For anyone following the news, the re-opening of gyms in NYC is a hot topic—one that has left many of us with a feeling of whiplash. Fret not fitness lovers and gym rats, Tracy Anderson has opened the doors to the “gym of the future,” complete with a prescription studio, online store, and animations of the renowned guru herself. But can an avatar live up to the real thing?
It is no secret that the Tracy Anderson studio is my mothership. Back in July I had the pleasure of testing out the al fresco classes in her signature Water Mill studio, which brought me supreme joy as I got a taste of the deeply missed group fitness class energy. That said, I don’t live Out East and COVID doesn’t seem to be allowing us to return to gyms for an in-person experience anytime soon, so I find myself faced with a fitness impasse. “Do I really have to workout online,” I whined. Not only am I not a technologically advanced person, making the thought of a digital workout very daunting, but I’m also what you could call an energy vampire. Meaning? I’m convinced I must feed off of a real life person training me to really feel the burn.
A digital experience isn’t exactly new to Anderson’s offerings: she already has a huge fan base of online streamers located around the globe. I once tried (and failed!) to stream when COVID first hit. What really happened is that I basically sat and watched Anderson do one of her routines, as if I was watching a Netflix show.
But call me curious, because Anderson’s innovative new futuristic fitness concept offers enough new features that I was willing to give it another shot.
Upon entrance, I was greeted by the cutest avatar of Anderson I could imagine—kudos to this illustrator, it looks exactly like her. From there, the interface was very simple and direct; I could pop into the Classrooms, hit the Prescription Office, join in some Locker Room chat, visit the Café (coming soon), or Shop.
Intrigued, I went straight for the Prescription Office, as Anderson and her team are known for identifying where your body could use some balancing and toning. Spoiler alert: they will rigorously work your whole body anyway, regardless of whether you just want to tackle that muffin top. If you’ve picked up a fitness magazine even once in your life, you’ll already know that you really do have to workout every body part to see a difference. Sigh! Maybe my next story should be about liposuction (I kid I kid…or do I?). Inside the Prescription Office is another avatar, this time of Chief Training Officer Maria Kelling, as seen below. Another dead ringer!
The prescription questions are straightforward, mainly assessing how committed I am to working out, what sort of time I have available, how I am feeling in my body, and what my experience (if any) has been with Anderson and her method.
Based on my answers, I was prescribed to “level up” and attempt some of the more advanced level classes. Shockingly, this actually managed to motivate me, and so I diligently went ahead and did the advanced class. Something I never would have done before!
Class itself is not done with an avatar, which thrilled me to no end. Seeing trainers sweat with me magically made me keep going and push through the more difficult moves. My energy vampire itch was scratched, and it really worked! The online courses, no matter what level, all feature Anderson and her trainers, and come complete with program breakdowns, different views of the arm series, leg summaries, and an end-of-class chat with the celebrity-adored fitness queen herself. New content is loaded onto the site every week, so you will never get bored or over exercise one part of your body.
The last destination during my day at the gym was in the Locker Room, which is actually a clever interface and message portal where members—aka the TAmily—can chat. There are existing threads to read and comment on, or a person can start a discussion of their own. What I saw in the Locker Room was really inspiring and the strength of the TAmily connection is obvious. As part of the rules, I’m not allowed to share the content of what was discussed (like Fight Club!) but I encourage everyone to visit the Locker Room. There are some amazing stories within that will make you smile and feel energized.
Overall, I am sold on the fact that this truly is the gym of the future—since it launched last week, I have already worked out online three times and I’m excited for more. Given that this is a workout you can take with you anywhere and one you can do anytime, the price is right.
For anyone else who is intrigued, Anderson offers a two-week free trial at tracyanderson.com/onlinestudio. A monthly membership is $90, a semi-annual membership is $457 (15% discount), and an annual membership is $808.50 (25% discount).
See you in the Locker Room!
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