My typical workout usually involves a simple one-hour weight session in the gym. However, I have become comfortable, or in other words, unstimulated by the repetitive nature of alternating chest, legs, and back days. So, I recently became intrigued by the fitness class industry due to its meteoritic rise and ‘hype’ surrounding certain companies in this sphere. I never truly understood the proclaimed ‘cult’ following to fitness companies, but figured, with my gym being closed for a week, this was my opportunity. As a result, I signed up for a free trial on class pass and began 7 different workout classes in 7 days, starting on the Monday of April 10^th.

Day 1: Barry’s Bootcamp 60-minute Arms and Abs

Typical London – it was raining again when I left home. After a miserable 10-minute jog to make it to our 8:45AM class in Euston, I entered Barry’s with no expectations on how classes would be run, much less the intensity of them. After a quick aside with our instructor Dottie on treadmill and equipment safety, I was ushered towards the ‘Red Room’ – an ominous looking, glass container that was to house twenty sweaty people for the next hour.

I was given Station #15. This meant both my treadmill and station were labeled 15. Thankfully, it was located towards the edge of the room, much further away compared to the unlucky ones that were assigned stations right next to the instructor. I started on the treadmill with sets of jogs and sprints. I noticed the lights would occasionally dim as Dottie instructed us to sprint… very clever on her part. After 10 minutes on the treadmill, we moved to the floor workouts, where we were given a set of weights and resistance bands. We attempted bicep curls, triceps extensions, planks, and many more unforgiving exercises. Thing is, I could manage these exercises on my own, but Barry’s allows no time for breaks which left me panting throughout the hour-long class (a little cruel in my opinion).

Overall, it seems like Barry’s have cultivated a cohesive community and a target audience of motivated millennials around 25-35 of years. It boasts clean facilities, welcoming staff, and a multi-year apparel partnership with lululemon. They were transparent with their prices and didn’t pressure customers to buying workout packages, which I found to be extremely refreshing.

Day 2: Rumble’s Lower Body HIIT Circuit

Entering the seemingly impenetrable double doors of Rumble’s Primrose Hill branch, I was greeted by two friendly staff who happily checked us in and gave a quick tour of the place. After tucking away my jacket in the locker room, I entered the main studio and followed the screen for a quick five-minute warmup. This time, the class was 45 minutes, but I was filled with dread as legs were the last thing I wanted to do at that point. Nevertheless, I gritted my teeth and continued. The workouts would be split into four main stations. Each station has three workouts that you did three times each. However, as the clock struck nine, I looked around and realized nobody else had walked through the doors. It would only be Anna and I today… This only motivated us to work harder as we couldn’t hide under the watchful gaze of our instructor. However, when it came to the last reps of Bulgarian squats, medicine ball jumps and single-legged squats, my body couldn’t fathom what just happened.  

Overall, the class was very efficient. With five screens depicting specific workouts motions and timers, I knew what I had to do the whole time. However, the drawback on this design is that participants will conserve energy in earlier workouts knowing harder workouts were to come, which I found myself guilty of. Although Rumble is typically known for their boxing classes, the studio was on the smaller end but did not lack any equipment for a well-designed workout.

Day 3: 1Rebel’s Reshape Full Body

Centrally located in Oxford Circus, 1Rebel situates itself in a prime zip code in London. Transferring from the Northern to Victoria, we arrived 15 minutes before our 8:30am class. Have you noticed that our classes have begun to begin earlier and earlier each time?

Either way, I would compare my experience at 1Rebel to be very similar to Barry’s. The workout was split between floors and treadmills as we were shrouded in a dark hue of blue that lit the room. Even though there were minor differences, namely the treadmill at 1Rebel had a ‘parachute’ and ‘sled’ function, and our instructor was more energetic, I left feeling I had given it my all. That was also evident with the pool of sweat I left at the end of the class that I desperately tried to cover up. I’d highly recommend 1Rebel to a friend as they also have boxing and bike workouts as an alternative. After a quick shower, we left with a sense of accomplishment and each a healing blueberry smoothie in hand.

As I sit in ‘Kiss the Hippo’ coffee shop typing this  after the workout, three days of intense activity is beginning to catch up to me. I barely made it down the stairs with my coffee art intact…

Day 4: SoulCycle

My original workout was TRX at The Fore’s King’s Cross branch. However, that was canceled on a last-minute basis with no explanation (great customer service if you ask me). So, before you judge me, yes. I went to SoulCycle. How are you ever going to know what workouts suit you and what doesn’t?

As I entered the Soulcycle Soho branch, I was instructed to sign a liability waiver and handed a pair of 10.5 biking shoes. Granted it was my first time wearing such shoe, I was unused to the protruding lump of the clip on. Braving the awkwardness, I descended the stairs in a cautious fashion. However, as I was holding the handrail, the next thing I remember was being tossed in the air and my body crashing down the white, marble stairs. The whole, and I mean whole staff immediately crowded around me as if I was a boxer having just been KO’ed in the opening seconds of a fight. What an embarrassing way to start my morning…

I tried to forget what had just happened as I soon began adjusting the bearings of my seat. Our instructor, Manon, already took her seat in centerstage ready to shower us with words of encouragement and wisdom. As I looked around, I felt slightly out of place as class was roughly 90 percent women and 10 percent men. This meant there wouldn’t be a line to the shower, I reasoned with myself. Nevertheless, I pedaled on, feeling challenged throughout the workout as her playlists and movements were extremely well-coordinated.  

