It’s easy to feel a little uninspired about working out after a long winter spent cooped up. But the latest workout classes aim to rev up your body in record time and deliver a serious fitness buzz. The six offerings featured here will help you achieve your personal best—whether that means boosting muscle tone or crushing your running mileage. The best part: these classes are so much fun, you won’t want to miss a single one.
SLT
Rye Brook, NY
SLT stands for “strengthen, lengthen and tone.” Their signature, cultishly popular workout offers a hybrid blend of cardio, Pilates and other core-burning moves done on a megaformer machine (shown above). This spring, the boutique studio has a new, 50-minute class called SLTame, which offers more guided instruction at a (slightly) slower pace. Classes are $36.
Peak 360 Greenwich
Greenwich, CT
Trainer Dominic Novak has worked in the fitness trenches for more than 30 years. Now, the veteran has a sleek, new, state-of-the-art studio. His “Alignment Program” starts with an extensive evaluation to pinpoint ways to improve the efficiency and mechanics of your body. “People often equate it to physical therapy, strength training and yoga all in one,” Novak says. Some of the benefits to expect: increased flexibility and strength, better posture and longer, leaner muscles. Peak 360 also runs month-long boot camps and has customized meal plans to keep you extra motivated.
Mason Street Strength & Fitness
Greenwich, CT
Owned by two former football teammates, Mason Street Strength & Fitness is dedicated to being your all-around fitness coach. To shock your system first thing in the morning (in a good way), check out their 6 a.m. “Team Black Out” high-intensity interval training class, which mixes free weights, cardio and plyometric exercises. Crunched for time? Try their “Mid-day Madness” class, which is a calorie-torching 45-minute boot camp at noon every Monday through Friday.
Ripped Fitness
Rye Brook, NY
Since opening in 2014, Ripped Fitness has offered boot camps and high-intensity classes with alternating intervals of treadmill running. Recently, they introduced Ripped Walk, a class for those who aren’t psyched about running, but still want to burn calories through a combination of speed changes and cranked-up inclines. “Our classes are unique in that you have a real sense of support and togetherness,” says owner Brian Ripka. “They’re not easy, but we’re going to get to the finish line together, and everyone’s rooting for each other. It’s a positive, empowering environment.” Good news for commuters: They’re opening a New York City outpost on the Upper East Side in June. Classes are $29, and packages are available.
Go Stride
Port Chester, NY
A class at GoStride checks off many fitness goals: It’s high intensity, low-impact and full-body. The 50-minute sessions mimic a combination of hiking, running, rowing, and cycling on a machine called a “strider” (imagine a cross between a spin bike and an elliptical trainer). And come prepared to sweat: This isn’t a lazy-workout-day type of class. “We cue participants to use different parts of their body, and the challenge is to maintain the proper posture without bouncing,” says co-owner Janet DeFrino. “People are completely surprised by how difficult it is.” Classes are $30 and packages are available.
Exhale
Stamford, CT
Exhale introduced Core Fusion Extreme (CFX) last year to the delight of hardcore fitness enthusiasts in the area. The 60-minute class is a high-intensity “hour of power,” which incorporates cardio bursts, core work, gliders, hand weights, plyometrics boxes for jump moves and TRX suspension training. If that sounds exhausting to you, it should: Exhale says that CFX promises to “abolish fat, rev your metabolism, and amplify strength.” Intense devotees will also love that the routine changes from month to month, so you’ll never get bored.
