I meant to post about some of my favorite Chicago workout spots awhile ago, so why not now!
My last week in Chicago I had finished my final day at work the Friday before and had the week to pack the house before the movers + Kip arrived on Saturday.
I have been using ClassPass for the past year or so and really love it. I don’t belong to any gyms and do most of my workouts at home, so it was a good way to start trying out group classes without joining a gym – which I don’t think I’ll ever do again. I never went.
I started with Pure Barre and slowly started trying out other classes (mostly thanks to my friend Emily who always tried new classes and was always willing to go to others with me!)
I started with Pure Barre and slowly started trying out other classes (mostly thanks to my friend Emily who always tried new classes and was always willing to go to others with me!)
My last week I signed up for a workout class every single morning at 7 AM so that I was forced to still get up as if I was going to work like every other day. Then, I had my workout done and was able to tackle the whole day of packing boxes and getting things finished up and it made it so much less stressful.
My biggest regret is not trying two of the studios below out prior to my last week living in Chicago because I LOVED them so much, so I wanted to still talk about them so that all of you Chicagoans can still go and hopefully love it too!
Pure Barre is pretty much everywhere now so this one doesn’t apply to Chicagoans only which is great! I know most of you probably get the gist of what its about, but I really love Pure Barre so if you haven’t tried it you must! Your first class is only $15 (and they are on ClassPass of course) and its such a quick hour that really, really works your muscles and tones you up. Cant say enough good things about it!
I haven’t been able to take one of their platform classes yet so I’m looking forward to trying one of those soon!
I regret not trying this out until right before I moved SO much because there is nothing like it that I have seen or heard of in Atlanta and they only have studios in Chicago and I think Indy coming soon ( sorry, non-Chicagoans).
The premise is four 15 minute workouts – you either start on treadmill or on floor and then rotate – so 2 times on treadmill and 2 times on floor using weights or a ball or your body weight.
My friend I always workout with kept wanting me to go but I was terrified of the treadmill portion because I can’t run, or even really jog, for the life of me. Especially at an incline.
Luckily my other friend convinced me to go and I seriously loved it.
The room was dark (you have no idea how key that is to me – I do not glow, I drip sweat) and the instructor was so nice helping me figure it all out before we started and somehow despite a million things going on around you and her talking to the people on the floor while you are on the treadmill it just works. Plus, my friend was a pro at it so I was able to follow her lead which helped a ton.
If you haven’t tried this class, DO IT. It was such a great workout – I know so many women who are dedicated to really only that and their bodies are simply insane.
The instructor had a bod for days and that alone will be motivating enough to keep you coming back – promise!
This is a small studio in Lakeview that has one building with classes like pilates and barre and TRX or who knows what (but I never saw that building) and then another building on Greenview that has a small spin studio. It’s location was right on my way home from work and super convenient.
I decided to try them out because on Wednesday nights after work they had 30 minute Theme Ride spin classes. I think the first one I saw was 80’s themed and I was like…. okay…. I can do 30 minutes and I’ve been wanting to try spinning and just do it.
The instructor was super sweet, its a small dark room, and the class never had more than 10 people in it (I think it only fits like 20 anyway?). The studio is just small and not at all intimidating that it was the perfect way to get more comfortable with spin.
30 minutes and you’re out the door!
But then…. they started using those performance screens.
I hate those damn performance screens.
At Flywheel you can “opt out” or use a different username or whatever so it’s fine… with this, the only way you can know what resistance you are at or anything for class is to turn your bike on which immediately puts you up on the screen.
WOOF. NO THANKS.
And then the girl I liked for the 30 minute class kept having a sub who was the opposite of her smiley personality and the opposite of my style of working out.
She was like SCREAMING at you and all militant like and then would be like “BIKE 12 YOU NEED TO BE OVER 475 MPH OR ELSE YOU ARENT WORKING HARD ENOUGH”. I mean maybe not 475 mph…… but basically. It would be like “We all have to be above 15 on the resistance or you aren’t working hard enough!” and then she’s like staring at you when you aren’t above that number.
Or “We all have 30 seconds to bike 97 miles (seriously…. I promise that was the time frame…. maybe it just felt like it?) and it would be me and like one other person just me that wasn’t making the distance in time and it was like PUBLIC SHAME ON YOU BIKE #12.
I’m like, listen lady friend. I believe I am paying YOU and I am the one choosing to workout so just back off! I don’t know what all these other people in here do because damn they can move those legs fast, but I for one am NOT doping or taking any performance enhancement drugs and my dream is not to be Lance Armstrong. I just want to sweat out my booze and food and feel like I accomplished something while I plan what I’m going to eat for dinner while I watch Real Housewives so LAY OFF.
