Get your heads out of the gutter, people.

I bet you read that title and thought, ‘what the heck is this new post about?’ Well, let me tell you: it’s about what’s going DOWN at 305 Fitness! They’re transforming the workout scene and turning up the heat by making every workout a bumpin’ dance party. They’re making sweat (and believe me, you will SWEAT) sexy, fun, and down right ADDICTING.

You may have heard about 305 Fitness. While it’s not exactly new to the NYC workout scene, these high-intensity dance classes have definitely gotten a ton of attention lately. It seems to be poppin’ up on everybody’s radar. As a former hip hop dancer and college cheerleader, I had to try it (shoutout to you, Devin, for telling me about it and for changing my life forever!) Speaking of poppin’, that’s exactly what you’ll be doing at 305 (see below for their promo vid, which IMO, doesn’t do the class justice!). You’ll be poppin’, twerkin’ and fist bumpin’ to a live DJ that spins remixes to major tunes like Know No Betta, Handclap, Swalla, and the likes. Best of all: over are the days of dancing under harsh bright studio lights for all to see. At 305, the lights are dimmed low, so the strobe lights and colorful light show can set the mood (move over, LAVO.) The lights totally made the experience for me. It was so much easier to let go and forget about my 40 fellow dancers!

These dances classes go way beyond your typical zumba dance class. They’re rigorous, non-stop, and sweat inducing. Trust me though, you will be all smiles the entire time. That’s 55 minutes of feel-goodness! I kept catching myself in the mirror with this huge grin across my face because it’s just that fun! I mean, who wouldn’t enjoy booty popping, floor humping, and body rolling in a no judgement atmosphere? It legitimately feels more like a dance party at your favorite club than like a true “workout”. That is, until you get to the 5 minute strength training portion towards the end of the class. Each day of the week focuses on a different muscle group, so you’ll get a slight break from the cardio to lift that booty, tone those legs, sculpt those arms, and chisel them abs. I did the legs and butt classes and they were a KILLER. Lots of leg lifts, lots of lunges, and lots of wall sits. After the 5 minute strength training session, you’ll do a 5 minute sprint and you’ll incorporate moves like burpees, high knees and mountain climbers. After those 10 minutes, it’s back to the dancing for the home stretch. Don’t be surprised if you get told to whip out some squats and high knees during the dancing portions, though!

Two left feet? No Rhythm? Fear not. This class is great for dancers and non-dancers alike, since it’s built on basic with easy to follow moves. The choreography changes monthly, so if you go a few times in a single month, you’ll start to recognize some of the moves. It takes no time at all to become a pro and it feels amazing when you recognize what moves are coming up in a song’s sequence (there’s specific choreography for each song.) Don’t let that fool you though: the classes aren’t all exactly the same, so you wont feel bored. I loved how I never knew what song was coming next!

What’s even better than the class itself is the sense of empowerment that comes with it. There are 0 judgments at 305, and every instructor seems to be talking directly to YOU. They make it seem like YOU are awesome; YOU look amazing, and YOU can take on the world. There’s also an awesome sense of community in each class. I’m sure every instructor there is a bad ass, but in my opinion, you must, must, must try Darnell’s and Latoyah’s classes. They are AMAZING and like none other. Darnell’s class (it was actually a new instructor training class) was so awesome, he totally sold me to the studio. I felt so good after his class, I bought their new client package: $32 for 10 DAYS of UNLIMITED 305. Yes, you read that right: 10 days of UNLIMITED DANCING. In terms of NYC studio prices… you’d get your money’s worth by going just twice. Great deal, right?

So, go try your first class and get ready to get DOWN. Throw your hands in the air like you just don’t care. Whip your hair back and forth. Strike your fiercest pose. Sing along. Smile. GET FIT. NO RAGRETS. #MAKESWEATSEXY