Review: Equinox Fitness

Posted on April 29, 2010 by kymarie13

Equinox Fitness is known as the mecca of fitness clubs in New York. Equinox Fitness is based in New York City and has 48 clubs total around the country  in: Northern and Southern California, Texas, Chicago, Washington DC, Connecticut, Boston, and Florida. There are 18 locations in New York City, 1 location in Brooklyn, 3 on Long Island and 2 in Westchester. What makes Equinox so alluring?

Equinox strives themselves on having the best of the best and they have every right to say this. All of their classes are amazing, I have not taken one class at Equinox that I wasn’t impressed with. They currently have Inten-Sati, taught by the founder Patricia Moreno, Jukari Fit to Fly (which can currently only be found in Equinox and Reebok clubs in the US), Urban Rebounding with the founder JB Burns, and Tabata 2010 (which I have still yet to take but I can’t wait to try).

Equinox has a partnership with Kiehl’s Since 1851 and they carry their locker amenities in every club! Say goodbye to generic locker room products when you workout at Equinox, you will be showering with the best. They offer all the amenities you could need in the locker room, except for locks, so don’t forget yours! All clubs of Equinox are kept extremely up to date and clean. I have been able to visit multiple clubs around the country and I haven’t walked into one that was not kept in perfect condition. 4 Locations in New York City have Lap Pools: 63rd Street, Columbus Circle, 54h Street, and Greenwich.

Is the gym crowded? I have to say every gym in New York is crowded, especially after work. If you plan on working out after work you will have to make it through the crowd. But I feel that every gym in New York City is like this. If you want to work out alone, learn to wake up in the morning ;)

A for personal trainers, Equinox has some of the best personal trainers around. In a couple of clubs around the Country Equinox have private clubs called “E” that has trainers who work one-on-one with clients every time they come into the club. I got to go with my Dad to workout with his trainer once and I was never in so much pain. Don’t worry it was a good pain :) .

As for clientele Equinox has a mix, because of high prices you see an older crowd. But the younger people do not stay away, many can be seen in their clubs. I have to say it is a good mix. Now all good things have a catch and Equinox’s catch is the price. They are pretty honorable that they do not change their monthly dues. The last time I checked monthly dues are $180 a month in New York. The one thing that can change depending on if they are offering promotions is the one time membership fee that you pay in the beginning.

So overall if you have the money, Equinox is an amazing Fitness Club, it would be my top choice.  If  you don’t have the money (like me) no worries! E-mail I have some amazing clubs that are affordable for the budget conscience gym-goer.

Oh and a celebrity sighting at Equinox, when I was taking Jukari Fit to Fly, Heather Graham was taking Inten-Sati. She looks great!

Filed under: Gyms | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

Review: Clay Gym

Posted on February 16, 2010 by kymarie13

Clay is very different from any gym I have visited thus far. The motto for Clay is “Our Temple for Yours” which describes the gym perfectly. Clay was established in 2002, the philosophy is “To support each member in his or her individual pursuit of health, accomplished through the integration of physical training, mindful exercise and nutritional guidance.” The bylaws were even written by their members.

Clay is a very peaceful place, the whole atmosphere exudes it. To get to the gym you need to go up two flights of stairs and then everything is located on one floor. The gym is mostly white with little accents all around. In the middle of the gym sits a beautiful fireplace where the members can come and relax before or after there workouts. Placed all around the gym are coolers with cold lotus towels that you can use after your workout. They smell amazing! The cardio area is well spaced out and wasn’t crowded at all. Each treadmill has their own TV! The workout equipment and machines are spaced out and grouped in different zones. So you don’t feel claustrophobic while walking around. They have two studios where they offer a variety of different classes. They also offer semi-private pilates classes, personal training and nutrition counseling.

The locker rooms are very nice, a little outdated but very nice, they offer all the normal amenities like towels, shampoo, ect. Each of the lockers is a keypad so there is no need for locks. Outside of the locker room is a lounge where you can check your email on their computer and it is the only place cell phones are allowed to be used (this rule was created by the members). I love that cell phones can’t be used in the gym. It gives you a place to escape. They also have a spa and personal saunas that you can use. Located near the front is a little cafe where you can get juice and snacks.

Overall it is a beautiful gym. It is very peaceful which is a nice change from many of the gyms I have visited. The clientele is much older for this gym. You will not find college students roaming around. If you are looking for a peaceful get away for your workouts this is the place. They only have one location which is at 25 West 14th Street. Right outside of Union Square between Avenue of Americas and 5th Avenue. Very easy to get to from any subway that stops in Union Square.

Prices are much more expensive than most clubs. The initiation fee to join is $500 but they run promotions throughout the year so maybe you will join while they are offering a promotion. Monthly dues are $180 a month if you sign a year contract or $200 a month with no contract. They also offer a discount rate if you pay for the entire year up front.

Like I said it is a beautiful gym and a peaceful get-a-way not exactly the speed I am looking for right now but it was beautiful! They offered me two weeks for free so I will be able to tell  you all about the classes! I am so excited! I can’t wait to tell you about my experience.

Images from Clay.

Filed under: Gyms | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Personal Training with Brynn Jinnett

Posted on February 15, 2010 by kymarie13

Through Dori, from Dori’s Shiny Blog, Charity auction I had the opportunity to work with celebrity trainer Brynn Jinnett.

Brynn Jinnett is a former professional ballet dancer with the New York City Ballet and numerous companies in the U.S., Canada and abroad, including Boston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. She is a certified personal trainer and classical Pilates instructor and has taught dance, Pilates, yoga and cardio sculpt classes at Sports Club LA, Ralph Lauren, Reebok Sports Club, Clay and Harvard University. She trained in a variation of the Lotte Berk technique at Physique 57, where she served as an instructor in the Physique 57 and Physique Pilates programs. She left Physique to teach as a senior instructor at Exhale Spa. Combining her training in Pilates, yoga, dance and traditional strength training, Brynn developed her signature strength training class, called Transfigure. She launched a pilot program of Transfigure in the fall of 2008 at Sports Club LA and has attracted the attention of Self, Women’s Health, Timeout and Health Magazines. Brynn’s celebrity clients have included Kelly Ripa, Ryan Gosling, Ivanka Trump, Barbara Walters, Chelsea Clinton, Trish McEvoy and Karolina Kurkova. She is a Harvard graduate with a degree in Russian Literature and course work in management at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

I had heard many wonderful things about Brynn from Dori but I had no idea what to expect. She told me that she would meet me at my apartment and we would train there. We started with a warm up (similar to the one in Core Fusion) and then we moved to my couch, I don’t think I will ever look at my couch the same. She had me doing push ups and different kind of squats from my couch, I was in so much pain! Don’t worry it was good pain :) . Her technique was a mix of strength training, ballet, and Core Fusion. I really liked it! It had a really good variety in it, which was one of the things I really liked about her technique. Doing the same things day in and day out is not good for your body so I was very happy with the variety. Not only did I like her technique she was very attentive to what I wanted to get out of the session. Any problem I had she listened to and she said she would help me, which was so nice and she didn’t have to offer her help! Overall I had an amazing experience with Brynn. I plan on working with her in a lot more. She is planning on opening her own studio in the near future so check back for updates and I will let you know when the Grand Opening is! You will definitely see me there! If you would like to contact Brynn for personal training please contact me and I will give you all her information.

Filed under: Workouts | Tagged: , , , | 4 Comments »

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