Those in need of a Lotte Berke fix (following the 2005 closing of the method’s original home) can find it at Physique 57. The studio, one among several that sprung up after 2005, has elaborated on the Lotte method by speeding up the exercises, enhancing the cardio benefits and cramming a lot into the hour-long sessions, giving you more burn for your buck. All classes take place in a carpeted room complete with a ballet bar and various straps and balls. After a brief warm-up, you spend about 10 minutes on traditional arm exercises (weights, plus pushups) before moving to the bar for a grueling series of squats and leg lifts. The session ends by targeting every single sector of your abdominals. Though expensive, this is the sort of pay-per-exercise class that really works, as evidenced by our 2008 Fitness Issue: timeout.com/newyork/articles/features/25523/short-circuit.
