[solidcore] built its reputation on one machine and one idea: slow, controlled, full-body resistance training that works your muscles to failure. [solidcore] ascend takes that same intensity off the machine, puts heavier weight at the center of it, and turns up the heat.
[solidcore] ascend is our new infrared strength training class, coached in a room heated to ~90 degrees and built around a custom weight and resistance station. The first class, Strong50, opens at our Manhattan West studio in New York in December 2026. Here is what infrared strength training actually is, why heat and lifting work so well together, and what to expect when you take your first class.
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Infrared strength training is resistance training done in a room warmed by infrared heat. Unlike a standard heater that only warms the air, infrared heat warms your body directly. Your heart rate climbs, your muscles and joints loosen, and you can move through a fuller range of motion while you lift.
In a [solidcore] ascend class, that looks like high-intensity, floor-based training with moderate to heavy weights, structured reps and sets, and deliberate tempos, all from your own custom weight and resistance station and all guided by a coach. Every class is programmed across three training focuses: hypertrophy, strength, and power.
Most workouts pick a lane. Strong50 deliberately trains three.
Hypertrophy training helps you build and maintain muscle tissue. This matters because we naturally lose muscle mass as we age, and that loss accelerates each decade. Building muscle helps improve your overall body composition and trains your metabolism to function more efficiently over time.
Strength training teaches the body to move heavier weights with less effort. It strengthens your nervous system, preserves muscle mass, and supports bone density, all of which keep your body capable well beyond the studio.
Power training keeps you quick. And it matters urgently, because power declines even faster than strength and is harder to recover once it is gone. The ability to move fast and with force is a big part of how resilient your body feels at 50, 60, and beyond.
Training all three qualities, consistently and with intention, is one of the most meaningful investments you can make in your long-term health and independence. That is the entire premise of Strong50.
The heat is doing more than making class feel harder. It changes what your body gets out of the work.
Infrared warms you directly instead of warming the air, so it spreads into deeper tissue, which can increase local circulation and ease muscle tension, all at a temperature that feels good rather than punishing. A warm muscle is also a faster muscle. Each increased degree of muscle temperature gives you roughly 2 to 5 percent more power, and a heated room keeps you warm throughout the entire workout.
With time your body adapts in a process called heat acclimation. When trained cyclists spent ten days training in 104°F heat, their VO2max and time-trial performance improved even when brought back into cooler conditions. Within a week, your heart rate drops at the same workload, you sweat sooner, and the heat feels easier. Your heart gets more efficient and that efficiency stays with you.
The heat also builds muscle. A 2024 review in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that heat amplifies the cellular signals that drive muscle growth, and most human studies of heated lifting show strength gains. In a three-week study of professional rugby players, the group that lifted in a heated room came out with better squat and bench numbers. A 2026 meta-analysis found a small edge for muscle growth when heat followed lifting, with no penalty on strength. And it works fast. Basketball players who sat in an infrared sauna for 20 minutes after a heavy lift lost less power the next morning and felt less sore. The gains are modest. The lifting does the work. The heat makes it count for more.
There is a mental side as well. Heated training builds heat resilience and mental toughness. In a Massachusetts General Hospital trial, adults who took heated yoga for eight weeks saw depressive symptoms fall by half. And as your body acclimates, the class you dreaded in week one feels manageable by week three. That is physiology, not willpower.
On a purely practical level, warmth loosens your muscles and joints. Movement feels more accessible, you can work through a fuller range of motion during class, and your body tends to bounce back faster after it. But reaching a bigger range of motion and owning it are two different things. Owning it means you have the strength to hold that position and the control to move through it under load. That's where Strong50 comes in: loading that range with moderate to heavy weights and deliberate tempos, so you build strength and control through the movement, not just the ability to get there. Range you can control is range you keep. And it's what makes everything outside the studio feel easier, too.
Strong50 is a 50-minute, full-body class that targets your core/obliques, lower body, and upper body. You work from one station for the entire class, stocked with a full range of weight options: dumbbells, kettlebells, and resistance bands, plus your own mat and towel. Everything you need is provided.
