Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
The Eagle
Delivering American University's news and views since 1925
Friday, March 29, 2024
The Eagle

New workout experience SweatBox opens in DuPont May 4th

Check out this new, personalized gym for a summer-ready workout that will make your muscles cry

SweatBox is an active workout experience that is entirely true to its name. The gym will open in DuPont Circle on May 4, but what I discovered at my first class is that you may want to start training for the entry-level session now.

The whole idea of this gym is personalization, where every person has their own weights, mat, and resistance bands right at their feet and adjusted to fit their unique performance metrics. But if you’re the type who cringes instead of rejoicing at the thought of sweat hugging every inch of your body, you may want to head back home to the elliptical.

Upon entering the box-shaped room where you’ll spend the next toughest 60 minutes of your life, you’ll find interval stations that include dumbbells, a trainer who’s surprisingly supportive and the revolutionary Matrix IC7 Coach by Color indoor cycle. This cycle is important because it will possibly be the hardest part of your SweatBox experience. There is a small light at the front of the stationary bike that will show how hard you’re pedaling to reach your revolutions per minute (rpm) goal: green for easy, yellow for hard and red for straight-up pain.

The technology is also pertinent because SweatBox uses MYZONE heart rate monitors to upload your baseline metrics and monitor every second of your workout onto the MYZONE app. You even have the opportunity to view how many reps you complete at the end, or keep track of daily workouts for personal reference. SweatBox claims it marks the first time a gym has combined Matrix IC7 Coach by Color with MYZONE in one studio.

On top of the gym’s advanced technology, this place is the closest any gym has ever gotten to becoming a nightclub. With its blasting renditions of Rihanna and Fifth Harmony, the LED lighting that changes with intensity level, the perfectly sculpted fitness instructors all clad in their best spandex, and let’s not forget all the sweat. But unlike any club in D.C., you won’t leave this place dissatisfied. Sore, maybe, but covered in your own sweat and pumped enough to buy that skimpy new bathing suit. Here, working out is fun, even when it’s a challenge.

This gym is built for training, and so the equipment can only be used through classes with dedicated instructors. If you’re interested in signing up for a class, check out their website. The first session is free, but each session that follows is $39. There are other packaged deals, like 6 classes for $204 or unlimited month-to-month for $229, but my advice is to make sure you do the first free class before committing to anything unlimited.

Even though I try to run a consistent 15 miles a week,the introductory session completely kicked my butt—or at least what still exists of it. But if you’re someone who’s up for a challenging workout that is guaranteed to make those spandex shorts look cool again, you’ve found yourself the perfect match.

To prepare for your first class, make sure you drink plenty of water. If you’d like to avoid experiencing crippling cramps in your hamstrings, make sure you also stretch out beforehand. There isn’t much time for stretching during the session, and the “warm-up” will have you downing that water bottle like it’s part of your training.

Probably most important is to be mentally prepared. Yes, the workout is killer and there are no pity stops even for the weak. But if you can mentally prep for an experience that will push you out of your comfort zone and into rock-hard calf muscles, you’ll have an amazing time doing it.

In the wise words of my over-energetic trainer, “Get ready to sweat, D.C.”

Emily Packer is a senior at American University studying Public Communication and Literature.


scene@theeagleonline.com


 Hosts Delaney Hoke and Penelope Jennings speak to swimmer Caleb Farris and diver Amanda bosses about their unique experiences as college athletes. 



Powered by Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2024 The Eagle, American Unversity Student Media