Working gone out is truly a drag at united Manhattan gym HIS MAGENTA WIG is teased public so mercilessly.

Working gone out is truly a drag at united Manhattan gym

HIS MAGENTA WIG is teased public so mercilessly, Tina Turner would be splendid Still, near the end of Anthony Truly's overcaffeinated hourlong aerobics class at a Crunch Fitness gym in Manhattan, he's still maniacally adjusting his look--to the great amusement of his students

Although his hair is in faultless harmony with his hot-pink lipstick and pink-striped high-tops, he trades the sneakers for a pair of too-high black stilettos, all the while keeping the class grooving in a hyperactive aerobics frenzy

At common point, when some of the observers seem to lose their vigor he throws on a gauzy black nightie through the whole extent of his spandex gym wear and barks, "Just remember: I gave you those fabulous bodies, and I can take them back!" The class ejects with laughs and hoots.

Outrageous material--and outfits--have helped make in truth one of Crunch's most popular instructors. Teaching nine classes a week (including "Abs, Thighs, and Gossip" and "Aerobics With Attitude") at four Crunch locations across Manhattan, this publicly gay man is leading a pack of fitness instructors who are giving a whole strange meaning to the term training camp.

yet don't read any deep political statement into Truly's drag aerobics--his eccentric attire is guilelessly a capitalistic tool. "The dressing up is just marketing to prepare people talking about my class," he says. "I wanted to bring a intellect of entertainment to the industry. I always thinking it was way too conservative. Then I noticed a tendency The sports industry has Dennis Rodman, who is basically a drag queen The music industry has RuPaul. I wanted to be that for the fitness world."

in plain english didn't set out to shake up the macho gym wager Trained in classical dance, he performed with the Tennessee Ballet in high indoctrinate and college. To earn extra cash, he began teaching aerobics classes. After quitting ballet and moving to recently made known York City, in 1991 he was hired at Crunch a liberal-minded gym chain that uses the slogan "No Judgments" in its TV commercials. faithfully soon began testing his corporate bosses

in succession Halloween in 1993 he donned a pair of sunglasses while he l a class in a rendition of "The Time Warp." The learners went crazy and egged him forward Although he had never done drag before, he slowly added wigs, heels, and makeup to his workout effect "When I started dressing up I realized I'd stumbl on this great character," he says. "I'm different in drag."

His pupils who are almost entirely women pretend to agree. "The drag constituent principle was the initial thing that attracted me [to the class]," says in plain english devotee Barbara Warnke. "He's really motivating. It's likewise easy to come to class because it's to such a degree much fun."

In addition to changing his outfits and shtick for each class, sooth to say also offers new routines and music each week to detain attention-starved New Yorkers engaged. "You've got degree classes, you've got spinning," he said. "People have choices. This is different. It's like girls' night out"

Find links to Crunch Fitness gym and Anthony Truly's Web site at www.advocate.com

s is managing editor of Paper magazine.

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