As a 2020 resolution, you should join in on what I like to call the “Bold New Infrared Fitness Frontier”.
Remember that nothing changes in the comfort zone!
The original tagline for HOTWORX, that we still use, is “Beyond Hot Yoga”. I remember one of our first trade show expos where we were showing the sauna. This was before we introduced the infrared studio franchise. We had that tagline proudly displayed on the top of the sauna at that fitness industry trade show in Orlando.
I will never forget the reaction of one gentleman who happened upon our booth. He noticed the sauna and then looked up at the tagline poster and said out loud to himself in a very slow statement, “hum…, beyond hot yoga” and just stood there with an auspicious stare at a new method of fitness delivery. In that moment I felt that we indeed had created something very special for the fitness industry.
Since that time, we have launched a new fitness franchise built around the whole notion of workouts that go “beyond hot yoga”. I thought it appropriate to write a blog article about our innovative workouts to kick off 2020 and launch a new decade of infrared fitness. After all, the most important aspect of hot exercise, or any exercise, is the workout itself! So, I have listed these workouts with descriptions and/or short stories about each one.
As a fitness company we are always looking for ways to improve the workout experience of our customers. With that goal in mind, we continue to create new workout types and new exercise sequences and flows. Here is our current hot exercise lineup.
Hot Cycle
We made fitness history again when we introduced HOTWORX HOT CYCLE in 2017. The idea was to offer indoor cycling for clients who wanted to do a quick HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) session either by itself or to pair it with the Hot Yoga or other hot isometric workouts for a calorie scorcher. Imagine that your workout begins with a 15-minute cycle in the heat with 125°F of pure infrared, then you move straight over to the next HOTWORX sauna for Hot Yoga to round out your day of fitness. We call this back-to-back cross-training session a “Bonfire” workout.
Customers use Hot Cycle differently. Some will do a Hot Cycle session after a functional workout for a cardio and lower-body blast. Some will do multiple back-to-back Hot Cycle sessions. I was working out at the Oxford, Mississippi, location (the original location) and had a conversation with a member who told me that she had just finished her seventh session in a row. Angela is a true HOTWORX warrior!
Hot Row
While attending the same fitness trade show mentioned above, I noticed a large group of people doing a very short, but super intense HIIT workout on this new machine that was a rower, but that was also a chest press. I imagined using that machine inside of the HOTWORX sauna and eventually worked out a plan to install those machines from Inspire Fitness as a part of our HIIT program in the form of a new workout that we call Hot Row.
Hot Row allows clients to experience a total body resistance training workout in only 15 minutes with a HIIT session. The Cross Rower gives clients rapid repetitions for rows, chest press, and leg press all at once inside of the HOTWORX Sauna. Customers are able to experience this incredible total body resistance and cardio workout while they reap the benefits of the infrared energy and heat environment.
As of the writing of this blog article, HOTWORX is working on a new and even better Hot Row workout to be announced sometime in 2020.
Hot Blast
The Hot Blast workout was introduced as our most recent HIIT session. It is an extremely unique total body pounding using the Keiser Total Body Trainer which is a cardio machine that is a combination indoor cycle and upper body push and pull with right and left hand levers. This workout is designed to “blast” upper body and lower body simultaneously for a 15 minute HIIT routine like no other. This workout allows customers to engage their mind and body for strength, endurance, and high intensity cardio intervals with a 15 minute hot infrared session of total body intensity.
Hot Iso
Hot Iso is the original HOTWORX workout designed to deliver an awesome sequence of isometric postures borrowing from athletic resistance training and pro football style stretching as well as from yoga and Pilates style holds. The idea behind the creation of this workout was to maximize the isometric compressions and infrared radiation absorption to create a high level of detox. It is performed for 30 minutes inside of the HOTWORX infrared sauna at 125 degrees. There is a modified yoga sun salutation warm-up called the “Launch Phase.” Following the Launch Phase clients enter the main workout “Flight Phase,” which consists of 14 isometric postures beginning with lower body, then upper body and finishing with core. The “Landing Phase” is the cool down period ending with foam rolling and then a seated, legs crossed, meditative posture.
Hot Yoga
The HOTWORX version of Hot Yoga is certainly more yoga in less time! It is a pure, athletic yoga posture sequence at 125 degrees for 30 minutes providing clients the most accelerated infrared yoga results. The idea for HOTWORX was indeed inspired from an idea that people should do yoga in a sauna. Now they can, 24 hours a day.
Hot Pilates
The HOTWORX version of Hot Pilates provides an intense core workout while focused on the principles of Pilates: Centering, Concentration, Control, Precision, Breath, and Flow. This version of Pilates uses floor exercise within the 125 degree infrared sauna environment.
