The Sweat Shoppe

A friend of mine has been asking me to join her at the Sweat Shoppe for years who has cycled with them since 2011. The only reason I’ve written this review is because my sweet friend told me they banned her from cycling at the studio after an injury in an email. I did not believe at first, but she forwarded me the email. It upsets me that my friend has only spoken very highly of them and returned week after week for years to classes to be treated this way. After reading the email, I still wonder how a person has the audacity to do this when a good client is asking them for help.
Feel free to email me at
if you would like to see the email or maybe have been mistreated yourself.
FYI: I saw Stan P’s review (the only one star) and it is accurate. The owner’s response is evidence that something is truly wrong. This just happened to my friend. Stan’s review was last December.

I was in a workout funk! No class could shake me out of it so I stopped going! Then last week my friend said I should try The Sweat Shoppe and when she told me what it was I thought «okay, nope, don’t want to die on a bike» but then I thought — oh what the heck… just try it! And I did and I’m sooooo soooo happy! I took Briana’s 9:15am class on Saturday and died a few times but when I rose from the ashes I felt a thrill I have not felt in a long time!
This is not easy! It will take you to your limit and it is hands down the best spin studio I have tried! It’s hot! It’s challenging, it’s FUN and you will want to die but then you feel so damn amazing after that you get hooked! Well, I did! Today I took my 4^th class and I love it! I encourage everyone to give this studio a try… You will not be sorry!
I also want to mention that the studio is very clean very hit and the whole staff is amazing!!!

BUYER BEWARE
I thought the place was great upon walking in. I loved meeting people I believed had great energy and encouraged you to be the best you can be. However, after only about four classes I learned.
1. Everything is over-​priced. Juices are $ 8
2. Management blames clients for their lack of organization.
3. There is no parking unless you are OK to walk a ways on Riverside.
4. The heat is misleading because anybody that walks in sweats.
They have a no refund policy. Again
BUYER BEWARE

This is such a good workout! I was nervous to try out a heated spin class since spin itself is already a workout. But adding heat is a whole other workout! The teachers I tried were great and I loved their playlists. I’m not going to lie towards the end of the class I always thought I was going to pass out. But they turn on the fan towards the end. It always feels good since it does get really hot. I’d recommend this to anyone interested in trying it out. It’s a great workout!

I love spin classes and I became an addict after living in Boston for 2 years. There are several locations in California that I would like try but I doubt they will compare to this one! My first time spinning with them was at their other location. It was a bit too small but the heat was on! I love their newer location it gives them so much more room to offer great services! So far all of the instructors have been great! I have yet to try they’re hip hop theme class but I will for sure go. If you want to enjoy a good ride try it here! It is pricey but they do offer discount packagers from time to time. I am hooked as it is!

I took a class here one night, it was my first time really cycling in a hot studio. I really enjoyed it he definitely got a great workout, I do live in Santa Monica so it’s a bit of a drive. But I have some friends I go in there so I’ll probably be coming here once a week and just paying by class.

If you love a great workout, great music, a happy staff and a clean Enviorment… this is the place to be!

Love this place. Wonderful staff, awesome music, and clean!!! Highly recommend. Come spin with me!

