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With today’s Groupon, $27 gets you three classes at Chic Physique (a $54 value). This femme fitness facility is located in Bethesda, a brisk nine miles from downtown D.C. The cozy studio setting lends itself to a confidence-boosting alternative way to shape shift—meaning you'll be dancing and kickboxing your way to top condition, just like Rocky IV, except female-centric and with some semblance of lucidity.

Atypical routines require unorthodox equipment: the means to your fitness ends include poles, hula-hoops, chairs, and other weapons of mass seduction. You'll take classes such as Ooh La La Lap Dance, Chairlicious, and Pole Tease; all classes offered and their corresponding descriptions can be seen here. But don't let the names throw you off; this isn't a mere vixen-training factory. Rather, it's an opportunity to cut loose (footloose) and uncage your mind while knocking out some unwanted calories in the process. According to an ExpressNightOut.com article, "There's no doubt pole dancing embraces eroticism, but it requires just as much silliness as sexiness."

Chic Physique opened its doors in October 2009, so, along with its fresh take on fitness, you can expect brand new amenities and a distinct lack of ghosts, unlike musty Victorian era gyms. Leading the charge are highly trained instructors such as professional pole-dancer Jessalynn Medairy, who heads upper-level classes. Her classes, like all Chic's classes, are taught in a group setting, so you'll be surrounded by a flock of friendly women prepared to reshape and refine.

Reviews

The Chic Physique has been workin' it on the Washington Post's Express Night Out and on Daily Candy:

• "When you're hanging on a pole, it makes you feel beautiful. The moment you leave class, you feel different," says [Chic instructor Jesslynne] Medairy, who says her transformation went far beyond state of mind. Within months of starting training, she dropped 25 pounds and saw her entire body tone up. "I'm built the way I am now because of the pole," she adds. – Vick Hallet, Express Night Out
• Set to hot music, students wiggle, sway, and drop onto and around a chair, working arms, core, legs, and of course the tight little derriere. The studio recommends wearing sexy heels, but bare feet will work. Boas and top hats are there as props. Even novices come away with a basic routine after one class. – Daily Candy

One commenter on the Express Night Out article couldn’t contain her enthusiasm:

• Pole dancing is really awesome exercise and so fun!....Chic Physique has a bunch of great instructors, and I've enjoyed taking all sorts of classes there (like chair dancing and flexibility). A great way to shake up the routine, especially with cold weather coming. – Sarah