Background:
We created this series because working out and trying new fitness studios for the first time can be intimidating.
In this blog post, we’re going to cover some of the most popular workouts and studios in Richmond, and we’ll be judging and reviewing them based on intensity, difficulty, who it’s for, what you need, and what to wear. Here’s how we’ll define each one:
Intensity: We’re ranking this based on sweat-level and ability to carry on a conversation.
Difficulty: How beginner-friendly it is and how hard it is to pick up on the movements.
Who it’s for: Who we think would enjoy this workout the most based on our experience.
What you need: Accessories, if needed (ex: towel, mat, shoes, etc.)
What to wear: Our recommended attire. We based this off of personal preference/experience as well as what we saw other people wearing in class.
Emily’s fitness background: When I was a kid, I feel like I tried every sport possible. I played soccer, hockey, basketball and even did cheerleading for a while. Now, I’m training for a half marathon, so I am very into running. I also love to supplement my running with yoga and high-intensity interval training.
Christina’s: I was the kid on the softball field sitting on the ground. As a kid, I did a little bit of ballet and tap dancing. I grew up in a small town, so we didn’t have some of the sports or facilities in bigger cities. At the end of middle school, I started gymnastics. I continued through high school and still try to keep up with it.
1911 West Cary Street (The Fan)
What it is: Aerial Yoga studio
Who tried it: Both
Intensity: Low. Neither of us was sore after the class.
Difficulty: Medium. Can be difficult when first learning the bungee sequences (Peter Pan’s, runs, jumps, etc.), but it gets easier as you catch on.
Who it’s for: Anyone who gets bored with their workout routine and wants to switch it up with something new and unique.
What you need: A water bottle.
What to wear: Tank top, shorts or leggings, and athletic shoes.
Length of class: 45 minutes
Pricing: The one-time drop-in rate is $23.00. Fighting Gravity Fitness also offers a 1-month unlimited membership for $134.00. They have other membership offers too, including class passes.
What else you should know: The classes are usually small with lots of one-on-one help. This is the perfect workout to do on a weekend with a group of friends before brunch. Also, super photo-friendly #doitforthegram.
3105 West Moore Street (Scott’s Addition)
What it is: Boutique dance fitness studio
Who tried it: Both Christina and Emily
Intensity: Low to medium. You’ll sweat during this class, but you usually can hold a conversation.
Difficulty: Can be difficult to keep up with the rhythm.
Who it’s for: People who like fun in their workouts. All of the participants in the class we went to were women, but it doesn’t seem to be exclusively female.
What you need: Nothing. They provide the mats and the drumsticks.
What to wear: Athletic clothing and shoes. They also allow you to be barefoot or in your socks for this class.
Length of class: 45 minutes.
Pricing: The drop in rate is $20.00 per class. They also offer a deal for two weeks of unlimited classes for new clients for $40.00. They have a lot of other options for membership, including class passes and an unlimited monthly membership for $110.00.
What else you should know: This is another fun one that would be good to do with a group. We didn’t feel like we were “working out,” but we were super sore after our first class.
2522 Hermitage Road
What it is: CrossFit gym
Who tried it: Emily
Intensity: High. You’ll be sweating pretty much the entire class.
Difficulty: Pretty beginner friendly. You’ll be doing a mix of cardio and strength (using the rowing machine, then doing burpees, etc.).
Who it’s for: Anyone who enjoys high-intensity workouts.
What you need: Water.
What to wear: Athletic clothing and shoes.
Length of class: 1 hour
Pricing: This gym offers CrossFit and RVA Fit. CrossFit uses heavy barbells to mimic Olympic weightlifting, and the RVA Fit program is focused on high-intensity interval training. I tried RVA Fit, which is $135.00 a month for unlimited classes. The drop in rate is $15.00 per class.
What else you should know: This gym is very welcoming to all skill levels, body types, and fitness interests. Membership is pushed heavily and they will work with you to tailor a training schedule to your goals.
2510 Wayside Drive (Southside)
What it is: Hig- intensity interval training gym
Who tried it: Emily
Intensity: Very high intensity.
Difficulty: Can be pretty difficult if you don’t know the strength movements done in class since there is not a lot of time for an explanation of each movement. Some examples are deadlifts, chest-to-floor burpees, donkey kicks, alt v-ups, plank burpees and plank rows.
Who it’s for: People who actively do high-intensity workouts and that are into strength training.
What you need: Water bottle and towel.
What to wear: Running shoes, shorts (it gets hot in the gym – especially in the summer), tank top.
