The ClassPass Experience

A journey and review of DFW's fitness studios

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Bikram yoga at Lonestar Hot Yoga 5.1.15 Prior to starting #classpass I had just finished the 30 day challenge at Bikram yoga Richardson. It was a nice challenge and I loved how disciplined I became. Knowing all of the positions and how long each one was held for was easy since it was so routine. Because of that, my review of this place is probably not going to be as great. I arrived early and was greeted by the instructor, Trish, who was very nice. She welcomed me and showed me around. The bathrooms were nice, although a little on the smaller side compared to the other Bikram studios. I know this is not an official Bikram studio, but is similar. There were showers, hair ties, cubbies to out your belongings, and a water dispenser to refill your water bottles. I went into the studio to lay down and relax before class started. When I walked in, the floor was a hard and almost slippery. The room was heated as it should has been but they also added portable humidifiers all throughout the room. I felt like this was a hazard since the floors were already the way they were. Some of the positions were also modified so that you had to stay on your mat instead of straddling it. It wasn't a big deal, but still just a little awkward. Although the instructor was nice, I could tell she was fairly new. Many of the poses were held out for much longer than they should have been. The counts seemed like they were off. Class ended 10 minutes longer than it should have been, so that was pretty annoying since I had plans that afternoon and had to speed out of there. I will go back, but I think I might try a different instructor next time.

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Strictly Core at Uptown Yoga 4.29.15

I wanted to start getting some core work in, so I took the strictly core class at Uptown Yoga. This was a relatively easy to follow class, but it just seemed like the instructor didn’t have a set plan for class. It seemed like it was just a go with the flow, whatever feels right kind of class in the beginning. Towards the end of class, it was a little more structured, which is what I prefer. Class was fine, will probably do it again, but not after I try out some other classes first. The location was right in uptown along a somewhat busy street. Luckily I got there early and got great parking but if you get there right before class, good luck finding something close. The studio was nice. The building itself seemed like a historic building that was converted into a yoga studio. There were 2 bathrooms and 2 changing rooms. The bathrooms had showers, towels and toiletries. The studio seemed like there might be some foundation issues because I could tell there was a very slight slant. Not an issue during class, just something I noticed while putting the blocks and blanket away. I’ll have to take some of the other classes to say whether I would recommend this particular studio or not.

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Restorative Yoga at Castle Hills Yoga in Lewisville 4.28.15 After two days of putting my body through torture, I decided to take something that was going to be easy and not intense. It's in a shopping center in the middle of the Castle Hills neighborhood, so it was a little tricky to find. Upon arriving, I signed in and went to the studio. The room was lavender scented, so if that bothers you, you might want to reconsider. I informed the instructor that I was new and was not familiar with this kind of yoga. She assured me that would not be a problem. Little did I know, my worries were unnecessary. The beginning of class started out with a series of light stretching and was followed by a serious of relaxation positions. Basically, we slept. We positioned pillows around us and was told to lay in different positions for several minutes where I heard one guy snoring! Don't get me wrong, it was great! Ha! It was actually what I wanted after my 2 hardcore workouts. It's not something I would do on a normal basis, but what I needed for that day. The studio itself was fine, nothing fancy, but I wasn't expecting it to be. I would only take this class again if I needed to relax after an extremely stressful day. Otherwise, I'd prefer a "normal" yoga class.

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Fly45 at Flywheel Plano 4.27.15 I made the mistake of taking this class the day after taking barre and boy, it was challenging. I was already sore and doing this class didn't necessarily help. I also made the mistake of getting to class only 5 minutes before it started. That meant getting a really quick tour of the studio, putting the shoes on and storing my belongings, then getting a speedy intro to the bike. The class started with Kelly Hershman as the instructor. The lights were turned off except for the light at the front where Kelly was. The music was turned out and the bass was bumpin! It felt like I was in a night club and it made my blood flow. Class was intense but it was good. The torque board was up and you could see people's power level which made me want to push harder. Overall, great class and great insteuctor. Highly recommended!!

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Barre class at Barre3 in Frisco. As my very first class with ClassPass, I was nervous and excited to try out my first class. I showed up 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork and do a tour of the studio. The person at the front was extremely nice and gave a great first impression of the studio. The studio is clean and has a play area for children. There are 2 bathrooms and a changing room. There is also a filtered water dispenser just in case you need a refill. I was introduced to the instructor, Jennifer Ryan, who was kind and assured me I would be fine. The class was challenging depending on how much effort you are willing to put in. To be honest, I had to take a few breaks for a breather. The class was a cross between ballet and yoga and is suitable for all experience levels. I would recommend this for anyone who wants to tone up and get lean. Don't be intimidated and just try it out!

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The ClassPass Experience

A week ago, I was going through reviews of different Pilates studios to see if I could find one that was affordable enough to go to. Each one was at least $30 a class which was a bit much for me. I came across a review that talked about ClassPass and the reviewer raved about it. I was curious so I pulled up the website to see what it was all about.

ClassPass is a membership service that allows you to try different studios and classes for $79 a month (in DFW). They are available all throughout the U.S. And now with ClassPass Flex, you can use your pass anywhere. If you feel the fee is too high, they do have a starter membership for $49 and you can try out 4 different classes your first month. This way, you can see if it is something that is suitable for what you need. Honestly, you mine as well do the $79 regular membership so that you can have unlimited classes. If you’re ambitious enough, multiple classes a day are even possible. If you do need to cancel, you just have to do so 12 hours in advance or else you will have to pay the cancellation fee with ranges between $10-20 for each class.

The purpose of this blog is to review the different studios and classes I take for my first month of ClassPass. This is to give anyone hesitant an idea of what they should expect.