I absolutely love Orangetheory and it's the only gym I consistently enjoy going to. I have been a…read moremember for 6 months and have had some GREAT results in terms of toning and overall improvement in endurance & strength. The classes are varied enough that you don't get bored, but very challenging! The instructors have all been great and are really good at modifying exercises if you need them to. THE ONLY THING I would change is their cancellation policy. I think it's kind of outrageous that they charge a no-show / short notice cancellation fee considering I pay $180 a month for a membership already. The membership is super pricey but worth it to me.

Went to one class. You can get one class for free so it's definitely worth giving it a shot. If you…read morelive in St. Albert it's in a fairly central location. If you don't you could likely find a OTF closer to you. I liked the way it was organized- half the class did intervals on the treadmills and half did stuff on rowing machines/ weights ect. They have three types of classes. I was in the endurance class. The instructor said they tell participants once the class starts what type of class it is so that people have to attend a variety of classes. Being new to the gym they require you to show up a few minutes early to sign forms and for them to give you the heart rate monitor. The instructor took myself and the other new person in to explain a few things before class begun. During the class our instructor, Rebecca, was pretty attentive and helpful with checking in and making any necessary recommendations. Afterwards Rebecca reviewed the graphs/results from workout with. Then the receptionist goes over membership information. I wasn't crazy about membership information, but it's pretty standard for gyms so it's to be expected. I didn't get the full information on cost as I wasn't looking for it. It's definitely not cheap though. A drop in class is $20. Staff was nice and facilities were decent too.

Guys, THIS PLACE. I'm loving boutique fitness more and more, but this has to be one of the nicest…read moreand most welcoming studios I have been to. Hive is located on Jasper and 104 street, with access right beside Corso 32. We parked in an Impark lot one block south of Jasper on 104th, but street parking is also available. There's a nice sandwich board pointing you in the door and up the stairs. When I arrived with my friend (also a newbie), we did the usual waiver signing and got a tour of the studio. After we had changed, a staff member sat with us and showed us how to use the rowing machines, and brought us all the blocks and bands we would need for the class. There are change rooms with bathrooms and showers, a lounge area, and some complimentary valuable lockers (I had to wait for one to free up after a previous class finished to store my purse). Hive offers rowing classes, yoga, HIIT and spin, meaning you can get a great variety of classes for purchasing one subscription or set of passes. We tried a rowing class because we had never done one before, and we were pretty nervous about the unknown. The class was tough, but also so fun! In between rowing we did mat work beside the machines that included arm work, lunges, push-ups etc. We did the class on Tuesday and my legs didn't feel normal again until Friday evening (always a good sign!). Our instructor was awesome, so high energy and encouraging, and consistently checking with us to make sure we understood movements and that our form was correct. Everything about our visit was great. The effort the staff have made to create a trendy environment that is welcoming, inclusive and encouraging is apparent. Definitely check out Hive for a great workout!

This place gets a 5/5 for me. I felt very Real Housewives of Edmonton coming with my girls at 9:30…read moreAM for Spin while our men slave away at work ;). Just kidding, we're all baddies with careers. I miraculously made it to class today so that's also a plus for me, yay! Anyway, the esthetic is on point. I especially love the honeycomb decor with the plants - I might even buy something like that and put it up in my home, very cute. They have some nice inspirational messages around as well so you can attempt to pump yourself up to workout. I do not like working out and I don't like being up at this time of day, but the ambience of the place made it more bearable. We're greeted at the door by a friendly staff member who helped me find spin shoes that fit properly. Then we were introduced to Lauren, our spin instructor. Everyone was so nice, asking me if I needed water, taking me on a tour, helping me stick my shoes in the peddles, adjusting my seat etc. I was like wow, this is a lot of care! I'm super low maintenance when I work out so all this attention was definitely an experience. I loved the seats here. They didn't make my behind ache when class was over. I'm actually sitting right now and feeling pretty comfortable. Class itself was awesome. I haven't done a spin class with weights before, and this was by far the best part of the workout for me. I love the isometric movements and could feel the burn for sure! I also had to laugh because so many people were hootin' and hollerin' it was awesome! I love when people get into the workout because it helps pump up those of us who were dragged out of bed kicking and screaming (not me). My favourite part of the workout was when it was over. No joke, they come around with MINT COLD TOWELS for you to wipe your face with. I was like damn, I must have made it. This is truly the life. I would definitely come back to this studio. I know they have a rowing class that I might want to check out. I will say that they do charge a pretty penny for these luxury workouts. There is also a no-show fee that is a whopping $15! I've never seen a no-show fee that high before. If money is your motivator, this is the place for you.

Have you try OTF? If not, you have missed all the joys. I signed up just over a month ago, and…read morefalling in love right after my first class. The coaches and staffs are friendly, they remember my name as soon as I walked in my second class. The class full of cardio, weights lifting, and rowing. My arms got more toned after a month of hard works. Trust me, you will love it, hehehe. :)

If you want a great workout in about an hour check this out. I don't think I have sweated so much…read more They have you do so much in an hour it flies by. Treadmill blocks, rowing blocks and floor blocks.

