Studio: BACH

Class: H.I.I.T. (High Intensity Interval Training)

Instructor: Nathan

Nestled among a sushi bar and a fancy Brazilian steakhouse, lives BACH, a beautiful and modern exercise studio. Pronounced “batch” (like batch of cookies…which definitely derailed my thinking for some of the workout..yummmm), the studio pulls from its New Zealand origins in both decor and philosophy.

Upon entering, my fellow newbie and I were given a tour of the studio, along with a lesson in the BACH story. The front of the studio features an espresso bar and lounge-y area, while the downstairs area houses a yoga studio and HIIT room. There is even a super neat meditation room with a full universe of stars lighting up the ceiling!

The HIIT room is where I would be spending my time, so I headed on in. The setup of the room can be a little intimidated. It is half cycle bikes, half green astro turf and half FitBenches (a new one for me). Nathan, the instructor for the day, welcomed everyone in. He was great about noting the first timers, and helping them set up the bikes. The bikes are different from the other types of bikes I’ve used before. They have a lever in the center that flips from 1 to to 2 to 3, depending on what the instructor tells you, plus a gear knob.

We started out on the turf first, each in our own numbered lane. I must say…this class is no joke. You are constantly moving, constantly pushing yourself. We used TRX straps, weights, resistance bands, weighted balls, our own body weight, we sprinted, we spun, we high-knee-ed. Basically you do it all. I’m not someone who sweats a whole lot (thank you good genes!) but man… did I sweat in this class. Nathan was great about coming around and helping with form and technique. There is also a great team atmosphere to the classes. At one point we did shuttle runs up and down the turf, high-fiving our partner on the return sprint.

Overall, the studio is gorgeous. Such a beautiful space, and everyone is incredibly friendly. The class itself is not easy by any means, but if you can make it through a bootcamp class, you can do this. I had a great time! Now if only that sushi restaurant next door had morning hours 🙂 ….

Studio: One of the most beautiful studios I’ve been in. Lots of attention to detail. Everyone is very friendly.

Instructor: Nathan was great. Helped with form, and was encouraging. Also probably one of the most in shape people I’ve ever met…and he had been up since 3AM! A trooper.

Class: Challenging, in the best way. 45 minutes of work.

Written by Anna Smith