The Physique 57 Solution

November 15, 2011

Physique 57's studios in New York City, the Hamptons, and Beverly Hills have made this exercise and diet program popular among the well-to-do. (Most of us in the hinterlands only know of it through television and magazines.) Essentially, the exercises are designed to sculpt the figure by exercising various parts of the body separately rather than all at once. Some familiar exercises have been given new names, and the workouts are done to music, which emphasizes their connection to the Lotte Berk method of conditioning for ballet dancers. The program operates on the theory of interval training, where short bursts of high-intensity work alternate with periods of lower intensity or rest. This burns calories efficiently but is not as good for your cardiovascular system as a long, sustained, moderate workout. The diet emphasizes organic foods, especially greens and grains, and includes several good recipes. VERDICT This will be popular in areas where the studios have a presence, but it's not a necessary purchase.--Susan B. Hagloch, formerly with Tuscarawas Cty. P.L., New Philadelphia, OH

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