Working out is both expensive and time-consuming. With a tight budget and a tight schedule, young professionals in Boston need quick, down and dirty, honest reviews of gyms, studios and fitness classes in the city. In the Happy Hour Athlete series, BostInno will attend classes and write first-impression reviews about our experiences – from what to wear, to what the music was like, to who you’ll be working out next to. We’ll also tell you where to get a drink after getting your sweat on.
I’m not one to lift weights. I’m not one to put down weights, either. In fact, if weights are involved, I generally avoid the situation as a whole. But somehow, in the name of journalism (and because I had difficulty carrying a small suitcase through the airport the other day), I found myself signing up for a class involving weights. I was even less comforted by the fact that said class was going to include kettle bells, TRX bands, ropes, ladders and other materials I generally steer clear of. But, putting on a brave face, I headed to the class.
Boston Sports’ Club’s UXF Cross-Trai
Happy Hour Athlete’s First Impression
Classroom: You guessed it – it’s that bright green turf inside select BSC locations with lots of equipment surrounding it.
Where to Sit: You won’t be sitting at all in this class, and because it’s circuit training, you’re constantly moving around, so no need to grab a specific location.
Who You’ll Be Sitting Next To: The post-work crowd at the Downtown Crossing BSC was just who you’d imagine it to be – finance bros getting their sweat on after crunching numbers all day.
What to Wear: Normal workout clothes and cross-trainers will do.
What You’ll Do: Lunges, lifts, jumping jacks, push-ups… You name it, it’s likely happening in this class. Our class was a series of circuits, in which we had to move through five exercises in a designated period of time. Beware of the ropes – we had to rapidly move two giant ropes up and down, and despite the instructor making it look easy, I thought my arms were going to fall off after 20 seconds.
What You’ll Hear: A (pretty bad) radio station playing top 40 from 2012. Seriously, “Gangnam Style” came on at one point. If you can ignore the PSY, you’ll hear the instructor giving you time updates (“30 seconds!”) and reminding you to count your reps and push yourself right up until the clock.
Who Will Teach You: A BSC trainer. Ours was very knowledgeable on whether or not we were in the correct positions, which muscles should feel the burn and how to push ourselves to make the exercises harder.
Level of Difficulty: On a scale of 1 (a couch potato could do it) to 10 (it would be hard even for Bo Jackson), the workout was a 8. Scratch that, in the moment it felt like a 5 or 6, and afterwards I had an inkling to go on a jog or do something more. However, given my soreness in the following days, it was apparent I was working muscles I never knew I had.
Cost: Members: $199 for BSC members and $259 for non-members. Classes are two times per week for four weeks.
Length of Class: About an hour.
Location: Nine BSC clubs throughout the Boston area – Wellesley, Waltham, DTX, Boylston, Woburn, Watertown, Lexington, Allston and Wellington.
Would I Do It Again? I wouldn’t make it a routine, but I could see myself doing it every few months to get toned. Like I said, I don’t enjoy weights very much, and the fact that the UXF turf was in the middle of the gym made me feel like all the bros working out were watching me. I also didn’t appreciate how I had to ask the trainer to stretch post-workout; that’s something I prefer to be included within the class.
Where to Reward Yourself: If you’re in Downtown Crossing, pop in for a Happy Meal at Silvertone, which includes a Miller High Life and one of three shots – Jim Beam, Fernet or Chartreuse.
