As you may remember, four months ago Bo and I decided to give ClassPass a try after hearing wonderful things about it, realizing the two of us could leverage it together and a positive month long trial back in July. I cant believe that through today I’ve taken FIFTY classes with ClassPass!
Each month I will provide a brief recap of our experience including the number of classes taken, average cost per class and a brief recap of the studios where we sweat that month. In addition, if you’re on CLASSPASS feel free to follow my fitness schedule here. I love meeting readers so if you see me in a class, please say hello! If you want to check out my previous monthly recaps, click here and here.
Month 3: November 20 – December 19th
Number of classes taken: 17
Number of studios visited: 13
Number of classes missed or late cancelled: 0
Number of cities: 2 (Toronto and NYC)
Average cost per workout based on NYC rate of $125 per month: $7.35
Wow, no wonder I felt like a lean, mean, fighting machine going into the holiday break. I can’t believe that I took this many classes last month! Bo and I are now in the habit of sitting down Sunday evening and planning our week of workouts. We do our best to take at least three to four classes together during the week. There is currently only one studio which we love, Fhitting Room, which due to popularity, requires us to book immediately at 12pm the week before class. Most weeks, if we’re both on the ClassPass app at 11:58, we are able to get in the 6AM class we want.
As you can see from the below, I still have an opportunity to include more barre, yoga or Pilates classes in the mix but luckily I’ve made that a focus for January and have already taken four yoga classes this month!
Last Month’s Classes
The Distance at Mile High Run Club (1)
I’ve professed my love of Mile High multiple times (full review here) but only recently did I begin taking their distance classes. The distance class is 60 minutes of running, and is therefore designed specifically for the advanced runner or athlete who is looking for a challenge. The 60 minute class isn’t for the feign of heart as it includes 50 minutes of non-stop running including hills and speed work. During the three classes I covered an average of 5.5 miles per class, which included race simulations, sprints and hill work. I highly recommend class with Luke or Michael who each teach a handful of distance classes per week. If you are new to Mile High or running, the Dash 28 class with Andia Wilson is also a great option!
Dash 28 at Mile High Run Club (1)
If you’re newer to Mile High or running, this class is a great option for you! The 45-minute class includes 28 minutes of treadmill running followed by 10 minutes of strength training using body weight and kettle bells. The running portion includes a mix of hills and speed work, similar to the distance class, but due to the short duration, flies by quickly. I highly recommend Andia Wilson and Corinne!
Row House Full Body 45 at Row House Chelsea (3)
Rowing is a wonderful, low-impact workout which can supplement any workout plan. While I’ve taken classes at CityRow, Row House is the first rowing workout in NYC that truly reminded me of the rowing practices Bo and I sweat through in high school. The Full Body 45 class is a 45-minute class which includes a 5 minutes of rowing drills to warm-up, 15 minutes of rowing intervals and sprints, 5-10 minutes of strength work, another 15 minutes of rowing intervals and sprints, followed by a short cooldown. The class is perfect for people of all abilities as each person controls the speed or intensity at which they row. Scott is our favorite instructor, constantly motivating students while correcting form and ensuring that everyone is pushing themselves. For those who need to sweat and then dash to work, the Row House Chelsea location includes a small, but nice locker room featuring two showers, blow dryers and toiletries where you can get ready for work or date night.
Historically, I’ve had a love hate relationship with Flywheel. I love that the studio provides water, spin shoes, towels and healthy snacks with the cost of every class. But, I have had one too many sub-par teachers who don’t inspire or push me during class. Luckily, last month, Bo discovered two teachers (Josh Arden, Holly Rilinger and Johnny De Triquet) who merged challenging classes with awesome, upbeat playlists. Now that we’ve discovered these teachers, we’ll more than likely use our 3 classes per month allowance since they have 5:30 or 6 AM classes daily.
While I really like hot yoga and any studio that is walking distance from our apartment gets extra points, I just don’t love Prana Power Yoga. I’ve taken five classes here and have yet to have a teacher that I adore. In fact, two of the teachers never provided adjustments or walk around the class. For me, Prana is the studio that I go to when I decide last minute that I want to squeeze in a yoga class. I took this class on a whim, the day after Thanksgiving. The studio is clean, and doesn’t have that “hot, steamy, sweaty smell” that you get at some hot or Bikram yoga studios. There aren’t showers but they have two bathrooms which are large enough to do a quick wet wipe bath and change. They offer five to six classes per day so regardless the hour, there is probably a class that meets your schedule.
Signature Fhix at Fhitting Room (2)
I think I screamed with glee the day I received the ClassPass email stating that Fhitting Room was now an affiliated studio. Bo and I love the 50-minute high intensity classes which pair two instructors with a class of 20-25 students for a sweat inducing good time. The music is always perfectly on point, motivating and pushing us while the instructors lead the group through functional movements such as lunges, burpees and squats followed by strength training with kettle bells and finally high intensity exercises including rowing machines, ski-ergs and box jumps. The atmosphere is one of the most supportive I’ve felt and it is a great starting place for people who want to learn more about functional training and using items like boxes and kettlebells as the instructors adjust students during class. The dual instructor model means that there is always someone watching you! The studio offers showers, lockers, towels and water.
