Each year, as I put out my query for the best workouts, I’m consistently surprised by the variety of workouts that our great city offers. This year I went out of my comfort zone to try workouts that pushed my athletic ability and ego, all 45 minutes in length, to maximize your time and my sanity. Here are the three I tried to help you keep those New Year’s get-healthy resolutions.
Sproing Sport
1652 N. Wells St.; (312) 266-2786
If heart rate monitoring, resistance training and tabata are your thing, Sproing might be for you. The Sproing machine, created as a training platform, is used for an all-body push-yourself-to-the-max workout. The Sproing has an air-filled, low-impact surface and once you strap in, the teacher directs you through exercises like running, lunges and weights. Think of it as interval training with a twist.
Trainology
309 W. Chicago Ave.; (312) 526-3268
Trainology brings a little bit of everything to a high-intensity cardio and strength training workout. A hybrid of Power Sculpt and Shred, Trainology pushes you through a hiking treadmill routine and then ensures your quads don’t quit. With TRX and an ab routine that will make you wish for labor pains, Trainology offers maximum gain in a reasonable time.
WERQ
Various locations
WERQ is a dance fitness class based on current pop music. The teacher, who needs to be trained by a master WERQ expert, choreographs each song with heart-pounding, muscle-building moves. Also kind of neat: WERQ was started by Chicago native Haley Stone.
