Every November in the MOde house is like a trip to Oz. It’s one of our biggest events of the year at the day job. Our colleagues basically trick out an NYC’s Jacob K Javits convention center and turn it into a visual fairytale for two days that get capped off by the hospitality design world’s Oscars (which Mary emcees). We put together a 2-day intensive for designers on hot-button topics, including a working steampunk workshop, virtual reality demos and 3D printing how-tos.It also means 15-hour workdays that leave said staff thinking that Tuesday is Saturday…
For the two of us, that means we really NEED our fitness time more than ever to rev up and recharge, especially in NYC where walking and running outside aren’t easy. We love to bribe ourselves with trying a new class we can’t (yet) do at home. This time, we decided to hit up 305 Fitness in Midtown after a day of meetings and receptions. The verdict? 5 out of 5 sweaty selfies. We both knew that the “challenge” element has been missing for us lately. We were kind of stuck at classes that never pushed us to the point where we really had to focus to keep going, especially with cardio dance. Fun? Sure. Breathless? Not so much. Our 305 class was one of those ones you actually want to work UP to being able to do better/with ease. We got through it and had a blast, but there’s always higher legs, cleaner arms, or bigger movements to strive for.
The studio: 305 Fitness Midtown
The check-in: We were walk-ins with about 5 mins to go (with leggings already on under work heels). The teacher was at the front desk along with a super-nice colleague. They got us signed up and took us on a tour of the playfully cheeky, Miami-inspired space (studios are named after Miami streets). There are locker rooms and showers, but don’t count on privacy—changing in the public part of the locker room seems like the preferred shortcut to hitting the dancefloor. Studios have a live DJ and club lighting, so get ready for a party atmosphere.
What it is: It’s set up as 30 minutes of dancing, then a 5-minute toning segment (we got arms, lucky us), a series of partner cardio drills like mountain climbers, then more dancing and a stretch.
The MOde verdict: First off, 305 is a lot more fitness than dance. Oriana’s running miles and Mary’s core bootcamp classes weren’t wasted work here. That could be a bad thing for some, but we liked the intensity of choreography (lots of kicks and jumping jacks, less footwork). The energy in the room—and the mad skills of the other students—really make pushing yourself feel even more fun.
Stay tuned for an interview with our instructor, HD!