Spin @ Forest Hills

If you like a teacher who gets on his bike and shows you the way, Scott isn't your guy! He's really good for those that wear heart monitors and can moderate their own intensity, but for the rest of us, it can get kind of tricky to know when to slow down or speed up. But overall it's a really great cardio session set to some fun rock tunes and you're legs will love you for it!

Instructor 3/5
Music 4/5
Workout 5/5

Total Body Conditioning @ Forest Hills

I've taken this class a few times now and the best part about Kendra is that she constantly switches it up! Although every class will work your entire body, some classes focus more on the upper body vs. lower body or vice-versa. It's good to shake it up because that's known to work too! Her moves are easy to follow and she's good about waiting for everyone to get situated before moving on to another exercise. She'll push you to the limit and make you work your booty like never before, but the hour will fly by! If this is the only weight training you do all week, it'll be well worth it!

Instructor: 5/5 - she's truly amazing!
Music: 3/5 - didn't even notice it
Workout: 5/5 - you will feel it the next day!

Bosu Bootcamp @ Crunch Union Square

This class teaches you every possible exercise you can do with a Bosu Ball. From arms, to abs to balance routines, Marc will show you how to use the ball to fight gravity and use your whole body as support. The exercises where you close your eyes are surprisingly difficult even for the strongest of athletes. But it's a great way to learn what you should be doing on the Bosu ball on your own time. As a workout, I'm not sure what I got out of the class, but as a crash course in Bosu balls, this class was superb.

Instructor 5/5
Music 4/4
Workout 3/5

Bosu ball is pretty new and still not offered too often, but you can see the Union Square schedule here.

Inner Warrior @ Crunch Lafayette

The description for this class is nothing like what I experienced. I thought it would be an energized yoga class that incorporated martial arts into the experience, but it's more like a fast paced martial arts class that includes several yoga poses. Nadia is very descriptive and easy to follow, but she goes around the room constantly instead of leading the moves, and that can be sort of confusing, since everyone is at a different pace. But the workout is intense and great. You'll be winded in a matter of seconds! There's lots of arm and leg work, but there's also a lot of choreography to remember. Once you get passed some of the confusion, you're in for a fast paced, intense workout!

Instructor 4/5
Music n/a
Workout 5/5

Cardio Kickbox @ NYSC Forest Hills

Yvonne is possibly one of the worst kickboxing instructors I've ever taken. First off, she doesn't lead the class, she just tells you what to do, and secondly, she doesn't used a microphone, so you can't even hear her dictate what the moves are. For some moves, she just assumes that the class knows what they are and she doesn't even show them! It was laughable. The music kept skipping and the audio was awful, but that's not her fault; the gym as a whole needs some help. But this poorly choreographed class starts with a few combinations and then ends with you doing every combination you did in the class all together. It's not very well thought out and for most of the moves, there isn't enough room to punch towards the front of the room or kick to the sides. I had a good time, but mostly it was because I was laughing at how unbelievable her poor instructions were.

Instructor 2/5
Music 1/5
Workout 3/5

Total Body Conditioning @ NYSC Forest Hills

This class is cut and dry training. You use free weights, a body bar and a step to combine a series of strength training exercises for the whole body. What ever happened to fun weight lifting classes? I don't even think Ivonne played music for this class or did absolutely anything out of the ordinary. There weren't any new renditions of any of the classic moves, so the workout was pretty decent. But it was just boring. There was absolutely nothing exciting about this class, but if you like a straight forward lifting class, then it was fine.

Instructor 3/5
Music n/a
Workout 3/5

Ab Attack @ Crunch Union Square

I like Marc's no nonsense approach to abs. Right away we start off on the mat with a basic crunch and he never asks you to get weights or resistance bands or anything like that. You just use your body weight as resistance. His moves are easy to follow, though not always easy to do, and very clear cut. It's a great half hour blast for the abs and you'll certainly feel it the next day!

Instructor: 5/5
Workout: 4/5
Music: 4/5

Spin @ Forest Hills

Melissa is just great! Her music is upbeat, she pushes you to the limit and you leave feeling wobbly and dripping in sweat. She has a decent warm up and stretch and then she takes you right into hills. The 45 minutes will fly by as she pushes you up and down extreme hills. The only issue I have is that she does very quick "jumps". That's when you have to get in and out of the seat a lot. It's hard on your legs and just doesn't seem good for you. But otherwise, you'll love her music and the intense ride she'll put you through!

YogaWorks 1 @ Soho

Whether you've taken several yoga classes or this is your very first, rest assured, that YogaWorks 1 is a great place to start. If you're a novice, you may find it boring or too easy, but for us beginners, it's truly a great introduction into yoga. Sarah is very descriptive and repeats things over and over so that everyone gets it. She also comes around and fixes your posture if it isn't perfect. She's calming and soothing and uses words like supple and tender to describe body parts. It's a very calm and relaxing class and you'll get a great stretch from it. The hour fifteen and minute class will leave you relaxed and standing tall. It's a best place to start if you're looking to get into yoga.

YogaWorks Schedule

30/60/90 @ Equinox Soho

What an intense class! Kristi warns you ahead of time that you're in for some work, but nothing can prepare you for the amount of jumping, lifting and pushing involved in this non-stop class that combines weight training with cardio. It's a great place to go if you want to get a full body work out in 45 minutes, but be prepared to work hard for it! If you're new to class, I suggest standing somewhere near the middle so that you can see Kristi demonstrate the moves. It gets packed and from the back it's hard to see what you're supposed to be doing. Kristi's microphone doesn't always work, but maybe it's better that you don't here her yelling to keep going!? Overall, I loved the intensity and the room full of biff bodies everywhere making me work harder. Just bring water and a towel and don't be afraid to slow down if you need to!

Instructor 4/5
Music 4/5
Workout 5/5


Also, it's good to note that the class had a few guys in it too, so anyone can feel comfortable taking it. It gets packed though, so sign in at the front desk a few minutes before class begins.