When SoulCycle launched its first studio in 2006...
...on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, it was the start of something special in fitness. The success of their unique brand of cycling, scented candles and superstar instructors showed that when it came to fitness, people were willing to pay premium prices for incredible experiences. The boutique segment of the fitness market was set on fire, which up to this point had consisted mostly of barre and yoga studios.
Since then, boutique, premium fitness in New York has exploded in popularity and in all directions, with every taste catered for across thousands of clubs and studios. The whole world has followed in its footsteps, but we’ll never forget that New York is where it really began.
At The Fit Guide, we’ve independently visited and objectively evaluated the leading 50 clubs and studios in New York, using highly-trained Experience Evaluators to score each visit across more than 250 standards.
Whether you’re looking for an amazing yoga class, barre studio or strength session, The Fit Guide will help you find the very best.
We've featured New York's leading fitness clubs and experiences here. Want to see how all 50 clubs ranked? Check out The New York Fit Guide.
Fhitting Room Flatiron
Concept HIIT/Strength
Address 31 W 19th St, New York, NY 10011
Fhitting Room has been a New York fitness staple since its launch in 2012. Our visit to the Flatiron club showed us why, with infectious energy from the coach combining with a strong community vibe to complete a class that is one of the industry leaders. Striking brand aesthetics, tech-enabled classes and slick showers and amenities rounded off a solid five-star fitness experience.
Overall Award ☆☆☆☆☆
Class Experience ☆☆☆☆☆
Physique 57 Soho
Concept Barre
Address 550 Broadway 3rd floor, New York, NY 10012
When it comes to immaculate service, some clubs just ‘get it’. Physique 57 is one of those spots, with every touchpoint of the journey delivered to the highest level. Our instructor radiated positive energy, circulating the studio to ensure everyone was at their right level and performing the movements correctly.
Physique 57 barre classes involve carefully-crafted movements that target your small muscle groups. An important part of any great class is having a coach that checks form and offers feedback and adjustments. Physique 57 delivers this in a big way.
Overall Award ☆☆☆☆☆
Class Experience ☆☆☆☆☆
Orangetheory Manhattan-Plaza District
Concept HIIT/Strength
Address 715 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022
From our call to the branch to the moment we walked out the door, it was clear that everyone on the Orangetheory team wanted to offer us a great experience. The workout offered the ‘OTF’ trademark run, row and strength components, but what really helped the Lexington branch stand out was the care and attention from the coach.
If you’re looking for community vibes, a supportive and inclusive atmosphere and slick, fresh facilities, Orangetheory Manhattan-Plaza District is a top choice, winning both our Fit Guide 5-Star Award, as well as our 5-Star Class Experience Award.
Overall Award ☆☆☆☆☆
Class Experience ☆☆☆☆☆
F45 Lower East Side
Concept HIIT/Strength
Address 100 Delancey St 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10002
You can always expect a fun environment and a well-structured workout at F45, but the Lower East Side branch really stood out in all areas. The visit was exceptional across the board, with friendly reception staff kicking off the visit in the right way, followed by the kind of knowledgeable and encouraging coach we’d like to see more of!
F45 HQ provides the formula, but it’s on the team to build connection and an incredible experience, and, in this area, F45 LES were one of the best we visited. Expect cardio and strength-based circuit training in an easy-to-follow and lively format.
Overall Award ☆☆☆☆☆
Class Experience ☆☆☆☆☆
MADabolic Brooklyn
Concept HIIT/Strength
Address 211 N 11th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
When we stepped out of Manhattan and visited MADabolic Brooklyn, little did we know that we would discover one of New York’s best strength sessions. Outside of the class, the reception team helped us glide through the experience like a hot knife through butter, answering our questions and prepping us for the main event - a well-structured, expertly coached class from an enthusiastic and attentive instructor.
MADabolic Brooklyn combined a great session with a strong sense of community and connection, and the end result was a winning formula.
