Fitness Studio Review: Vital Fitness at the Joule Hotel

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Studio Overview: VITAL Fitness at the Joule reopened this year with a new schedule and class offerings. It was previously a yoga studio with one large room. After a makeover, VITAL now offers more variety in classes such as spin, yoga, TRX/kick boxing conditioning, private training sessions, flex and flow and their new signature V3 class that combines HIIT, strength and yoga.

vitalfitnessstudio_review_dallas_11The Space: I had only been to VITAL Fitness once before the renovations and remembered it only had one large room. Gorgeous space. Fun fact, before that I actually frequented it when it used to be an underground club called Cameo. HA! Now, I wouldn’t expect less from the Joule in developing a beautiful space. It’s still an underground studio with a stairway that leads you below. It’s not very big, with only 2 medium size rooms that fit about 15-20 people each. There’s exposed brick and ceiling for a modern and industrial feel. The bathrooms are amazing and fully stocked.

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Classes and how it went: Being a new studio, the classes aren’t full. So the potential energy isn’t there to vibe off of yet, however I can give you the low down on the class itself. You check in, head to the bathrooms to put your stuff away in the lockers and crush the class. After each class, you are provided a eucalyptus towel to cool off. Perks!vitalfitnessstudio_review_dallas_8

  • V3: This was my first class at the newly reopened studio. I called ahead with anxiety over an annoying shoulder issue. They were so nice and were a huge help in modifying for me. I was able to make it through the class and felt so grateful. Injuries have a tendency to get in your head. The class is broken into three segments: HIIT or tabata, strength, and ends with yoga. It’s a moderately fast class. For the HIIT and strength portion, we repped out as much as we could in 30 -45 second increments and we used weights for the strength portion. It’s definitely doable and doesn’t feel like much at first. The next day, I couldn’t feel my butt. That’s what I get for underestimating body weight movements.
  • Vital Yoga: Great all-levels class with some added core work. It was challenging enough for me and offered plenty of opps to do inversions for the pros. I happily stayed in child’s thank you!
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  • Vital Ride: I got my butt handed to me in this class. It’s not a typical cycling class. It’s definitely more of a performance ride and training for endurance like you would if you were working toward a marathon. Not a lot of frills in terms of getting out of the seat and doing tap backs like you would in a rhythm-based class. You also are using your dash on your bike to monitor RPMs and stay at a certain pace or resistance. Another cool thing about this is class is the use of the stats boards. You can see where you are in terms of output on a board and how you rank compared to the rest of the class. Somewhat similar to Flywheel’s Torque Board. It’s definitely a humbling class and more challenging in terms of building strength and endurance.

    Check out the analytics boards for the Vital Ride

    Check out the analytics boards for the Vital Ride

  • Rhythm Ride: If you prefer a spin classed based on rhythm and beats, this is the class to sign up for. I personally felt like there were a lot of thoughtful challenges in terms of sprints, hills, and control. There are NO weights involved and it’s 100% focused on legs. I’ve never been a huge fan of the 3 minutes of arms due to the speed, flailing of arms, and possible shoulder and back injuries. So prepare to have jelly legs after class. The room set up is circular and the mirrors help make it feel larger. Love the use of lights and I do like their sound system.
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The Instructors: Super nice and accommodating. Michelle crushes it in V3 and the Rhythm Ride and she’s also a tiny human like me!!!!

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Favorite: It’s luxurious and offers a wonderfully complete workout experience from beginning to end. A one stop shop for fitness, food, coffee, and work. I also LOVE the showers. It’s seriously like heaven. They are stocked with high quality products, so you honestly don’t need to bring a ton of toiletries. In the shower, there is a rainfall shower head and there are side jets. Let me just live here.

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Feedback: Obviously, the studio is still new and I can’t expect people to come in droves. I wish the classes were fuller, especially the spin classes. Looking forward to seeing more of a community when more members come. I think there are still a few kinks to workout for some of the classes. There was some fumbling with the light and music system in one, but it’s just a matter of time and becoming more comfortable teaching.

Difficulty: The strength classes are all-levels and you can modify for any fitness level. If you have any injuries like me (shoulder), definitely let the instructor know and he/she will be able to help. I think the spin classes are more difficult. It’s perfectly ok to take a step back and just ride or take a break in between. I had to a few times for sure.

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What’s the crowd like?: The studio is located in the heart of downtown and caters to the business crowd. There’s a mix of professionals, younger millennials, and hotel guests. The classes aren’t super packed yet and I’m looking forward to feeling more energy in the classes when they get fuller. The V3 and yoga classes had the most attendance.

What to wear: It’s kind of a fancy place. Wear something comfortable and cute.

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FYI/Costs/Things to Know: The studio itself is somewhat hidden. It’s not inside of the Joule, but right next to it. Ask any hotel staff and they’ll point you in the right direction. You’ll go down a small corridor before spotting the studio. Don’t worry about parking. Just valet your car. It’s free for VITAL guests, just have a few dollars for tip. Bike shoes are included for the spin classes. There are showers and lockers and they are fully stocked. Bring your own water bottle. They have dinky machine for water. Other FAQs you might have are here. Don’t forget to validate your parking if you didn’t valet and chose to park in the garage.

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The Takeaway: VITAL Fitness has become one of my favorite studios to visit because of the convenience and location. I love coming in for class, taking a wonderful, therapeutic shower then heading inside the Joule to pound out emails and work in their coffee shop and gorgeous work space. This is a great place to plan a sweat date. Definitely check out their Crunch and Brunch options when they’re back next year. Americano and CBD are located inside the Joule and can make for a great refuel date too. You can take advantage of their special right now. Create an account online and enter code TWOFREE for two free unlimited weeks. The code is good until December 1st.

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Which VITAL Fitness class would you be most interested in trying? Leave me a comment below!

Comments

    1. Author

      Glad I could help! It’s a sweet code and hope you were able to sign up.

  1. I’m interested in taking the TRX/KB conditioning class did you happen to take that class? Thoughts if you did?

    1. Author

      Ack! I need to go soon and I’ll let you know. It was the one class I didn’t get a chance to take. My bad!

  2. That looks like an amazing studio. I wish I could take a shower there right now. Maybe I can sneak in. haha. Seriously though, it sounds so fun. I like the variety of the classes. Thanks for the awesome review. 🙂

    1. Author

      I could LIVE in that shower. It’s so nice. Can’t wait to brunch with you next week!

    1. Author

      You will soon! It’s a pretty space! Can’t wait to brunch with you.

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