I skipped a Wednesday when it was that same instructor again, and when it was the SAME one again and not my sweet smiley girl I decided to BUCK UP and GO!
and when I got there……
I just didn’t turn my bike on at all 🙂 So I had no idea what resistance was or where I was supposed to be at and I just biked whatever I felt.
I may or may not have had some serious glares because there were like 6 people in the class and only 5 on the screen and I was like YEAH THAT’S RIGHT I’m biking like a granny an theres nothing you can do about it.
….. and end rant.
But really…. I like the studio a lot 🙂 Can’t you tell?
Cheap, has parking *WOO HOO*, and lots of short 30 minute classes.
And most people like the screens and competitive teachers and theyelling motivation.
Cheap, has parking *WOO HOO*, and lots of short 30 minute classes.
And most people like the screens and competitive teachers and the
This is a spinning studio in Lincoln Park/Old Town – its right off of Clybourne behind Pottery Barn Kids and has *PARKING* which never exists anywhere in Chicago and was a huge motivation for me to leave my house at 6:40 AM knowing I could just drive over, park, and walk right in.
I loved this so much that I went every day I could my last week there. It was so great.
The teacher was so nice, the room was dark, and the music was great. She used the screen where you are compared to others in the class but because it was such a different atmosphere and she changed it up so that it was only showing your place a couple of times (like, I only had to see that I was in last place or second to last place a few times) I didn’t even mind.
BUT – seriously – the real reason you need to go here……
other than that the room looks like the Kimmy Schmidt spin studio ……
other than that the room looks like the Kimmy Schmidt spin studio ……
at the end of class, when you are getting ready to do your stretches and cool down, and man walks in with a silver tray of ICE COLD towels.
ICE. COLD.
after EVERY. CLASS.
it was HEAVEN ON EARTH.
I’m not kidding….. for that alone I would have showed up to this place and become a regular. It was life changing and any workout that gets you sweating like a spin class should do this.
The fact that $35 Soul Cycle doesn’t do something like that – they should be ashamed of themselves.
When I go to visit Chicago I will be using my ClassPass to go because I will do anything for that towel at the end of a workout.
I’ve been doing all of my workouts at home for the past month since we moved, but I’ve promised myself that starting next week I will start trying out new studios.
They have Flywheel here but currently none are in an ideal location – but thats okay I can still give it a try.
Of course they have Pure Barre too so I need to get back into that because I really do miss it.
Of course they have Pure Barre too so I need to get back into that because I really do miss it.
What are your favorite workout classes and studios?
Atlanta girls, any places you recommend trying?!
Blast in Atlanta is like shred 415! And it's on class pass 🙂
thank you so much I will definitely give it a try!
I ditto Blast, Orange Theory Fitness is similar to Blast but I haven't found a studio with instructors I love. I agree, the spinning studios here are not in ideal locations. I go to CYC at Lenox and they have fun theme rides and their instructors are nice and not "glare-y" <- technical term.
I totally know the glare-y term 🙂 thanks for the tip about Blast! I've heard such great things about Orange Theory but have been too timid to try it!
was coming here to say 415 sounds a little bit like OTF as well! wish they had one in KCMO!
My friend Megan teaches at Blast and I’ve heard great things about the studio! My favorites that I rotate between are – Barre3, Pure Barre, Stellar Bodies and Flywheel! ps: welcome to ATL!
Thanks Ashley!! I need to try these out – especially Barre3 and Blast – and definitely Flywheel I liked it a lot in Chicago but haven't been in so long!
Go to West Coast Workout in ATL and take the WOW class- just like the shred that you mentioned (and way better than blast!)…all of their classes are top notch.
Thanks so much Cameron!!!
thank you for your interesting infomation. http://www.newtestosterone.com
Blast is great…but also terrifying (at least to the wildly uncoordinated people out there, like myself.)
Also, as a PSA: This top is coming to live in my closet…and likely on my body for three days straight. http://www.sezane.com/us/product/full-summer/feston-top
Hey there! Welcome back to Atlanta! I live in VAHi and alternate between Pure Barre VH and Flywheel Buckhead (I recommend Katy, Fred, and Joyce). The drive to Buckhead is frustrating, but I love their classes so much that I just keep going. I think the key is their music and not yelling at me. 🙂 I really am doing the best I can – ha!!
I'm jealous you are in Atlanta; we moved over a year ago and I miss it so much! I'm not sure how close this studio would be to you, but FORME Studios in Peachtree Hills is a great studio. There are barre fusion classes (more upbeat than traditional barre classes), cardio barre, pilates, and bootybarre classes. If you like reformer classes, Stellar Bodies is also great. Both studios were on class pass the last time I checked.