Bought a Groupon for 5 classes, not knowing what to expect. The signup process with a Groupon was a…read morebit clumsy (email them, then register online, email again to say that's done, wait for confirmation that the Groupon is attached to your account, then register for class), and one of my two online class registrations wasn't correctly registered in the system so I couldn't check in. The mobile website opens multiple windows when you try to select a class, and doesn't even provide clear confirmation let alone have an option to add classes to your calendar. But, these are corporate not local facility complaints.
The facility itself is modest: a small check-in area with a minuscule retail corner, one carpeted workout studio with a decently sized equipment room (lined with private cubbies), and a single stall restroom. The space is SPOTLESS, which is great because, like a yoga studio you leave shoes in the entryway (under benches) and enter the studio barefoot - but here you wear sticky socks for the workout (expensive Pure Barre sticky socks are available in the retail merch area). I don't love that the door is locked at all times other than maybe 20 minutes to 1/2 hour before each class, but I guess it's too small a place to have 2 staff on duty? (The instructor is the one doing check-ins, selling clothing, and greeting new customers)
Instructors are hands-on, and tell you in advance they will manually adjust your form unless you ask them not to. They also name names to give compliments and encouragement during the class. Music is good, and the instructors all have their headset mics turned loudly enough to be heard over the music (not always the case in gyms!). The moves are fairly small isolations targeting primarily legs, abs, butt, and core, with some arm work (mostly triceps; some biceps). The workout is fast-paced and I was challenged to keep up. I easily reached the desired shaky muscle stage & had to rest/pause/stop some of the repetitions more than once. Small moves can still be challenging & effective! I might have benefited from a bit more of a walk-through of a few of the terms (hard tailbone was one, I think) and exercise moves, but I wasn't totally lost. Left class very sweaty and feeling like I'd accomplished something.
Other than me, the two classes I've taken so far were filled with "young" and very fit women, but I guess only college students and stay-at-home moms are going to be in 9:30am weekday sessions! When I tried to register, the weekend classes were all filled days in advance so I can't tell if the regulars include many women over 35.
After the Groupon, I will sign-up for the $99 one month unlimited cycle. Following that, regular monthly rates are roughly comparable to 2-4 times weekly personal training, I think.
After class one, I was stiff but much less sore than with weight training - but the next morning I took a second class & could barely lift my leg to do a few of the exercises; my thighs still hadn't forgiven me for class #1. Today, two days after my second class, my calves are stiff from the "tippy toe" work. It's a good and surprisingly difficult workout that seems to target the areas I need to work on, and it's fun.
