative based on a similar exercise concept that was first launched in Saint Petersburg in 2013, with one club in Kyiv.
Kyivan Julia Shcherba spent more than a year as a member of Sekta. She joined to improve her posture and to develop six-pack abs, all of which she accomplished.
She was first shocked by the intensity of the training. But classes are accompanied by online support groups through which participants share their results and cheer each other on. This component seems to be almost as important as the exercise itself.
“Sekta teaches you to love your body and supports you psychologically,” Shcherba says. She also faithfully followed Sekta’s prescribed diet – slow-burning carbs in the morning and protein and fiber in the evening.
Shcherba also tried Ryvok, and found it more intense than Sekta. She eventually chose Sekta because of the online support groups.
At Sekta, members pay Hr 3,300 for 12 weeks of daily trainings. The first training and consultation are free at both Ryvok and Sekta.
Though Sekta is a Russian program, one of its Ukrainian coordinators, Tetiana Polzunova, says the political tension between the two countries doesn’t harm the club’s reputation in Kyiv.
Tested by the Kyiv Post
Editor’s Note: Kyiv Post staff writer Yuliana Romanyshyn tried a class at Ryvok to get firsthand experience.
Getting to Ryvok gym requires a 15-minute walk from the Petrivka metro station. The gym is hidden between warehouses and shabby office spaces next to Auchan on Kurenivska Street.
My training lasted 45 minutes, but I was already ready to run away just eight minutes into the class. Things finally became more bearable, thanks largely to the encouragement given by our trainer. There were 15 people in the class, and she paid personal attention to everyone who required it.
The class was an alternation between cardio workouts and stretching, with short frequent breaks. Most of the exercises worked on the legs and back, where, predictably, the bulk of the pain was the next day.
In general, I found the class tolerably difficult. But for those who don’t already have regular physical workout routines, it may prove to be too intense.
One thing is certain: an intense workout with a supportive group of comrades significantly raises the level of motivation to get fit. And succumbing to a piece of cake seems a bit less likely after sweltering to burn calories.
Ryvok
Locations: Kvadrat fitness and dance studio (18 Kurenivska St.)
Nevesomost dance studio (4/6 Druzhby Narodiv Blvd.)
Hr 4,000 for a two-month membership
Sekta
Location: D-Side dance studio (5 Ivana Kudri St.)
Hr 3,300 for 12 weeks or Hr 1,100 for one month
Kyiv Post staff writer Yuliana Romanyshyn can be reached at [email protected].
