Ok, I need to get the word out about this. Because it changed my entire lifestyle this summer. After being introduced to this program (shoutout to Barnard trendsetters Aly Yee & Emily Hollender), I exercised consistently, changed up my routine each work out session, pushed myself, and had fun while doing it. And it cost me $90.00 for the month to do it.
When you have the free services of Dodge and the Barnard gym available to you, why would you pay $90.00 to work out? Well, first of all can we really call Dodge free?—we pay tuition. Anyway, personally, I don’t want to work out with every one I know. I want to embarrass myself doing sit-ups in the company of strangers. Also, everyone knows about the machine battles that take place in dodge. If you want a tailored fitness schedule, Class Pass is perfect.
Class Pass is a “trial” program where you can take classes at the premiere fitness studios all around New York City and attend each studio three times per month. You pay a $90.00 subscription per month, which means you continue the program until you decide to cancel. You can attend 10 classes each month (although we hear there is some exclusive unlimited pass…more research probably required). Some of the studios include Flywheel, Pure Barre, Exhale, AquaStudio, Barry’s Bootcamp, and even a fitness pole dancing class, just to name a few. There are hundreds of studios that fit any of your fitness preferences—yoga, dance, spin, trampoline…?, barre, pilates etc. You get the point. There are a lot of good options. To take classes at these studios, you usually have to pay at least $30.00 per class! With Class Pass, you’re essentially paying $10.00 per class and you get major variety. You also get exposure to all the great studios available to us in NYC—maybe you’ll fall in love with a yoga/zumba/kickboxing class and become a loyal member. Who knows? Definitely worth a try! (Skip the $35.00 Soul Cycle class, this is better).
Some fitness studio highlights so that you know where to start:
1. Flywheel
Flywheel is Soul Cycle’s twin sister with better abs. It’s another fun spin class, complete with high-energy instructors and curated pop playlists. Their resistance system, however, differs from Soul in that it has numerical goals for you to push yourself toward, giving you a much better workout. They also have free apples and bananas in the lobby for an energy boost before or after class.
2. Barry’s Bootcamp
Personally didn’t attend this one because I was terrified. But, my friends reported back and said it was the definition of intense. For those of you who are looking for a challenge, this is probably a good place to start.
3. Exhale
I went to a barre class here and it was perfect for me. So, if you’re looking for a good workout, but aren’t ready for the crazy intense stuff, this is a good option. The instructors were very knowledgeable and consistently led a well-paced class. Barre can get pretty boring because of its repetitiveness, but I found Exhale to be good about changing up the regimen.
4. Aqua Cycle
Basically, this is spinning under water. I guess Audrina Patridge does it (as seen on Taxi TV) The water is supposed to be your resistance. Not such a great workout, but it was hilarious. Also, it’s usually $42.00 per class, which is absurd, so my friends and I thought we might as well check it out for 10 bucks. At least we got a good picture:
There are still a few kinks that need to be worked out, so here are a few tips:
1. This is a subscription-based program. So, they will automatically take $90.00 from you each month unless you send them an email 15 days in advance cancelling your membership. SO DON’T FORGET!
2. You have to “request” to join, which basically means you have to push a button and one day later, they send you an acceptance email and then you’re ready to go. This isn’t that big of a deal, but it just seems elitist and silly to me.
3. You do technically have an obligation to go to the classes you sign up for. You can cancel 24 hours before the class, but if you don’t or you simply don’t show up, you’re charged $20.00. Although I did skip a class once and they didn’t charge me…perhaps a fluke…perhaps I didn’t check my bank statement closely enough?
^This will be all of you^