Rise By We

It’s official, WeWork has entered into fitness space with the new Rise by We studio downtown in the Financial District. They have created a beautiful and welcoming space (we’d expect nothing less) with three studios that run the gamut of class offerings. From FLIGHT (HIIT, Running, Strength Training), FIGHT (Boxing) or INSIGHT (Yoga, Meditation, Pilates) there is a little something for everyone all under one roof. 

RUNDOWN

WORKOUT

This class was evidently modeled after Barry’s Bootcamp – dark room, pounding music, treadmill intervals, and impossible seeming weights sections. We felt like we spent most of the 17+ minutes on the treadmill trying to catch up to Kaili’s instruction, which seemed to change every minute or so and varied from sprinting to climbing on a very steep incline in a way that made 2 minutes feel like 10 instead of the other way around. After we transitioned to the floor, Kaili shared a few difficult resistance band exercises which everyone in our class struggled with. The third station in the class was rowing on WaterRowers, a sleek and cool machine that is nonetheless much harder to operate than a traditional ergonomic rowing machine – in this section, we had to row 250 meters or 1 minute, whichever took less time, but in my group only half the people were able to set their machine correctly to track that distance. Our last set of exercise was back on the floor rather than on a cardio machine and was quite fun – it involved oblique crunches plus rope work, where we slammed heavy ropes against the floor as if we were drumming.  All in all, we worked hard, but felt a little lost all throughout this class and think it could be more tightly programmed.

INSTRUCTOR

Kaili was very nice and was clearly doing her best with a workout that could have or maybe should have lasted 75 minutes instead of 50. As it was, we felt like she didn’t have any time to explain items or correct form, and thus she spent most of the class counting out intervals when we all could have used her help or guidance on what we were doing wrong! We’ll look forward to Rise tightening up its classes and think Kaili will be a great instructor when she has better material to work with.

SPACE

WeWork’s first gym location is in the basement of an otherwise nondescript FiDi office building. The lighting is warm, and you’re greeted with greenery and stadium seating in the lobby. We emailed the manager twice about a lost and found item and got quick and friendly answers both times – which echoed the strongly welcoming vibes we got from all the staff there. There are snacks and coffee for purchase in the lobby area with signs advertising the cafeteria for the actual WeWork location in the same spot. The locker rooms are amazing and very millennial themed, with soft pink walls and rose gold fixtures in the showers. Rise also has a spa with an incredible looking pool that we couldn’t stop in for on a Monday morning! It connected directly to the locker room and looked like a great place to relax after a workout. The actual workout space was a dark studio with treadmills against a mirrored wall, weights along the side, and rowing machines along the other side. All materials – since the studio is new- were brand new and in pristine condition.