The start of the new year is filled with new resolutions—fitness or otherwise—from hundreds of people in our community. Luckily, sharing similar wellness goals doesn’t have to mean sharing the same overcrowded chain company gyms. Here are some of the top local fitness studios that make it easy, and fun, to ease into a new routine. Ditch that overwhelm feeling and get moving in 2020.
VIBE5
The top Charlotte yoga and fitness instructors at VIBE5 strive to provide a place where you can connect, take your yoga practice to new limits and cross-train with cardio and strength training classes. Located in the SouthPark area, VIBE5 Fitness offers Hot Yoga, Warm Yoga, Deep Stretch Yoga, Bootcamp classes with TRX, Strong Vibes Strength Training, Youth workshops and more. For every fitness and experience level, they’ve got your vibe.
STAX
For those looking for a true challenge and clear fitness results, STAX is an excellent choice. This studio focuses on high intensity interval training (HIIT) through cycling and CrossFit. STAX is also renowned throughout the area for their rigorous bootcamp courses and Deep Stretch yoga courses. Not sure STAX is a good fit? Try out a free bootcamp; there’s one offered every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Barry’s Bootcamp
Barry’s is finally arriving in Charlotte. The workouts vary: If you’re in an original class, you’ll get 25 minutes of cardio on the treadmill with 25 minutes of strength training on the floor. The Double Floor class is a full-strength, treadmill-free workout. Other than the workouts, you can expect to see the Fuel Bar, a resource so you can get your pre and post-workout protein and fuel in. The studio will call South End’s Atherton shopping area home, putting it in excellent proximity to a host of other South End hot spots.
AIR Aerial Fitness
Located in Myers Park and South Park, AIR Aerial Fitness is another HIIT facility, this time focusing on core workouts. By elevating each workout onto hammocks and aerial silks, AIR participants will experience a whole new way to work on their balance and engage their ab muscles. AIR offers four different courses ranging in intensity, so there’s one that’s just right for every fitness level.
Core704
Looking for a more traditional ab workout? Core704 can deliver. Each 50-minute class is designed around The CoreFormer, a customizable Pilates machine that works out the abs, obliques arms and legs. The intense, upbeat environment keeps participants motivated and makes the time fly by quickly.
RockBox Fitness
HIIT classes might show quick results, but participants sometimes burn out after just a few months. RockBox believes in the long game. RockBox Fitness members can participate in high-energy, upbeat kickboxing courses designed to keep you engaged and stave off repetitive boredom. New members can pay by the course, purchase an unlimited package or get one-on-one personal training.
CycleSouth
CycleSouth is Uptown Charlotte’s first indoor cycling studio. Instructors lead each course through a series of climbs, sprints and jumps, all to the beat of energetic music. Participants can take a 45-minute class, a 60-minute class, or a 60-minute class that includes 10 minutes of arm workouts. Keep an eye out for CycleSouth events and pricing specials, especially around the start of the new year.
Carolina Barre & Core: Barre
Barre is a workout that pulls concepts from disciplines like Pilates, ballet, and yoga. By completing slow, precise movements to control your muscles, participants build strength and better their balance. Carolina Barre & Core features barre classes for people of all fitness levels, making this a great place to ease into something new.
Fit Atelier
Fit Atelier is one of Charlotte’s fitness studios dedicated to bringing unique experiences to each session. Their classes are all built from the ground up by trainers from across the country, making each session exclusive to Fit Atelier. Unlike other studios that focus on specific types of workouts, Fit Atelier offers a wide range of courses, from Dance Cardio to Strength Movement. Ready to fully embrace the Fit Atelier lifestyle? Shop at their boutique for stylish workout gear.
Burn Boot Camp
Burn Boot Camp classes, now with so many locations that you’re sure to find one within a short distance from your work or home, are designed to pack the most punch in the least amount of time. With 45 high-intensity minutes, lead by an experienced trainer, exercising can more easily fit into your tightly packed schedules of this day and age. Bonus: childcare is free and offered daily with membership.
HSM
The Hilliard Studio Method uses a combination of different modes of resistance to produce results that are beneficial for both the body and the mind. Their classes focus on strengthening the spine and core muscles while enhancing the mind. Not only does the Hilliard Studio Method support physical and mental growth, they support the community by donating services to the Charlotte community for local schools and organizations.
CycleSouth
CycleSouth is Charlotte’s first boutique indoor cycling studio that offers 45-minute classes for people of all fitness levels. They are dedicated to helping Uptown’s community become more active. The studio is just a five-minute walk from Trade & Tryon, and the crew provides validated parking.
Arrichion Hot Yoga + Circuit Training
What is this Hot Yoga everyone has been raving about? Think about it this way: your typical yoga routine cranked up a few notches, with a warmer, more humid setting than usual so your body works harder. If this intrigues you, head on over to the self-proclaimed ‘“hottest place in town,” known as Arrichion. The studio brings their own Hot Yoga technique and incorporates it into other classes. No matter what you’re into, Arrichion is going to make you feel it the next morning.
Ebb and Flow
Ebb & Flow, a pilates-focused studio, features instructors who teach clients how to embrace their mind and body’s true potential through healthy movement and lifestyles. By emphasizing the importance of positive mindfulness, attentive breath, and diverse movements within one’s exercise practice, you can strengthen your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing while bonding with fellow participants.
9Round Kickboxing
9Round is a kickboxing fitness company with locations in and around Charlotte. Unlike other gyms that offer little to no guidance with their equipment, 9Round features nine workout stations developed by a world champion kickboxer. After going through all nine stations, you’ll have completed a 30-minute full-body workout. 9Round holds no official class times. Instead, show up at your convenience and start your cycle with the guidance of an experienced instructor.
Jamie Scott Fitness
Jamie Scott Fitness first formed in 2005, and then took shape in South End in fall of 2017. Jamie’s South End studio, a buzzy little spot in a rustic brick building, offers unique group fitness classes, personal training and nutrition services. The team leads over 70 classes a week between its two fitness studios: the South End gym and the Park Road cycle studio (SWEAT Cycle). They offer a large team of trainers and a staffed nutritionist to meet every clients’ individual needs.
SculptHouse
A native of Charlotte, NC, Katherine Mason decided to return to the South to open the first SculptHouse, after buying the studio that used to house HSM Core. For a fierce full-body workout, the team there has you covered. Coming in January, their intense pilates, redefined cardio, and enhanced yoga exercises will bring you a challenging and effective workouts. Each workout incorporates the seven elements of fitness to pump your heart and shape your muscles.
Flex5
One of Uptown Charlotte’s first holistic fitness and wellness studio’s, Flex5 offers a variety of programs from personal training to acupuncture to reiki. There are over 10 options to choose from. As a result, people canpersonalize their own combination of services and classes.
KadiFit
KadiFit is a unique workout experience located right in the heart of Cornelius. The studio has a huge group of dedicated followers who enjoy KaditFit’s message of community and positivity. Their workouts are intense and simply put, different from most of the gyms and studios in Charlotte. BOGA class is a mat workout combining strength and flexibility. In their Kardio Dance classes guests shake and sweat off the calories with an intense hip hop cardio workout. Their popular Primal class focuses on four different elements including core, evolve, fight, and mobility which hits on a wide variety of disciplines from cardio to boxing.