Chest, Back & Abs at Barry’s Bootcamp Chelsea
I first tried Barry’s Bootcamp in 2012 during a Well+Good event. It was a love at first sweat experience. Since then they have expanded throughout NYC and cities across the world but the workout hasn’t changed. Walk into the dim lit room ready to work your butt off, sweat a lot, have awesome music pumping through the speakers and instructors motivating you through a mix of yelling, inspiring and supporting. While the workout isn’t for everyone, I definitely suggest snagging a spot on ClassPass and trying it out for yourself. The classes book quickly but I was able to squeeze into a 6pm class by booking the same day. The chest, back and abs class is actually my favorite of their offerings as it feels the most like a full body workout. When you’re not sprinting or tackling hills on the treadmill, you’re on the floor moving through pushups, planks and other forms of minute long torture.
During a quick trip to Toronto, I took advantage of ClassPass anywhere and booked a class at Track Fitness, a local boutique studio which was recommended to me by four different Twitter followers. This class was very similar to Barry’s Bootcamp though just a tad bit more challenging due to two differences: the treadmill length and the number of people in class. While most of their classes book quickly, this one was at 3pm and only had 7 people. Therefore, the entire class our instructor was correcting form and pushing us to our limits. Our first treadmill portion lasted 10 minutes and was entirely on an incline. Talk about a way to get the heart pumping quickly. The first two rounds of floor work were entirely body weight while the third round included dumb bells. Unlike Barry’s, I loved that they had a countdown clock at the front of the class so we always knew how many minutes or seconds we had left in a set. If I lived in Toronto I could see myself frequenting this spot and enjoying a post-workout smoothie date at Greenhouse Juice Co which is located in the same building.
If you take class with Marc, there is no way you won’t collapse in a puddle of sweat after the first 15 minutes. This class is probably the hardest HIIT class we’ve taken. It is more cardio focused than strength focused since it’s primarily body weight work, but regardless, you will be sore the next day. The class is a small group HIIT workout which means you’ll be with 10-15 other people as you sweat through the moves which when we went included everything from wall sits, high knees, burpees, squats, planks, boxing and football drills. I would not recommend this class if it’s your first time trying HIIT but if you’re looking for motivation, a challenge and a huge calorie burn then this is your place. The space isn’t fancy so don’t expect them to provide anything other than the great coaching and workout. Bring your own water and towel and know that they don’t have a shower.
Springboard Athletics at Brooklyn Strength
This is one of those classes that I want to take again in hopes that it redeems itself. The first pass seemed like it needed another sip of coffee. It was early, the teacher didn’t seem very experienced, the playlist was off, and nothing seemed to flow properly. But, the workout itself and the theory was great. Christine and I both liked that the conveniently located Cobble Hill studio combined Pilates, kettlebells, springboard and body strength moves while focusing on form and function. I just signed up for the class again next week but this time I’m taking it with the owner, Cadence Dubois.
Since Uplift opened in 2012 I’ve been a huge fan of this womens-only boutique studio which offers group fitness classes and personal training. Located conveniently in Flatiron near multiple subways, their Strength class is still my favorite class in their lineup. Each muscle group is worked until fatigue, typically the duration of one to two songs on the playlist, before moving to another muscle. The teachers use weights, body weight, resistance bands, and sliding discs to challenge your muscles and make you sweat. I highly recommend taking class with Liz Barnett, but book right at 12pm because her classes fill quickly. In case you need to head to work or happy hour after class, they offer two showers and all the things you’ll need including blow dryers, straighteners, shampoo, razors, etc.
After a solid first experience, Bo and I decided to give Peloton a second try due to the fact that they have lots of classes on their daily schedule, feature one of the nicest locker rooms for post workout showers and we’d heard a great deal about their bikes. This 6 AM class did not disappoint and we loved the instructor, Hannah M Corbin, who motivated me with her six pack abs and infectious smile. The Peloton classes are all streamed live so Peloton bike owners can follow along at home. This creates a different dynamic as the instructor is at times motivating and coaching the class while other times she’s giving props to the riders at home. Regardless, we both agreed that we’d return to this studio because the bikes were the best we’ve ridden on – smooth, easy to read computers and easily adjusted. The gorgeous studio greets clients with complimentary spin shoes, water and towels which make things easy in addition to a spacious locker room which features all the essentials!
Mind Body Bootcamp at Circuit of Change
This class combines a little bit of everything into a solid, very different 60-minute workout. Jason and Alyssa, the husband and wife team behind Circuit of Change, combine martial arts, cardio, yoga, plyometrics and even meditation in an effort to help students leave each class feeling more energized and balanced. Come to the class ready to laugh at yourself as you do some of the moves for the first time, but know that you will leave sweaty. This is definitely a workout I’d suggest booking with a friend so you can laugh and smile at each other as you chant, jump and try new things. The staff is very kind and attentive, wanting every student to feel at home in the space.
Your turn: If you’re a NYC local, what are your favorite studios? Where should I sweat next?
This post is not compensated nor requested of me via CLASSPASS. While it does contain affiliate links, as a CLASSPASS affiliate, I only receive a small compensation if you choose to purchase a CLASSPASS membership.
