Let’s start this series on my home turf. While I wouldn’t consider Lifetime Athletic a studio, you can get a studio experience with the level of commitment the staff gives to creating the environment. This is triggering my mind to go to a future writing to discuss what makes a good experience in my eyes in a future post… Back to the business at hand, what makes Lifetime Athletic worthy of our first “Studios We Love” series? 

 I attend both the Folsom and Roseville location in the suburbs of Sacramento; Lifetime has done a great job creating a familiar feeling across their gyms with an incredible level of service. My level of membership allows me to visit the majority of their locations without paying any upgrade fee. I think NYC and some other locations exceed my level of access but I have not run into this yet.

  While the facilities are sparkling clean, friendly and spacious, we are here for the rundown on the class offerings. 

 My first visit to Folsom was to do a Spin class which was metrics based, while I do enjoy this style, my real jam is the rhythm ride class named AMP. This is what got me from trial membership to paid member without hesitation. I was doing Soulcycle and SparkCycle in San Diego before I made the move north and AMP was just as professional and energizing as the dedicated studio setting. Lifetime offers multiple Spin classes everyday and I have locked myself into Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday AMP. I generally don’t ride back to back so three times a week is perfect. This class is religiously attended by myself and MANY other regulars that rarely leave their favorite bike empty. This kind of LOVE for a class and instructor helps to create friendships, accountability and commitment. 

 There are a half dozen or so great spin instructors and my favorite AMP is lead by Alicia who really rocks the room with fresh music and some witty attitude. The class is a must try. Book in advance and please stay off Bike #4 as that one is in front and perfectly fits my booty, haha. The bikes are great too and almost always in perfect working order. Just to note, the pedals accept  gym shoes or cleated shoes like Shimano, Tiem and Nike with either “SPD” or “Delta” cleats. The 3 hole cleats are Delta (like Peloton), 2 hole are SPD. 

 If Yoga is your genre, you won’t be disappointed. There are a variety of classes from 5am to 7:30pm. The studio is spotless, towels and mats are provided or bring your own. My favorite is heated flow which is more of an intermediate class but beginners will be able to muscle their way through any class, just remember to have boundaries and know it’s ok to rest or step out if you need to. Other favorites are Vinyasa, Sol, Warrior and the really helpful Surrender. I first thought Surrender was a class to close your eyes and sneak a nap, but it isn’t. Surrender is a long hold pose class that is as hard as you want it to be, and I sometimes find this type of focus more difficult than the faster classes. Give it a try. The one thing I would like to see is a yoga store with some Vuori gear at a discount. Hopefully someone at Vuori is reading this. 

 There are so many other aspects of Lifetime that I can’t cover thoroughly in one blog. This club is full service with top notch child care, café, pool and slides, basketball, tennis, pickleball, Barre, Pilates, Studio classes, TRX, trainers, health testing, salon….You get the picture. If you have a Lifetime local to you and want to give it a try, I included a trial pass with a free tour below. Get out there and give it your all. Don’t forget to take care of your body with all Shake Chef has to offer. Free Pass