6 Kickass Workout Trends

1. Boxing

With the rise of boutique boxing studios and the addition of beginner classes to traditional boxing gyms, boxing will see an even bigger year in 2017 than it did in 2016. Bonus: you don’t even have to jump in the ring to reap the benefits of this total-body exercise, as many studios are geared toward a no-contact style of fitness. And with added visibility from celebrities sharing their boxing workouts, we know that more women than ever will be hitting the heavy bags in the coming year. This anxiety-reducing, ultra-empowering workout is here to help you kick ass, take names, and have your healthiest year yet.

2. Megaformer (The Lagree Method)

Like Pilates on crack, a Megaformer class gives you an intense reformer workout that’ll make your muscles shake, burn, and possibly hate you for the next 72 hours. The classes are rooted in the Lagree method, named after trainer and Megaformer creator Sebastien Lagree. The workout is HARD, but so, so good.

Celebrities like Bella Thorne and Lea Michele are regulars at the Studio MDR, a popular Lagree studio in Los Angeles, and we anticipate even more A-listers and fit influencers will be sharing their Megaformer workouts this coming year, too.

3. Dance Cardio

People want to move in a way that doesn’t feel like exercise — and if the explosion of The Fitness Marshall’s popularity was any indicator, dance cardio workouts are going to be more popular than ever this year. Studios are springing up in major metros, like The COMPANY in San Francisco and 305 Fitness in New York City, so get ready to dance your way through 2017. These classes feel more like a party than they do a workout.

4. Mixed Format Classes

Speedplay, Orange Theory, Barry’s Bootcamp, YAS — these classes all have one thing in common, and it’s their hybrid format. They mix multiple workouts into one class! While in many classes you’ll be on one machine or doing one particular style of exercise for 45-60 minutes, these studios deliver workouts that combine strength training and cardio, which is the most effective way to burn calories.

The superstar trainer Jeanette Jenkins said she had the same thought — these mixed format classes will be huge in the coming year. Why? “They prevent overuse [injury] on the joints of doing the exact same thing over and over again.” She noted that studios like YAS and Speedplay “get it” and that other studios that offer a varied workout using various machines will keep fitness clients healthier in the long run.

Whether you like a combo of yoga and Spin in one class, a mixed format HIIT session, or a bootcamp-style training that combines multiple machines and floor work, there’s something for everyone out there. And we’re even more excited to see what else will pop up as this trend continues to build in 2017. Maybe a boxing-slash-Megaformer class?

5. Workout Apps

With ClassPass nixing the unlimited option, many users trying to fill the void with another convenient, do-whenever, wherever-you-are workout. And how does one do that in a cost-effective way? With apps and at-home workouts.

Apps like Kayla Itsines’s Sweat With Kayla and Nike Women’s refreshed NTC saw a rise in popularity year, and we predict they’ll do even better in 2017.

Newer apps like Aaptiv and Sworkit are building their followings, too, bringing on-demand training and coaching to your phone with a variety of workouts and styles to choose from.

6. Live-Stream Classes

Welcome to the future. You don’t have to live in a major metro to try new, exciting fitness classes anymore thanks to the rise of livestream video. Now, from anywhere in the world, you can bring the high-energy workout to you. Why stream Netflix when you could stream a high-intensity, body-transforming workout?

We’re seeing the trend go from the DVD workouts to streaming workouts to livestream workouts — following in parallel to the rise of live-streaming on social media with platforms like Facebook Live and Periscope.

Brands like Peloton cycling are leading the charge for fitness, with goals of bringing that in-class energy and power to your solo at-home sweat sesh. Not every studio and brand is streaming live classes just yet, but we anticipate the shift will happen this year en masse. Many brands have been making general streaming available — FitFusion lets you take classes from Jillian Michaels or Tone It Up’s Karena and Katrina; Barre3 brings the muscle-shaking studio class to your home with the ability to schedule your week just like you would with physical studio classes; New York’s Ballet Beautiful lets you pay per stream/workout; and YogaGlo delivers at-home classes from world-renowned teachers like Kathryn Budig.

All of these examples show the promise of the rise of more live-streaming in 2017. And with the latest VR technology, who knows what could be next? We wouldn’t mind a virtual reality dance cardio class!