Once a week or so I end up having a conversation with someone about how boutique fitness in NYC is crazy expensive. I remember when $28 for a class seemed ridiculous. Now $34 is considered cheap.
Yes, there are cheap (and of course free!) ways to workout, I wrote a whole blog post about working out for cheap in NYC. But like many I’m addicted to group fitness specifically. And in particular boutique fitness classes.
I personally use FitReserve (which is super similar to ClassPass) to help cut the costs of my boutique fitness addiction. But it does come at a cost — my membership is for only 10 classes a month. I work out more than 10 times a month. I’m fortunate to also have a free CorePower Yoga membership as an employee so it works for me.
But what’s a budget conscious wellness lover to do?
Enter FitHouse: a new concept in boutique fitness. For $99/month you can take unlimited classes at one of their studios. Right now only their Soho location is open but they will soon be expanding to Flatiron, Murray Hill, the Upper East Side and Tribeca. And I guess soon the world?
So, is it worth it? Or is it too good to be true?
The Deets:
FitHouse
276 Bowery, New York, NY 10012
Website || Instagram
**more locations coming soon
Okay, so how does it work?
The rules are simple: $99 per month. Unlimited classes. You can go to all locations (y’know once they exist). No weird contracts, just cancel before you’re next cycle begins. You can also scope out the situation with a 14-day trial for $19. And FYI the classes are also on ClassPass and Fitreserve as well.
Full disclosure: A friend of mine works behind the scenes at FitHouse and she kindly comped me for the 2-week trial. She didn’t ask me to write a review or anything nor am I being compensated in any way. But always want to be honest with you guys.
The studio offers a slew of classes, most of which the instructors also created:
- Barre fusion
- Vinyasa yoga
- Synergy Ignite
- Power Speed
- Cardio Burn
- Strength Station
They’re all 45-minutes. I’ve noticed this is slowly becoming standard in NYC — Uplift recently changed to 45-minute classes as well. In LA like 99% of classes I’ve taken are 45-minutes. Just a random observation. Back to FitHouse…
I ended up only getting a chance to take Barre Fusion with Kristin Calabria and Strength Station with Mark Ribeiro. The fact that I avoided anything that sounds like it could involve lots of cardio should surprise no one.
The Studio:
The actual space itself is no doubt nice, but does lack some of the amenities that have become a signature part of boutique fitness.
There are no showers (not a problem for me but could be for many). And I found it awkward that the restroom itself was in the studio space itself, not outside in the waiting area. But again, not the end of the world.
Fithouse does have a little refreshing station with dry shampoo and other products you can use to spruce yourself up post class. Towels are free. As were waters from what I gathered. They have changing rooms as well as self-locking lockers.
The room where classes take place is HUGE. Even when I took a sold-out Saturday morning class there was plenty of space to move around.
The Classes:
Like I said, I only ended up taking two classes.
〰️ The first was Barre Fusion with Kristin.
I met and worked out next to Kristin at an event at Rumble. I was SO excited to actually take her class. As would be expected in a barre class, the class focused on lighter weights and small movements. The first chunk of class was on the mat and second half we used bands attached to the barre for glutes.
Kristin was great with hands on modifications and for 45-minutes the class was surprisingly tough. And I was surprisingly sweaty for a barre class.
Is it my favorite barre class I’ve ever taken? Nah, but to be honest I wasn’t crazy about barre until I recently learned to love Bar Method. But Barre Fusion was a great barre-style workout and definitely feels like a workout.
✨
〰️ I also took a jam packed Strength Station with Mark.
I absolutely adored Mark. I’m injured at the moment (potentially a labral tear in my hip, but I have the doctors okay to exercise). Being injured sucks BUT it does force me to chit-chat with instructors before every class I take. I like to give them the heads up that I might have to modify. And I’m not being rude or dissing their sequence when I do my own thing.
As a fitness instructor myself I’m ALL about people modifying as they need. Just don’t make up your entire own class because you feel like it…
Mark checked in on my and my lame hip throughout class to see how I was holding up.
After a quick warm up we broke into groups of three to conquer a circuit-style workout. 3 exercises, 1 minute each, cycle through them 4 times. The trickiest part was unlike most circuit classes I’ve taken once you arrived at your new station it was GO time. I’m used to getting like 10 seconds of rest and then the instructor tells you to start again. Just tricky to remember to GO right away.
The first circuit was lots more strength whereas the second was 3 cardio-ish moves in a row. We ended with an abs series. I rarely have sore abs but this class left my core SO sore.
A fun way to start my Saturday.
BOTTOM LINE:
So, is it all it’s cracked up to be?
Yes and no.
If you love group fitness and miss the days of ClassPass unlimited, this could be a great option for you without (totally) breaking the bank. I have a feeling the classes will only get better and better as time goes on.
BUT in theory you could also just join a gym that has group fitness classes at a similar price. Think Crunch Gyms, NYSC, NYHRC. Crunch right now is $124 for access to all clubs or $102 for access to one club. Dudes, the prices have gone UP since I was a member in college.
If you want the option to also use gym equipment (i.e. treadmills, free weights, the works) that might be a better choice for you. And don’t get me wrong, I love me some group fitness at Crunch. Those classes changed my life and inspired me to become a group fitness instructor.
All in all: FitHouse is a great new option in the ever growing fitness scene in NYC and could be an affordable way to get your group fitness fix. It’s worth checking out.
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