experience review: tracey anderson

insights on why the tribeca moms are so obsessed

So, I finally got my lil’ butt into a Tracey Anderson class.

This is a safe space, so I’m allowed to say that this is a studio that is labeled, dare I say, controversial? I’ve heard ‘culty’ get thrown around in association to the experience, but let’s get real here, this isn’t my first rodeo with loving a culty experience. Oop!

Yesterday you could catch me hustling down to Tribeca at 6am with a bestie to look like a deer in headlights at a new (to me) studio. Just because I’m in the fitness industry doesn’t mean going to a studio for the first time doesn’t intimidate me. Just being fr.

Read below to hear my honest thoughts and opinions on the experience:

THE FACILITIES

Clean Bathrooms/Amenities: Now granted, it was the first class of the morning. However, that means that they have a great cleaning staff on the evening shift. The studio had showers, and great products for post-shower care. They had brushes for your hair, natural deodorant and various other needs that would be helpful if you’re getting ready to go to work from the studio.

Check-In Process: Definitely the pain point. It was my first time, and upon arrival, the front desk did not give me any kind of guidance on where to go. Luckily the layout of the studio is pretty intuitive (and I could follow all the other women), but there are two different studios and it would’ve been helpful to get guidance on the layout of the studio and where to put my things.

Signature Scent: If you know me, you know I’m HUGE on scent. It can make or break an experience when you walk into a space. (Ever got into an Uber that smelled bad?) When I walked in, it smelled fresh, feminine and floral. It smelled exactly how I would expect the brand to smell. On the way out, I noticed that they were selling ‘Heartstone’ Candles. Scent is a huge influence in brand association, and I’m obsessed that they had something available for purchase that would make me think of TA.

I’ll explain why I thought that was a unique touch below.

Post-Class: They immediately have a cleaning crew come in and grab all of your equipment and put it away for you. It’s the small details like this that matter to me.

THE CLASS

The Space: The floors were spotless (and had a little bounce to them!), the mirrors were clean and all of our props that we needed were laid out for us in advance, so we didn’t need to walk all over the room and wonder what we needed for the class. As someone that is brand new to the experience, this made me feel prepared and less intimidated.

The Props: All of the weights we used (ankle, free weights, Heartstones) were TA branded. The Heartstones is a custom weight designed by Tracey that I thought was a nice touch to the overall brand, and I absolutely loved that they turned it into a scent. (ie. the candle they were selling upstairs). The branded props tied nicely into the aesthetic of the space and created a cohesive energy in the studio.

The Music: First off, the instructor had an amazing playlist. Think 2010’s Drake, Nicki Minaj, Queen Bey, you know the vibe. The music was LOUD but it was the perfectly crisp kind of loud, not the ‘singe your eardrums’ kind of loud. You could tell the sound system was expensive.

The Instructor: My first initial thought was that she definitely came from a dance background. Her form was absolutely beautiful and she took up space with utter confidence. TA instructors notoriously do not talk, so you almost have to be confident in the way that you move, because you are literally only able to use your body language.

The instructor didn’t get newbies any kind of ‘newbie intro’ besides letting me know that she didn’t talk and to modify with the weights as needed.

As someone that is new to fitness, I can see this as being an intimidating experience, but just know that a lot of the women (or men? idk) in the class are challenged by the choreo and movements.

None of it is easy, but I wouldn’t let that deter you from going and trying it out. All of the movements we did in class were creatively put together an intelligently sequenced. There was not one time in the class where I questioned why we were doing a specific movement. All of it felt functional and intentional, which I appreciated.

It’s safe to say, I fucking loved the class. I paid close to $50 to show up and sweat, and it was worth every dollar. TA is a great example of why all of the details matter. Catch your girl dancing her lil’ heart out at 6am in the near future.