At a Glance:

Website: http://pilatesstudiocity.com, http://davincibodyboardstudiocity.com
Address: 11650 Riverside Dr, Suites 1 & 2, Los Angeles, CA 91602
Length: 25 minutes
Price: first class $11, 1 class/ $22, 8 classes/ $144
Sweat scale: medium
Energy level: medium

If you live near Studio City, this class is a must try because it is FUN! I couldn’t stop smiling the entire time!

Pre Sweat

The studio is on the first floor of a brown doctor’s office type building with a parking lot on the side and additional parking in the alley way. I headed into the studio and signed in (it was my second time here, but there is a short waiver) and put my purse in a cubby under the seats in the lobby area. If you forget water, they have a jug and cups in the back.

 

Sweat

The DaVinici BodyBoard is seriously one of a kind and I don’t know if this review can do it justice. It’s a wooden plank with handled rubber tubes in each corner and two stretchy bands the length of each side. This studio recently installed ceiling bands too (the only place in the country that has them). The idea of the board is to use resistance to do various exercises, think using the Pure Barre double band for an entire 25-minute class.

Throughout the class we moved around our boards, either standing, laying, or sitting on them, sometimes with our legs strapped in but always working with the resistance bands. We did a lot of strength exercises and some that also included cardio. Standing without falling while the bands were trying to pull me back in every direction required a lot balance and the difficulty changed depending where you were standing. We did exercises found in barre and Pilates classes and cardio bursts like jumping jacks and hopping with our legs attached. We ended with a stretch.

Post Sweat

The studio is less than two miles from Studio City’s shopping strip on Ventura Blvd. There you’ll find Lululemon, Urban Outfitters, Gap, lucy, Brandy Melville, Banana Republic, and more. If you’re hungry, some of my favorites on the street are Umami Burger (the truffle fries are amazing) and PizzaRev (one price, unlimited toppings). Hint: avoid paying for street parking and park in the free lots behind the stores.

Tricks of the Trade

• The studio offers a variety of classes but not all are on ClassPass. Using your CP you can also check out Pilates mat, barre, Zumba, and Nia (a blend of dance, martial arts, and healing arts). I’ve done the barre class once and wasn’t super impressed (you use folding chairs as the barre).