HIIT Me Up

Ready to tear up Tuesday like, HIIT me with your best shot! Fire away. If you’re a real tough cookie (or a softy searching for those abs – no judgment), here’s the lowdown on a few of my favorite (and new) HIIT classes in Chicago (and elsewhere), including the new FlyFit class at Flywheel, Barry’s Bootcamp, Studio Three, Shred415 and Sweat Fitness. With so many classes, it’s hard to choose. I can’t pick a favorite, so I do them all and let you decide! Check out my recap of all things HIIT below.

These days, it seems like every gym is trying to diversify, for good reason. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, HIIT workouts (or high intensity interval training) is the number one workout in the U.S. for a second year in a row. The basic framework is bursts of all-out work separated by rest periods, which never seem to be long enough. People (myself included) are addicted to the adrenaline rush – and the results. According to Shape magazine, there are a multitude of benefits to this intense workout including:

Benefits of HIIT

–Efficiency: You can make dramatic changes to your body in half the time you’d spend slogging on the treadmill. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, it takes 6 to 8 weeks of endurance training to match the improvements you’ll see in aerobic capacity from just 2 weeks of HIIT.

–Fat Burning: Not only do you burn mega calories during HIIT, but it also revs up your metabolism for the next 24 hours so you can be burning calories while catching up on the Bachelorette afterwards.

–Lose Weight, Not Muscle:  HIIT preserve muscle as you lose weight while steady state exercise tends to result in muscle loss as well. Remember, strong is sexy!

Those are just a few examples of the power of HIIT. Ready to try out a class? Find my recap of the HIIT scene below.

FlyFit by Flywheel Sports

The newest kid on the block is FlyFit or Functional Intense Training at Flywheel Sports. Many are familiar with Flywheel as the mother of indoor performance cycling. In the past couple of years, Flywheel expanded to offer barre classes and this past month, brough HIIT to its Old Town location in Chicago. The classes are held in the barre room with free weights and a mat – that’s it! The basic format is circuit style workout with 5 rounds that include 3 exercises each. I went to Elana’s 7:00 a.m. Upper Body and Core class on a Tuesday and let me tell you, she turned. it. up! I wasn’t sure whether I’d actually be able to get my heart rate up enough without a treadmill or rower, but those burpees and split jumps did the trick! Unlike the barre classes, you do wear shoes (hello, weights!) and the weights are a bit heavier – you can choose upwards of 25 lbs (I think, don’t quote me though! I predominantly used something in the 10-15 range).  We also did some magic with resistance bands that had my arms feeling like Gumby afterwards – mission accomplished! The only downsides were that the room was relatively small, ventilation could have been a little better and I didn’t sweat quite as much as I would in a class with a treadmill. All in all, a good burn for a day you might not be feeling like sprinting.

Barry’s Bootcamp

Barry’s claims to be the original high-intensity workout, but it’s only in the last year that the trendy chain made its way to Chicago with a location in Lincoln Park and River North. The infamous “red room” is where you “face yourself” and get ready to slay the day with 25 minutes of cardio and 25 minutes of strength – or opt to do a double on the floor and skip chasing your own tail on the treadmill. The instructors are top notch and the workout is never the same. It’s the place where sexy bodies are made and the tunes carry you away – as much as they can when you’re trying to keep pace. I generally habit the early morning classes at Lincoln Park, so #deathbytrista with Trista Greco is a fav, as are classes with Matt (best tunes and short shorts) and Holly (total spitfire). Only drawbacks to this work out are 1.) the lights are way too bright in the lobby for 6 a.m. (no one needs to see that well that early) 2.) I swear the treadmills are harder here than any other place – like in a “what kind of tricks are you trying to play?” kind of way and 3.) the transitions are a bit slow as everyone puts weights away after each round – snore. However, this place is great for: hard core HIIT fans who like a “scene”.

Studio Three

Studio Three has been on the Chicago scene for a couple of years now with a location in River North and soon-to-open this fall location in Lincoln Park (hell, yes!). I was originally drawn to Studio Three for the Peloton classes, but the basement Torch classes soon became a mainstay in my routine for the rowing machines. If you haven’t rowed (and I hadn’t until coming here) you are missing out on this hidden gem! Rowing works, get this – 86% of your muscles! Holy shiznit! And for someone with joint issues (raise your hand!), the integration of rowing is a knee-saver. At Studio Three, there are three rounds of various length on the treadmill, floor and rowers. I love that Studio Three keeps the transitions quick and your heart rate up. My fav instructor (and also the director of the interval program) is Dustin – he keeps the rowing segments interesting (think partner races) and goals reasonably achievable since most people are the least familiar with rowing. Only drawback is that some of the newer instructors don’t seem to know what to do to vary the rowing, so it can be a lot of long hauls. Studio Three is definitely great for all levels – tough workouts that are a bit easier on the knees vs all tread workouts and tons of showers (anyone else have shower anxiety when they walk out of class to find a huge line?).

Shred415

Shred415 is a Chicago born and bred chain of bootcamp-style studios that has exploded across the city and is starting to make it’s way to places like St. Louis and soon, Seattle! Bonnie and Tracy are the dynamic duo that started the explosion and will definitely give you bestie envy if you follow their Instagram! Like Barry’s the workout generally consists of 15-minute interval sessions alternating between high-speed chases on the treadmill and muscle making on the floor with free weights and sometimes resistance bands. Of all the HIIT studios, Shred415 offers the best tread workout in my opinion – generally you “set your pace” in the first few minutes and build from there with flat road sprints, rolling hills, steady climbs, you name it! Variety is the name of the game and I always feel like the goals are reasonable and personalized. Similar to Studio Three, transitions are much quick and Shred does a great job of keeping your heart rate up on the floor. Only downside is that the studios (there are a multitude of locations across the city) tend to be smaller. BUT the workout is far less intimidating and less “clubby” compared to Barry’s. There are too many great instructors, but to name just a few: my girl Caroleen, the always bubbly Wicker Park manager Julie, the svelte Alex and the sweet, but tough Alice. This one’s great for a less intimidating, but sweat-tastic workout, especially for runners who get bored with the “dreadmill” or flats of Chicago trails.

That’s a wrap! Holy roundup! The HIIT space is definitely getting bigger by the day and tough to keep track of all the options. But, variety is the spice of life! I highly recommend all of these studios for varying reasons and am always happy to answer questions – so HIIT me up if you want the real deal on any classes in Chicago because…I get around.

Photos courtesy of Studio Three, Shred415 and Barry’s Bootcamp. All classes attended by me, paid for by me!