With the season of sleeveless shirts upon us, there’s few things women want more than the secret to well-defined arms. Piloxing, an exercise that fuses the high-energy and intensity of boxing with the controlled toning movements of Pilates, is a full-body workout that involves a number of moves to transform triceps.
Piloxing was founded in 2009 by Swedish trainer Viveca Jensen, who designed the “cardio fusion” workout by using the principles of high intensity intervals to burn fat and tone muscles. In DC, locals can try out the workout on Saturday, June 20, at Washingtonian’s Fit Fest, or at Balance Gym in Foggy Bottom, where local trainer Michelle Risinger leads members through the fast-paced group dance workout.
As a certified instructor, Risinger teaches Piloxing in her off hours from her full-time job at an international development company. Here’s her top moves for getting jiggle-free arms this summer. Pull on a pair of weighted gloves and get to work.
1. Piloxing Bicep Curl
This full-body take on a regular curl will help create defined biceps. “You start warming up with a regular bicep curl, but add a leg lift in as well to tone and tighten your core and your arms,” says Risinger. “Make sure to do reps on both sides.”
2. Piloxing Tricep Extension
“Hinge at your waist so your body is on a slight forward angle,” says Risinger. “Chin in line with your neck, raise your arms against your side and start hinging back from your elbow, taking your hands up and back behind your body. To up the ante on this, raise one leg and pulse the leg at the same time working your glute, core, and arms.”
3. Boxing Bicep Curl
“Wearing the Piloxing half pound gloves, take your arms to your sides, raise them to shoulder height, and then bend the elbows so your hands are pointed to the ceiling,” says Risinger. “Start with bicep curls into your shoulders, then invert the motion and take them down, then alternate taking them up and down, then take them up and down with alternating single arms.”
4. Speed Twist
“Start with a speed bag motion (circling your hands around each other) at shoulder height on the right side. Do eight reps and then do the same on the left,” says Risinger. “Alternate back and forth at shoulder height and then add in the two lower corners, eight counts top right, eight counts top left, eight counts lower right, eight counts lower left. Then center yourself and keep those speedbag arms going and start to rotate your spine from side to side which intensely engages that core while burning out those arms.”
5. JabCross
“Start with your right shoulder facing the mirror [or wall], so you’re on your side and do a jab from your right arm,” says Risiniger. “ Keep your feet shoulder width apart, your shoulder down, and try and extend and recoil with the same amount of power. Then the left arm does a cross jab towards the mirror. Repeat these motions at a quicker pace being sure to stay light on your feet to protect your knees, you’ll really start to feel this in your shoulders, and it’s a great oblique workout.”
Make sure to try Piloxing with Risinger at Washingtonian’s Fit Fest on June 20. Buy tickets here.
Caroline Cunningham joined Washingtonian in 2014 after moving to the DC area from Cincinnati, where she interned and freelanced for Cincinnati Magazine and worked in content marketing. She currently resides in College Park.