The programming is prescriptive, which means your coach is not improvising. Classes use methods like supersets and pre- and post-exhaustion to intentionally fatigue muscle groups, with structured reps and sets and deliberate tempos across all three training focuses. Your coach tells you how heavy a set should feel by the last two reps and how controlled your tempo should stay. As class shifts from one training quality to the next, your load shifts with it: heavier for strength work, lighter and faster for power work, all from the same station, guided in real time.
Every class opens with mobility work and closes with a cool-down and stretch. Your coach demonstrates every section, moves through the first round of each exercise so you can follow along, and provides hands-on support to keep you safe and make the workout effective. And like the classic [solidcore] class, Strong50 is music-driven, with playlists curated by our coaches to match the intensity of the workout. The room is dimly lit, with our signature blue lighting reimagined as vertical lighting for this format. It is a new take on a familiar signature: still the blue, still the focus, just reshaped to fit the format.
It is built for all levels. Your coach offers modifications and amplifications throughout, so the class meets you where you are and grows with you.
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Come hydrated and fed. Strong50 is heated and you will be lifting moderate to heavy weights, so your body needs fuel to work with. Grippy socks are optional, and training without footwear lets your foot make full contact with the ground, which helps build stability from the ground up. If you are new to lifting or new to the format, arrive 10 minutes early so your coach can walk you through the space and the workout, and let them know about any injuries or conditions before class starts.
Afterward, expect to feel worked differently than you do after a class built around targeted muscle failure. You will likely notice localized muscle fatigue in the areas you trained and some soreness in the 24 to 72 hours after class. That is the muscle-building process at work. Hydrate, prioritize protein, and let your body do what it is built to do with the work you gave it.
One to two weeks in: you are building the foundation. Your nervous system is learning the weight loads and tempos before your muscles start visibly changing. Expect better control on heavier lifts, more confidence in your weight selection, and a stronger mind-muscle connection on movements that felt unfamiliar in your first class.
After a month: visible strength you can feel. The weights that felt heavy in week one start to feel manageable, and that is your strength building in real time. It translates to everyday movement too: carrying groceries and getting up off the floor start to feel easier, and your tempo on lifts sharpens from one class to the next.
Two to three months in: hypertrophy, strength, and power start compounding. Visible muscle growth, meaningfully heavier loads than where you started, and a nervous system fast enough to move with real power. Everyday athleticism, the kind that shows up in how quickly you move and react, becomes a felt difference, not just a measured one.
Compared with the classic [solidcore] class: The class you know is low-impact, high-intensity, slow-twitch resistance training on the machine, built around time under tension and working muscles to failure. [solidcore] ascend is heated, floor-based, and built around moderate to heavy free weights with three distinct training qualities. They are designed to work together: we recommend taking class 2 to 4 times per week, alternating [solidcore] ascend with your regular [solidcore] classes.
Compared with mat Pilates: [solidcore] ascend is a new modality unique to [solidcore] and not mat Pilates. Mat Pilates is bodyweight Pilates in its original form, performed on a mat with no machine. It uses controlled, precise movement paired with breath to build muscular endurance, deep core strength, and stability. Strong50 takes the opposite approach to resistance: moderate to heavy loads, dynamic tempos, and structured sets that intentionally fatigue muscle groups to build strength, muscle, and power.
[solidcore] ascend opens first at our Manhattan West studio in New York, with classes starting in December 2026. New locations across the country will be announced in 2027. To be first to know, sign up for updates on the [solidcore] ascend page.
If you are already a member, access is simple. Class credits move with you: 4, 8, and 12 credit memberships, single class credits, and packages can all be used interchangeably across [solidcore] and [solidcore] ascend classes. Unlimited members will need to upgrade to an Unlimited+ membership to add [solidcore] ascend, and a presale Unlimited+ membership is available now through our Manhattan West studio page. There is also an Unlimited [solidcore] ascend membership for anyone who wants access to ascend classes only.
What is [solidcore] ascend?
[solidcore] ascend is high-intensity, heated, floor-based strength training built around a custom weight and resistance station. Every class follows prescriptive programming, with your coach guiding load, tempo, and modifications in real time, to build physical, mental, and emotional strength that does not stay in the studio. You leave stronger for it.
Is [solidcore] ascend mat Pilates?
No. [solidcore] ascend is a new modality unique to [solidcore]. Mat Pilates builds endurance and stability through bodyweight, breath, and precise movement. Strong50 works from a custom weight and resistance station with moderate to heavy loads, dynamic tempos, and structured sets across hypertrophy, strength, and power. Is the classic [solidcore] class Pilates?
