The NYSC Lab is a fitness destination where you can take BFX, Tone House and Cyc classes. Accordingly, it’s a hot spot, teeming with a sea of fitness enthusiasts. When we arrived at NYSC Lab on 3rd Avenue UES, we landed on a BFX Endure class, which is a balanced test of strength and cardio endurance. The workout was a straightforward circuit (almost simplistic) but it most certainly got the job done. Rachel was friendly and welcoming from the get-go, not to mention a great coach during class. If you’re looking for a well-balanced workout but don’t want to get absolutely crushed, this would be a great class to take.
Our workout consisted of nine stations, each four minutes long. Eight of the nine stations were done in a tabata style (40 seconds of work, 20 seconds of rest, four times through) and the ninth station (rowing) was four minutes straight. The stations were a great mix of strength and cardio-based movements, which made for a well-rounded workout. For our cardio stations, we jumped rope, ran up and down the stairs, did burpees and rowed. Our strength stations consisted of three stations with kettlebells and two stations with a Lynx board, which is a board that creates a surface without friction. We used the Lynx board for hamstring curls and pikes – they were absolute killers even if you did them slowly. We didn’t have to hit a certain number of meters during our four minutes of rowing and there were no parameters on how heavy (or light) our kettlebells needed to be so it was a “choose your own adventure” workout good for varying levels of fitness. However, if you chose to push yourself (even moderately), the workout was challenging and certainly lived up to its name by testing our endurance.
Rachel was friendly and upbeat from the moment we met her. She made a point of asking each of us our names and remembered them after hearing them once. She started class by talking us through the workout and demonstrating some of the less obvious moves before we warmed up. Rachel was on the ball with her timekeeping, had a great playlist (dominated by hip hop) and was encouraging throughout class. There were only three of us in class (we blame Labor Day Weekend) so she was able to roam the room and give us targeted feedback on our form. Rachel gave us a really nice cool down and stretch which she didn’t rush through.
Although the NYSC Lab has NYSC in the name, it in no way resembles a New York Sports Club. The NYSC Lab houses BFX, Tone House and Cyc. When you walk in on street level, there’s a desk to check in. BFX classes are held in an open concept space on this main level (just past check in). Tone House and Cyc each have their own spaces downstairs.
That’s also where you’ll find a communal locker area with keyless lockers, showers/changing rooms and bathrooms, which are shared by BFX, Tone House and Cyc. The shower/changing rooms are quite large. The showers have shampoo, conditioner and body wash and the changing part of the room has a big mirror outfitted with a small counter with tissues, spray deodorant, q-tips, body lotion, a hair dryer and plastic baggies. Basically everything you need after class can be found in these rooms.
The women’s bathroom only has three toilets but it’s big with a large amount of counter space offering another place to get ready if needed. The bathroom also has useful amenities like deodorant, tissues and body lotion in case you need them.
1231 Third Avenue New York, NY 10021 Upper East Side HIIT $$$$
NYSC Lab Third Avenue
Upper East Side HIIT, $$$$
1231 Third Avenue New York, NY 10021
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NYSC LabHIIT
NYSC Lab offers various classes in their shared UES studio location. BFX Cross Row is a low-impact workout that combines work on the erg, the floor and the Lynx board. When you arrive in the studio, there will be a rowing machine and Lynx board set up. Cameron had the three-block circuit workout written on the mirror, with each block consisting of work on the erg and the floor.
We started out with a quick warm up of jumping jacks, squats and hip openers, and then moved on to the circuit. In the first block, we worked on getting comfortable on the erg, playing with speed and getting a gauge on overall numbers to get a base for the rest of the class. The floor work in block number one had a heavy core focus and we did various planks on the Lynx board. The second block was set up in 1:00 minute sections, with 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. We alternated between variable speed rowing on the erg and lower body work (lunges, squats and bridges) on the Lynx board.
The final block was an EMOM (every minute on the minute) finisher. We alternated between 150 meter rows on the erg and a combination of five burpees and five broad jumps. After the first round of both erg and floor work, Cameron noticed we had finished both sets with 20 seconds rest, so he urged us to move the reps of the floor work up to 7! Once we finished the EMOM block, we went through a dynamic stretch to conclude the class. The 50-minute class went by fairly quickly and focused on different regions of the body with each block. The cardio from the erg work packed a punch that we continued to feel throughout the day.
Cameron was a great instructor. There were only two of us in class the morning, but this meant a lot of personal attention. Cameron walked us through each exercise and did a few of the reps to start off each block to ensure we understood the correct form. He was encouraging but not overbearing, which showed his experience – it would have been easy to feel smothered since there was only one other participant in the class. Cameron made each part of the class clear and made some changes based on how we progressed through the class … such as adding more reps when he realized we were cruising through.
At the end of the class, Cameron told us about the other class offerings at the NYSC Lab. He walked us through a thorough stretch and didn’t rush through at all. Overall, Cameron was encouraging and made the 50 minutes fly by.
