Have you been to Rowgatta yet? You gatta try this rowing studio for your next workout. It’s been called the “Gucci of rowing studios” and I totally agree! I took a class last night, which was a Thursday night (aka “Endurance Night”). Whoa!

The Studio is a typical NYC boutique fitness studio that gives off a bootcamp vibe. With friendly instructors, a super welcoming owner (Nadav), and supportive community, Rowgatta is a great fitness community for athletes of all levels. I probably fall into a category in between beginner and intermediate level athletes, if there is such a thing.

The Workout is a 50 minute long bootcamp style class that was designed to be an effective and fun. For the average person who doesn’t workout on a daily, exercise can be a chore. And for the avid gym goers who workout out of obligation, like myself, the gym can get a bit vanilla. That being said, I really enjoyed the class and found it very challenging. I’m sure anyone would be a pro after taking classes consistently for just weeks and even months, but this first class really kicked my ass.

Rowing is a full-body cardio workout, which is why Rowgatta claims that 86% of your muscles are engage with each stroke on a stationary rower. I think there is a common misconception that rowing mostly requires arm and/or upper-body strength, but it’s really all about your core. I’ve heard from other rowing instructors at a variety of studios that rowing is better for you and it sort of makes sense. When running on pavement or even a treadmill, which is supposed to be better for the impact on your knees, runners run the risk of joint injuries. See what I did there? So the rowing is gonna be a great cardio workout with less of an impact on your joints. There is also plenty of variety in the sets of exercises throughout the class, as it switches from rowing to some weight lifting and circuit training.

Rowgatta offers a great selection of what they call a “HILIT” training program. This means a “High-Intensity, Low-Impact” exercise routine. Keep in mind that these training sessions are meant to build your strength, so it’s not a rush to see how many reps you can get in, which means you should speed up or cut corners to keep up with the class.

The Coaches are great instructors because they know how to get the whole class working out and having fun. And in my case, I tend to get tired towards the end of class and start slowly giving up. Chris Keyloun was my instructor and a great motivation trainer, which was exactly what I needed to finish up the last 15 minutes or so of class.

Don’t forget to share your Rowgatta experience on social media, using #DiscoverYourDistance!

In case you’re wondering how I discovered Rowgatta in the first place, it was from a tweet with this article about “legit” NYC rowing fitness classes. Row House and City Row also made this list and they’re next on my list of studios to try out, so stay tuned!