Karen Silver, 42
Artist manager/mom
Motivation
I love to mix up my workouts, but buying package after package at each place gets expensive. When Equinox opened I was hopeful that I could join and stop paying so much for individual boutique classes, but I was disappointed with the quality of the classes. After years of being spoiled by going to the specialized boutiques, I found the gym classes just didn’t measure up.
Pulse Fitness Studio, Sherman Oaks
Hard-core workout; clean, cool vibe. Wide range of clientele—from the highschoolers to 50-somethings. The 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. classes are mostly moms with a few guys and Hollywood starlets sprinkled in. By far the toughest workout in town (and my favorite of all the ones I’ve tried). Mark, the owner, will kick your butt with a smile—and you will love him for it. I also love the spinning classes with Derrick, which are better than SoulCycle and Beatbike.
CorePower Yoga, Encino
Zen, clean, colorful place. You’ll take classes with 20-, 30-, 40-something yogis, along with a few professional athletes and celebs in the mix. I liked the classes and enthusiastic teachers but in general am not a fan of hot yoga. I like a great sweat, but I’m not sure if the sweat here is from the heat or working hard.
Barry’s Bootcamp, Sherman Oaks
Intense workout; cool, nightclub vibe. An intense, high-octane workout, but I felt a little lost in the transitions from treadmill to floor, not being familiar with the routine. A dark and crowded space, which makes it a bit hard to access and maneuver weights and benches. But the motivating instructor and the cult-like boot-campers and their uber-fit physiques make me want to try it again.
Pilates Plus, Encino
Clean, sparse, minimalist, no-frills vibe. Core strengthening and overall toning. I was a little lost at first (it’s been a long time since I’ve been on a reformer), and I didn’t find the class to be particularly new-student friendly. Very little interaction with or corrections offered by the instructor. But I returned and had a much better experience. The trainer was helpful and generous with her time and I enjoyed the workout.
Dragonfly Cycling, Sherman Oaks
Brand new spinning studio with elegant, clean, fresh vibe. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic instructors, smaller class. Really enjoyed it, and it will be terrific once the word gets out. Needs more of a crowded class to get the room more electric. I will definitely go back. Great location, easy parking, very convenient.
Blazing Saddles, Sherman Oaks
Fun, clean, reliable, friendly, community vibe at this spinning studio. Time-efficient, quality, intense workout at just 45 minutes. Dedicated, enthusiastic instructors. Book bikes in advance, as classes consistently fill up. Only complaint: Not enough availability of middle of the day classes for ClassPass members.
A Plus
I can open the ClassPass app and see what classes are available and choose, with a simple click, based on my mood and schedule.
Bottom Line
I tend to be a creature of habit, and ClassPass opens me up to new experiences. It also gives me diversity and balance, which hopefully will decrease risk of injuries by keeping all my muscles strong. If you are someone who loves boutique classes, ClassPass is a no-brainer. If you go to eight or nine classes in a month, you are ahead of the game.
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Jacqueline Lubrano, 23
Public relations executive
Motivation
I am fairly new to the area, so I figured ClassPass would be a great way for me to try out different studios. I wanted to switch up my workouts from yoga to spinning to bootcamps. They also offer a wide variety of classes in the early morning, so I can work out before I am at a desk all day.
CorePower Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Terrific place. Of all the workouts I tried with ClassPass, it has the most options for class times, most variety of class types and is a really good combination of cardio, strength and stretching. If I had to join one spot or buy classes outside of the pass, it would be here.
Dragonfly Cycling, Sherman Oaks
Brand new studio that has really nice bikes and friendly staff. You’ll see all types of fitness levels here. The intensity of the class is what you make of it. You can keep the resistance down the whole 50 minutes or turn it up and really challenge yourself. Love this spot!
Pure Barre, Sherman Oaks
Tiny studio; seems like a lot of regulars here—all women. A good workout to supplement cardio, but I wouldn’t use this as my main workout. Lots of abs and legs but not much cardio. Good workout if you’re looking for toning without breaking a sweat.
Barry’s Bootcamp, Sherman Oaks
One of the best workouts I’ve done.
You spend half the time on a treadmill at whatever speed/incline the instructor tells you and the other half of the time on the floor with weights, resistance bands, etc. Some classes are split into eight-minute intervals at each station three times; others are a littler longer intervals, but always going back and forth to the floor. Lots of regular,
super-fit clients.
Sandbox Fitness, Sherman Oaks
Really cool studio with surfboards in essentially a large, raised sandbox. It seemed like a lot of people were there on ClassPass trying it out. The class is set up with a number of different stations that include the surfboards, TRX and other weight-resistance training. Time passes quickly with all the station rotations. Movements in the sand are challenging, and you definitely will leave in a sweat. Fun class!
SpeedX, Brentwood
A CrossFit-type class. You start out with a number of stretches followed by a short run to the end of the block. Then the instructor quickly runs through the workout of the day. Typically it’s a few minutes at a few different stations. There are six stations in all, and you spend about five minutes at each, rotating between different exercises including deadlifts, rowing, pull-ups, squats, TRX, kettle bell swings, etc. Good for strength training—you’ll feel it the next day!
A Negative
ClassPass is hard to use with a full-time job because if you have to cancel a class less than 12 hours in advance, you are charged $15. If you don’t cancel and miss class, you’re charged a $20 penalty.
Bottom Line
Loved being able to mix up my workouts with a different class each day. Going to a gym and doing the same thing every day doesn’t really fix anything, so having the option to do a variety of challenging classes is great.
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