9 new group fitness hot spots - San Francisco Chronicle

As citizens of the fourth-fittest city in the nation, according to American College of Sports Medicine^[1] 's 2012 fitness index, San Franciscans have a reputation to maintain. That's probably not what's on the minds of after-work warriors doing battle with a TRX, dancers toning up with a Heath Hunter session or SoulCyclers sweating out their best Kelly Ripa imitation.

"Much like SoulCycle, San Francisco is a vibrant, energetic and joyful community," says co-founder Julie Rice^[2] of the cycling studio's inspiration to expand to the Bay Area - first to Larkspur and now to Union Street in San Francisco.

As anyone who's been stuck in an ill-fitting group fitness class knows, one person's ab fab nirvana can be another's torture, but sorting the fun from the freaky can make even the most avid exerciser break into a premature sweat. Just ask Mystie Webster^[3] , who designed her 1 1/2-year-old club, Studiomix, around the concept that group classes can provide variety and a challenge.

To keep you on your toes (and to vault San Francisco ahead of Portland, Ore.; Washington, D.C.; and No. 1-in-fitness Minneapolis-St. Paul), we tested some of the Bay Area's trendiest classes. Here are nine that made the cut, as reported by Nellie Bowles^[4] , Tony Bravo^[5] , Valerie Demicheva, Maghan McDowell, Maggie Winterfeldt^[6] and Carolyne Zinko^[7] .

- Maghan McDowell

Les Mills^[8] ' GRIT

The 30-minute strength workout we tested combines weight lifting, running and plyometrics in a high-intensity interval routine to boost aerobic capacity, strength, muscular endurance, metabolism and power. Les Mills, a New Zealand native and former Olympic shot-putter, opened his first gym in 1968 and lent his name to a chain opened by his son, which develops group fitness programs that are taught worldwide. Participants tend to be those looking for short classes that yield a sweaty burn, easy to achieve with this series of squats, burpees, hill climbers, push-ups and crunches with plates. Equipment is provided, but be sure to bring your own water bottle - you'll need it. Novices, take care: Proper form when doing squats with a barbell is a must; tight lower backs can be tweaked by burpees, and even an experienced weight lifter can become short of breath from the rapidity of movements. Where will you feel it the next day? Triceps, glutes and calves - if you can bear to walk up and down a set of stairs, that is. - C.Z.

Various Bay Area cities ( www.lesmills.com/findaclass^[9] ). About $18 per class, depending on gym membership rules and nonmember drop-in rates. Developed in 2012, released to the Bay Area in 2013.

Xercise Lab

Xercise Lab lives up to its name. Classes, or labs, are the experimental brainchild of fitness program instructor Jenny Rowe^[10] . The weight-training Build Lab^[11] and cardio interval training Burn Lab^[12] take place in a large mirrored studio (that caps off at 12 people) and in a nearby outdoor swimming pool. The labs engage the whole body rather than isolate muscles, and none of the classes use equipment. "The human body was designed to move very functionally," Rowe explains. "There's no reason you can't use your own body weight and the resistance of water." Each lab runs for a set of 12 songs - a total of 45 minutes - from around the world. Each week, one song is replaced with a new song and a new set of moves to keep things interesting. Legend has it that the average Lab Lover^[13] (a logo on the studio's hoodies) loses 2.5 percent in body fat in two months, which is part of their credo: "Xtreme Fitness, Xceptional Results." -V.D.

855 El Camino Real, No. 105, Palo Alto. Single class $15; monthly membership $90. Opened 2012.

Pop Physique

Though its branding verges on roller derby retro - think neon sweatbands and legwarmers, which come in handy for deep floor and barre stretches - the Pop Physique experience is ultramodern. The larger studio boasts bamboo flooring and floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto a garden - perfect for contemplating the meaning of life when your thighs start quivering in a low squat, right before the instructor tells you to go even lower. The moves are classics of the Lotte Berk Method (similar to other popular barre classes), but the Zen-like aesthetic of the space and no-gimmick instruction make Pop Physique stand out. Accoutrements run the gamut from Lululemon and Omgirl to other-era American Apparel. Demographics vary; moms mostly run the show during the day and young professionals take over in the evenings. Ballet and go-go dancers are sprinkled throughout. Pop Physique promises the perfect butt, and with deliberate isometric movements that use every little muscle, it delivers. - V.D.

