modelFIT

Quite honestly, the reason I came to check this out is because of Karlie Kloss’s instagram. If it wasn’t for her cool, toned and lean looking shots on Insta, Modelfit would not have received its publicity. (Gotta love social media sometimes.) Anyhow, I tried to come here with an unbiased and levelheaded mindset… meaning don’t expect too much or too little. Pricing first. $ 40 per class is probably the most expensive class I ever paid for a single workout class. Also, you should know that a single class isn’t going to turn you into a Victoria Secret model right away. So you will have to come back here and stay committed to the workout to see results. In other words, expect to go bankrupt and hopefully you get a good ROI.
Second, the studio itself is very boutique-​y. It’s small. You walk in and it’s literally the class in front of you. There’s a small receptionist desk on the right hand side where they check you in. The girl who checked me in was actually pretty nice and friendly. She didn’t really explain much except directing me to where the locker room is. I suppose the space isn’t too big to begin with so everything is quite self-​explanatory with a blink of an eye. I must say the locker room is pretty chic. I should really call it a «powder room» because that’s what it really feels like. Fresh flowers and an assortment of hair spray, perfume and serums lined up against the mirror.
As far as class goes, I actually enjoyed the Dance Cardio class with Javier. I was actually a bit intimidated when I first signed up because I thought it will be a lot of hip hop dancing, which I’m terrible at. I’m just a terrible dancer in general. My body just doesn’t have that fluidity and coordination. This is why I avoid Zumba classes in general. But Javier’s moves were pretty easy to follow and it didn’t make me feel awkward. I was already sweating during the warm-​up and my knees and core were burning afterwards. Overall, I thought it was an effective workout. The music was great but I think the energy and vibes from the class could be a little better. Everyone looked so bored. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Karlie. But you may find a few aspiring models doing personal trainings on the side. They basically partition one side of the room by the window to have one-​on-​one trainings with certain clienteles. I’m not sure if I can afford to stay committed to the modelfit classes but I definitely want to give their Sculpting and Boxing classes a try.
P. S.- for those athleisure aficionados, don’t forget to pick up the 15% discount card to shop at Bandier.

I attended a ModelFit Sculpt class with Justin Gelband. Before I start reviewing, I also want to say that as Tara below, I am also not a model (nor will I ever be). I am a gym freak however and used to very high intensity training + long hours of cardio/​weights. This class was nothing like that kind of training. It is not high intensity, mostly focuses on very small movements and generally it is based on the philosophy that you connect your mind with your body while performing each move. Does that work? I believe it does. In fact I have previously performed some of the moves (eg. Donkey Kicks) taught in the class, however I have never concentrated so much on the muscles that are affected by these movements and that is I believe the secret of the ModelFit method. The overall verdict for the class is that if you want to drop lots of pounds and burn loads of calories I am not sure if that is the right class for you. (That being said, I have also seen that they offer more Advanced/​Cardio classes which I am dying to try). But if you want to tone and sculpt (as it’s name suggests) it is definitely great and I would personally do it again. I have seen many people complaining about the price — to be honest that’s the standard NYC price for a fitness class and let’s be fair — the guy trains Karlie Kloss and Candice Swanepoel, it is more than wonderful that you can have access to him and his class at such a low rate (compared to other celebrity trainers that charge in the 3 digit rate for a class).
The trainer himself: Justin is nice, he approached newcomers and asked about potential injuries. He was also paying constant attention to all students.
The studio is very nice — kind of small but the classes also consist of very few people which is great — it’s like having a semi-​private lesson and the instructors pay lots of attention to each person. The studio is very clean and have a great locker room with several body creams (such as Kora Organics), brushes and hair dryers.
And yes, some of the other people in the class were models. For me, I didn’t find that intimidating, it only motivated me to work harder!

I admit, like the reviewers below, I was definitely skeptical when I first started private training with one of the teachers from Modelfit. The movements were so small it seemed as if I wasn’t doing much even though I felt everything slow and controlled.
As a hardcore workout person, my «go to» types of workouts were along the lines of Barry’s Bootcamp or plyometrics. Then again, Barry’s four to five times a week seriously injured my back. And it got me thinking, so many people are working out hard across the country and yet there are a handful of supermodels gracing the magazines. They all train with the same guy. Their workouts are so different but they have to work.
So when Modelfit opened for a week in LA, I had to go. And I went five times. My body has changed DRAMATICALLY in one week! I almost wanted to give this one star so no one else knew but it deserves 5. Justin is so nice and amazing. The workout is so controlled and every little move means something. You’re constantly working your entire body and you definitely feel it the next day. I watched my waist slim down in less than a week. Because you are constantly working your core. I workout less and am slimmer. And don’t have to deal with injuries. Best kept secret. Please come back to LA soon!!!

