When I moved to Brooklyn in 2009 the only gym I could afford was the YMCA - a tiny basement that doubled as a daycare. A far cry from "luxury fitness clubs" like Equinox rumored to be filled with celebs, served fruit-infused ultra-filtered water and charged an outrageous monthly membership (on top of an initiation fee) that cost more than half my rent! The idea of paying that kind of money sounded absurd, not to mention in 2016 it was estimated that 67% of gym memberships went unused!
Today, the rising popularity of workout classes and wearable technology like FitBit, consumers desire a more personalized approach when it comes to fitness as opposed to solo sweat sessions in sprawling big-box gyms.
According to the International Health, Racquet, and Sports Club Association, boutique studios (like spin, pilates, boot camp, yoga, etc) now account for 40% of total fitness memberships and we're paying more than ever, often between $50 - $150 per month, but with the average fitness class costing $35 a class that figure can easily look more like $150 a week!
For those who remember the glorious days of Class Pass (RIP) when $100 a month got you into nearly any studio in the city, then you can commiserate with the fear of committing to just one workout at twice the cost. Before Class Pass canceled their unlimited membership I had the opportunity to try a ton of studios while living in the Big Apple. Here are some options that I believe are worthy of your wallet.
Each I've rated on a 1 to 3 scale on level of challenge: 1 - Didn't sweat but hey, I worked out.
2 - Definitely sweat. Light-colored leggings are a serious no-no.
3 - Is my instructor actually just satan wearing absurdly expensive leggings?
NYC - Brooklyn
Soul Cycle (Rating: 2 or 3) Yes, Soul Cycle really is worth the hype. The lighting and music alone makes me feel like I'm crazy good at spinning when in fact, I'm maybe not? Nonetheless a very reliable workout that can be found in pretty much every city.
Yoga To The People (Rating: 2) Love this studio, and it's convenient location near the Bedford L stop. It can be VERY tight in classes which makes their regular Vinyasa Flow class feel like Traditional Hot. Vinyasa classes are a $10 suggested donation and I also tried the Hot Yoga 1 week unlimited package for $18.
Brooklyn Burn Pilates (Rating: 3) This studio is actually no longer open but it was an amazing workout and the only Megaformer pilates at that time in BK. If you are a Megaformer fan though, now there's an SLT in Williamsburg that has a new student special - two classes for the price of one.
Dodge YMCA So this is not the YMCA I referenced earlier that doubled as a daycare - this YMCA is on Atlantic Ave. near Cobble Hill and it's surprisingly the nicest and cheapest gym ($75/month) I tried in NYC. It's HUGE with really nice equipment and has a large (very clean) locker room with a sauna.
Chalk Gym - Plain old gyms are hard to come by but Chalk is a good and affordable ($100/month no commitment) option. A little crowded at peak times like (6-8a and 5-8p) and the organized classes aren't my favorite but it's great for people with discipline who can give themselves a good workout AND it has a sauna!
NYC Manhattan
Tone House (Rating: 3) I hate boot camps and I avoid them at all costs. Tone House is the closest I've come to trying one and that was because I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It's taught by hot dude instructors that didn't give a fuck that I was the only girl in a class filled with NFL draft-worthy guys. We carried fucking sandbags and did bear crawl suicides (kill me). I even got a pity clap when I dragged myself across the finish line on the last exercise so far from last people were already leaving (#killingit). So if you're a masochist or you just really love an ass kicking this one's for you! Jk. However, I did find out that this class is referred to as "CrossFit on crack" and I can't agree more.
Swerve Fitness (Rating: 2) A very masculine spin studio with regard to its branding and has a unique element of competition. Riders are divided into teams who then compete against one another. That may sound terrible to some but it is a nice change from the standard Soul Cycle class. It's also 35% male which is a much higher ratio than the average spin studio so it also doubles as a great dating option if you're trying expand your applicant pool beyond Bumble.
The Class by Taryn Toomey (Rating: 1) Very relaxing, beautiful space that's bright and airy. I heard about this yoga class bringing people to tears which made me skeptical but I was pleasantly surprised by the amount that I did sweat. The class is a mix of "dance like no one's watching", yoga poses and HIIT exercises. I didn't sob or have an existential experience but I did really enjoy it!
305 Fitness (Rating: 2) A lot of my friends love this place!! I don't think I personally would use the word "love" but it's DEF a great workout especially if you love to dance sober with strangers in blacklight rooms or just need to change up your routine! I LOVE Latoya, she's super fun and encouraging AND has a freaking 8-pack for christ sake... how is that even achieved?!
Dance Body Fitness (Rating: 2 or 3) Highly challenging class inside a no-frills legit dance studio that made me feel very Julia Stiles circa 2001 "Saved The Last Dance". The workout Involved quite a bit of choreography but I didn't get too lost and the instructor didn't make me feel like an idiot. Holy shit I was sore from the abs series. Def take Julia's class, she's amazing!
Title Boxing Club (Rating 2 or 3) Nothing feels quite as badass as putting on boxing gloves... that is until you start hitting a heavy bag and realize you're not Hillary Swank from "Million Dollar Baby". Nevertheless, this is a super approachable boxing gym acceptable for beginners and definitely challenging. They provide gloves and you can purchase wraps for like $10. The class entails 15 minutes of warmup and conditioning, 8 3-minute boxing rounds, and then 15 minutes of core work. Bring a friend if you're not down with strangers because you partner up for quite a few exercises.
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