June Studio Tour: Week 1, Philadelphia
If you’ve been with me for a while, you know the deal in June. I go to a different studio every day of the month and share it all right here and on Instagram. This started in 2021 when the world was reopening. I myself was leaving my home gym, and I wanted to document what studios were doing as they began to reopen their doors. But the June Studio Tour has now turned into a great opportunity for me to showcase a bunch of studios in a short period of time. Sure, it can be exhausting, but this is my thing. And I absolutely love this month. I meet so many awesome people and discover tons of fitness gems. And my friends and family now know what to expect come June. They’ll get me back on July 1.
For the past two years I have mostly stayed on the Main Line. During the tour, occasionally, I will throw in a Philly workout or another neighborhood’s studio. Last year, I even went to Wilmington because there was a really cool place that I needed to check out. But because we have so much out here on the Main Line, I’ve really been quite busy staying local for the past two Junes. This year is different though. I decided to leave the Main Line. I am hitting the road and touring Center City, Philadelphia for the first part of the month, and the Jersey Shore for the second half. So buckle up and come along for this sweaty ride with me. And don’t forget to stay tuned for all those fun awards I like to give out at the end of the month.
Day 1: RIPPED PHL. 1519 Walnut Street. I picked RippedPHL as my first stop because this workout combines running and strength training, my two favorite workouts at the moment. It’s twenty-two minutes of each, but you alternate with eleven minute blocks so there is a lot of switching between the cardio and the weights to keep things interesting. The dark room and loud beats add to the vibe that makes you go harder. Needless to say, I loved this workout. Best part, order your smoothie before class, and it’s ready when you walk out of class. Every studio should do this!
You can chose to start on the tread (there are 12 spots) or on the floor (there are 13 spots). And there are two spots of only strength work for the whole class, which I did consider. But I’m glad I got to run because the treadmills in this studio are awesome. They pick up really fast so they make the interval work actually doable. Above the treads are screens that show your workout. There are three levels you can chose for cardio that includes lots of speed work and hills so the eleven minute intervals fly by. The floor work focuses on a certain body part and my day was all upper body and abs. RippedPHL just celebrated their 7th year in Philly, their one and only location. They offer a free first class which is good because the drop-in rate ($35) is pretty high for a 45-minute class. Class packs and memberships bring the dollar amount per class down to $20-$30. Nurses, teachers and students get 10% off any pack or membership. Score! I was able to find street parking along Walnut Street.
Day 2: RUMBLE. 1520 Walnut Street. Rumble is always 10 rounds that consist of a mix at the bags and on the floor for strength. To say it’s a vibe, is an understatement. Picture being at the club in the 90’s/ 2000’s (which was just about the time that I started to actually be at the club so it brought me back… kinda). The music is loud and the room is so dark that my videos and pictures were barely visible. I loved working out in that room. And loved even more that no one could see how uncoordinated I was during the boxing segments.
Rumble in Philly is different. The instructors do it all. Not only do they lead the class through the workout; they design the workout; they mix the music; they control the lights; and they create all the graphics you see on the walls during the class. As if being a fit pro isn’t hard enough. And in a normal Rumble class, there can be up to 60 people in two groups that need to be led simultaneously. (My class was very small because it was a weird weekday morning time).
After class, Brandon stuck around to give me the history of Rumble and show me some Rumble gear (he gets me), including their amazing retail section (that happened to all be on sale) and sick boxing gloves that they sell. I love the 90’s nostalgia vibe of the place. The Philly location prominently features our own Rocky Balboa. It’s urban and gritty. And the Biggie Tupac Warhol-esque replica at the front of the studio catches the eyes of many from the street. I witnessed someone coming in just to take a picture in front of that painting. And I’m told that happens a lot.
Philly got this workout in 2019 and the studio is located in the heart of Center City’s shopping and dining neighborhood called “Ritt Row”. Rumble offers memberships and is part of Class Pass. I signed up for the intro offer of 2 classes for the price of 1. You can bring your own gloves, rent a pair for $3 (you must buy your own wraps for $8) or purchase their particularly dope gloves for $90-168. I found street parking right in front of the studio.
Day 3: STRENGTH HAUS. 219 Juniper Street, Second Floor, in the back. This South Philly strength and conditioning gym has only been open for six months, but its owners, Jon and Molly (yes, they are a couple), are real pros and have built quite a community with Strength Haus in a short period of time. This is the place to go to learn how to do the exercises the right way and get stronger, no matter your age or fitness level. You might be intimidated by the fighting gym you have to walk through to get to Strength Haus, or by the many big kettlebells lining the wall, but rest assure, this is one of the most welcoming gym environments that I have ever walked into.
I signed up for KBSC (Kettlebell Strength and Conditioning), which is Strength Haus’ main group fitness class. You guessed it- it’s strength and conditioning using the kettlebells. Class started with the most effective functional movement warm-up and from there Jon walked us through a few different blocks of exercises before we ended the hour long class with a killer finisher. Strength Haus has just started to roll out other group fitness programs. Swing School is essentially kettlebell 101 and breaks down the exercises using the KB’s and is offered once a month. Barbell Club gets you confidently under the bar and lifting big. Power and Conditioning is all about using “explosive power” to get through the exercises. Personal training is also available. If you want to check these out, use code SHDOPE23 for 5 free classes. I’ll definitely be back for Barbell Club.
I have two favorite parts about this place. First, I loved that everyone has to remove their shoes before you can even step foot in the door. As Molly said, “we don’t want Philly all over these floors” and I couldn’t support that more. Strength training in bare feet is surprisingly a great way to ground down and push through your legs. You don’t need all of that foam between you and the floor. And second, the individual instruction that I got during this small group class was truly like being with a private one-on-one trainer. Jon helped me work through a clean and press, a KB swing and a Turkish get up, using step by step movements to ensure proper form, and offering little tips that I can easily remember the next time I go to do these exercises. Bravo Strength Haus for creating such a welcoming and supportive environment that is also a lot of fun. I’m going to quote Molly yet again because this was my favorite thing she said “You can be strong and not a jerk!” Amen to that! Street parking in this neighborhood isn’t difficult, but there is currently tons of construction going on so I couldn’t get onto Juniper Street in front of the studio and parked on another nearby street.
Well, my first week in Philly was a short but strong one, despite some troubles on 76 that left me frustrated and late! Maybe I’ll take the train in this week when I visit Flaunt Fitness, Movement Source Pilates, Never Give Up Training, Barry’s, BFit4Life and The Well Studio.