CityRow
CITYROW is one of the top NYC rowing studios on my list. Strap into your rower and find out why!
The Studio is essentially a rowing studio that offers low-impact, HIIT workout classes with a focus on cardio & core. I went to the studio located on 5th Avenue by Union Square, but there is another CITYROW fitness studio on 3rd Avenue on the Upper East Side as well.
The Workout is a 50-minute long full-body workout that helps to improve endurance and stability. From planks to squats to pushups, the instructor led us through class ensuring that we maintained proper form and posture. And I haven’t tried it out yet, but there are also classes specifically geared towards cardio and conditioning, which is right up my alley.
Most of the basic class that I took consists of rowing. I think this is great for getting into the right habits, in terms of maintaining the correct form. And to keep things interesting, the class involves alternating high-intensity interval training, which then picks up the pace towards the end with speed rounds of the different repetitions that we’d been doing throughout the whole class. This is the the part that will help to improve endurance, by tapping your shoulders and hips while holding a plank or weighted squats.
If done correctly, you will feel the burn in your core, arms, and legs. And that feeling may last until the day after your workout. According to CITYROW, “each stroke on the row machine works 84% of your muscles for a true total body workout.” I totally believe that this morning! Perhaps, rowing itself couldn’t possible work the entire body. But, the conditioning in between the row sessions in class are what complete the workout.
Rowing is a great low impact workout that I strongly recommend to athletes of all levels. The class is just challenging enough for those who are generally physically active. But, it could be a struggle for some who are a bit out of shape, say maybe just after the holidays.
And because you’re in close enough quarters for a high-five from your neighbor, I recommend rowing with friends. Rally up your crew and row further together at CITYROW! Rowers are first come-first served, so get there early or call in advance to let the studio know about your group.
The Rower itself is specific to the studio brand. The CITYROW GO rower machine was developed in partnership with WaterRower, which can be used with the bluetooth monitor in combination with an app to track data about your fitness progress. So if convenience is super important to you, the at-home rowing workout is an option. The CITYROW GO app can also be used with any rower, so you can use it at your local gym.
The Coaches are all spoken very highly of. I can only speak on the instructor who led my class last night— Christopher Brand. Chris was great at leading the class all together at the same pace and coming around to give pointers to any students who needed it, like when form or posture needed an adjustment.
Tips? Form is extremely important. Make sure you push from your heels and hinge over to reach those arms all the way over the front of the platform. City Row describes their workout as “low-impact and form-centric,” which should reduce the risk of injury.
Don’t forget to share your CITYROW experience on social media, using either #RowFurther or #RowFurtherGoFurther!
In case you’re wondering how I discovered CITYROW in the first place, it was from a tweet with this article about “legit” NYC rowing fitness classes, in which Row House, Rowgatta, and a few other studios that I recently visited was also on this list.
CITYROW is one of the top NYC rowing studios on my list. Strap into your rower and find out why!