Fitness trends come and go, but certain cult classes manage to wield staying power through motivation, mantra, and pure sweat. How do they do that?
From a Spartan Race—derived workout and heated HIIT training to guided and inspired treadmill sprinting sessions like you’ve never done before, these supercreative exercise classes will help sculpt your whole body in unexpected and amazing ways.
Our Top 7 Studio Classes to Try Right Now
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Rick Bern
Spartan Strong
How can the extreme Spartan Race, known for its punishing commando-like obstacle courses through mud, fire, and barbed wire, maintain the same intensity indoors? “From the Spartan perspective, stamina implies more than physical endurance,” says Aimee Nicotera, an instructor for Spartan Strong, a new group fitness class exclusively at Life Time athletic clubs. “It emphasizes the ability to finish what you start and stay focused until the very end.”The class uses only a 10-, 15-, or 20-pound sandbell, yet the hour-long session challenges every inch of your body and mind with resistance moves and cardio-focused drills (translation: crawl, carry, climb, hang, jump, lift, lunge, pull, push, twist, sprint, and squat). Every circuit is designed to break you down in order for classmates to build you back up. “Participants experience the ‘joy of togetherness’ in a way that no other group fitness format currently offers,” says Nicotera, adding it isn’t unusual for strangers to volunteer to switch places when they see a partner can’t finish a drill. (spartan.com)
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Courtesy of Soulannex
Soulannex
Indoor cyclists swear by SoulCycle for an envy-worthy lower body, but if that is all you’re doing, then you’re missing out on a 360-degree chisel. Enter SoulAnnex. The beat-pumping concept studio, unveiled by SoulCycle, is a full-body complement for members who want to jam with two feet on the floor. “We wanted to experiment with melding creativity with the most effective fitness methods off the bike,” says SoulCycle’s Gabby Etrog Cohen.Classes focus on three key areas: HIIT, yoga, and meditation. Reserve a slot for Housework, a cardio and strength-training Pilates; or Cardio Kombat, a mixed-martial-art-style capoeira technique set to a percussive beat. Classes are 50 minutes. ($34 per class; soul-annex.com)
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Courtesy of Rise Nation
Rise Nation
Work smarter not harder at this avant-garde studio (there’s an art installation hanging from the ceiling) that transforms the full-body benefits of rock climbing into a beast-mode sweat session devoted to the VersaClimber, a power cross between a stair climber and ladder. The 30-minute zero-impact interval workout is way more challenging than it looks because you are continuously exploding against gravity at a 75-degree vertical, using every muscle fiber to power up. Pro tip: Push from the legs.Founded by celeb trainer Jason Walsh in West Hollywood but now with studios in Cleveland, Miami, Dallas, and Australia, Rise Nation is responsible for the body transformations of Emma Stone, Bradley Cooper, and Matt Damon. The workout torches up to 24 calories a minute and raises your fitness to new heights. ($120 for 5 classes; rise-nation.com)
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Courtesy of UFC Gym
UFC Gym
There’s an art to the mixed-martial-art technique that UFC fighters demo on fight night, with body language that signs “You want some of this?” Get that confidence by heading to one of 130 UFC Gyms across the country, where you can train like the pros or just get your lift on. (Each gym features weights, machines, treadmills, bikes, an octagon, heavy bags, and multiuse turf.)The Daily Ultimate Training (D.U.T.) class taps all your strength, power, speed, and agility using battle ropes, jump ropes, plyo boxes, kettlebells, and medicine balls. “No two classes look or feel the same,” says Christine DiBugnara, the national director of group fitness and programming for UFC Gyms. First-time members should double-check they’re in the right class because professional fighters train there, too. “We will push you to the limit,” DiBugnara says. Plus, you’ll certainly feel the afterburn: Some classes can burn 500 calories an hour. All you have to do is visualize the victory lap. (ufcgym.com)
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Courtesy of Peloton
Peloton Tread
Crank up the intensity on a state-of-the art smart treadmill in your living room. Like Peloton’s beloved at-home exercise bike, Peloton Tread mounts an HD touch- screen to broadcast your single-best running class ever taught by trainers live from New York City.You can do more than just DDP YOGA run. Classes also include circuit training, hiking, and walking. Depending on your schedule, you can do a 10-minute arms class or a 60-minute boot camp that incorporates weights (sold separately) off-treadmill. Crave competition? The 32-inch flat screen flashes your stats—speed, resistance, calories burned—against those of virtual classmates, who also get shout-outs. (Peloton Tread, $3,995; $39-per-month class subscriptions; onepeloton.com)
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Courtesy of DDP Yoga
DDP Yoga
“I didn’t develop DDP Yoga for yogis. DDP Yoga is its own animal; if yoga were a bicycle, DDP Yoga would be a Harley,” says professional wrestling champion and unexpected yoga guru Diamond Dallas Page. His four-DVD program includes 11 signature workouts that rebrand classic moves and integrate a variety of resistance training. Download the DDP Yoga app, too, to track progress, get recipe ideas, and stay inspired. ($80; ddpyoga.com)
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Courtesy of Bode NYC
Bode NYC Hot HIIT
Pull out your hot yoga gear but get ready for a 60-minute circuit of power moves that score major results. HIIT Hot is the latest hot workout class trend after hot barre, hot boxing, and even hot boot camps. While these workouts boost metabolism, they won’t dramatically increase calories burned beyond the eight to 10 calories per minute in a regular HIIT class.You can still kill it knowing you pushed your body to work out harder doing body-weight moves like ankle taps and mountain climbers in a 100-degree room. Leave dripping with sweat—and with a stronger core, improved circulation, and increased bend. ($30 per class or $160 unlimited monthly membership; bodenyc.com)
How can the extreme Spartan Race, known for its punishing commando-like obstacle courses through mud, fire, and barbed wire, maintain the same intensity indoors? “From the Spartan perspective, stamina implies more than physical endurance,” says Aimee Nicotera, an instructor for Spartan Strong, a new group fitness class exclusively at Life Time athletic clubs. “It emphasizes the ability to finish what you start and stay focused until the very end.”
