At a Glance:

Website: http://thesweatshoppe.com
Address: 10620 Riverside Dr, North Hollywood, CA 91602
Length: 45 minutes
Price: first class $10, one class/$22, 10 classes/$200, month unlimited/$300 (first month/$149)
Sweat scale: high
Energy level: high

Although The Sweat Shoppe got off ClassPass a while ago, it’s one of the few studios that I still see pop up on my Instagram feed. Yep, people love this place so much that they’re willing to pay out of pocket to get sweaty here. Obviously I had to find out for myself what the hype is about.

Pre Sweat

Since the studio is located in a stand-alone building in North Hollywood, they have their own parking lot (!!!). If the lot is full, there is also street parking on Riverside. I headed into the studio and was impressed by how gorgeous it is. They recently relocated to this space and you can tell they went all out during the planning process. Everything is modern and spacious with a little seating area, clothes for sale, and even a trendy looking juice bar. I signed my waiver, grabbed my complimentary shoes, and headed upstairs where there are digital lockers, bathrooms, water fountains, and the spin studio.

Sweat

The studio has a roomy feel to it because there are mirrors lining three of the four walls. The colored lights give off a club-like feel and all of the bikes are in rows (not a semi circle like some studios). I clipped in and Sarah, the instructor, asked the class if we would prefer a regular playlist or mashup—we went with mashup!

Throughout the 45-minute ride we did a ton of 8-count jumps and quick push-ups with a few sprints and hills peppered in. Sarah was obsessed with form and would call out people by name to correct them (similar to the Bar Method). I’ve literally never seen a spin instructor correct form so this was pretty helpful. She was also really strict about not bouncing while riding in second and third positions—difficult for me because I ride so much at Cycle House and SoulCycle where they kind of encourage it besides when they instruct “no bounce”.

Let’s talk about the heat. This studio is different in that it is HEATED SPIN. Think hot yoga but without any child’s poses to recover. The heat made it really challenging and I had to slow down sometimes when I got a little light headed. I also continued to sweat for about ten minutes after class ended.

Post Sweat

To combat my minor headache that was forming from dehydration, I quickly Yelp’ed juice places in the neighborhood and ended up at HealthyCA, about a two minute drive. I had a smoothie but they also offer fresh salads, sandwiches, and juices. Beware: they close at 7pm. Nearby there’s also Kreation Organic Juicery (open til 7) and RAWkin’ Juice (open til 8).

Tricks of the Trade

• There are no weights in the class so try to get the most out of the pushups.
• Don’t plan to go somewhere after without showering, you’ll be so sweaty.
• Make sure to hydrate ALL DAY before you spin. I failed to do so and ended the night with two Advil to make my headache go away. Sweat Shoppe recommended adding lemon and some salt to my water to hydrate faster.
• Bring an insulated water bottle since the studio is hot.