However, I cannot stop but think I am in a sorority basement undergoing initiation. The room was almost pitch black with the only light source coming from ten sticks of candles illuminating Manon’s bike. People hollering and cheering at random intervals. People jerking left and right, back and forth, up and down in a possessed fashion. To top it all off, the motivational speeches that could fire up the Superbowl underdogs in the fourth quarter.  Now, if I had just been through a breakup, been screamed at my boss, had a family member fall very ill, or had just been robbed of the very last piece of steak from my brother, this would be the perfect workout. But on that Thursday morning of April 13^th, I was just mentally-pretty-stable Arthur who was clueless as to what was happening in that room.

I left feeling satisfied having tried a different workout and having went out of my comfort zone. I’d say SoulCycle has a very specific target audience it caters to, which is part of the reason why it is so successful. Would I go again? No. But did I leave with a good workout? Yes.

Day 5: Psycle: Ride (R3HAB and KSHMR Remix)

The next day, Anna and I made our way to the Psycle branch in Fitztrovia at 8am. Having already made the mistake of falling down the stairs due to the clunky nature of cycling shoes the previous day, I put on my shoes just as we were starting out workout. I felt like a pro as I made my way to seat #17, adjusting the seat height and width in no time.

Psycle exceeded my expectations. Not only was the music perfectly synced to the workouts, the choice of hard EDM pushed me to my limits. The instructor was the perfect balance of motivating and forgiving, clearly telling us what movements to perform while also reminding us we should listen to our bodies and go easier at times. Moreover, the bikes themselves have numbered switches so the class could be at the same resistance level, preventing some of us from cheating the system.

As I look back at these two spin classes, I’m glad to have tried something new. It is eye-opening to vary the type of exercise and work a new part of the body. However, I didn’t find it to be a completely novel experience. It felt almost as if I could have completed the same workout in a 45-minute sitting in the gym myself, which is why I wanted to experience a more weight-based training in the final two days of this experiment.

Day 6: Amica 365 Functional Fitness

I decided to sign up for my first CrossFit class at King’s Cross. Now, I’ve walked past this gym countless times but was always slightly intimidated by the open floor plan and compound movements I see the athletes doing. However, in the spirit of trying new things, I decided to sign up for a class.

I signed up for the Amica 365 Class on Saturday. It consisted of three, 10-minute exercises. The first was a row and bike workout to reach a specific number of calories. The second involved pull ups and box steps. Lastly, I was instructed to do barbell raises and squats. The gym is relatively new and gives off a clean aesthetic, but there isn’t much space to store items and little to no locker room. Nevertheless, I felt challenged throughout and was pushed to the limits with the other participants. I highly recommend this gym to all skill levels as they are very accommodating for newcomers. I would even go to say it is a hidden gem in King’s Cross as not many people utilize the space, giving you the whole gym to work with when you’re there.

Day 7: Circuit Society

Circuit Society is located just next to Rumble, northwest of Camden. As soon as we entered, we were greeted by a slightly obese French bulldog named Coco. With saliva dripping down either side of its face, it pranced straight towards me and gave my shin a wet lick. What a welcome, I mumbled.

Today’s workout would be separated into six stations of six minutes each. Each station was categorized as either a strength or cardio workout, and included among them are assault bikes, ski ergs, push-ups, single-legged squats, and plank variations. In all honesty, I thought this full-body workout was one of the best choreographed and thoroughly/equally targeted all parts of the body. However, there was only one problem about the gym – there was no ventilation! As twenty sweaty bodies all began letting off steam in the black room, fog was beginning to build up on the mirrors… To illustrate, the ventilation was so bad that condensation was on every surface we touched, including the untouched dumbbells. Furthermore, the utilization of space with the bathrooms and showers were not ideal (not that it’s a deal killer, but noteworthy considering how big the studios are).

Final Thoughts

I’ve begun to gain an appreciation for the fitness class industry after this week. First, it is an extremely tiring profession to be in, considering how many classes are taught every day and how early most of them are scheduled to squeeze in working adults right before the 9am rush. Secondly, the business model of a studio or gym must be carefully thought out. Who is the target audience? Where is the gym going to be located to attract the most people? What classes are going to be taught? And how are you going to layout studio space versus locker spaces? Thus, I can see most players (with some exceptions) in the industry being one characterized by razor thin margins, considering how price sensitive some consumers are to one-hour workouts. It certainly is an aspect to the day people can cut out by going on a run or signing up for a cheap gym membership to do workouts on their own. Thus, this aspect underscores the importance to have a brand identity, which I’ve noticed SoulCycle has done a terrific job at.  

On the topic of my future workouts, I think it is worth it to sign up for a class occasionally to break the repetitive rhythm of the mundane gym session. In fact, I’ve already begun looking at CrossFit gyms and Barry’s Bootcamp class options in Boston. You’d never know the hidden surprises and amazing people you would meet if you stayed sheltered up in your comfort zone. I’m very happy to have tried classes for 7 days straight, but my body definitely needs a few days break now.