I love working out.
Whether it’s 5 a.m. or 6 p.m., the feeling of being out of breath and burning muscles make working out one of my favorite activities. It feels so good to move my body, accomplish a rigorous activity and feel that boost of endorphins afterward.
This past week, I decided to try different gyms in Kansas City. I’ve already tried Powerlife, and with how crowded every class was, it was easy to cross it off my list of possible gyms. So, I went looking for a HIIT workout in three other locations — Crunch Fitness, 2020Fit and Sweat Lab.
Crunch Fitness:
My first stop was Crunch Fitness on Shawnee Mission Parkway, and to say the least, I was nervous. I’m not a commercial-gym person, but after seeing the variety of class options provided — like zumba, cycling and yoga — the gym seemed promising enough to offset my initial anxiety.
Signing up for a free-day trial on their website was straightforward, and walking in, I was greeted personally by the manager, Gary, who helped check me in and show me around.
The main gym was giant, and full of standard equipment like treadmills and cross trainers. The women’s locker room and studios for classes were in the back. The first thing I noticed was how clean and organized everything was.
I took “AcelerateHIIT,” a HIIT class divided into four parts — warmup, interval training, relays and a cooldown.
The warmup made me feel stupid, jumping side to side and punching thin air felt comical. There was no way this would actually warm me up for the workout.
I enjoyed the next portion, intervals between 10 different stations with movements varying between footwork, deadbugs, lunges and battle ropes. The movements spiked my heart rate and helped improve my speed — what I really needed to work on with my lacrosse season starting soon.
The class ended with a team relay, which was odd to say the least. My team was filled with random people from the class and unless I’m counting 7th-grade soccer practice, I’ve never done something similar as a part of a workout.
Though the class didn’t leave my body feeling like jello, I left feeling successful, having found another gym I’d try again.
2020Fit:
Opening up the double doors to 2020Fit in Prairie Village, I was immediately greeted by the gym’s warm atmosphere. The coffee lounge was filled with sunshine streaming in from the windows and the arrangement of food and beverage options spiked my interest.
Being only two minutes away from my house, 2020Fit was a must-try choice on my list.
I took the 5:30 a.m. “Fit” class which was an EMOM — every minute on the minute — workout. It cycled through cardio, dumbbell snatches, bent over rows and AbMat sit-ups, finishing with five sets of 12 repetitions of a heavy kettlebell deadlift.
And, even though it was still dark outside, I could feel the energy in the air. Everyone in the class was chatting with each other and greeting me. It quickly became clear that the people at 2020Fit don’t just consider themselves workout buddies, but a community.
The workout was challenging and just what I needed to start the day. The coach, Brooke, made sure to assist me with different movements and challenged me during my deadlift by switching out my 25 lb kettlebell for a 50 lb one.
The 30-minute class left me energized for the day to come even though I knew I’d be sore later. Walking out of the gym under the pink sunrise with a sparkling orange LMNT in hand, I knew 2020Fit would see me again soon.
Sweat Lab:
I’d heard many contradicting reviews of Sweat Lab on Martway from my friends, so I was interested to try it out. I struggled to find a similar HIIT workout I had at Crunch Fitness and 2020Fit, but eventually settled on “Sculpt” — a hot muscle-building class with bursts of cardio to elevate heart rates — and their one week unlimited pass for $25.
The hot room intensified the workout and the cool towels that were passed out at the end felt like a reward for completing the class. The pink lighting and design of the interior set the perfect mood for a class full of all girls. And, as soon as the instructor, Becca, noticed a new face in the room, she came up to greet me.
I walked into the hot studio and found my spot, but the class was crowded and the people near me were nearly on top of me, causing us to hit each other more than a few times.
I usually do CrossFit workouts, so trying obscure movements everyone else was doing flawlessly made me feel like a baby fawn sometimes. But, I do love a challenge, and Sweat Lab is one that I will be facing again.
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