FITNESS MADE SEXY
Bendy Beast Fitness in Midtown harnesses the power of self-love and radical acceptance, revolutionizing people’s attitudes toward health to help them reach new levels of physical and mental fitness.
Originally an industrial designer by trade, Bendy Beast Founder and Owner Liz Kinnmark says she never thought she would become a pole teacher, let alone have her own studio.
“I just started doing it for myself. It was where I found community while gaining strength and seeing improvement,” says Liz, commenting on her 12 years’ involvement in pole fitness competitive circuits, traveling workshops, and studio teaching opportunities after receiving her certification in New York.
“It showed me that I had much more to offer in the world.”
WHY POLE?
The entire experience of pole fitness encompasses many levels of health and wellness.
For one, getting on the pole requires an incredible amount of upper body and core strength while the legs work to climb upwards. All of that causes a physical transformation.
The accompanying mental transformation is just as valuable. “When you do something difficult, you have to accept yourself as a beginner and work from that place,” a crucial yet often neglected practice for most adults.
The studio, which focuses on self-care through movement arts and community support, aims to create a safe environment for people to tap into creativity and self-expression freely.
“There is something innately sexy to pole,” Liz explains. “It’s a healthy outlet to connect to our bodies and sensuality.”
Bendy Beast offers Introductory Pole on weekends and Bendy Flexibility and Aerial Yoga classes throughout the week, which serve as excellent starting points for newcomers.
For best results, Liz recommends two to three classes per week.
“What I love the most about teaching is seeing the transformation in students. If they stick with it any amount of time, people come out of their shells and find so much joy in their bodies.”
The studio offers other non-pole conditioning classes as part of its comprehensive curriculum, including Aerial Hoop, Floorwork, Weightlifting, Handstands & Conditioning, and more. These emphasize cross-training and muscle-building to complement the four skill-based pole levels.
“The most common misconception for all of these is how much strength is involved.” To execute pole aerial skills, numerous small muscle groups must be developed and activated.
PRIORITIES AND ACCEPTANCE
As to how Liz stays fit, “I teach all these classes,” she laughs, so “I mostly have to focus on recovery and not on working out.”
Liz also times eating balanced meals throughout the day for sustained energy and acknowledges that prioritizing it has made a huge difference.
“The studio is all about learning to love and accept your body where it’s at and then choosing to make healthy and lasting lifestyle changes.”
Liz’s primary goal is to inspire others to live full and authentic lives by moving out of their comfort zones and experiencing growth.
“Once you focus on loving yourself, you will start seeing results.”
IG: @bendybeastfitness Bendybeast.com
By Shlomit Ovadia
Photo by Joey Warner