Length of class: 1 hour
Pricing: Drop-in classes are $20.00 a class, and the unlimited month membership is $125.00. Endorphasm offers class passes too.
What else you should know: Endorphasm is pretty intense and is meant for people accustomed to a consistent high-intensity workout routine. Although you can go at your own pace the entire class, you’re often doing exercises for time, so it is a very fast paced environment.
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
200 North Boulevard (Museum District)
What it is: Free fitness movement
Who tried it: Emily
Intensity: Medium to high.
Difficulty: November Project is beginner friendly, and is very welcoming to the community.
Who it’s for: Anyone who wants to workout with a lot of people, and wants to be motivated by others.
What you need: Water bottle.
What to wear: Running shoes (you’ll be doing a lot of running!), shorts or leggings, tank top (especially in the warmer months).
Length of class: 45 minutes to 1 hour. It will usually end anywhere between 6:45am-7am.
Pricing: It’s free!
What else you should know: November Project meets at the VMFA every Wednesday at 6am. They workout no matter what the weather condition is – it could be sleeting with temperatures in the negatives and they’d still be out there!
3024 Stony Point Parkway (Southside) and 3621 Cox Road (West End)
What it is: Hot yoga studio
Who tried it: Christina
Intensity: High
Difficulty: Medium.
Who it’s for: People who like heat. It is very hot, y’all.
What you need: Yoga mat, towels, and a LARGE water bottle.
What to wear: Tank top and shorts. Now that I’ve done hot yoga a few times I can stand to wear crop pants or pants, but you might feel more comfortable in shorts for your first time.
Length of class: 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes
Pricing: Drop in class is $20.00. An unlimited monthly membership is $110.00. Other memberships are available.
What else you should know: We’re not joking about the water bottle and the towels. You’ll want to lay one towel down over your mat and have another hand towel for wiping off sweat. You’ll be surprised at how much water you drink. These classes are intense. They tell you to try to stay in the room for the whole class, even if you need to take a break. My first class, I ended up lying down for most of it because the heat was so shocking. I’ve been back since and was able to make it through. I think the heat might even be a little addictive.
4501 Highwoods Parkway #410 (West End)
Workouts take place in different locations every day (ex: Belle Isle, Dogwood Dell)
What it is: Fitness boot camp
Who tried it: Emily
Intensity: High intensity. Lots of running and bodyweight workouts.
Difficulty: It’s a hard workout but pretty beginner-friendly.
Who it’s for: Anyone who likes to workout with a group of people.
What you need: Water bottle.
What to wear: Athletic clothes and running shoes (that you won’t mind getting dirty.)
Length of class: 1 hour
Pricing: First class is free. Boot camp membership (monthly unlimited) is $169.00 a month, but $99.00 for students.
What else you should know: This workout is military-based. Enough said.
11819 West Broad Street (Short Pump) and 6984 Forest Ave (West End)
What it is: Group personal training studio
Who tried it: Both.
Intensity: Medium to high.
Difficulty: Beginner-friendly. The moves aren’t complicated and the instructors do a great job of explaining and including visual demonstrations.
Who it’s for: Anyone who enjoys mixing cardio with strength training.
What you need: Water bottle and a towel. After a few classes, Christina bought a pair of workout gloves because the rower was rough on her hands.
What to wear: Athletic clothes and shoes. Christina wore crop leggings but would have preferred shorts.
Length of class: 1 hour
Pricing: The first class is free. They offer a bunch of different membership options – orange basic, orange elite and orange premier.
What else you should know: The tracking aspect of this class is so fun. You watch your metrics on the screen alongside your name, which can be motivating (and distracting from the hard work you’re doing). This was a really co-ed and diverse workout. This would be the perfect workout for someone that’s brand-new to working out.
2300 West Main Street (The Fan)
What it is: Group running studio
Who tried it: Emily
Intensity: Medium to high intensity, depending on what level you choose to walk/jog/run at.
Difficulty: Very beginner friendly. There is a lot of explanation of how the class will go in the beginning. Tread Happy is very welcoming to new clients.
Who it’s for: Runners, joggers, and walkers. Anyone who likes to use a treadmill and run to fun and upbeat music.
What you need: Water bottle, towel.
What to wear: Running shoes.
Length of class: 45 minutes to an hour.
Pricing: As a new client, your first class is $15.00. The new client unlimited month is $115.00, and they also offer a 2-week unlimited option for $32.00. More membership options are available.
What else you should know: You don’t have to be a runner to go to Tread Happy. You can go at your own pace, and you can choose to walk or jog whenever you want. There is no pressure to do what everyone else is doing.
