How many of us find it difficult to find an hour for the gym? I know I struggle with finding the time between work, social events, and running errands. Well, get ready for this, because I have found Chicago’s best kept fitness secret; a studio that offers a full body, high-intensity interval training workout in just 30 minutes. 30 MINUTES! This fantasy studio is called Hardpressed, located on Michigan and Wacker in Chicago.
The gym is setup station style with a tabata workout at each station. The stations range from treadmills and bikes to exercises with heavy weights and sandbags. What sets this class apart from other tabata style classes is the energy and the class size. I think there were tops 12 people in my class, which allowed for a more personalized experience with the instructor (as opposed to a Barry’s class where you are one of ~60). The energy that stems from a small group feels more like a team, we all felt like we were all in it together.
My instructors name was Mike McClain and I knew from the second I stepped on the floor he meant business. Because of the small class size he was able to individually motivate us to go faster and push harder (which is perfect for me as I tend to slack off when I’m not being watched!). Within the first 3 minutes my heart was pounding and I was sweating, I was so confused because I thought I was in shape! The next 27 minutes weren’t fun, but it felt awesome to know that I got just as good of a workout as I do in my usual hour classes. On top of everything else, I have never felt so sore afterwards from a class. It has been 2 days and it is still hard to walk up the stairs.
Word of warning, this is a very difficult class, so if you are new to working out I wouldn’t suggest Hardpressed as your very first taste at exercise. Even for you vets, I would suggest coming to class early to talk to the instructor about easing into the workout.
Signup for your first Hardpressed class for free by going their website at Hardpressed.com. You can also buy a 3 pack post class for $15. I know you think I’m lying, because how can an awesome workout be 30 minutes and so cheap. I dare you to check it out for yourself!
From Hardpressed.com
Sweaty Reviews 