#FitWithFinesse City Guide: Dallas

It has been ten years since I set foot in Dallas. Last time I was in the city, it was to celebrate Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl. In the words of Drake, “Oh, we talking teams?” What a time, indeed!

While in the city for work, I had some spare time to check out what was going on with Dallas’ fitness scene. The city is a reflection of what we've seen across the country, the fitness industry is booming and there is no shortage of new studios to try. A search of the city’s best fitness studios and healthy eats led me to a fun way to explore the city of Dallas. Also, this city’s gyms love their mural walls! Check out what I found to get into below.

CLASS STUDIO

Located in the West Village Neighborhood, Class Studio focuses on indoor cycling and circuit training. The studio has only been open a few months and has already racked up a few “Best of Dallas” accolades. This female-owned studio focuses on giving back to the community as a part of their mission.

I checked out their Train45 class and got in a quick, effective full-body workout. The workout was broken into three sections: Floor which focused on lower-body resistance and strength work, strength which focused on upper-body using medium to heavy dumbbells, and cardio. Clients rotate between each of the three sections for an 8-minute burst of non-stop work. Typically, I hate the rowing machine. This time, I found myself enjoying the flow of the workout and the quick 200-meter cardio-burst was a much-needed rest after the strength and floor portions. I checked out Pierre’s class, and it just so happened to be his birthday, so we cycled through 33 reps of each exercise before moving on to the next challenge.

Sweat Level: 💦💦 💦 out of 5

VITAL FITNESS

I headed to Downtown Dallas to check out Vital. While this studio may be a little hidden, it is definitely a gem. Opened in 2014 as a yoga studio, the studio was redesigned in 2016 to incorporate cycling and a wider variety of fitness classes. Now, it can be considered a one-stop shop with cycling, boxing, TRX, and circuit-training classes.

I decided to check out the TRX + Kettlebell class because I knew the suspension training of the TRX would throw me a bit of a curveball. While I love suspension training, I am always wary of setting up the TRX equipment correctly, so I tend to skip it. Also, can you tell how much I enjoy circuit training? We cycled through five stations and used both pieces of equipment for bear crawls and chin pull-ups to compound movements like overhead kettlebell sit-up to squat to burpee.

Much like Class, I loved that there was a powerful burst of work in a short amount of time. We spent three minutes rotating between two exercises at each station. Our finisher round was one-minute each of the more complicated exercise from each station. The best part of this workout was the focus on functional movement during the warm-up and cool down. I could tell a significant difference in my hip flexors by the time Caitlin wrapped the class.

Sweat Level: 💦 💦 out of 5

HG SPLY CO.

In a city known for hearty Tex Mex and authentic Mexican food, I was interested in what healthy options I’d be able to find. I found an article where Kevin Murray of Fit Men Cook listed his favorite restaurants in Dallas. The one that grabbed my attention most was HG Sply Co. Located in the cute Lower Greenville district, it is rustic and has a “man cave” feel to it.

The restaurant focuses on simple, clean food, classic drinks, and humble hospitality. They have gained a reputation in the city as being paleo-centric. I took the challenge of still making a vegetarian meal work and decided to go with the create-your-own bowl options. I ended up with quinoa meatballs, sweet potato hash, and cauliflower “grits.” As a true southern girl, I was side-eyeing those grits. But, it worked! I’m excited to get some free time to recreate the quinoa meatballs at home.

Visiting studios and restaurants that were exclusive to Dallas was really what I enjoyed most. I felt like I was truly getting a new experience, versus some of the larger chains that I’m used to popping into when I’m in larger cities. When choosing workouts while out of town, what experience do you go for? The big box gym, trying a locally-owned studio, or getting into that long-awaited class at a national boutique chain? Let us know in the comments below.