The class uses only a 10-, 15-, or 20-pound sandbell, yet the hour-long session challenges every inch of your body and mind with resistance moves and cardio-focused drills (translation: crawl, carry, climb, hang, jump, lift, lunge, pull, push, twist, sprint, and squat). Every circuit is designed to break you down in order for classmates to build you back up.
“Participants experience the ‘joy of togetherness’ in a way that no other group fitness format currently offers,” says Nicotera, adding it isn’t unusual for strangers to volunteer to switch places when they see a partner can’t finish a drill. (spartan.com)
Soulannex
Indoor cyclists swear by SoulCycle for an envy-worthy lower body, but if that is all you’re doing, then you’re missing out on a 360-degree chisel. Enter SoulAnnex. The beat-pumping concept studio, unveiled by SoulCycle, is a full-body complement for members who want to jam with two feet on the floor. “We wanted to experiment with melding creativity with the most effective fitness methods off the bike,” says SoulCycle’s Gabby Etrog Cohen.
Classes focus on three key areas: HIIT, yoga, and meditation. Reserve a slot for Housework, a cardio and strength-training Pilates; or Cardio Kombat, a mixed-martial-art-style capoeira technique set to a percussive beat. Classes are 50 minutes. ($34 per class; soul-annex.com)
Rise Nation
Work smarter not harder at this avant-garde studio (there’s an art installation hanging from the ceiling) that transforms the full-body benefits of rock climbing into a beast-mode sweat session devoted to the VersaClimber, a power cross between a stair climber and ladder. The 30-minute zero-impact interval workout is way more challenging than it looks because you are continuously exploding against gravity at a 75-degree vertical, using every muscle fiber to power up. Pro tip: Push from the legs.
Founded by celeb trainer Jason Walsh in West Hollywood but now with studios in Cleveland, Miami, Dallas, and Australia, Rise Nation is responsible for the body transformations of Emma Stone, Bradley Cooper, and Matt Damon. The workout torches up to 24 calories a minute and raises your fitness to new heights. ($120 for 5 classes; rise-nation.com)
UFC Gym
There’s an art to the mixed-martial-art technique that UFC fighters demo on fight night, with body language that signs “You want some of this?” Get that confidence by heading to one of 130 UFC Gyms across the country, where you can train like the pros or just get your lift on. (Each gym features weights, machines, treadmills, bikes, an octagon, heavy bags, and multiuse turf.)
The Daily Ultimate Training (D.U.T.) class taps all your strength, power, speed, and agility using battle ropes, jump ropes, plyo boxes, kettlebells, and medicine balls. “No two classes look or feel the same,” says Christine DiBugnara, the national director of group fitness and programming for UFC Gyms. First-time members should double-check they’re in the right class because professional fighters train there, too. “We will push you to the limit,” DiBugnara says. Plus, you’ll certainly feel the afterburn: Some classes can burn 500 calories an hour. All you have to do is visualize the victory lap. (ufcgym.com)
Peloton Tread
Crank up the intensity on a state-of-the art smart treadmill in your living room. Like Peloton’s beloved at-home exercise bike, Peloton Tread mounts an HD touch- screen to broadcast your single-best running class ever taught by trainers live from New York City.
You can do more than just DDP YOGA run. Classes also include circuit training, hiking, and walking. Depending on your schedule, you can do a 10-minute arms class or a 60-minute boot camp that incorporates weights (sold separately) off-treadmill. Crave competition? The 32-inch flat screen flashes your stats—speed, resistance, calories burned—against those of virtual classmates, who also get shout-outs. (Peloton Tread, $3,995; $39-per-month class subscriptions; onepeloton.com)
DDP Yoga
“I didn’t develop DDP Yoga for yogis. DDP Yoga is its own animal; if yoga were a bicycle, DDP Yoga would be a Harley,” says professional wrestling champion and unexpected yoga guru Diamond Dallas Page. His four-DVD program includes 11 signature workouts that rebrand classic moves and integrate a variety of resistance training. Download the DDP Yoga app, too, to track progress, get recipe ideas, and stay inspired. ($80; ddpyoga.com)
Bode NYC Hot HIIT
Pull out your hot yoga gear but get ready for a 60-minute circuit of power moves that score major results. HIIT Hot is the latest hot workout class trend after hot barre, hot boxing, and even hot boot camps. While these workouts boost metabolism, they won’t dramatically increase calories burned beyond the eight to 10 calories per minute in a regular HIIT class.
You can still kill it knowing you pushed your body to work out harder doing body-weight moves like ankle taps and mountain climbers in a 100-degree room. Leave dripping with sweat—and with a stronger core, improved circulation, and increased bend. ($30 per class or $160 unlimited monthly membership; bodenyc.com)
