From the streets of NYC to the CBD of Sydney, the first rowing studio CREW is here!

With the cult following of rowing studios ascending across New York City it seems that it’s indeed fast on track to be the ‘new spinning’ right here in Australia. Founded by Eastern Suburbs personal trainer and ex-rugby league player Mike Aldridge, CREW is Australia’s first rowing studio with state of the art machines.

Mike discovered the rowing trend on his recent trip to the United States and after just one session, was hooked. Realising there was nothing like what he experienced in Sydney, CREW was soon born. “Rowing studios are all the rage, no longer is the rowing machine the old neglected piece of equipment in the back of the gym. People are now realising its benefits. It immediately made so much sense,” said Aldridge.

But theres no need to be scared, you don’t JUST row for the whole session. Classes are mixed with a combo of HIIT, weights, core and of course, rowing.

Located in the heart of Sydney CBD on Young Street, the low impact nature of the rower makes it the perfect workout for people of any age, fitness level, experience, or goal. There’s no stress placed on the body like there is in running and other activities. There is no downward force being place on the lower back, knees, or ankles; so there’s no exacerbation of pre-existing injuries. Rowing workouts hit every single muscle in the body with every stroke. It will work muscles you didn’t even know existed.

“The fulfilment that brings is unexplainable. It doesn’t matter if you have never rowed before, we teach you proper rowing form before we get started,” said Aldridge.

Why the Crew workout is one you need to try:

·         It’s high-intensity; so your heart rate stays elevated throughout. It absolutely torches calories in just 45 minutes.

·         The entire body is used with every stroke; so you get more bang for your buck in less time.

·         It’s the perfect lunchtime or post-work training. You don’t need anything except yourself.

·         The low impact nature means that there is minimal wear and tear on the body. So it’s perfect for all ages, fitness levels, experience levels, and goals.

·         Crew mix in body weight exercises, dumbbells, resistance bands, movement, flexibility, stability, and much more. It’s much more than just rowing.

·         The lights are dimmed, music is up and the trainers will motivate you.

·         It’s a ton of fun. Crew is family. A community. Everyone is there for the same reason, to better themselves. There’s no ego’s and the goal-orientated workouts will bring out that inner athlete in you.

Review: To put the class to the test we sent FITC client Justin Wong and his team from Streeton Lawyers to try a class. The result? A big (sweaty) thumbs up!

Mikaela Eldridge sums it up perfectly:

Due to Lee’s growing pregnancy she perhaps worryingly decided to send 4 lawyers down to Crew Rowing Studio to test out their new style of fitness. Whilst it does sound like the start of a classic lawyer joke, and although none of us were fitness professionals, the ending was a great result.

There was a common fear amongst all of us when walking in to the studio at lunch that we would be enduring 30 minutes of straight rowing. However, the class was much more than rowing, which left not a dry body in site.

The session was cleverly structured to involve short bursts of rowing mixed with weight and core exercises. You were constantly challenged to beat your previous time on the rower and to beat the previous number of reps you had done with the exercises. It is fair to say there was not one minute of the 30 that were wasted.

The best part about the class, especially for amateur rowers like us, was Mike the founder and coach. He was constantly checking to make sure our posture was right on the rower, that we were engaging the right muscles and that we were completing the exercises correctly. Importantly he provided great tunes throughout, constant motivation and even posed for a sweaty photo after.

All in all, an intense and fun work out. CREW is proof that 30 minutes is all you need and is the perfect way to get your daily exercise at lunch if you are a busy worker in the CBD.’

So what are you waiting for?

Address: Suite 1, Ground Floor, 15-17 Young Street Sydney 2000

Pricing: Single visits are $28, memberships start at $50 per week, with multi session packages available.

Website: www.crewrow.com.au

Instagram: @crewstudio

Facebook: www.facebook.com/crewrowstudio