With the first semester influx of underclassmen, faculty and gym novices, it can be hard to find the right times to go to Dedman gym. Finding motivation and time within your hectic schedule is hard enough, and meandering through crowded rows of ellipticals, treadmills and bikes while debating to enter powerlifting territory doesn’t help. Moreover, for students who live off-campus, it takes certain mental strength to drive over and battle for a parking spot in Binkley or Mustang Garage just to face the wrath of SMU’s gym.
So, for those who are in need of a new workout with a smaller SMU presence and a lot more room to sweat (and not be as judged), you have come to the right place. After trying multiple fitness studios for a few years, I’ve compiled a list of my most to least favorite workout classes recommended by SMU students and Dallasites graded on the space, atmosphere and workout breakdown.
1. TITLE Boxing Club Uptown, 4140 Lemmon Ave #275
Classes: Boxing, kickboxing, personal training
Duration: 30 min., 60 min., 75 min.
Trainer: Ryne, 6:30 a.m. class for 60 min.
Space: When you enter the studio, there’s a boxing ring on your left and multiple rows of punching bags straight ahead. In the corner, there’s a personal training area for one-on-one sessions complete with weights and a few machines
Atmosphere: Seriously intense. Everyone in the class was there to work. If you like environments that keep you hyper-motivated and focused, you’ll love coming here.
Workout breakdown: The fast-paced, hip-hop remixes started to amp up the class with a warm up consisting of squats, push ups, burpees and running laps. The interval training was enough to make you drenched before rounds of boxing combinations followed after a short break to get your gloves on and ready. Afterward, Ryne had us do a killer ab circuit before leading a cool down stretch.
Overall rating: 9.5/10 (*I only took off 0.5 because of the equipment. Note that the boxing gloves smell, so I advise to bring your own).
2. Beyond Studios Pilates, 4348 Lovers Lane
Classes: Pilates
Duration: 50 min
Trainer: Brandi, 7:00 a.m. class for 50 min.
Space: Right when you walk in you can see the beds of pilates reformer machines. On the side there’s a short bench with cubby space to put your belongings and a standing iPad to sign in for class. At the back of the studio there’s a cute area with the front desk to buy merchandise along with a water cooler and the changing and restrooms. If you go behind a curtain next to the front desk there are two pilates reformers for one-on-one sessions.
Atmosphere: Bubbly and motivating. All instructors are warm and inviting to make sure you have everything you need and know how to properly use equipment. Everyone chats and stretches before and after class, and clients develop close relationships with instructors.
Workout breakdown: Brandi knows how to get clients moving at an early hour. Setting the mood with pop and dance remixes, she had us on the jump board with barre/pilates socks getting our heart rate up (and staying that way) as she led us through a series of leg, arms and abs on the machine. She walked around to check for proper form and help adjust clients struggling with movements. We used every piece of equipment from the steps, jump board, cable cords and balls. Once every “section” was finished, there was a deep, cool-down stretch similar to ones you’d find in yoga or ballet.
Overall rating: 9/10 (The workout is surprisingly really hard and will leave you sore for days; however, it is a pretty static workout and the website recommends you consistently go 4-5 times a week for optimal results. If you fail to do so, I’ve noticed it’s harder to stay at the level you work on but also your body loses its tone and muscle memory quickly).
3. Pure Barre, 5919 Greenville Ave
Classes: Barre
Duration: 55 min
Trainer: Lindsay
Space: When you walk in, there is the front desk on your right, and a small merchandise set up next to a changing stall. A cubby rack lines the walls across from a set of two benches by the entry way for quick changes from flip flops to pure barre socks. French doors open up to the studio space, with mirror at the front and rows of ballet barres along the side with the rest of the carpeted space open. Next to the bathroom, the back wall displays all equipment needed for class with balls, sets of weights, cables, mats and more.
Atmosphere: Inviting yet competitive. There is definitely a disparity between the regular pure barre goers and occasional attendees, but all class members are ready to work. The mood is focused as individuals find a place on the carpet, stretch and are ready to listen to Lindsay the minute her headset is on.
Workout breakdown: Similar to Beyond Studio’s music mix of pop, classic 80s remixes, Lindsay starts the class getting their heart rate up with jumping jacks, push ups and abs. We move through a variety of adjusted, formulaic and specialty work outs using the band, ball and cables for arms before moving on. At the barre, Lindsay speaks motivational words as we power-through Pure Barre moves, which are very similar to ballet plies, arabesques en relevé. After legs, we grab a mat and move back to our spots at the barre, setting it right under before doing a series of ab exercises, followed by a hip-and-glutes tuck series at the center of the room and ending with a stretch.
Overall rating: 8/10 (*Some of the move are hard to grasp at first. While instructors go around the room to correct form, there are a lot of people signed up for each class no matter what time of day, making it hard for novices to be sure they’re doing movement correctly and effectively. Moreover, Pure Barre really emphasizes legs in their workouts which can lead to the overdevelopment of quad and hamstring muscles).
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