ClassPass Review: Is it Worth it?

I started off this new year as many people do – with a resolution to become more fit. But as we all know, if we don’t have measurable goals and instead refer only to vague ideas like “get in shape” and “work out more”, we won’t be able to know whether or not we really achieved our goals. I knew I wanted to join some sort of gym or workout program, but I just felt like I wouldn’t utilize a gym enough to justify the monthly cost. When I saw that ClassPass was having a free month trial for the new year, I jumped on it immediately. Now that January is winding down, I’m here to share my review of ClassPass Los Angeles and explain why I believe it’s worth a try!

An Overview

First off, if you aren’t aware of what ClassPass is, it’s a subscription-based program that allows members to try out various fitness and health-related classes in their area without having to commit to one gym or studio. There are varying membership levels, based on how often you plan to work out, as well as a credit system. Confused? So was I, but let’s jump into it.

Membership Levels

Here are the membership costs for Los Angeles. I’m told these vary by city, so if you aren’t in a top city like Los Angeles, the cost is lower. For example, it’s $39 instead of $49 for the second plan.

So as you can see, the lowest level costs $19 a month and goes all the way up to $199 a month. You can also get a two-week free trial by clicking here. Below you can see where it estimates the number of classes you can take with the given credits. Let’s move into an explanation of the credit system.

Credit System

Each class is worth a different amount of credits, as you can see in my screenshot below. Depending on the popularity and type of class, the credit requirement will vary dramatically. For example, there’s a small local studio near me that often has 4 credit spin classes. Just down the street, there’s a Barry’s Bootcamp, which has classes that range from 14-19 credits. In case you aren’t familiar with Barry’s, it’s an extremely intense HIIT and strength workout with one class costing normally about $30. I typically go to pilates, barre, yoga, and spin classes that cost no more than 9 credits, but we’ll get more into the classes later.

There will often be “Good Value” deals too. This means that a class has temporarily dropped in credit price, so I recommend booking it to get the best deal! Often times you can save extra credits to use later if you frequently check the app for these “Good Value” deals. I find spin classes all the time that drop to 3 or 4 credits!

What happens if you don’t use all your credits in a month or need more? Well, up to 10 unused credits roll over each month. Note that your credit rollover restarts each cycle so unused credits do not accumulate cycle to cycle.

What if you need a few more credits to fit one more class into the month? You can add an extra 2 credits for $5, 10 for $20, 25 for $50 or 50 for $95. Or you can upgrade your plan at any time if you feel like you need more credits in order to fit in all your desired workout.

So what credit plan did I choose?

I went with the $49 plan and I definitely can get 7-9 classes out of it. If you shop around for the lower credit classes, you can try so many different options throughout the month. Plus, there are plenty of open gyms that allow you to come to use the gym for as long as you want for just 1-2 credits! So even if you’re of a gym rat, ClassPass would be great for you as well. Basically what I’m saying is, I haven’t felt restricted so far with the $49 plan and have been able to take 1-3 classes a week. For someone who has a busy schedule, I think that works perfectly!

Other things to note…

If you do want to cancel a class for some reason, you have to do it at least 12 hours in advance. Otherwise, you’ll be charged a $15 cancellation fee. ClassPass is great at reminding you by email that you have a class coming up, but don’t forget what you have scheduled, because paying $15 for no reason isn’t fun at all.

My Class Experience

So far I’ve loved that I’ve been able to enjoy a wide variety of classes. I’m someone who loves running long distances, but I also like to mix up my workouts with strength and HIIT exercises.

I was also worried that there would be a certain stigma against ClassPass users at the studio. Often in LA, I feel like fitness studios can come off very culty and cliquey. Just because I don’t plan on being a regular and paying $200 for a month of pilates doesn’t mean I can’t come to enjoy a class or two every month! But this fear was simply irrational. Every studio I’ve been in so far has been nothing but welcoming despite me being a ClassPass user and not an actual studio member. This could just be an LA thing, especially since I live near the beach where everyone is disturbingly nice, very zen and overly welcoming.

If you live in the South Bay area like me, I highly recommend the classes that I’ve been to! So far, I’ve taken the following classes:

Cycle/Sculpt at Fit On Studios

This was my first ClassPass class ever. It’s a small studio a few minutes from my house where they hold spin and barre classes. It’s not too fancy and doesn’t have a pretentious vibe either. The front desk assistant was super kind to me when I walked in and told her this was my first time here. She walked me through everything and told me what to expect. I showed up WAY too early because ClassPass often has this threatening message that IF YOU DON’T SHOW UP 15 MINUTES EARLY YOU WON’T BE LET IN. And I didn’t know how strictly enforced that was or not, so I showed up 25 minutes early to sign the waiver and get set up in class.

The class overall was a nice workout. I really enjoyed the instructor and the music and I had never taken a class where halfway through we got off the bikes to go to the mats and work on strength exercises. I would’ve preferred to continue riding, but it was worth the try. The workout we did on the mats was not very challenging, it was very basic bicep curls, lunges, deadlifts, squats, and all with relatively light hand weights. The room was a bit too crowded once everyone got off their bikes, but it was a nice workout. I still felt accomplished after the class, but I kept in mind that I would return for spin classes only.