Hot Buns
Hot Buns was created for one purpose: to get your BUTT in shape! This intense isometric glute workout is in high demand by HOTWORX clients. Imagine 30 minutes of nothing but BUTT isometrics—yes, rear end only inside of the infrared sauna at 125°F! With this session, you work your glutes hard while you sweat out the toxins and absorb the rejuvenating infrared energy. Hot Buns incorporates the use of two types of bands, a small loop for use around the knees and legs and a large loop band for squat postures.
For those who want a great butt workout to add to their fitness routine, HOT BUNS is rear-end-tensity for real!
Hot Barre None
HOTWORX has become known for its unique workouts and Barre None is no exception. There is a story about how it came to be…
It was very clear from the beginning that we needed to create a barre workout for HOTWORX. We knew this early on, but the dilemma was how to mount a ballet barre inside the sauna. We finally identified a manufacturer who made a portable barre that would fit, and we even produced a workout based on the use of that portable barre. We tested the workout for a few months with mostly positive feedback, but it just never seemed to be the right way to deliver a barre workout inside an infrared sauna. The barre itself just seemed to get in the way and reduce the quality of the workout experience.
After months of testing and contemplating the marketing of the new workout, it finally dawned on us that by using the back wall of the sauna instead of an actual ballet barre that we just might have the solution. It worked, the workout was incredible, but the problem was, how do you market a barre workout that doesn’t use a barre? In a moment of deep marketing thought, it came to me that we should just call the new workout Hot Barre None! We now have a trademark registration pending on that workout name. It was perfect, and it was very well received when we finally rolled out our barre workout in the fall of 2019.
With the new Hot Barre None session, customers discover muscles that they do not know they have. Using the sauna wall as a workout tool instead of a barre, the virtual instructor guides clients through a half-hour of intense postures and slow dynamic reps to help improve poise, posture, strength, and balance. From this workout, customers develop long, lean muscles while they detox from the infrared heat and energy environment.
Hot Warrior
We always have new workout videos that are in development, and out of that development pipeline came one of our most popular workouts known as Hot Warrior. Hot Warrior is another great HOTWORX 30-minute isometric workout. We consulted with a pro bikini competitor for insight to help with the choreography and filming of this workout. The idea was to take the Hot ISO, our original HOTWORX workout, to a higher level. Mission accomplished!
Everyone has an inner warrior, a power within just waiting to be unleashed. In collaboration we created a half-hour infrared fitness routine that draws from yoga, Pilates, and general athletic isometric training methods like the original Hot Iso, but to a “warrior” level. The Hot Warrior is a very uniquely designed workout and is very challenging. Hot Warrior challenges you and draws from years of fitness competition training experience to motivate clients to bring their “A” game.
You will be amazed at the results that can be earned through this hot exercise posture sequence. The multi-dimensional training method of exercise through infrared energy and heat combined with the more advanced isometric holds reduces your training time and accelerates your calorie burn, not to mention the strength gains received from elevated heat shock protein synthesis!
Find your inner Hot Warrior. Do it now.
Hot Bands
As a fitness trainer I developed a deep appreciation for the workout results that can be obtained with the use of bands. Bands can deliver a great resistance workout much like that of weight training when done properly.
Hot Bands is another HOTWORX original 30-minute infrared workout featuring the use of resistance bands for a total-body workout using the combination of isometrics and slow dynamic reps. Hot Bands gives clients the option of a total body resistance workout inside of the infrared sauna. After this session clients will feel as though they have been through a lightening fast “hot” weight training session. In addition to the weight training type of muscle gains, users of Hot Bands can expect to burn 25–30 percent more calories in 30 minutes compared with Hot Yoga.
Hot Core
Hot Core is the first ever 30-minute infrared isometric session designed for core training and infrared self-myofascial release with the use of a foam roller. The first half of the workout consists of focused abdominal, hip and lower back work, for the core. Core strength is vital. I always like to say that everything begins and ends with the core. The core is the motion center for the body in fitness and any other activity that requires movement.
The second half of this workout provides for a self-administered deep tissue massage guided by the virtual instructor. With this HOTWORX foam roll routine trigger points are smoothed out resulting in muscle relaxation, acceleration of workout recovery and reduction in the appearance of cellulite.
Hot Flex
Originally, this workout was produced as a 15-minute pro-athletics-style infrared stretching routine for use as an advanced warm-up or as an advanced cool down to use in combination with any of the other HOTWORX workouts. It could also be used by itself if a member was simply looking to improve flexibility.
As of the writing of this blog post, Hot Flex is in redevelopment as a 30 minute, stand-alone, flexibility training session.
Think “alternative” for your 2020 fitness. Venture out to the infrared frontier and accelerate your results through innovative infrared workouts!
