Workout classes near Fort Greene?

November 5, 2009 1:46 PM

Brooklyn folk: Are there any affordable gyms in the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill area that offer strength training classes? Anything nearish to Atlantic Center would be excellent.

I'm not interested in yoga or pilates, and I'd like to keep it near the 11238 zip code. Google turns up very little promising leads. Thanks!

posted by zoomorphic to health & fitness (9 comments total)

To be honest, most strength training classes (like "tone 'n' shape" or whatever the hell they call them) are a pile of crap. If I were you, I'd buy a copy of Starting Strength or New Rules of Lifting for Women (SS is more technical but a little more hilarious--the author's first sentence reads like it came from a Conan movie), start out with light weights and learn yourself. There are many forums on the web where you can record your movements and get coaching.
posted by schroedinger at 2:31 PM on November 5

I like classes because if I pay lots of money up front, I'm more likely to follow through with the workouts. I'm not very familiar with weightlifting so I'd prefer to start with a class monitored by a professional.
posted by zoomorphic at 2:42 PM on November 5

The Dodge Y is probably the cheapest option for the area and is on Atlantic & Court, so a little far over. It definitely has personal trainers and considering how much cheaper it is than a regular gym, that might work out.
posted by dame at 2:54 PM on November 5

i live in that neighborhood--I go to Body Reserve on 5th and Union in park slope. i don't know how the classes are, though.
posted by Ollie at 3:11 PM on November 5

I go to Body Reserve too (maybe I've seen Ollie there and not even known it). Small, unpretentious, neighborhoody. I've only ever been to the Pilates classes, and they're pretty good. They don't have a ton of classes though, so check the schedule on their site and make sure there are some that work with your schedule.

If I lived closer to the Dodge Y I'd go there. It's brand new, it looks like they have a ton of classes, they're about the same price as Body Reserve, and they have a pool.
posted by doift at 4:36 PM on November 5

There are several Crossfit locations in NYC, but I'm not sure how easy they are for you to get to. Apart from that I agree with schroedinger. The quality of the training in most commercial gyms is atrocious.
posted by ludwig_van at 7:37 PM on November 5

You miiiiiiight be able to join Pratt's gym.
posted by clockzero at 8:05 PM on November 5

Thanks, everyone. I was pointed to a Crunch branch in our neighborhood and then opted to buy a bench press and free weights on Craigslist instead.
posted by zoomorphic at 5:07 AM on November 6

Was just going to suggest that Crunch. The YMCA in Bed-Stuy is also a good one -- and you can get a bus on Greene that runs directly there and back.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:35 AM on November 6