At a Glance:

Website: https://www.crunch.com
Address: 8000 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Length: 30 minutes
Price: gym membership, free one day and one week passes can be found online
Sweat scale: medium
Energy level: low

After a long day of work and a traffic filled commute, sometimes you don’t have an hour to commit to a workout. This class is the perfect fit for days like those.

Pre Sweat

I parked in the garage that can be entered either from Crescent Heights or Laurel Ave. There are so many stores and businesses in the complex that at prime time parking can be a bit of a hassle. Make sure to bring your parking ticket into the gym for 2.5-hour validation. Crunch is on the second floor I walked in and said I was there with ClassPass for the abs class. After filling out a short waiver, she told me to go upstairs to the group fitness studio. That’s it. It was obviously my first time there but she didn’t offer to show me around or point me in the direction of the studio.

 

Sweat

The classes are scheduled back-to-back in the same studio and one was finishing up until right at 6:30. As the people started to clear out, the instructor, Colin, had us get a step with four risers and a mat. When we set up, I noticed everyone put a towel on top of the mat because there isn’t anything to clean the mats between classes. Towels can be found at the front desk (thanks to the random girl in class for that tidbit).

We started with a breathing exercise on our steps and then went right into the core of class (literally), spending 2-3 minutes per exercise. We did leg lifts, bridges, slow crunches, hip ups, and V sit ups for so long that it burned. I liked that the lights were off so you weren’t focused on anything else. It was really difficult to do the same exercise for such a long time, though. At the end we stretched and practiced another breathing exercise before the Pound girls quickly took over the room (I was considering just staying around but I don’t have a pair of drumsticks!).

Post Sweat

Grab some groceries at Trader Joe’s, a fresh juice or protein smoothie at BodyFactory, or some delicious tacos at Malibu Fish Grill (there are great deals for taco Tuesday). The shopping mall also has a Starbucks, Veggie Grill, Rock N Roll Sushi, CB2 (the young-adult version of Crate and Barrel), and even a 21+ theater featuring Sundance films, booze, and unique eats.

Tricks of the Trade

• The locker rooms have a sauna and steam room and, better yet, they have Bliss products (just like Flywheel) too! Make a pretend spa day out of it!
• Your abs will be sore the next day—and it’s a wonderful feeling!