Let's Climb: Rise Nation — Fit + Finesse

Hitting equipment like the treadmill and elliptical can often leave you feeling you are heading nowhere fast. That’s definitely not the case at Rise Nation.

Rise Nation is a 30-minute, high-intensity sweat session that uses the VersaClimber, a cardio machine that stimulates virtual climbing, to give you a full-body workout. The class forces you to use your body to do all the work of climbing a mountain while you stand upright. Falling in line with the trend of today’s hottest studio, the ambiance is made complete with low, pulsating lights and loud music. The class consisted of about four, seven-minute sessions of continuous climbing to high-tempo music. We climbed along to a little Destiny’s Child, Kanye West and heart-pumping EDM.

What stands out most is the intentional use of lights and music during the workout. Instructors use melodies, beats and neon lights, to guide you through the workout. If you love music, like we do, it’s easy to get back on track, just find the beat.

Finesse Fact: The workout is a favorite of LeBron James, who is an investor in the company. We both had the opportunity to check out the studio recently, so get into this month’s double studio review below.

Using the VersaClimber is a low-impact, high-intensity workout that uses the body’s bio-mechanics to promote healthy spinal alignment, a balanced physique and muscular coordination. We both tried the intro class, which focuses on teaching proper form and movement to help you get acclimated to the feel of the machine. It’s estimated that you will climb between 700 to 2500 feet in this class. That’s the height of at least One World Trade Center in New York City

CaCera

Studio Visited: Dallas in the Highland Park neighborhood

Sweat Level
💦💦 💦💦 💦 of 5

Gear Needed?
Lace up your tennis shoes and grab your water bottle. The studio makes sure every climber has a towel on it. And trust, you will need it.

Studio Vibe
Sleek and cool. With a color palette of black, white and a yellow-gold, something about this studio screams Miami-vibes to me: bold, loud and casually cool.

Who to Bring?
Your friend who has dubbed themselves as the cardio queen! If a sweat is what you are looking for, that’s what you are going to get. There’s no weights here.

Would You Double Tap That?
I’m conflicted. The atmosphere was fun and the class was different for a change of pace. The form needed to really work your muscles on the Versaclimber reminded me a bit of my Bounce class in that you are keeping your core tucked and a hinge at your hips to really drive your movements. However, I didn’t feel the full-body workout. If you are looking to build a strong back and amazing glutes, this is for you.

Finesse Tip:
Have fun with it! If you are in a city with a Rise, or similar studio (like District Climb in Dallas), check out the instructor reviews and book with someone who has a great reputation.

Shawnie

Sweat Level
💦💦 💦💦 💦 of 5

Studio Visited: Los Angeles, in the West Hollywood neighborhood

Gear Needed?
Just a comfortable pair of tennis shoes and a bottle of water. The studio also provides towels, which is much appreciated with all the sweat dripping down your body!

Studio Vibe
Fun! You feel like you are at the club, fist pumping and twerking at the same time! Only you are doing neither lol. The combination of the neon strobe lights and heavy beats, will help you push through those sprints.

Who to Bring?
Your friend loves a good cardio session and doesn’t mind sweating out their hair! It’s unavoidable.

Would You Double Tap That?
I would if I need a quick cardio session and happen to be in the neighborhood. The best way I would describe it is a cycling class, only standing up. I would also recommend it for a good leg day. My legs felt like jello, but overall I was able to get through.

Finesse Tip:
Go at your own pace! It’s okay if you can’t go the full on, just keep moving, you’ll still get a great workout.