Workout Tryout: Sculpt Fusion at Uplift

The Basics

Boutique fitness studios are mostly coed affairs these days. But Uplift, the only all-women studio in New York City, runs on female energy alone at its bright 23rd Street location. Along with offering private training and hosting events (bachelorette parties and get-togethers that blend workouts and wine are on the menu), Uplift has three signature classes: Strength, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and Sculpt Fusion. We gave Sculpt Fusion a try.

The Experience

A flow-style workout with a yoga bent that never stops moving, Sculpt Fusion uses light free weights (3- or 5-pound dumbbells) to up the burn of a variety of lower- and upper-body moves, including squats, lunges, chest presses, shoulder raises and bicep curls, set to an energetic soundtrack. Downward dogs flow into planks. A dynamic Warrior II pose pairs with shoulder presses or bicep curls. A curtsy lunge goes straight into a front kick with a punch. Nearly everything engages the core—including, of course, the ab-specific work.

The Verdict

By the end of the class you’ll find yourself focused, sweating and reminding yourself that you can do anything for eight more counts. (Really.) I was definitely sore the next day. At 13 weeks postpartum, there were certain core moves that didn’t jibe with my current state, but our instructor, Kirsten, quickly offered modification options. And the fact that there were no men? I was way too busy to notice.

$34 per class; 24 W. 23rd St.; 212-242-3103; upliftstudios.com.