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

Kickbox I.T. @ NYSC Soho

First off, this class is supposed to be kickboxing mixed with strength training but aside from the handful of push ups, there's no strength training here. It's just straight up kickboxing, and even that aspect wasn't great. Andrew is fast on his feet and expects you to be the same. Although you'll get good cardio in constantly jumping around, don't expect to be corrected if you're doing something wrong. With all the difficult kicks and tricky combinations, I would think that form is pretty vital so that you don't hurt yourself, but Andrew doesn't seem to care about the semantics. He's constantly changing the combinations just as you're catching on. He's one of those teachers who shows you once in slow motion how to do something and expects you to pick it up right away. For the uncoordinated, such as myself, this was not easy. I wouldn't recommend this class unless you know how to kickbox and have great form cause unfortunately this teacher won't walk you through it.

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

I went to the 12:15 class on Wednesday and it wasn't packed, so you probably don't have to sign up. You can check out the schedule here!

Aerobox @ Aerospace

If you like kickboxing, you're bound to like this quick half hour cardio kickboxing class led by Michael. The jabs are fast, the kicks are high and the jumping is never-ending. Like the two other classes that I took here, you'll definitely need water and you should be prepared to sweat a lot. Unlike the previous classes, this one seems to adhere more to beginners, but that doesn't mean that you won't get a good workout in! It's a great kickboxing routine, that of course has some jump rope intervals as well.

You must sign up for this class. It gets packed!

Hi-Ya @ Gravity in Le Parker Meridien Hotel NYC

The second Dorothy puts the music on, you know you have to be ready to work! You'll be jumping and moving around the whole time, so if you were hoping not to sweat during your lunch break, think again! It's a jam-packed half hour with lots of kicking, jabbing and jumping around. You'll be corrected if your form is wrong and that's always good for this kind of class cause I never know if I'm doing it right! It's a great way to break up your day and get a good sweat it during your lunch break!

Teacher: 4/5
Workout: 3/5
Music: 3/5

You don't have to sign up ahead of time, but you can check out the schedule here!