10 Group Fitness Classes That Are Actually Doing It Right

Yahoo

23-07-2025

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More and more guys are embracing group fitness. Why? Because group classes deliver science-backed muscle-building and cardio-enhancing tactics. Not sure how to get the most out of the new group fitness scene? We've got everything you need right here.
NAKED YOGA. UNDERWATER bicycling. Indoor surfing (yep, that's a thing). Group fitness is, and always has been, all over the map—which is why it never truly helped guys muscle up. When you go from a squat into a bicep curl into a lateral raise, the only thing your muscles get is confused.
But times have changed, and so has group training. As mainstream fitness culture has gradually started to understand the importance of building muscle and training for longevity, boutique and big box gyms have increasingly shifted their class structures away from endless burpees and lightweight sweat sessions and deeper into the weight room.
Guys are buying in. Nearly 40 percent of men participate in some form of group fitness. Why? Because not only does group fitness finally have a cool factor (seriously, it does!), but a new breed of high-quality, science-backed classes can now help you reach all your fitness goals.
Behind us are the days of hour-long sweatfests filled with random exercises; more and more boutique and box gym classes have refocused around proven ideas like progressive overload and time under tension. That means fewer rounds of burpees to infinity and more classic strength moves delivered in innovative and fun formats. And all of that in a place that allows you to build a community and stay accountable with your friends? We're in.
Group fitness is still far from perfect. Overstuffed class sizes and one-sized-fits-all programming mean you might not always get the perfect workout for your fitness goals and fitness level. And yeah, you'll still see the occasional burpee-to-front-raise-and-spin-around combo in some classes. So you'll need to be strategic about how you build a fitness regimen with group classes (more on that here). But there's a lot to love on the group landscape, which is exactly what we learned after running, lifting, boxing, yoga-ing, and indoor surfing (yup, we did it!) through class after class in search of our 10 absolute favorites.
MADabolic
You've done interval training classes before, but never like MADabolic's durability class. The new gym chain (with 48 locations around the country) pushes you through classic strength moves (think kettlebell overhead presses or dumbbell squats) for 50 minutes. The kicker: You're on a 12-week training cycle, so you'll build to heavier weights over several sessions, then deload for a few weeks, then push hard again—just like a high-performance strength athlete.
TRY IT ANYWHERE: Build next-level leg strength with this MADabolic favorite, the front rack reverse lunge. Stand with two kettlebells racked at your shoulders, step your left leg back and lower until your left knee touches the ground. Stand explosively. Do 3 sets of 10 reps per side.
Solidcore
This isn't your typical Pilates class. Solidcore's Signature60 workout innovates by blending core blasting reformer exercises with ultra-slow tempos that fry small muscle groups like your hip flexors. Bonus: Most classes have less than 20 students, so instructors clean up everyone's form.
TRY IT ANYWHERE: Get you Pilates on sans reformer with the slider crescent lunge. Stand in socks on a wood floor. With the majority of your weight in your right leg, gently slide your left foot back, straightening your left knee and bending your right. Pulse down on the right knee twice (solidcore style!), then shift back to standing. Do 2 sets of 6 to 8 reps per side.
Mayweather Boxing + Fitness
Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s group class is about more than boxing. Sure, you'll don gloves for half of the Boxing Fundamentals' class. But in between rounds on three different punching bags, you'll rev your heart rate even more on the cardio row and mix in bodyweight strength moves.
TRY IT ANYWHERE: Find a rower and redline your heart rate with this 6-minute burner. Row hard for 30 seconds, then get off the rower and throw punches for 30 seconds. Hold plank for the next 30 seconds. Repeat for 4 rounds.
Cyclebar
There's no wrong way to stay motivated in the gym. If beating your comrades sounds appealing to you, then try a Cyclebar Performance class. Cyclebar sends you an email at the end of every workout with all of your stats including your max power and speed, and where your numbers stack up against everyone else in class. Don't get too caught up in smack talk though.
TRY IT ANYWHERE: Power means exerting maximum force in the shortest amount of time. Next time you're on the bike, set the units to watts, and see how quickly you can get the number as high as you can, and hold it for 10 seconds. Take a 30 second break, and repeat for 5 rounds for a quick cardio hit.
Orangetheory Fitness
With the rise in popularity of races like Hyrox and Deka, everyone's looking to pepper in more running into their routine. And in the heat of the summer or chill of the winter, no one wants to spend their treadmill time staring at a wall. Opt for an Orangetheory Tread50 class. Feel enthusiastic about the treadmill again, and improve running performance with their program of hills, intervals and endurance training.
TRY IT ANYWHERE: Incorporate an OTF-inspired interval session interval into your next cardio session. Run for 40-seconds, walk for 20, for 5 rounds.
RowHouse
Cardio class doesn't have to just live on the treadmill. Rowing provides a full body workout that will get your heart pumping, and improve lower body and back strength—and RowHouse is doing it best. If you're looking for a low-impact workout that doesn't sacrifice intensity, look no further.
TRY IT ANYWHERE: Test out the rower for your next cardio session. Start by doing 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, for 10 minutes.
F45 Training
Progress is key to hitting your goals, and this Mark Wahlberg-backed studio realizes that. F45's Benchmark class pushes you to figure out your 10-rep max in key movements like the squat, deadlift, and bench press. Log your numbers, then train for several weeks until the next Benchmark class—when you get a chance to break your old bests.
TRY IT ANYWHERE: Push the bounds of your 10-rep max with a rest-pause set. Pick an exercise (like a biceps curl), then start doing 10 reps. When your form starts to break, rest for 3 deep breaths, then go back to work. Repeat until you've done 10 reps. Do 3 sets.
Corepower Yoga
Yoga and weights can live simultaneously. In Corepower's StrengthX class, a heated flow incorporates light dumbbells to test your muscular strength and endurance. Pulse, hold, and squeeze your way to stronger muscle—and better mobility.
TRY IT ANYWHERE: Improve your squat strength by adding a 2 or 3-second pulse at the bottom range of motion with lighter weights—think 15 to 20-pounds.
Othership
Recovery once meant posting up on your couch, catching up on Netflix. In recent years it's evolved to become its own section of the gym—or a whole studio in itself, in Othership's case. Their Embodied guided class is the first of its kind, blending traditional recovery methods like sauna sessions, cold plunges, and meditations, into a communal experience.
TRY IT ANYWHERE: Need a quick reset between sets? Try this tip from Othership's founder, Harry Taylor: inhale deeply through your nose, then take in one more quick sip of breath at the top. Exhale slowly through your mouth, releasing with an audible sigh. Repeat 2 to 3 times.
Equinox's Fully Vested
Not a runner? Then Equinox's take on the weighted vest class is for you. You'll start with an early uphill treadmill ruck, then take off Equinox's custom (and incredibly stylish!) weighted vest for a powerwalk (or run). The entire session pushes your heart rate without torturing you to run, a first among treadmill cardio classes.
TRY IT ANYWHERE: Load a backpack with small plates and walk on your own treadmill or outside for 15 minutes. Then take off the vest and walk for another 15.
Lifetime Alpha
Want to get a handle on cleans and snatches, while improving your conditioning? Lifetime's new Alpha class incorporates Olympic style strength training with powerful cardio based movements like box jumps for a Crossfit-adjacent experience.
TRY IT ANYWHERE: Build power with one of Alpha's favorite moves: the kettlebell swing. With a wide stance, 'hike' the kettlebell up with hips hinged, back flat. Aggressively squeeze your glutes to stand up and swing the weight forward. Do 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
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