After 4 years of CrossFitting (I know, I did CrossFit for THAT long, don’t judge), I threw in the towel a few months back and signed up for ClassPass. As much as I loved CrossFit, it was starting to take a toll on my body. I needed variety in my workout routine, and transitioning to ClassPass has been such a great experience thus far. I have fitness dates with friends who also ClassPass, and I’ve been able to explore various fitness studios across the city (not to mention exploring new neighborhoods I normally don’t venture out to). After 4 months of ClassPassing, I’ve found a handful of studios that I now have on rotation. Some of them include well-known studios like Flywheel and Corepower Yoga, but my favorites are these Chicago gems…
I’m not going to sugarcoat this – Shred is a TOUGH workout. Prepare for interval training between the treadmill and a weight station. Typically, the intervals fall in 10-15 minute increments, broken down further to pushes & rest time. The classes are centered around focus areas (i.e. Arms and Abs, Butt and Legs, Total Body) – the focus will determine what exercises you’ll perform at the weight stations. I always dread going to Shred, but I feel like a million bucks after a workout. What’s great about the classes is that weights and speed on the treadmill are scalable to individual fitness levels.
Studio Three is relatively new, but you’d never know going into a 5:30PM class as you weasel your way to an open locker. It’s a beautiful space in a prime River North location, and the selling point for me is that it’s a one-stop shop – they offer cycling, yoga and interval training classes. You’d think because they offer variety that not all of their classes are top-notch, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Every single class I’ve taken there has been a positive experience, and their instructors rock. Be sure to check out Antonia’s spin class – she’s seriously AMAZING.
Sweat’s been around for a few years, but they’ve gone under new ownership the last year or two and have changed the structure of the classes for the better. Classes are focused around HIIT (high intensity interval training), and each day of the week has a designated theme. I’m sore after every workout, and the classes FLY by because the movements change so frequently. It keeps your mind off how exhausted you are. Arms & Core Mondays, Tabata Tuesdays and Total Body Circuit Thursdays are my favs. Try to catch a class with Andrea or Paul for some serious motivation (aka they’ll push the hell out of you but you’ll love them for it later).
If you’re interested in trying ClassPass, sign-up here to get $20 off your first month!
