By the end of high school, I developed an interest in health and fitness. I started eating healthier, worked out more, and overall felt more energetic and better than ever before.
Fast forward to mid- first semester of my freshmen year: I am having the time of my life, but probably being the unhealthiest I have ever been. With dining hall meals, post-going-out snacking, and morning-after-going-out refueling (oops, but you know it’s true). I left my freshman year with new unhealthy habits.
In addition to incorporating more whole foods and eliminating most processed foods- which was the most important goal of my lifestyle change back to where I had been before I left for college- I decided to devote the summer to working out more and trying all that New York City had to offer. Over this past summer, I have tried some of New York’s best workout classes, many of them helping me get back into a healthy routine, leaving my freshmen year routine behind. These are the best workout classes in New York City.
If you want to get your heart racing and blood pumping in a cycling class :
Soul Cycle:
Soul Cycle is probably what you most associate with “spinning.” There are so many studios across the country, especially in New York, so it is not a place you want to miss. From the yellow and white color coordination, to the inspirational neon signs, the studio itself puts you in a good mood. The class is usually packed with men and women of all ages who ready to get their “soul” on. Each instructor is different, but they all bring contagious energy, motivational speeches, and killer music. The class is made up of hill and flat roads based on the resistance of the bike. With each new song, expect to do push-ups, crunches, and “tap backs” on the bike. While you really never should be looking around and comparing yourself to other riders during a class, Soul Cycle does have a cult- like following, and if your’e not an avid, frequent rider you may feel a bit out of place. However, after you’re finished with a class, I bet you’re going to feel amazing, be sweaty as hell, and sign up for your next class before you even leave the studio.
Flywheel:
Flywheel is another nationally known cycling studio. Their vibe is exciting, inviting, and enthusiastic. Their studios are high tech and totally designed with the rider in mind. The complementary shoe rental, water, fruit, hair bands, and more set you up to have an amazing ride. One of my favorite aspects of the class is the “tech pack.” Located in the middle of the handle bar, it provides numerics to all aspects of the ride. There is less movement (push-up, crunches, etc.) on the bike, and more high intensity intervals, which are based on the tech pack numbers (resistance, speed, current, and overall power). I love looking at my stats at the end of class to see my progress (all data is recorded and kept in your flywheel account online), I can see numbers of miles ridden, calories burned, and max speed. It allows me to see real progress, and push myself even more for the next class (and there is always a next class).
If you want to tone and define your muscles in a barre class:
Flybarre:
Part of the Flywheel Sport company, flybarre is not your typical barre class. The class requires no dance experience; it is a full body workout (arms, legs, booty, and core will all be sore by the end of the class). The class is based on a theory that high reps and low weights will produce strong but lean muscles. The instructors are all super encouraging and attentive (fixing your form if needed) and play loud and killer music. While some may underestimate the power of a barre class to make you sweat, you will defintely leave Flybarre in need of a shower. Flybarre currently offers 4 different barre classes: Fly60 (60 minute class), Fly45 (45 minute express), FlySport (50 minute cardio class), and Arms&Abs (50 minute class targeting arms and abs AND my new favorite).
Physique 57:
Physique’s promise is “see results in 8 classes”, but I promise you will be feeling something after just 1 class. When you walk into Physique’s barre studio, a lively instructor will greet you and encourage you to pick up weights, 5 pounds or higher. This is because Physique’s approach to toning is shorter reps and higher weights for more rapid muscle fatigue and to achieve “Interval Overload”. The instructors are extremely attentive, and will physically help you get into proper form for maximum results. When I first developed my interest in fitness, barre was my go-to class, and since then, there have been times when I feel as if I have plateaued, and don’t feel the benefits of a class. Since discovering Physique 57 this summer, I almost always feel that day-after class soreness, which I have to admit is something I kinda love.
If you are looking to try something different:
Rumble:
Visited by many celebs including Kendall Jenner and Justin Bieber, Rumble is a boxing studio with a new and fun approach to working out. After suiting up and putting on your wraps and gloves, you sit yourself on one of two sides of the room, either with the mats or bags. The class is set up with two sections- floor and bag. On the floor you are doing HIIT-like exercising, burning out your arms, legs, butt, and arms; on the bags you are doing the actual boxing, punching the bag in the correct sequence. Throughout the 45 minute class, you switch between the floor and the bags twice, getting an equal balance of workouts. I am amazed by the instructors ability to guide both sides of the room, and keep everyone moving and working throughout the class. What’s great about Rumble is you leave the classes feeling like you did both cardio and toning, dripping in sweat and hella sore. It’s definiteIy one of the newest, but best workout classes in New York City, I find myself keeping signing up for rumble classes, and it’s not just for the potential celebrity run-in.
305 Fitness:
305 is crazy in the most amazing way. It consists of a workout dance class with a live DJ, so it basically gives a club-like ambiance for the workout of a lifetime. This class is a super intense and incredibly fun way to get in your cardio. Instructors lead you through your warm-up, and then the dancing starts, and legitimately never stops. There are truly #nobreaks, but you will love it. The hip-hop style dance will have you twerking, shaking, shimmering, and so much more.
Towards the end of the class, a toning session will give you a chance to breathe for a second and target one muscle group (arms or legs). The class ends with more dancing, and when you leave the club– oops, I mean studio–I promise you are going to want to sign up for another class. The class doesn’t require any dance experience, but that doesn’t mean the other people in the class don’t know what they are doing. There have been times when I (someone with NO experience in dance) look at myself and kind of- laugh, but after I get over the fact that I am ~attempting~ to twerk in the name of fitness, I have a really amazing time.
If you are in NYC, definitely check these studios out, because they are the best workout classes New York has to offer.
Pro Tip: When it comes to working out, you need to find your “thing”, what works for you and will keep you engaged, feeling good, and coming ( riding, toning, punching) back for more.