Coming into Penn last semester, I was overwhelmed with the number of gyms and studios around our school. Orangetheory, Tuck Barre and Yoga, and Pottruck offer many classes close to campus. In my free time, however, I decided to venture into Center City using my ClassPass account and explore the myriad of boutique workout studios in Philadelphia. Here are three of my favorite workout spots that I’ve tried so far:
Barry’s Bootcamp
Barry’s opened in Philadelphia in November of 2019. The Barry’s HIIT workout is one of the most intense and sought after workouts in the world right now. In the infamous Red Room, you can choose to either start on the treadmill or the “floor.” The class is split into four sections and you switch between the treadmill and the floor, training both parts twice. On the floor, the instructor guides you through strength-building exercises such as planks, lunges, and chest presses. While on the treadmill, you build up from a jog to a run and finally to a sprint on an incline. The best part about Barry’s, however, is the smoothie you can order at the Smoothie Bar after class! Everyone must try the “Queen Latifah” and the “Skinny Bitch”!
Rumble
Before Rumble, I had never tried boxing. Thankfully, the workout was simple enough to follow and the instructors there are more than eager to welcome newcomers, making the experience very comfortable. Similar to Barry’s, a Rumble workout consists of four sections with two on the floor and two at the bags. Before class, the instructor reviews the six basic punches that will be used throughout the class. During the rounds at the bag, you can follow the combination of punches projected on a screen at the front of the class. Then, on the floor, you work on strengthening and conditioning your arms and abs with exercises using dumbbells.
Flywheel
Flywheel offers 45, 60, and 90 minute workouts. Unlike other cycling studios, Flywheel utilizes a performance-based metric system that can measure your progress throughout the class using resistance and cadence (RPM). You can keep track of your Power score on the small screens in front of you. Often times, if you choose, your score can be compared to other riders and displayed on the Torqboard at the front of the room. The class is set to a playlist of upbeat and motivating songs. The workout gets increasingly difficult as you are asked to turn the Torq level higher. Towards the end of the workout, a brief weighted arms workout is packed in too!