It’s a warm May evening in New York City and a group of stylish 20 and 30-somethings are gathered at a trendy nightclub in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. But, it’s 6:45 PM. And they’re not there to drink—not yet, anyway. They are there to workout… and I am one of them.
After checking in at the front desk for the ((305)) Fitness pop-up event, I’m given two drink tickets. Presumably, to redeem after class, but to be honest, I’m not quite sure. I take a seat at one of the sleek vinyl booths overlooking the dance floor that’s illuminated by flashing neon lights and wait for the other participants to arrive. Fifteen fresh-faced girls (and a couple guys) pour into the space as the DJ begins blasting Top 40 pop remixes from the pulsating sound system. I’m half-expecting to see flaming bottles pop out from behind the bar.
“Is this anyone’s first time?” asks a high-energy brunette wearing a cutout tank top, who I later learn is ((305)) Fitness founder, Sadie Kurzban. The 25-year-old created the company while attending Brown University, where she placed first in the university’s entrepreneurship competition and received $75,000 to launch her idea. I awkwardly raise my hand. Kurzban smiles from ear to ear and says something along the lines of how I’m in for a treat. We separate into three different lines and within moments, class is underway.
For the next hour, we participate in non-stop cardio exercise deemed a “rave-meets-workout,” which includes sports drills, high-intensity interval training, and some moderately tricky dance moves. I’m thankful there are no mirrors. But, it’s oddly enjoyable—and unlike any group fitness class I’ve ever experienced before. The music is addictive, no one cares (or even notices) if you’re off beat, and it feels more akin to dancing with friends than aerobic training. For 60 minutes, I’m completely out of my head—and I’ve burned a whopping 800 calories to boot. I can see why people like this—and justify shelling out $32 dollars per class.
The next day I’m more sore than I’ve been, well, ever. I worked muscles that no amount of running or indoor cycling ever has, and more importantly, I feel energized, not exhausted. Though my Brooklyn nightclub experience was a one-time-only event, the same calorie-blasting class is offered (complete with a live DJ) at ((305))’s flagship Greenwich Village location and will be rolling out to different pop-up locales this summer.