All Level RockIt Pilates – RockIt Body Studio

THIS. CLASS. I saw that there was a pilates studio with reformers just down the street from my house and I had always been curious to try the reformer machines. At a mere 8 credits, I signed up for a 9 am class on a Saturday morning.

Again, I showed up super early and walked in the front door right into the end of the class before me. I felt super awkward at first, thinking I should’ve gone through the back or something. But the instructor said hello and came up to me while her students were doing an exercise, and helped check me in. As the class winded down, my instructor came in, asked me if I’d ever done pilates before and walked me through everything I could expect and gave me a tutorial on how to use the reformers.

The class itself was insane! Even just the first exercise had my legs burning. They do a “burnout method” meaning they work every muscle group until you literally can’t do another rep. By the end of the leg exercises, my legs were trembling and I was trying so hard to get them to stop. But I wasn’t the only one in the class struggling, it’s hard! But it felt really great.

After going through arm and core exercises on the reformer, it seemed like the class flew by. Before I knew it, the instructor said it was time to stretch. Overall, this class left me feeling AMAZING and I was sore for the next 3 days. It really helps lengthen and strengthen your muscles, so if you’re going for a lean and toned look, I definitely recommend a pilates class for sure.

Pure Barre – Classic Barre

After pilates, I was eager to take another class the following weekend, but the classes were all booked up. Instead, I decided to try barre, since I knew that would be another great strength workout to supplement my running.

Again, I showed up and the front desk assistant was very kind and welcoming. I filled out my waiver and told them it was my first time. They immediately had a teacher guide me through what I could expect and helped get my equipment for me. Honestly, don’t hide it if it’s your first time! It feels so much better to get some help instead of being thrown into a class that you aren’t ready for.

PureBarre is super fast-paced. At first, I was concerned about how fast we were flying into the next exercises, but it really helped the class go by quickly. The exercises were new and different to me, some using light weights and others using a resistance band.

Barre is a fusion of ballet, pilates, and strength exercises, but don’t be concerned if you aren’t a dancer. I have 0 flexibility and I could still do this class. Sure I guess I can’t pull my leg as high and straight as others when we’re doing leg lifts at the barre, but I still felt those workouts.

Again, I left with burning muscles but felt really great. You’re sure to get a tough sweaty workout here and I loved it. The energy inside the classroom was great, the instructor helps with your form if and when you need it, and everyone is very welcoming.

Other Fun Options

When I signed up for ClassPass, I had NO idea you could do classes beyond your average fitness classes. You can get massages, facials, cryotherapy, and spa time. Sure, these may cost upward of 10 credits, but I saw some cryotherapy sessions for less than that! There are also meditation classes and groups as well, but they aren’t available during your free trial.

You can also rent kayaks or paddleboards if you’re more of an outdoorsy person. Again, let me remind you I live near the beach so I saw some rentals in Marina Del Rey for only 6-8 credits. How cool is that? If you want to have a workout and enjoy the beach some weekend, you could use credits to rent one of those! I’m sure there are other exercise-related rental shops near you that you can use through ClassPass, so check it out!

So…is it worth it and who benefits from it?

I definitely think ClassPass is worth it.

If you’re someone like me who enjoys running outside or on your own treadmill at home but also wants to spice up your routine with different exercises, this is great. I love training my body in different ways and could never commit to just pilates or spin. It would be WAY too expensive to sign up for memberships at all these different studios. Basically, if you need and want variety in your workouts, ClassPass is 100% for you.

Also, if you have a crazy busy schedule, ClassPass also provides the flexibility you need. I work from about 10 to 6 Monday through Friday. But due to traffic, I have to leave around 9:15 to start my commute and don’t get home until around 7 pm. As much as I enjoy working out before work, I don’t have the discipline to wake up for 6 am or 7 am fitness classes every day. So I find that doing 1 to 2 classes during the week plus a fun pilates class on the weekend is perfect for me. Or if I want to sneak in some gym time after work, I can use one credit to go to an open gym near me. It’s flexible, it’s great, and it has literally any class you can imagine.

You can use ClassPass anywhere you go. If you’re traveling to a new city for work or vacation, check out the available gyms near you. Maybe you can sneak in a spin class before your business meeting that morning! I love the flexibility and variety of classes that allow me to push myself and my body in new and different ways with each class.

So, if one of your goals this year was to work out and become more fit, I highly recommend ClassPass! You won’t get bored with doing the same old thing at a gym and you’ll have instructors and classmates to push you to do your best. Seriously, switching things up cures boredom and that way you won’t just give up on your fitness goals.

If you’re ready to try ClassPass, click here to get 2 weeks free to try all new workouts.

 

What are you waiting for? Challenge yourself this year and invest in your health. I hope you enjoy! If you have any other questions about the trial, classes provided, or FAQ, visit www.classpass.com or comment below!