Stairs on Stairs on Stairs

Studio: As One - Columbus Circle
Location: 1845 Broadway, 3rd Fl.

I knew from the second that I buzzed into the building that this workout was going to be a real doozy. How? Well, in order to gain access to the gym, every patron has to walk up three floors. I know I know, that sounds like nothing, but these stairs were so unbelievably steep and a little rickety. I would estimate that they were inserted circa 1920 and not refurbished since then. So, not only did I have to take ginormous steps to walk up the stairs, but I had to dodge and maneuver around holes in the stairs. I guess you could stay that the workout started before I even entered the studio.... Uh oh.

As soon as you walk in the door, the exercise floor greets you. I sort of thought that the space was a little small and not positioned in the most ideal way. Frankly, it was a bit scattered and, for the size of my class (14), it was a little small. I did notice that there were a couple of machines that I was unfamiliar with and did not recognize at all. That fact certainly piqued my interest!

Mark, the trainer, introduced himself and led us through a brief warm up that I found extremely helpful. It definitely helped loosen up my thighs and hamstrings which were a bit sore from the previous workout. Once we were divided into groups, he explained the stations and we were off.

Workout:

1 minute on the Stair Climber: Let me tell you something about this machine. It's fairly easy when you're doing a slow and steady walk up the stairs, but for the sake of HIIT training, Mark instructed us to turn the walk into a slight jog (or to put some pep in our step). Killer. By the end of the minute, my legs were shot.

1 minute of the Ski Erg: This machine is a little weird, but it's an intense workout for your upper back and triceps. Two areas that seems to be problematic for women. Nothing too extreme with this one, but it's a sure fire way to harden up the "jello-y" spots on the body.

1 minute of Jacob's Ladder: Honestly, just saying the words "Jacob's Ladder" makes me shudder. This machine is designed to make someone lose their breath in ten seconds. Essentially, it's a ladder that rotates as you climb it. The closer you are to the top, the harder it is. I was dripping sweat all over the machine and felt terrible for the person who had to use it next.

1 minute of Squat Jumps: Pretty self explanatory. This move is a low squat with a hop up at the top. It's a very simple move, but the burn is very real.

1 minute of Burpee's: Much like the squat jumps, this is a pretty standard. yet taxing move. For those of you unsure of what a burpee is, check out Kayla Itsine and all her followers. She's a big fan of the burpees.

In between these sets, Mark threw in crunches, more squats and push-ups. As you can tell, it was pretty non-stop. This difference between this class and the last was the rest period. Brick had longer rest periods whereas As One tended to go more towards longer burst with even less time to catch your breath. Both are super effective when it comes to cardio and fat burn!

Consensus: 7/10. It was a great workout and is the only studio that houses the Jacob's Ladder, but I think that some improvements can be made. I would like to see the studio move to a bigger place where it does feel like everyone is standing on top of each other. Also, I would have liked to have seen more corrections on form. People underestimate how crucial proper form is so that should be paramount when it comes to group fitness classes. For those of you that feel more seasoned and that have that capability to push themselves, I highly recommend this class. For those of you just starting out on the workout regimen, I would suggest perfect form before being thrust into a very cardio heavy and "do it yourself" class.