Sorry for the title. I started singing it, the words fit and I couldn't resist. This past month I've been all over town working out at the area's different fitness studios. Shoutout again to my cousin Jen for bringing this into my life!I love to workout, especially in a group fitness setting. Let me rephrase that. I hate working out unless it's in a group fitness setting. I have terrible self motivation and in a studio class I have an instructor yelling at me and a room full of people to not look like a wimp in front of.If you saw me in an actual gym all you'd see is me do is a quick jog on the treadmill followed by a few totally useless floor exercises.And with that as my fitness background, it's no surprise Barry's Bootcamp kicked my butt. This workout is no joke. Did I struggle? Yes. Did I love it? Also yes. I was sore for almost a week after my first class! I have to say, this studio was probably my favorite out of all the ones I tried. The style of the class is practically identical to studios like Orangetheory and Kamps, but there is something about Barry's that brings it to the next level. The circuits were challenging and engaging and the instructors were super high energy the whole time. BTW that is not a hen on my head. Just my bun being wild and living its truth! Chaise Fitness is a close, close second favorite. The class was focused on strength training and involved Pilates, barre and boot camp style exercises. Think: targeted toning, pulses and resistance. This one didn't make my #1 spot because it requires a lot of slow and controlled movements that I just frankly don't have the strength for. If I were able to take this class frequently, though, I'd build muscles and be able to keep up. Yes, I understand that is literally the premise of working out, but unfortunately I don't have the time or money to get the results from this class that others can. I still highly recommend this studio! Every instructor I had was fantastic and it is great if you are trying to tone.And then there's Flywheel! I love spin classes and frequently book my bike at Cyc Fitness in Madison. But, Cyc has set my standard for spin classes so high that Flywheel started at a disadvantage. Crazy enough, though, my first instructor was a former Cycologist at one of the New York locations. That first class felt kind of like Cyc, but nothing can ever quite top it. I really enjoyed Flywheel and it was challenging even for someone who claims to spin a lot. My favorite part was honestly probably the bike because it had a screen that said "Welcome Tenley" when I sat down. Suuuper high tech. Lastly, and definitely least, Exhale. I don't even have a picture from it because it was so uninteresting. I signed up for the cardio + barre class, but what I got was a weird combination of planking and boxing. Definitely did not get my heart rate up and we didn't once touch the barre. I can't hold a plank for more than 10 seconds to save my life and my arm strength is minimal, so I spent a lot of this class staring at myself in the mirror questioning my life choices. With all this time to reflect (pun intended) I learned two things:1. My right earlobe is bigger than my leftBUT more importantly...2. In life you get what you give. I didn't try my best in this class and my booty won't be poppin for it. I don't give my all in school or work and the consequences are much more substantial. It's so easy to be negative and lazy. I'm challenging myself to be more positive and to push myself even when I'm feeling tired or like giving up. It was a fun month trying new studios in the city and I not only feel physically stronger, but I also gained some mental toughness! Yay for fitness!