There are certain questions we ask ourselves before trying out a new studio. Will there be fancy face wash in the bathrooms? Will the lighting be flattering? But above all else, the two things we really want to know are: Will I get a great workout? And will I feel comfortable?
More so than any other studio, The Fhitting Room brings approachability to a demanding workout that could otherwise scare the hell out of a first timer. The instructors are just so nice, skillful, and genuinely care about providing an awesome experience for every person who comes to class. The signature workout is co-taught, so there are 2 instructors in the room with 24 “Fhixers” during a completely full slot; that’s a pretty good ratio for individual attention. We realize this probably defies some sort of underlying proportion of the human population, but we have found every single trainer to be extremely welcoming to newcomers (and friendly with regulars), thorough in their exercise demonstrations, and hands on with corrections.
And from what we can tell, it’s this personal touch that makes The Fhitting Room stand out as one of the best HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) experiences in NYC. The workout itself is never the same, but consists of a few core, always challenging, components: an aerobic warm-up, a series of strength exercises, a circuit with 3-6 stations, and a grand finale known as the “Fhix,” a high intensity masterpiece that left us on the verge of yakking (in our defense, even the regulars were panting).
Something else worth noting. There are a ton of adult toys in the room (no, not that kind, sickos). In addition to body weight exercises like burpees and squats for speed, The Fhitting Room brings kettlebells and dumbells, rowers and SkiErgs (pain machine that simulates the motion of Nordic skiing), TRX straps and booty bands, and more, into the mix. It sounds like a lot, and it is. But throughout the workout, our instructors showed us the ropes (oh yeah, there are battle ropes too, and they’re a b*tch), explaining and demonstrating proper usage. We didn’t realize how much we sucked at rowing until one of the instructors spent a good two minutes correcting our posture and form on the rower; and then remembered to check back on us when we we hit that station of the circuit for a second time.
All in, The Fhitting Room might be one of the best full-body workouts in New York, without any pretension or intimidation, thanks to the expertise and attitude of the Fhit pros. We left each class feeling strong, happy (endorphins are the truth), and accomplished. Is there really anything else you could want from a workout?
Gonna Cost You
One of the pricier boutique classes out there, The Fhitting Room is $38/pop, and thus even more of a score when you can land a spot on ClassPass. You’ll need to shell out for water, too.
Instructor Vibe
You might have picked up on this already, but we’re a fan of each of The Fhitting Room instructors that we’ve encountered. Our favorite duo was probably Eric and Jason, both of whom have awesome energy and big personalities. Their encouragement really added that “it” factor to the workout, and we found that we were able to push ourselves harder than we thought we could.
Studio Sitch
In addition to the main Flatiron studio, there’s another, smaller class venue on the lower level (yeah, that’s right, two floors of HIIT). We’ve yet to take class in this “FhitPit,” but the nice folks at the front desk told us that it’s just like the signature class, but with only one instructor it’s capped at 10 people.
As for grooming and such, The Fhitting Room in Flatiron is tricked out with just about everything you could hope for, much less need. In addition to 3 bathrooms equipped with face wash, mouth wash et al., there are also several showers and blowdry/mirror stations.