You know what, I’m not gonna lie. This shit ain’t easy. And it ain’t even always fun. But what it is is a damn good workout! I’ve taken about 10 or so classes at Sweat Shoppe in the past 3 weeks and these have been some of my random/​memorable thoughts during class:
– Holy fuq it’s hot!
– Ok, I’m gonna pass out now.
– Welp, guess I’m just gonna sweat this perm right on out.
– Gottdamnit where’s the puke bucket.
– Is ALL that sweat from me?!?
– YESSSS my new pre-​workout has kicked in!
– Dayum, for Toluca Lake they sure do play a lot of gangsta rap up in this b*tch!
– You know what Jason, yes, I do feel the fuq’n pain leaving my body (in response to him motivating us mid-​ride with «feel the pain leaving my body»)
I will say this though, out of all the years and various Unilocal Fit Club classes I’ve attended, this is the first and only time I’ve ever come back on my own accord after and continued with as a paying customer. I left the free Unilocal class and remember telling the girl at the front desk as she was telling me bye and hope I come back, that the classes were really out of my budget and this would probably just be a freebie workout for me with little chance I’d be back. Somehow though, I talked myself into coming back for another class 2 days later, and after that one I signed up for the New Rider 1-​month unlimited package. This shit still doesn’t fit in my budget but I guess you can say I was sorta hooked!
If you are new to Sweat Shoppe and/​or spinning, and unless it will really leave you strapped for cash without a pot to piss in, I would *highly* encourage you get the monthly unlimited. I work out a lot and with the exception of some recent holiday pounds (what, at least I’m honest!), I consider myself to be in good (not great) shape. But Sweat Shoppe in my opinion is just on another level! This really just isn’t the type of workout you can do sporadically as a newbie. It takes your body (ok, your ASS!) 2 – 3 class classes just to get used to the pain of the bike seat. It also takes that long to get a little accustomed to the heated room. If you really want to get used to this place you have to come regularly at first. The monthly unlimited break-​down per class is worth it if you can come at least 3 – 4 days per week. Which is pretty good for your weekly cardio workout. That was my rationale when I knew I would be off of work for 2 weeks over the holiday break. The Sweat Shoppe was the perfect way for me to get back into gear.
The classes are ALL challenging. Period. Some teachers are harder than others but no one is easy. Jason is great — motivates you, perfect for learning form/​technique. But he’s not going to coddle or baby you so don’t expect him to. He WILL kick your ass though and remind you to «feel the pain leaving our body lol! I really love Alex’s classes. I keep waiting for him to play some Salsa music, but none yet. The first time I took his class I left feeling like wow, I might have actually liked that one! Like I said the shit is hard. I don’t always love things right away that are hard, but I still do it if it’s worth it.
Sooooooo what’s preventing me from giving Sweat Shoppe 5 stars? You honestly have to take a LOT of factors into account for your class to be GOOD. Of all my classes here thus far, my best class was when I:
— Was properly hydrated (and not thought I was when I really wasn’t)
— Was fed, and at the right time prior or the night before
— Had the right dosage of my preworkout and BCAAs
— Was it an evening vs. a morning class
— Was past the sore-​ass and cramping-​foot-​arch newbie stage
— Wasn’t trying to aim for a fully fasted cardio session
— Was in a class that wasn’t completely or practically full
Yes, these are all factors that anyone who strives to lead a healthy lifestyle and balance workouts with proper nutrition might take into account. But I’m not new to any of these nor am I a novice athlete and it really sometimes feels like ALL of these have to line up in me to looooove my ride. I just don’t have that experience with most of my other classes or gym sessions. Twice now, I’ve felt a little dizzy after class and it’s almost impossible for me to pin-​point which one (or combo of) the above factors is the reason why. And I never get dizzy in other workouts — I don’t d*ck around either. I push myself, work my ass off, and wimpy workouts piss me off! In their defense though, I am still somewhat new to Sweat Cycle and spinning so I’m sure these factors will have less of an impact on my performance/​enjoyment as I continue. It sometimes has been frustrating, but not a deal-​breaker. It forces me to better plan ahead and just be more aware. And I obviously keep coming back and plan to continue!
I can really thank Unilocal 100% for exposing me to this workout and studio. So happy it’s in my routine now! Hopefully I can find a way to continue to afford to come.

Apparently I really love spinning in heat! It’s a fun valley alternative to Soul Cycle and Flywheel. Good bikes, banging sound system, welcoming staff and instructors (shout out to Chris!), cute, clean studio. Some of the morning and evening classes are packed which can make the room hotter, heads up.

Excellent workout! It’s been a while since I took a spin class and the fact that this place changes it up by incorporating HOT SPIN, is just awesome.
Not going to lie, I was a little nervous about combining the two, but I survived! I took Jason’s 8:30am class and it was a full class. I understand why now — he’s the owner and a great teacher. He pushes you give it your all and to not give up. It worked because ¾ into the class, I wanted a break and a fan — but I kept going until the very end! It’s no joke though, it’s an intense workout, but well worth it. And it all felt amazing when I was done.
It’s always a little intimidating being new to a fitness studio because you’re not familiar with the setup, class, etc — but this place does an outstanding job of making sure you know exactly what to do and to come prepared. I signed up for the class the day before and I got a personal call the night before from an employee making sure I was fully prepared. I highly recommend getting there 20 mins early on your first visit to familiarize yourself with everything, to snag a parking spot in the back lot, to try on spin shoes and to fill out paperwork.
I didn’t use the showers, but I hear they’re great. So much ample locker space with super safe locks. I’ll definitely be back.

All in all, The Sweat Shoppe is a pretty good option for indoor cycling in LA! There are studios that are better (SoulCycle, Cycle House) but there are waaay more studios that are worse.
The good:
— Callie is an AMAZING instructor. I love her classes — she has the best energy and best music!
— Class is not easy
— Prices aren’t bad compared to other studios in LA if you go per class, but FYI the unlimited is more than the market average.
— Free water if you check in on Unilocal
The bad:
— They use Spinning (the brand) bikes, which are meant for lower resistance. To get heavy resistance, you have to turn the knob like 20 times (no exaggeration). Also, I don’t find these bikes sturdy and have had a cleat pop out during a fast sprint before.
— Parking is OUT OF CONTROL. I don’t understand why any studio that anticipates a sold out class would have a parking lot that maybe fits 20 cars. Yes there is street parking but 1) not free and 2) an open space is likely a couple blocks away.
Oh — lastly, regarding the temperature: The Sweat Shoppe advertises its studio as «heated» but to be honest, it’s closer to room temp (80 degrees) than anything. Don’t expect fans blowing everywhere, but don’t expect a 100 degree room a la CorePower Yoga — I’ve actually had SoulCycle classes that were hotter.

