Meet Me at the Gym: Hop into Frog Fitness at Naples studio

Editor's note: Meet Me at the Gym is an occasional Tuesday column about Southwest Florida group exercise classes. Wellness reporter Shelby Reynolds finds the newest workout crazes, unique locations and the interesting people behind them, then gives them a try so you know what to expect. Have a suggestion? Email shelby.reynolds@naplesnews.com.

I became one with the frogs on a recent Thursday morning.

On this wacky-looking device with an equally wacky-sounding name, I tried Frog Fitness during a group exercise class at a Naples studio. "The worst fun you'll ever have" is the tagline on the Core to Core Fitness website.

And I'd say that's exactly right.

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Michael and Rebecca Elliott, husband and wife, opened Core to Core Fitness four years ago in a small studio in Heritage Court plaza off U.S. 41, just south of Pine Ridge Road. She teaches barre and Pilates both on the mat and on reformer beds, and he teaches strength and high-intensity training.

Michael Elliott, who has coached and played rugby all his life, uses a variety of unique devices you likely won't find in big-box gyms or other boutique studios.

"We're a studio within a community, so people go to those box gyms, they get just what that is," Elliott said. "We want to be unique."

The MOTR device, for example, combines a foam roller with three levels of weight resistance, and can be used for cardio, balance, strength training, agility and mind-body movements. It's often used alongside Pilates techniques, but we didn't get to that during my class.

We did, however, try "The Frog," with its menacing-looking reptile eyes on each of the four wheels.

This device features four wheels, two axles, adjustable foot pads and easy-to-change bands for varying resistance. It can be used vertically for a squat press or horizontally in a plank position.

Where does the quirky name come from? In plank position, the wheels of The Frog can be put in "forward" mode, so that as you push out into a plank, it propels you forward, like a frog.

"The first time I got on it, I said, 'I want these,' " Michael Elliott said, so I decided to give them a try, too.

On that Thursday morning, Elliott took us through a high-intensity training class, including TRX suspension straps, kettlebells and The Frog device. Each class is structured differently, he said, and with varying equipment, so clients will never get the same training twice.

It was a small class — just me and three other participants. Most classes throughout the week have up to 10 people, Elliott said.

We each teamed up with a partner and alternated moves for 40 seconds each. For example, while I held a plank on The Frog, my partner performed hip presses using the TRX straps, and then we switched. 

The TRX suspension bands, which are often found in other gyms and studios, are mounted to the ceiling and designed to displace and apply stresses on the body’s center of gravity.

We did other movements on a mat, too, like shoulder and tricep pushups, negative crunches with a kettlebell and side planks.

The Frog was probably the most dreaded tool in the class. I struggled through my planks and pikes, but it's clear the payoff is much greater on this device versus a regular plank on a mat.

It wasn't the most cardio-heavy class — although the kettlebell swings and goblet squats really got my heart rate up. Instead, it's all about strength.

Elliott made a point to ensure we kept proper form through all the movements, even stopping the class to fetch me a pair of lifting gloves when he noticed my hands were slipping on a kettlebell. 

His coaching style was lighthearted and fun, despite the electricity going out earlier that morning. My classmates tell me it's not unusual to find him dancing along to the beat of the music.

And my classmates were also delightfully friendly.

"We’ve created relationships within our community, within our studio," he said. "It’s such a joy to watch."

High Intensity Training at Core to Core Fitness

• Sweat scale: 4 out of 5
• What to bring: Bottled water, towel and lifting gloves (optional)
• When: Classes vary; visit naplescoretocore.com for a full schedule
• Where: Core to Core Fitness, 5002 U.S. 41, Naples
• Cost: $20 for drop-in, with class packages available online
• More information: naplescoretocore.com; 239-649-5002; naplescoretocore@gmail.com