There is one question we get asked more than any other: Where can I get the best workout? If you know anything about us, you know we’ve been around the block and sweated a whole lot. We know you want recommendations for studio that’s that you know will deliver a kick ass workout and have stood the test of time. Enter our guide to the essential tried and true studios in Boston. Here’s our Greatest List of studios that will deliver and then some.
This guide will be updated quarterly focusing on studios that have been open for more than six months.
Added on 5/1/17: CorePower Yoga Ink Block, Title Boxing Newbury
Last Updated: 5/1/17
CorePower Yoga has made its South End debut and it’s everything we’ve been waiting for. In typical CorePower fashion, the studio is beautiful and the classes are tough. Yoga Sculpt is hot yoga meets bootcamp, and it’s exactly as intense as it sounds. Direct quote from a fellow yogi leaving Yoga Sculpt class: “This is the sweatiest I have ever been!” Right there with you, sista.
Just one year ago, the Title Boxing franchise entered the super competitive (and some might say oversaturated) Boston fitness scene. While we waited to see if they would sink or swim, the franchise did their research and maybe downed some Wheaties, recently expanding to a second location on Newbury Street. With Boxing and Kickboxing being the only two classes from which to choose, don’t let that deter you. These full-body workouts will knock you on your ass but still have you signing up for another round. Try it out, we promise you won’t be disappointed.
Everyone has heard of SoulCycle by now and if you haven’t you’re living under a rock. The workouts are what you make of them. You can coast through or you can take another turn on that dial and get uncomfortable. You control your own destiny which is empowering and at the same time if you don’t know how far you are capable of pushing you may walk away wishing you had pushed a little harder.
Barry’s is legit. If you are looking to tune out, find your emotional center and go through the motions this isn’t your jam. If you are looking to get your butt kicked, sweat hard, feel the burn and flat out get fitter, this is your jam. In a nutshell, this is where the athletes come to play; men and women.
Heading to an exercise class at Exhale we thought was going to be like having a spa treatment. We were sorely wrong. Exhale is a high end spa that offers a variety of yoga, barre and high intensity interval classes. Coined as an “urban oasis” for residents and tourists; they offer two locations in Boston. The Battery Wharf is superior in our book, newer and amenities which always make working out a little more fun.
EverybodyFights (EBF) looks like someone took the roof off of a sceney Southie watering hole (you know the one) and dumped its contents into a boxing gym. The interior is trendy and the people are sexy. But more importantly the class schedule offers something for everyone (well, maybe not everyone). Don’t come looking for small intimate classes, the large space welcomes big classes.
Whether you’re looking for a spin class that is going to make your legs burn or a barre class that guarantees hitting the shake zone FlyWheel Sports has something good for you. Spin classes include sprinting and climbing along with metrics that give classes a competitive vibe. FlyBarre is NOT your average barre class. Tie that ponytail tight because classes include cardio- jumping jacks and squat jumps in addition to sit-ups, pulses on our push-ups and slow movements with 3 and 5 pound weights.
BSC Studio (formerly known as BFX Studio) is the brainchild of Town Sports International (the people who own Boston Sports Clubs). BSC Studio is the globo gym chain answer to creating a “boutique” fitness experience. We use the term “boutique” lightly because while BFX may have that high-end feel, it definitely is not highly specialized. They offer a wide variety of fitness classes ranging from barre to high-intensity boxing. Whichever realm of the fitness world you fall into, there is a class that caters to your needs.
Ever wake up the morning after a workout thinking “That hurts so good”? btone pretty much guarantees that feeling. An unexpectedly challenging workout, even for someone who attends reformer classes regularly…we left btone thinking that machine just absolutely owned us and we want more.
It’s the teachers at YogaWorks Back Bay that make this place shine. What this studio lacks in amenities and cleanliness, it makes up for it with the instruction. They are well-schooled, well-practiced, challenging, welcoming, and extremely knowledgable. Don’t worry, you don’t have to schedule your practice around one teacher; all the teachers are phenomenal and make up the majority of their schedule.
Reebok CrossFit Back Bay Columbus Ave is far from your typical CrossFit box. You’ll realize this when you descend the staircase into the basement and take one look around. Call us bias but we’ve never walked out of a CrossFit workout and asked for our money back. Reebok CrossFit Back Bay was no different.
By now everyone in this city has heard of the big dogs: SoulCycle and FlyWheel. But you might not have heard of B/SPOKE, and we recommend getting to know them. The space is beautiful (read: small but beautiful). Goodbye stark white walls with mantras and hello wood paneling and sophisticated design. The attention to detail in the space makes you feel right at home from the moment you step in the door. But don’t get too comfortable: as soon as the lights go down and the music starts pumping, you’re going to start to sweat…a lot (or maybe that was just us).
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