This review is for a class taken on Sunday, June 14 at noon.
My plans for the Saturday night before I took the Row House Full Body class were fairly tame, so I decided to sign up for a class the next day, somewhere near my apartment. Based on proximity alone, I selected Row House. It’s only one block north and one block east of my place, so I figured I could sleep in and definitely get there by noon (I know that sounds crazy but I am NOT a morning person. So on a Sunday, this is a big move for me). That and I had never tried rowing before, and all the girls at my old gym used to looked so badass on that “Erg” (which I learned is the proper name for a rowing machine). So I thought, why not. Let’s try out rowing.
Basic Breakdown
Class Name: Row House Full Body
Instructor: Kelsey Slaughter
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
Sweat Factor (out of 5): 3/5
Fun Factor (out of 5): 4/5
Class Overview:
Thank goodness for ClassPass, or I literally never would have known this studio existed. It’s located inside the Sacred Heart Athletic Center on E 91st Street, on the 4th floor. There’s some signage, but not enough that I would ever know to even look for it. But as long as I made it there, right?
The dude who checked me in was super cool. Really nice, asked if it was my first time (did my pink scrungie, little arms and sorority tank top give it away that I’m not a rower?), and when I told him that I was, he immediately introduced me to the instructor. Kelsey was so sweet. Right away she shared with me a few basic things to keep in mind during the class to make sure I was doing it right, and reminded me the important thing was to have fun. The studio was basic – a room with about 14 ergs facing a mirror. Extremely clean, well lit, good sound quality. Our class filled was about 3/4 of the way full – all chicks (another surprise). Kelsey put on a Top Hits playlist and we began.
First of all – who knew rowing was so much about your BOOTY?! I thought this was an upper back and shoulder workout. Nope, this is full body, babes. Kelsey made sure we were utilizing all the right muscles, from our booties to hamstrings, core, arms and back. We did intervals on the ergs, and then hopped off the rowing machines to do floor exercises (mostly squats, some core work, and a few pushups towards the end). It was a great workout – one that targets muscles I’m not used to using so much. Plus, it was fun! It felt like a race at some points, and nothing gets me riled up like some good old fashioned competition.
Everything I thought I knew about rowing before taking a Row House class
Additional Details:
- I would be sure to wear longer leggings instead of shorts. I’m sure you’d be okay in shorts, but you do get pretty up close and personal to the machinery. Plus, there’s no mat for the floor exercises between intervals on the erg, and I hate being bare legged on studio floors.
- No towels to rent – make sure you bring your own (you’ll need at least one)! Also there are no lockers, but like I said the class was small and we all just put our stuff in the back (where we could see it in the mirror).
- Clean and roomy bathrooms for changing.
- BYO Water Bottle.
- While it’s a good workout, it’s fairly low-impact so you won’t leave the sweaty mess you do after a spin class.
Will Visit Again?: I will! In fact, I booked a class for a week from now. They also offer a Core-focused version of this class. It’s a nice change of pace, and I enjoyed working muscles I don’t use as often! Plus, it was a fun time! 🙂
Will Squat For Snacks 