14227 Midlothian Turnpike (Southside) and 9665 W Broad St (West End)
What it is: Hot yoga studio
Who tried it: Christina
Intensity: Low
Difficulty: Medium
Who it’s for: Anyone!
What you need: Large water bottle and a yoga mat. (I use this one from Lululemon.)
What to wear: I always wear leggings and a tank top. I see other girls wearing sports bras and shorts and most of the guys are shirtless.
Length of class: 45 minutes, 1 hour, and 90 minutes
Pricing: A drop-in class is $20.00, and they offer a 3-week unlimited membership for $59.00. They have a bunch of different monthly membership options as well.
What else you should know: I really love this place. I started going after feeling like my first Bikram class was too long and hard. Hot House is slightly less hot and they have classes as short as 45 minutes. I started with those and worked my way up to the 90-minute advanced classes. They have two options – flow and stability. I only do the flow classes, which are faster-moving with less time in each pose than the stability classes. The family that owns this business seems to be SO friendly and really make you feel welcome everytime they come in.
1219 Highpoint Avenue (Scott’s Addition)
What it is: Yoga studio
Who tried it: Both.
Intensity: Depends on the class. Some classes are more relaxed (Yin yoga, Restorative, etc.) but some are more intense (Rocket 2, Led Primary Series, etc.)
Difficulty: Varies. They are very welcoming to new yogis, and will teach you basic poses all the way up to some of the most advanced.
Who it’s for: Anyone with an advanced beginner-intermediate yoga practice.
What you need: Yoga mat (you can rent one if you need to), towel, water bottle.
What to wear: Leggings and a tank top. Men can go shirtless or whatever.
Length of class: Ranging from an hour to an hour and 30 minutes. They offer a Rocket 50 Lunch Express class every day at noon. This class is only 50 minutes and is the perfect way to take a break during the middle of the day.
Pricing: A drop-in class is $18.00-$20.00 (depending on how long the class is), and the unlimited monthly membership is $108.00 a month. They also offer class packs.
What else you should know: This is the most fun/relaxed/low-pressure yoga studio ever. They are so welcoming. They cater to multiple experience levels, so check out the schedule to figure out which one you’d like best. (The calisthenics class is cool but HARD). Stay tuned for their workshops too, they bring in a lot of special guest teachers. I really liked the one I took from Fit Queen Irene. The instructors here really care about your goals and what you want to learn. Every class I’ve been to, they’ve asked what everyone is working on and made it a point to address everyone’s questions and interests.
2309 West Main Street
What it is: Yoga, pilates and functional training studio
Who tried it: Christina
Intensity: Low
Difficulty: Easy
Who it’s for: Anyone interested in trying yoga or pilates.
What you need: Nothing
What to wear: Leggings and a tank top.
Length of class: Varies
Pricing: A drop-in class is $35.00, and they also offer different class pack options.
What else you should know: The class I went to was called “Spa Shavasana,” and it was amazing. After a yin sequence, the instructors came around to each of us and gave us a mini facial with Maven Made products and massage. Also, they have kitten yoga for charity.
2609 West Cary Street
What is it: Personal training studio
Who tried it: Christina
Intensity: Medium/high
Difficulty: Medium
Who it’s for: People who want one-on-one attention when working out.
What you need: Gloves for lifting weights
What to wear: Athletic clothing and athletic shoes meant for cross-training (versus running shoes)
Length of class: Varies
Pricing: Varies
What else you should know: I heard about reDefine from RVA Fit Foodie’s Instagram and was initially intrigued by their app/online training. I reached out on Instagram and was assigned a trainer, Ben. We met for a free consultation/assessment. I’ve been going for almost two months and it’s exactly what I was looking for.
2196 Lanier Lane
What it is: Gymnastics studio
Who tried it: Christina
Intensity: Medium
Difficulty: Hard
Who it’s for: Former gymnasts – or anyone who wants to give gymnastics a try!
What you need: Nothing
What to wear: You don’t have to wear a leoptard – but you totally can! Shorts or leggings and a tank are fine. Guys need to wear shirts.
Length of class: One hour
Pricing: $15 for one hour of adult tumbling class
What else you should know: You don’t need a gymnastics background to enjoy this class.
6235 River Road (Near West End)
What it is: Barre studio
Who tried it: Christina
Intensity: Medium
Difficulty: Medium
Who it’s for: Former dancers would like this. Also, anyone who doesn’t like to sweat or do heavy cardio would probably enjoy this as well.
What you need: Athletic clothes and socks. You can wear any kind of socks but you’ll want the ones with the grip bottoms.
