June 6, 2016 press No Comments

Localist Guide: The Best New Fitness Classes Across Canada

 

View the Original Article Here

Our correspondents in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax tried more than 25 new workouts across the country to bring you the definitive list of the best new ways to break a sweat this summer.

Ania Boniecka, Gracie Carroll, Caitlin Kenny, Gabrielle Lacasse, Nicolina Leone, Cara McLeay and Ellen Yeung

We can admit it: few things inspire us to get back to the gym more than the onset of bikini season. But as motivated as we feel to work, work, work, work, work, work for a beach bod to rival Rihanna’s, we’re SO over the boring treadmill and free weights circuit we’ve been doing FOREVER. These days we’re all about trying unique group classes that make getting our sweat on a fun, social activity in addition to a killer workout. So, with that in mind, we’ve enlisted the help of our Localists-at-Large across the country—Cara McLeay in Vancouver, Ania Boniecka in Calgary, Gracie Carroll in Toronto, Nicolina Leone in Ottawa, Gabrielle Lacasse in Montreal and Ellen Yeung in Halifax—to bring you the ultimate list of the best fitness classes in Canada (with a handy “sweat factor” ranking!). Happy planking!

Toronto: CrossFit

Where: CrossfitYKV, 175 Avenue Rd., crossfitykv.com

The Vibe: When I think of a CrossFit workout I think of it taking place in a dark cave with a lot of scary men around. A bright, luxe space in the heart of Yorkville is definitely not what I imagined, but it’s what got me to to try CrossFit for the first time.

What It Is: Even though CrossFit is nothing new, it’s a rather dude-focused workout that a lot of women are just starting to get into. As this new gym’s website puts it, CrossFit is “constantly varied functional movements executed at high intensity.” Make sure you’ve got your game face on for this one.

My Experience: This is not what I’d recommend if you’re new to weight training, but if you’re ready to take things to the next level, you should definitely check this out.

Sweat Factor: 5/5