I drive 60 mins everyday to the Sweat Shoppe and 30 mins on weekends.
I pass several Spinn/​Indoor Cycling studios along the way to arrive at my studio of choice.
The heated room is what intrigued my attendance. But The Sweat Shoppe hits «All the above» marks:
1. Athletic trainers with challenging rides.
2. Quality bikes that are an upgrade from most places
3. Sanitation/​Cleanliness
Equipment
Bathrooms
And Studio as a whole
4. The price point is affordable and less expensive than many inferior studios.
5. Not to mention the staff and personal care that I receive from staffers, instructors and Management alike.
6. They are prompt on starting their classes and keeping their schedule.
For these reasons I train at the Sweat Shoppe

It’s not easy to get me to exercise regularly, I have to not only like the class but I have to like the people too. The Sweat Shoppe has both. Greeted with smiles and hellos each time from the gang at the front desk, personality plus, right up the stairs to another waiting smiling helper and into the room for a very hard yet fun spin class. The hot room helps my muscles and joints ease up through the tough class. It’s a beautiful new place, juice bar, special classes on special occasions, discounts throughout the year. Exercise isn’t easy but makes a huge difference when you enjoy the company you’re keeping while doing it!

I look forward to my Sunday morning class with Jason, spinning to awesome music, inspiring energy, challenging, but it feels so good! If you like to sweat, feel and transform, this is the place for you :)

Hi Everyone. I’ve been cycling for 18 years and The Sweat Shoppe is becoming a sad place.
1. The Sweat Shoppe is run by people who exhibit insecure, paranoid and controlling behaviors.
2. They are nice one day and then then turn over great instructors without care.
3. They don’t treat customers or staff equally. Some they are nice to, some they are rude to and some they plain hurtful to and it’s unpredictable.
4. They consistently speak badly about other gyms and speak badly about people that go to other gyms. It’s like a black ball list and if you go to other gyms (which most of us do) you become a threat to them.
5. They literally treat you differently and even ban customers if they go other gyms and share where you go with friends. «You are not going to able to take another class here…» I heard voiced to a long-​time, kind client. I think we all go to other gyms because of where we work or travel or just to try new places over time. Nope, if you do that with The Sweat Shoppe, they can bully you and even ban you. I have never experienced this anywhere before. It’s shocking.
6. When people let them know customers are hurt or unhappy they turn a blind eye and even fight them rather than solving customer complaints. Really sad to see.
From my experience, customers shouldn’t have pretend that the Sweat Shoppe is the only place to cycle and should have to act grateful and beneath the ownership to spend their money there. The Sweat Shoppe does not reflect how inclusive and kind the cycling community is. Really talented, loyal and kind people are bullied, pushed out or banned and I won’t support that type of uncaring, thoughtless hurtful treatment.

The Shoppe is exceptionally clean and modern. You are welcomed by extremely friendly front desk attendants. You can rent a pair of (clean!) spin shoes for $ 3. The workout is great for beginners through advanced as you can make it as challenging or easy as you like. I took the express class with Scott– who really got the class cycling! Great energy and an even better sweat!
Must try.

LOVE my express ride with SCOTT. GO BOY! give us those beats… give us those taps to the right… give us that out-​of-​the-​saddle booyah! and thank you to the very friendly and awesomely helpful staff! nice to know customer service ain’t dead yet!

This place is beyond awesome!
If you are looking to have productive work out LOOK NO FURTHER because THIS IS IT.
I never would guess that a HEATED spin class would ever fill up on a Saturday morning. More often then not, and I mean that, Saturday mornings are full and the freaking best.
Everyone is super pumped (which is surprising bc normally i’m dying), the playlists are on point and the instructor is always encouraging you to push to the best of your ability — the time flies by in a heartbeat. Also, EVERYONE IS SO DANG NICE, it hurts.
Free shoe rental if it’s your first time, $ 3 thereafter
I’m a ClassPass user so I was actually pretty devastated when it wasn’t offered anymore.
PLEASE COME BACK to CP. I don’t know what to do without you guys #heartbroken

What can I say it’s a hot ride (~80 degrees) with loud music and disco lights. All bikes are at the same level so no stadium seating here. The bikes here don’t have a way of measuring your power/​torque so it’s all on you. Cleats will run you $ 3 a ride if you don’t bring your own. You can also check out ONE towel but remember to check it back in or there is a $ 2 charge.
My gripe that dropped the 5^th star is that there are NO showers. Clients leave the studio drenched in sweat and have to drive home that way… gross!
Parking is another issue, they have about 4 – 5 designated spots behind the studio and the other open spaces are coned off.
Now for the good news… THE STUDIO IS MOVING –Woo-​Hoo!!! The new location on riverside WILL have showers and parking! Hallelujah! It’s set to open mid July. Yaas!