In an era when mainstream punk has become poppy and characterized by the music and style of such bands as Sum 41, Good Charlotte and Avril Lavigne, it would make sense that something called "Punk Rock Aerobics" would be equally oxymoronic.
After all, does anyone really think that Joey Ramone participated in any physical activity beyond petty vandalism and general shenanigans?
But what is punk if not contrary to expectation? Bottled-water guzzling, state-of the-art NASA-inspired Nike spandex sporting gym bunnies aren't the only ones who need to stay in shape.
Enter Punk Rock Aerobics, a rigorous, irreverent, truly alternative workout designed to simultaneously kick and slim your ass to the tune of punk bands such as the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, the Buzzcocks and more.
Held Saturday afternoons in the downstairs of The Middle East in Cambridge, the dimly lit underground venue is nothing like a traditional aerobics class.
Before class last Saturday, Hilken Mancini, one of the co-creators of Punk Rock Aerobics, addressed the issue of whether aerobics could be "punk" as she lounged on a bar stool, waiting for the downstairs to be purged of day-old cups, spilled beer, and general rubbish from Friday's festivities.
"Punk rock is looking at the status quo and saying 'yuck,'" Mancini observed.
Creators Maura Jasper, 39, and Mancini, 34, turned what was initially an idle joke into 70 solid minutes of strenuous lunging, hopping, skanking, kicking, and yes, even air guitar-ing.
There's weight training too - the free weights are bricks. The cardio is comprised of "pogoing," when everyone is free to develop their own moves - there might even be some random Teletubby stuffed toys thrown about for kicks.
Though Mancini studied dance at the Boston Conservatory, she had never attended an aerobics class prior to starting up Punk Rock, and Jasper had had no history of aerobics or dance classes at all.
But both had ample experience in the music scene. Mancini is formerly of the band Fuzzy and currently with The Count Me Outs, and Jasper is a graphic artist and punk rock aficionado.
Since January 2001, this punk pipe dream has since grown into weekly classes with guest DJs, gigs in New York and London, a book, and soon, a DVD.
Despite this commercialization, the classes are still informal. The participants feel such a sense of community that in the past, they have had drinks together following the class.
Corrie Morreau, 32, is a regular at Punk Rock Aerobics. Moreau has participated in other aerobics classes before, but she feels that this one is different.
"Lots of other places, it's about how well you do it, or how good you look doing it," Moreau said.
But the instructors still look good. Jasper dresses in a short skirt over spandex shorts and a striped orange and white shirt that proclaims "I'm bananas," bounding about with the energy of a 10-year-old despite a recent back injury.
Mancini, who is often similarly attired, sports bright red lipstick and knee-high socks as she gives commands and demonstrates techniques. The two work in tandem, shouting simultaneously with near-perfect coordination, a skill that comes with four years of experience.
Vicky Salipande, a regular who attended the first public Punk Rock Aerobics class, remembers when it was all new.
"It's gotten a lot tighter," Salipande remarked. "It's cool to see how it's evolved."
Jasper laughingly admitted that she hadn't really exercised before the conception of Punk Rock Aerobics. Even now, she won't work out at the gym if she's forgotten her music.
"We do what we have to do to [exercise] in order to come here and do this," Jasper noted.
"We had no idea how to teach an aerobics class," Mancini recalled. "We did have to get certified; we did have to study, and we did have to pass."
Returning from a three-month hiatus, Mancini and Jasper are eager to start again. The two don't have their plans for the future set in stone. As Mancini jokingly remarked while handing out Kit-Kats and York Peppermint Patties to reward the tired exercisers at the end of the class, "We didn't even know we'd be doing it this long."
Punk Rock Aerobics will be around for awhile, as Mancini said when she introduced herself as the "co-creator of Punk Rock Aerobics, LLC."