What to wear: Leggings and a tank
Length of class: One hour
Pricing: A drop-in class is $24.00, and they offer different class pack options.
What else you should know: Compared to other barre classes, this one seemed less dance-focused and more upbeat.
5711 West Broad Street
What it is: Barre studio
Who tried it: Christina
Intensity: Low
Difficulty: Medium
Who it’s for: Former dancers would like this. Also, anyone who doesn’t like to sweat or do heavy cardio would probably enjoy this as well.
What you need: Nothing
What to wear: Leggings and a tank
Length of class: One hour
Pricing: A single class is $18.00, and a 1-month unlimited membership is $99.00. More memberships and class packages are available.
What else you should know: This studio is great for anyone trying to ease into barre!
7007 1/2 Three Chopt Road
What it is: Barre studio
Who tried it: Emily and Christina
Intensity: Low. You’re not moving or sweating much, but you’re doing small focused movements to build strength.
Difficulty: Medium, especially if you’ve never done barre before.
Who it’s for: Former dancers would love this. This is the perfect workout for people who don’t like high intensity workouts or getting super sweaty.
What you need: Water and a towel.
What to wear: Barre socks, leggings, tank top.
Length of class: 45 minutes to an hour.
Pricing: A drop in class is $24.00, and a one-month unlimited is $189.00. They also offer 5, 10 and 20 class packs that vary in price depending on which one you buy. If you’re a new client, you can go to a drop in class for $19.00.
What else you should know: The instructors do a great job of helping you get the movements right, and will adjust you if needed. Everyone is very welcoming to new clients, and the classes are usually pretty big.
Two locations, one in the Museum District and one in Church Hill.
Musuem District:
714 North Sheppard Street
Church Hill:
2401 East Marshall Street
What it is: Cycle studio
Who tried it: Both.
Intensity: Pretty intense. You’ll be sweating the whole time.
Difficulty: You are in control of the difficulty since you can control the resistance on your bike. Pretty easy to get the rhythm of the movements (“tapbacks,” etc.) down. The moves are simple – it’s the speed and nonstop motion that gets you.
Who it’s for: Anyone who enjoys cycle classes
What you need: Water bottle and towel.
What to wear: Cycle shoes (you can rent these at BOHO), leggings, tank top.
Length of class: 50 Minutes
Pricing: If you’ve never tried BOHO before, your first class is free! The drop in rate is $20.00, and the monthly unlimited membership is $150.00. They also offer differently monthly membership options as well as class packs.
What else you should know: BOHO is a fun way to get your cardio in. The music is upbeat and the instructors are awesome. The classes are usually pretty full, and everyone is very welcoming. They also turn the lights off during the class, and they give you cool lavender towels at the end. Christina started going here at the suggestion of her redefineRVA trainer, Ben. WE LOVE BOHO.
10809 West Broad Street (West End)
What it is: A megaformer studio
Who tried it: Christina
Intensity: Medium
Difficulty: Medium
Who it’s for: If you like barre/pilates, this class has a similar vibe.
What you need: Nothing
What to wear: Leggings and a tank top
Length of class: 60 minutes
Pricing: One class is $29.00, and the monthly unlimited membership is $299.00. More membership options are available.
What else you should know: The moves are tough, but this workout feels very customizable. I didn’t sweat but definitely felt like I was working. The reformer forces you to focus on each move and your form. Virginia Bloggers hosted a meetup at PlankRVA and we all tried the class together. Read about it here.
What it is: 20 minute workout program
Who tried it: Christina
Intensity: Low
Difficulty: Not difficult
Who it’s for: Mainly for people who want an approachable way to start working out. This program is perfect for people interested in learning the hows and whys about nutrition and fitness and the human body.
What you need: Stability ball, 3lb medicine ball weights, exercise band, and 5 lb dumbells.
What to wear: Anything you want. You do this workout from the comfort of your own home.
Length of class: 20 minutes
Pricing: TBD. Go For 20 is brand-new and still in beta mode. If you’d like to sign up for their waitlist, you can do that here.
What else you should know: Full Disclosure: Go For 20 is a TFB client. We love them! 🙂
Emily:
90-degree by Reflex leggings
Gaiam reversible yoga mat
Hydroflask water bottle
Rosewater spray
Foam roller
Nike running zip up
Yoga bag
Athleta running socks
Cell phone armband
Zumi Yoga mat spray
Nathan SpeedDraw Plus water bottle
ASICS GT 2000-6 running shoes
Apple Watch
Christina:
Lululemon yoga pants: the align pants are SO soft I also love their Free To Be Wild bras.
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