Studio: Trainology Fitness, 309 W Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60654

Class Focus: With half of the class spent on treadmills and the other half spent doing quick toning, the is a calorie scorcher that will tone you from head-to-toe and keep your heart rate up for 60 minutes. 

Cost per class: $25

Money saving offers: 

• $0: All TRAINology, HIKEology and GLIDEology classes will be free through 1/20/2014, sign to try as many classes as you’d like here
• $0: First class
• $112.50: 5 pack ($22.50/class)
• $200: 10 pack ($20/class)
• $165: Unlimited monthly

The Fab Fit Take:

I’ve heard great things about Michael Wollpert, Master Instructor at Flywheel and general fitness inspiration around Chicago. So when a Flywheel groupie and reliable fitness tipster shared that he’d be offering group fitness classes at Trainology Fitness in River North, I naturally started stalking the studio’s website.

It turns out that I walked into the classes just in time to cash in on the studio’s trial period – all TRAINology, HIKEology and GLIDEology classes will be free through 1/20/2014. The gym’s regular scheduling and pricing will kick in 1/21/2014.

TRAINology uses a tread-and-shred format that I adore. You won’t spend enough time on any one section of class or on any one exercise to get to that if-I-have-to-do-one-more-squat-I’m-out-of-here place.

We went through four 15-minute sections, moving from hills to speed on the treadmills and working the entire body with toning series that used BoSu balls, resistance tubes and TRX bands. A lot of the class’s toning used a combination of muscle groups, so instead of just doing a lunge, we’d do a lunge followed by a knee lift.

We used BoSu balls to destabilize during the lower-body section of class, doing everything from lunges to squats on the ball. The TRX bands helped to target arms, upper backs and core with movements like biceps curls, triceps extensions and the hip/booty/row combo pictured below that used body weight and full-body motion to work multiple muscles at once.

Freemotion treadmills were used in class, which have the added benefit of letting you run downhill – they go all the way down to a -3% grade. The treadmills also can take you on the hike of your life at a 30% incline – don’t worry, Michael saves the super-steep inclines for the HIKEology class.

Throughout class, Michael kept the energy up by being – I say this with love – a mix between a total goofball and a fitness sadist who gets more than a little joy when he sees your muscles say “uncle.” He kept this total body workout interesting, making this class worth another paid trip back.

Date taken: 1/11/2014