- By Caroline Callahan Janson

Get ready, get set, row! In case you’ve been tuned out of fitness world chatter of late, rowing may be one of the fastest growing workouts around. And CityRow, the clean, well-lit studio on the Upper East Side, is one of New York’s top spots to get acquainted with how and why rowing works.

Owner: Helaine Knapp

Classes Offered: SignatureRow, Row & Flow, Row & Core

Why You Should Check It Out: Because you’re looking burn calories big time (say, 600 in a class!), and to tone your physique until it's long and lean.

What Makes It Such an Effective Workout? Rowing engages over eighty percent of your muscles without stressing the joints the way running or heavy lifting can. The 50-minute classes begin with a quick and easy demo of a few strokes on the water-powered IndoRowing machines, and you will then do interval work: rowing sprints and strength work on a yoga mat next to your machine, sometimes with weights and sometimes without.

The rowing sprints will send your heart rate up; the instructor will challenge you to hit the best numbers you can hit on the machine. The strength work create that burn sensation that lets you know you’re getting lean.

Know Before You Go: You absolutely do not have to have had rowing experience to come on board here! Other than that, know that there aren’t changing rooms at this time. There’s a bathroom down the hall from the studio, but no shower. Wear fitted, comfortable workout clothes and sneakers...and be prepared to break a sweat!  

Advice for first­-timers: New to rowing? Don't sweat it. They'll teach you everything you need to know!

Amenities: Cubbies, free mats, water for sale, and a water cooler in the studio   

Book the Upper East Side studio on FitReserve here: https://www.fitreserve.com/nyc/studios/273069-cityrow-ues