It's always daunting to move gyms! I have been going to OTF since 2017 but always the downtown…read morelocation. The DT location was like a part of my family and you definitely get used to seeing the same friendly faces. But we moved to Meadowlark and this location is like 2 minutes from my house so it really didn't make sense for me to travel DT anymore. I have to say that they've cultivated the same type of friendly atmosphere and after being here for almost a year I am definitely feeling the same awesome vibe I did DT. These are fun workouts and it's always something different every time. I have seen substantial improvements in my strength from coming here. Staff are very friendly and helpful. I honestly have zero complaints about this location. They try to cultivate a fun culture by hosting "No Shower Happy Hours" and things like that as well. I'm not the type of person who likes to work out and never have been... but this I can tolerate. There are also "Lift" classes now that don't include the cardio portion. It's 45 minutes of lifting and I try to attend one or two of those a week. I think that's helped me a lot with my physique. One major negative is that the heart rate monitors you purchase never work! I would honestly recommend not buying them because I never wear mine since it is always off. I just wear my watch. As you all probably know, OTF is exorbitantly expensive - I believe I pay like $189 per month. I justify the cost because this is the ONLY form of exercise that I pay for. I no longer pay or go to the gym or any other type of group fitness. I do this 5-6x a week and that is it. I had a lot of sticker shock because the price really has gone up since I joined all those years ago, but this is the type of exercise that I need. I need a structured group class that is lead by a trainer, that I can just get in and get out in an hour. I know I get a good workout in these classes that I wouldn't get if I was doing it alone at a gym. This works for me and that is why I pay for it - but I won't pretend it is not expensive.

Liz is the BEST! Very mindful and thorough in her coaching style as well as super kind and caring…read more She's super funny as well and always has the best Dad jokes. Highly recommend her classes.

A couple of months later, I have to return to take off a star. If you'd like to see my thoughts on…read morethe workout experience at Orangetheory, please expand my previous review for more details. Since doing the single class in August, I've been bothered by weekly phone calls asking me to come back for more classes. The voicemails left have varying details, with some saying I can have more free classes, others saying I can access an introductory rate, and even others saying that I signed up as a lululemon practice member, but then didn't attend the class. Many other studios I have visited called or emailed with follow-up, but left it at a single call or message. Pro tip for management: if I didn't call you back after the first, second, third or fourth calls, then a fifth probably isn't necessary. I really hate high pressure sales tactics, and the predatory nature of some private gym chains. I'm pretty unimpressed with this business model, and won't be returning for more classes, free or otherwise.

The staff is super friendly at this location. I ended up forgetting my gym shoes here and…read morethankfully they don't throw anything out at the end of the night! This is an insanely busy location. I'm honestly not used to the sheer amount of people who go here. I thought downtown was busy but this is nothing. Almost every class is waitlisted! I think there are people here signing up months in advance which is totally admirable, but makes it hard to get in. The classes that I recommend are in the afternoon, and that works for me since I work from home. If you're trying to get in before work it'll be tough... not going to lie. The layout of this OTF is old-school. They have that back area where it just feels like there isn't enough room for the weight part of the classes. You feel very cramped when working out and the TRXs are not aligned with the benches, so you need to use them at an angle. There is, however, parking! Which I love! Can't hate on parking.

I came for a trial class and while I am still too self conscious to join, there was a wonderful…read morestaff named Aneesha who made me feel very welcome and comfortable. This was a good experience for me.

This is my favourite OT location. I love that there's lots…read moreof space in both the cardio and floor areas, and have never been in a situation where there was insufficient stations or machines. The classes tend to be less busy here, there is always lots of parking, and it's quick to hit the freeway back to Edmonton. It's also the home base for my favourite instructor Lisa, who is always positive and motivating, and really pays attention to peoples' form and offers feedback and modifications. She's absolutely the best! Becky is another great professional instructor. I like the staff in this location generally. One complaint I have is that a few months back, I noticed the class time slots were cut over the weekend - I wish there were classes past 1330h. I also think the floors and walls could be washed more regularly. I hate stretching out on walls covered with sweaty dirt marks from previous patrons, and getting coated in flooring chunks when doing floor work/stretches. The shower areas could be more clean too. Love the workout, been going for about 8 months now, and I have yet to be bored. I'm more of an outdoorsy sports person than a gym rat, so the fact I keep coming back is a real credit to the OT model.

I attended a wedding at this community league hall recently and the venue was perfectly sized for…read morethis particular event. The kitchen had a good number of features and the bathrooms were re-labeled to be gender neutral (not sure if only for the event or as a more permanent thing) which was stellar. The hall is accessible via an alleyway from the neighbourhood and has a small amount of parking nearby along with a nice little playground beside it. The mural on the building is a nice touch too.

Meadowlark Community League spans over three decades of community service and programs. What it is…read moremost known for is the skating in the winter. The ice is professionally hand made (not a common art, for sure!) and well maintained. There is supervision at the rink at certain times on weekdays and weekends. The Family Day celebration here in February is worth a visit, with horse-drawn carriages, skating, food, and fireworks to top things off in the evening. The skating rink was recently renovated. When a rink attendant is present, there are washroom and changing facilities. Skating is free to community league members, and I think there is a nominal charge for non-members. Support this community and have some winter fun outdoors!