What class formats does [solidcore] ascend offer?
[solidcore] ascend launches with Strong50, a 50-minute full-body class that targets core and obliques, lower body, and upper body in every session. Muscle-specific formats are not available yet. Additional formats roll out in 2027.
How hot is an infrared strength training class?
[solidcore] ascend classes run at ~90 degrees. That is warm enough to deliver the benefits of heated training while staying well below typical hot yoga temperatures.
Does training in heat build more muscle?
Early research says it may. A 2024 review in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that adding heat to resistance training amplifies several cellular signals that drive hypertrophy, and a three-week study of professional rugby players found slightly better squat and bench gains in the group that trained in a heated room. The effect is modest. The lifting does most of the work, and the heat is a boost, not a shortcut.
What is hypertrophy training?
Hypertrophy training is exercise designed specifically to build and maintain muscle tissue, typically through moderate to heavy loads, structured sets, and controlled tempos. It is one of the three training focuses in every Strong50 class, alongside strength and power.
Is heated strength training beginner friendly?
Yes. Strong50 is designed for all levels, with options to modify or amplify every exercise throughout class. If you are new, arrive 10 minutes early, come hydrated and fed, and tell your coach about any injuries or conditions that could affect your workout.
Is it safe to take a heated class while pregnant?
Check with your doctor about whether a heated room of 85 degrees or more is safe for your pregnancy before taking class. If you do join, let your coach know before class starts so they can provide modifications if needed. More on training during pregnancy and postpartum.
How often should you take heated strength classes?
We recommend 2 to 4 times per week, alternating with your regular [solidcore] classes so your body has room to recover and rebuild between sessions.
What should I wear to a heated strength class?
Sweat-resistant workout attire. Grippy socks are optional, and training without footwear helps build stability from the ground up. A face towel is provided.
Do I need to bring my own equipment?
No. Every station is stocked with dumbbells, kettlebells, glute bands, and resistance bands, and you receive your own mat and towel. Everything you need is provided.
Does the coach help adjust my form?
Yes. Your coach demonstrates every section of class, moves through the first round of each exercise so everyone can follow along, and provides hands-on support throughout class to keep you safe and make the workout effective.
Is there an age requirement to take class?
The minimum age is 16. Clients under 18 need a parent or guardian to sign their waiver before their first class.
What is the late arrival policy?
If you are 5 minutes late, you will not be able to enter the studio or join class. Arriving on time keeps you safe: it ensures your muscles are properly warmed up, you get a balanced workout, and clients already in class are not disrupted.
Do you have showers?
No. Manhattan West does not have showers onsite, but restroom and dry bar amenities are available to help you refresh after class.
How is the studio and equipment cleaned and sanitized?
Every mat and station is cleaned with an anti-microbial solution and wipes after each class, following a step-by-step sanitizing procedure. Each client receives their own mat, which is not reused until fully sanitized, along with their own towel and face towel. We allow 15 minutes between classes to properly sanitize the space, and the studio is equipped with an HVAC system that specializes in circulating air in and out of heated spaces.
Can I use my existing [solidcore] membership for [solidcore] ascend?
If you are an existing Monthly 4/8/12 member, you can use any of your monthly class allocation toward both [solidcore] and [solidcore] ascend.
Monthly [solidcore] unlimited members have the ability to use [solidcore] ascend on a per-class basis by purchasing a heavily discounted single class credit. For unlimited access to both [solidcore] and [solidcore] ascend, we now offer an Unlimited+ membership that is available for pre-sale at our Manhattan West studio.
Can I use my class credits or a class package for [solidcore] ascend?
Yes. [solidcore] single class credits and packages can be used interchangeably across modalities.
Is there an Unlimited membership for [solidcore] ascend only?
Yes. The Unlimited [solidcore] ascend membership gives you access to [solidcore] ascend classes only.
Where can I take a [solidcore] ascend class, and when is it coming to my studio?
Manhattan West in New York is the first studio, with classes starting in December 2026. Additional locations across the country will be announced in 2027. To be first to know when a studio near you is confirmed, sign up for updates on the [solidcore] ascend page.
Be first to know when [solidcore] ascend opens. Sign up for updates.
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