At a Glance:

Website: http://sandbox-fitness.com
Address: 8317 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048
Length: 45 minutes
Price: first class free, 1 class/$26, 10 classes/$220
Sweat scale: high
Energy level: high

Sandbox Fitness opened in Sherman Oaks last year and was one of my very first reviews. While that location is conveniently located a couple blocks from my office, many people don’t love traveling into the valley to workout. Fret no more; Sandbox has opened a West Hollywood spot in a prime spot!

Pre Sweat

Give yourself some time to park—there are meters lining Beverly but the neighborhoods are permitted in the early mornings and evenings and completely restricted on weekends. If you’re taking a midday class you can take advantage of the two-hour neighborhood spots, otherwise you’ll have to nab a metered spot. Once you check in and sign a waiver, you can put your bag in the back room.

Sweat

This class is a combo of Surfset and TRX. Since we had some new people, Katie (the owner and instructor), had us spend some time testing out the boards. I’ve taken around 12 classes at Sandbox and still don’t feel completely comfortable on the board but I have noticed myself get more confident each time.

We started with a warm up and then used sand kettlebells to work our arms and legs on the board. We did each exercise for one minute before moving on, with a very short break in between. These moves would be hard enough on a floor and the sand and the wobbly board brings them up to an entirely new level. We did shoulder presses, step ups, and squats with a pulse.

Next we moved to the TRX where we continued working our arms and legs with chest presses, tricep extensions, lunges, squats, and squat jumps. Lastly, we used both the TRX straps and the Surfset boards to KILL our core and butt, finishing with a plank series. The entire class was hard but this section put me over the edge because there was zero stability on both our legs and arms. Once the last plank was complete, we cooled down with a stretch.

 

Post Sweat

Without a doubt, check out Backyard Bowls for amazing acai bowls, smoothies, and oatmeal, and Blue Bottle Coffee for their delicious New Orleans cold brew and fresh waffles.

Tricks of the Trade

• The class is done barefoot but beware, the sand will ruin your pedicure. They do sell sand socks.
• Katie is offering 20% off of packages for ClassPass members so you can go more than 3x a month for a reduced rate.
• Don’t be discouraged. The board is really difficult and it’s easy to get frustrated. Keep coming back anyways and watch yourself improve.
• My personal favorite class is Sandworks because it’s an interval training class where you rotate between various exercises using TRX, the boards, sand kettlebells, and bodyweight.