Best alternative fitness classes and workouts in KL

People often assume that you can only learn gymnastics from a young age because you have the flexibility. But Total Gym Club says otherwise – you can still pick up gymnastic at any age as long as you learn the fundamentals.

First, Coach Mike Ng will put new students through the Dominant Movement Patterns – which form the basis of gymnastics such as jumping, leaping, rotating, landing, bending and balancing – before allowing them to take on proper gymnastic movements.

Eliminate your sense of fear, and you’ll be tumbling your way to greater strength and physique.

Once a week, 1.5 hours per session, RM150 per month; twice a week, 1.5 hours per session, RM240 per month.

Flycycle is a swanky spin studio – think whitewashed Volakas marble at the reception area, plus an exercise arena equipped with candles, dim lights and nightclub-like neon strobes. Its 45-minute sweat sessions are a cardio party for your core, legs and upper body; it’s also incorporates a combination of weights workouts. Satiate your need for speed to a playlist of electronic, funk and hip hop tunes. Plus, you’ll be burning up to 700 calories per class. That’s equivalent to two McDonald’s cheeseburgers.

From RM75 per class.

Be warned: This one’s not for beginner bunnies. Body 360 is a full-body, full-fitness workout that’s ‘ideal for anyone looking for an intense toning class’, which is fitness-speak for ‘you’re about to get whipped’. Aimed at burning calories and building muscles, it’s a floor-based class that incorporates hand weights and studio equipment to sculpt, strengthen and shape the body – think box jumps, tire flips and weight sleds.

From RM400 for ten group training classes; first class is free.

Zap calories with Impulse Studio’s 20-minute Impulse Training sessions, which promise to build muscles, relieve back pain and lose fat up to three times faster than conventional gym training through Electric Muscle Stimulation (EMS).

You put on a cotton top below the Impulse Training vest that’s covered in wires and electrodes, one of which links you to a dock. The workout includes squats, lunges, crunches and more, but we’re here for the lightning-quick solution. The electric pulses have been described as ‘ant bites’ and ‘light tingles’, but you’ll get used to them in no time.

Trial sessions start from RM75.

A combination of ballet, dance and Pilates, Xtend Barre is one of the most intense (but elegant) workouts out there. First things first, you don’t have to be a dancer to sign up for this. Suitable for all ages (and levels), Xtend Barre improves flexibility (so you can finally cross ‘touch my toes’ off your New Year resolutions), tones muscles and builds strength.

RM580 for ten sessions.

HIIT2Fit combines music and fitness technology into two different workouts: Lean (indoor cycling) and Mean (HIIT circuit training). ‘Lean’ is aimed to tone those legs, where you’ll cycle to the beat of live music by in-house DJs and flashing lights. ‘Mean’, on the other hand, comprises treadmill intervals, water rowing, strength/resistance training and heart rate tracking. The programme is made for all fitness levels and each participant will receive a chest-mounted heart rate monitor that records real-time heart rates. This is the perfect gym for the non-committal as you won’t need to sign a contract when you book a class.

RM240 for four classes.