Website: switchplaygroundusa.com
Location: 130 E 12th St
Instructors I’ve tried: Jenna Arndt
Price: 1st class free, $35/class, $400 for monthly unlimited
Sweat Level: 2.5/3
Amenities: Showers, Lockers, Towels
Switch Playground is new to the NYC fitness scene. The studio first opened in South Africa and made its way to the city in November 2016. My friends and I took advantage of the first class free deal, and went to Switch on Black Friday during their soft opening.
Before class, the front desk informed us that it would be a partner workout. We thought this meant that we’d have to interact with each other while we workout, but this just means that you travel to each station with your partner. The class is held in a dark studio with neon lights, and there is a live DJ near the entrance. Class starts with a short yoga flow as a warm up. The majority of class is spent at 10+ stations with two minutes of switching off between two exercises at each station before the main instructor yells “Switch!” When you’ve gone through all the stations, class will end with a stretching session. The studio has all sorts of equipment – rowing machines, spin bikes, ellipticals, treadmills, weights, bands, etc. so you’ll get a unique, full body workout.
According to the studio, they’re always mixing up the stations & class format, so no class is the same. While there is one main instructor that leads the warm-up & cool-down, there are also many other “assistant” trainers (one trainer per one or two stations). They’ll help you understand what exercise you’re supposed to be doing, but I personally thought it was hard to hear them with the loud music. While I picked up on some of the exercises quickly, I still had some “wtf” moments. If you’re a beginner, it might take you a few classes to get comfortable with the format. It can also be difficult to learn proper form since it’s so dark and you’re moving through stations so quickly.
Click here to read more