Please read Emliy A’s review. She hit it on the head on everything! Im not sure who does this places PR but man they have everyone fooled! Such a gimmick. Such a waste of time. I think out instructor either just woke up or was being forced to be there as he was miserable and so not motivating. Id equate the intensity of the workout to Curves fitness for women. No offense to Curves. Do not waste your money! Go to Barrys or SLT for a real workout!

I think you need to consume less than 300 calories a day to find this class worthwhile. It’s really the only rational explanation I can come up for this horrible horrible class.
THE CLASS: I attended their model sculpt class. The concept appears to be basic ballet mixed with Jane Fonda aerobics, and distilled down to «micro movements.» You do things such as bend your right leg, extend your left pointed to the side and move it from 2 o’clock to 3 o’clock in slow movements. You do this while wearing 2lb ankle weights and holding onto a resistAnce band (which you pull in the aforementioned micromovements). I am in pretty awful shape, I do maybe 30 mins on a sitting bike a couple times a week. I genuinely believe that my walk to this gym was more excersise than these movements. The most laughable part was the stretching at the end (5 minutes) which was my 8^th grade track coaches stretch to a T. It was a runners stretch, two other Basic leg stretches and then reach to the sky, pull your left arm over, etc. incredibly basic. All in all, I felt a little burn in my tush, never moved beyond standing heart rate, and think I definitely would have been better served by one of the 8 thousand other classes in this city. If you are very weak and can only manage to work one muscle at a time, this may be a good option for you.
THE COST: this class is $ 40 !!! If you need a towel, that is $ 2. They only sell Fiji water!
THE TEACHER: possibly the least charismatic excersise teacher in all of Manhattan. She literally did not crack a smile once, she had a monotone voice and barely adjusted students (and some people were pretty far off of the correct movements). As she walked by once I asked if I could use a more difficult resistance band and she rolled her eyes before being like «sure.» It was totally unnecessary.
THE SPACE: this is Terry Richardsons old photography studio, which is evidently supposed to be appealing but all I could think was «how many girls have been sexually assaulted up in here?» It’s just one rectangular room with a mirror and bar down one side. You stand in a long line which is quite tight especially since you all want to be equidistance from the mirror (you are using resistance bands).
They played the worst workout music, like clearly it is trendy, but it was neither motivational or sufficiently interesting to break up the tedium.
Lastly, about 20 minutes before the end of class, new folks started coming in. They are clearly friends with the receptionist and started chatting up a storm. We were all in one tiny room. This was totally unprofessional and all I could think was «$ 40 for this!!!»

Found Justin to be condescending. Walked into the class while he was yelling at a student for incorrect form. Would not pay to take this class again.

I will preface this review by saying I am not a model, never have been, never will be, but a girl can dream and I can train like one. I first heard about Justin through a workout video I watched on YouTube. I liked his technique and was in awe of all the amazing bodies he’s transformed — Victoria’s Secret and SI Swimsuit models including Candice Swanepoel, Irina Shayk, Erin Heatherton, to name a few. I was so excited to learn he opened up a gym so I jumped at the chance to try out a class. With help from a few other trainers, he offers personal training and a variety of small group classes held at his new studio in what used to be Terry Richardson’s (famous photographer) studio in The Bowery. The space is small but well equipped, modern, and bright. There is a small locker room with a couple showers. Prices are high, though reasonable for getting access to a celebrity trainer at $ 40 a class and they do offer slight discounts if you purchase a class pack of 5 or more. You can book online or by calling.
I attended a modelFIT Sculpt class, which is one step up from the Foundation class and uses light weights, ankle weights, resistance bands, and an aerobic step. This is not a CrossFit class, it’s low impact at a slower pace, but still effective, and you can feel the burn as you’re working out! Justin is a very attentive trainer. If he saw anyone struggling (like I did at one point) he’ll run over and adjust your body or help with a modification. It was a little intimidating and at the same time motivating to have a few professional models in the class. I really enjoyed this workout and wish it was something I could afford on a regular basis. Overall I’m happy with the experience and recommend it! Thanks, Justin!