Overall Award ☆☆☆☆☆
Class Experience ☆☆☆☆☆
Soul Cycle Hudson Yards
Concept Cycling
Address 556 W 33rd St, New York, NY 10001
Think of premium fitness; think of SoulCycle. The original boutique studio has locations dotted around New York and of the three we visited, we found Hudson Yards to be the standout location. Creating our five-star class experience was a team effort, starting with friendly help and assistance in getting us clipped in and ready to go. From here, our instructor took over, gave us 100% effort and took us on a musical journey.
Even with a busy class, the instructor was able to connect with us afterward, telling us we were “a natural on the bike”. This was a classy and much-appreciated touch to round off a great experience.
Overall Award ☆☆☆☆
Class Experience ☆☆☆☆☆
SLT Tread
Concept Pilates, HIIT/Strength
Address 88 Madison Ave 3rd floor, New York, NY 10016
Not sure whether to do pilates or cardio? SLT Tread has the solution, with a tailor made session that offers 25-minutes of each. Juggling two modalities is tough for both coach and client, especially when one of them uses the technical pilates reformer, however, our instructor did a wonderful job of delivering pilates and treadmill running in a smooth and effortless manner.
To build on this solid foundation, our instructor layered on personal touches and warm words of encouragement. This nicely wrapped up a high-quality and enjoyable five-star class experience.
Overall Award ☆☆☆☆
Class Experience ☆☆☆☆☆
Rise Nation NoHo
Concept HIIT/Strength
Address 676 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
Versaclimbers have made a big comeback in recent years, in large part due to the success of Rise Nation: a 30-minute climbing concept that’s attracted the likes of Lebron James and Jennifer Aniston.
Our instructor at Rise Nation NoHo made a great first impression by not only asking our name, but how we preferred to be addressed. What followed was a blend of pulsating, high-energy climbing sets combined with personalized and positive coaching. The class may only be 30-minutes, but it packed a punch that earned it our 5-Star Class Experience award.
Overall Award ☆☆☆☆
Class Experience ☆☆☆☆☆
Pure Barre Union Square
Concept Barre
Address 78 5th Ave 4th Floor, New York, NY 10011
Pure Barre is all about small movements with full-body benefits. Sounds great, but to get the full effects you need an instructor that can give you the right guidance and close attention. Fortunately, our instructor on the day was personable, attentive and clearly very knowledgeable. By the end of the session, we didn’t just feel the full-body benefits, we also had a lot of fun along the way.
Our five-star class experience was rounded off with warm words and a round of applause for everyone. Pure Barre, we’ll be back!
Overall Award ☆☆☆☆
Class Experience ☆☆☆☆☆
Aarmy
Concept Cycling
Address 636 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
Aarmy proudly states they’ll help you build your strongest, most resilient, most optimistic self. A bold claim, but after a 45-minute cycle session with Akin or his team you’ll understand exactly what this means. We love that Aarmy has created a five-star class experience that oozes class and glamour, without it feeling exclusive or cliquey.
This is a hard balance that many studios fail to find, but our visit to Aarmy had the music, the vibe and the energy to rank it as one of our favorite New York club visits. We were hitting high fives with our neighbors after each song - not the forced, awkward kind, but a meaningful connection that said ‘welcome to the Aarmy’.
Overall Award ☆☆☆☆
Class Experience ☆☆☆☆☆
[solidcore] Chelsea
Concept Pilates
Address 155 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011
[solidcore] has delivered strength training on pilates-inspired reformers to over 100,000 people, including Michelle Obama. Big numbers and celebrity endorsement do not always mean quality, but in the case of [solidcore] the hype is justified. We found that the mood lighting and music, coupled with clear, concise and personalized coaching completed an excellent class experience.
[solidcore] openly states that ‘the work is the joy’, so our expectations were that this would be a fun, enjoyable class. The 50-minute immersive experience didn’t let us down.
Overall Award ☆☆☆☆
Class Experience ☆☆☆☆☆