2424 Polk St. Single class $20; packages $95-$1,700. Opened 2012.

BodyROK

In a swift 40 minutes, BodyROK, an energetic cardio and core-focused strength-training workout, promises to strengthen, tighten and tone. The exercises are done using the Megaformer (which looks like a Pilates reformer on steroids and ups the intensity of Pilates-inspired movements). An upgrade to the basic plank is accomplished by balancing the forearms on the Megaformer's sliding platform; springs add extra resistance to pike crunches designed to create washboard abs. Maneuvering the Megaformer's many straps, springs and levers can be intimidating, but the small class size allows the instructors to give newbies extra attention. Heart rates soar and muscles shake throughout the fast-paced session as the bubbly sorority-girl types - sheathed in hot pink Lululemon - move nonstop through the exercises. If devotees' taut bodies are any indication, this workout lives up to its name. - M.W.

2128 Lombard St. $35 for drop-in session; packages up to $375 for 20 sessions. Opened 2011.

Blitz

Blitz proudly proclaims: "This is not a vanity workout." After three specialized Blitz classes (endurance, strength, power), it became clear vanity was a low priority for most participants during the challenging 30-minute workouts. Instead of aiming for an outward goal (e.g., tighter abs or more defined arms), Blitz's high-intensity conditioning routines are focused on taking your overall fitness to the next level. San Franciscan Ben Hwa^[14] , who by day is a coach at Lincoln High School^[15] , developed exercises derived from common motions in sports. It's a workout perfect for all kinds of athletes looking to up the power behind their game. Following the box jumps, sled pulls, and combination snatch and clean-and-jerk lifts, soreness is to be expected. Although Blitz welcomes all levels of fitness, it's a workout probably more comfortable for people already in fairly good shape. Getting fit enough to try Blitz may be a fitness goal in itself. As Hwa says, "If it wasn't challenging, it wouldn't be as good a workout." -T.B.

Sports Club/LA at Four Seasons^[16] , 757 Market St. $30 (single session); $252 for 12. Sports Club/LA members only. Opened January.

SoulCycle Union^[17] Street

The soon-to-open Union Street location promises a cycling experience that will be unfamiliar to traditional road warriors or cycle class devotees. SoulCycle's "full-body indoor cycling workout" that focuses on the "energy of the pack" adds hand weights and push-up-like moves on the bike while inspiring the soul (see: Jonathan Adler^[18] grapefruit candles). Just like the celeb fans, including Kelly Ripa, Brooke Shields^[19] , Anderson Cooper^[20] , Katie Holmes and Nicole Kidman, expect to sweat it out to carefully curated playlists alongside a mix of trendy (mostly) 30- and 40-ish people who have only 45 minutes to spare. The neon-heavy SoulCycle branded tanks and knee-length leggings are already a big hit at the Larkspur location, which opened this summer. A Palo Alto location follows soon. - M.M.

2095 Union St. $30 per class; bulk discounts available (some studios). Opens Oct. 4.

Studiomix

With 30,000 square feet of space, six studios and 101 group fitness classes a week (in addition to occasional workshops and seminars), Studiomix is for those who thrive on variety and enjoy the challenge of keeping up with the person next to you. In designing the space, founder Mystie Webster envisioned a place where she would want to be a member - and she always loved group fitness classes. "Studiomix was built with the user in mind," she explains. "Our classes keep you looking forward to your next workout." There's Dance Fix Friday and Barre Mix, MMA Conditioning and Kettlebell Camp, TRX Bodyweight Burn and a climbing studio. A full-service approach means Studiomix also offers extras like personal training, an impressive smoothie menu, massage, a sauna and a steam room - oh, and some free weights and cardio machines for those who inexplicably just want to march to the beat of their own headphones. - M.M.

