Where to Try the Trendiest Type of Workout in Philly Right Now

Pilates on steroids is all the rage right now, people.

Photo via Plank Studio

Over the past few years, Philly has seen a pretty astounding influx in the number of Megaformer fitness studios and studios like Solidcore, which serves up a workout done on a similar machine — complete with torture device-like resistance pulleys and all — going from zero to six studios in three short years. We think it’s safe to say, the Pilates-inspired workouts done on these giant, slightly intimidating machines are quite the trend right now.

So, where can you try ‘em, you ask? Below, our complete roundup — with cost, vibe of the studio and location — of where to get your muscles shaking on a machine. Each studio has its own style, but idea is the same: Burn tons of calories with slow, controlled movements until you see sweat dripping onto the black board below you.

Plank Studio
532 West Lancaster Avenue, Wayne
Cost: $20 for your first class, $30 after that.
The vibe: The OG of Megaformer workouts in Philly — they were the first Megaformer studio to set up shop in PA — this Main Line studio offers a light-filled, airy space to sweat buckets in. They also have their Studio B, offering everything from TRX to yoga to boxing, for those days when just the sight of the machine makes your muscles panic.

Sculpt Fitness Studio
777 South Broad Street, Graduate Hospital
Cost: $15 for your first class, $30 after that.
This studio, which moved from Northern Liberties to Graduate Hospital last year, is filled with instructors you’ll recognize from your other favorite cult-followed workouts (think: Flywheel, CorePower, Unite Fitness, and more). And one thing they all have in common? Great abs.

Solidcore
Multiple locations
Cost: $15 for your first class, $32 after that. Note: They also have lowered pricing during off-peak hours.
The vibe: Think of Solidcore as the nightclub of the bunch — the lighting is dim, save for neon-blue piping, and the music is loud. And the machine (it’s not a Megaformer — they’ve designed their own machines to fit their workout — but they are similar) will keep you shaking for a full 50 minutes.

SLT
1625 Walnut Street, Second floor
Cost: $15 for your first class, $32 after that.
This studio is an oldie in the Megaformer world, but a newbie to us, opening their first Philly location, on Rittenhouse’s Walnut Street, just last month. The studio is bright, the music is blasting, and the instructors are super motivating when you need an extra push to get through the 50 minutes of slow-paced exercises paired with “cardio bursts.” Trust us: Mountain climbers have never felt so, well, mountain-like.

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