Chandler gym taking workout to new heights, literally, with bungees

An aerial yoga studio in Chandler is taking its workouts to new heights, with a first-of-its-kind class that is being offered.

This particular workout is called "the bungee workout", and many people are jumping onto the new trend.

People taking the class will be working hard for 75 minutes, all the while being attached to a bungee cord.

"We adjust it based on you height, based on your strength and ability, so there's different resistance for everything as well. The cool thing is we learn all of the technique the first time, and then the more you do it, the better you can get at it," said Amanda Paige, the owner of Tough Lotus, the business offering the workout.

This new workout craze originated in Thailand, and now, Tough Lotus is offering it.

"It's basically as you can see, it's a mix of a little bit of acrobatics, a little bit of dance, a little bit of aerial, and a little bit of group fitness athletic type," said Paige.

Tough Lotus is the only studio offering the class in the United States, and Paige trained in Thailand for several weeks in order to bring this one-of-a-kind workout back home.

"I got trained as a master trainer," said Paige. "So that means anyone in the U.S. who wants to get certified or open up their own studio, they would come to me and get trained opposed to having to go to Thailand."

Class attendees are strapped into harnesses that are then attached to a resistant bungee rope that is suspended from the ceiling.

"The bungee, when you're attached and you have a harness around your waist, and then the bungee attaches to your lower back into the ceiling, and the bungee's job is to pull you up, so it's constantly pulling you up, so your job is to keep it down low," said Paige. "You have to use your core, incredible core workout and also your quads. The harder and the lower you can press, the higher you're going to go once you release. Once you're released into the air your job is not done. You have to keep everything super strong in the air. If you let everything go you're going to go harder down on the ground."

While attached to the bungee, people do things like classic squats, push-ups, and bungee specific moves like a star and a dive. People will also learn a choreographed routine that's different every time.

"So this is where we're going to get those arms engaged, so it's all triceps," said Paige. "Notice that their elbows are in nice and tight, and then do something really fun here called a dive, so they're going to throw the arms back and then press off of the ground. Both legs are extended in the air. You feel like you're flying. It's really a cool thing."

The bungee workout is a high intensity class, but beginners can also take part.

"You can go as hard or as easy as you like it," said Paige. "There are modifications you can do for things. It's the cardio aspect that's the fun part. If you're someone who doesn't like the traditional gym all of the time and want to do something a little different it's perfect for you."

Classes for the bungee workout at Tough Lotus range from $25 to $35 per class.