1000 Van Ness Ave. $135 a month (upgrades include massage, personal training and nutrition coaching); $20 for a day pass. Opened April 2012.

Wheel House

The 5,700-square-foot yoga and spin studio seems built for type-A techies - much like founder Carl Morley, a former Oracle exec. "When I spoke to my parents about doing this, they were like, 'Really? That's what you're going to do? After all your training?' " he says. Morley's spin classes are full-body affairs with free weights and different routines set to techno, often Dolly Parton remixes. Participants can keep an eye on their exertion levels (and surreptitiously compete with others in the room) as chest monitors live-stream heart rates on the walls. For a population that already favors life-tracking tools, a heart-rate monitor might be appealing; the better to fit spin class into the day's calorie count. And the hard work comes with some nice perks: The locker rooms feel like a spa, with Malin+Goetz products on tap. - N.B.

One Embarcadero Center, lobby level, S.F. $135 a month (with a 12-month contract). Opened June.

Danceation

If the unrelenting climb on the Stairmaster gets you down and you run into boredom on the treadmill, Danceation is for you. Catchy music, body-toning dance moves and quirky instructors like creator Heath Hunter - an enthusiastic Brit who sports signature back-skimming dreadlocks - make Danceation one of the most entertaining workouts around. Hunter, a professional dancer and musician, started Danceation in Europe in 1990 and brought it across the pond in 2011. While comparisons to Zumba are inevitable, Danceation has one fundamental difference: It incorporates every dance genre (Zumba uses only Latin movements). The choreography isn't simplistic, but it's not hard to follow, either, and participants are encouraged to modify the steps to their dance level. With the tagline "It's not how you do it, it's how you feel it," the class strives to keep participants moving and smiling. Aerobic enthusiasts with zero dance experience do the grapevine shoulder to shoulder with formally trained dancers, who are identifiable by the improvised spins and flair they add to the straightforward choreography.

- M.W.

Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, Equinox (Palo Alto, San Mateo), Stanford University and the Bay Club Silicon Valley (Cupertino). Free for JCCSF members; $24 per session for unaccompanied nonmembers, $12 if accompanied by a JCCSF member. Also free to Equinox members (nonmembers hosted by a member are $50 for single session). Since 2011.

Send feedback to style@sfchronicle.com^[21]

References

1. ^{^} American College of Sports Medicine (www.sfgate.com)


2. ^{^} Julie Rice (www.sfgate.com)


3. ^{^} Mystie Webster (www.sfgate.com)


4. ^{^} Nellie Bowles (www.sfgate.com)


5. ^{^} Tony Bravo (www.sfgate.com)


6. ^{^} Maggie Winterfeldt (www.sfgate.com)


7. ^{^} Carolyne Zinko (www.sfgate.com)


8. ^{^} Les Mills (www.sfgate.com)


9. ^{^} www.lesmills.com/findaclass (www.lesmills.com)


10. ^{^} Jenny Rowe (www.sfgate.com)


11. ^{^} Build Lab (www.sfgate.com)


12. ^{^} Burn Lab (www.sfgate.com)


13. ^{^} Lab Lover (www.sfgate.com)


14. ^{^} Franciscan Ben Hwa (www.sfgate.com)


15. ^{^} Lincoln High School (www.sfgate.com)


16. ^{^} Four Seasons (www.sfgate.com)


17. ^{^} SoulCycle Union (www.sfgate.com)


18. ^{^} Jonathan Adler (www.sfgate.com)


19. ^{^} Brooke Shields (www.sfgate.com)


20. ^{^} Anderson Cooper (www.sfgate.com)


21. ^{^} style@sfchronicle.com (www.sfgate.com)