Never Give Up Training Fitness Studio, Manayunk — Local services in Philadelphia

Came here for the first time recently and had an amazing experience. This past month I signed up for a free month of ClassPass (only worth it if it's free, or reduced price, normal price is just not worth it) and used some of my points to try the TRX Zone class here.

My class instructor was Rachel Kuhl and was the biggest part of my amazing experience. As soon as Rachel had a free minute, she greeted me and took my name. Her overall demeanor is calm, assuring, engaging--you can tell she really wants you feel welcomed and to do your best. I have tried several free classes at various studios, and a lot of instructors treat this as just a job that they show up for. Not the vibe here. Despite only just meeting me, Rachel remembered my and everyone's name in the class. Throughout the class, Rachel walked around and would periodically address each person personally and tell them they are doing a great job. I could tell this was not just an empty compliment. There was some exercises I felt were a weak spot for me, and some that were a strong point--Rachel keenly can see this too and will call out when you are excelling at your strong points. At the end of the class, she gave everyone a fist bump. This little sentiment really made me feel like my whole presence and effort was noticed. Of course, some part of this is the natural byproduct of a small class of 6-8 people, but a class size alone cannot dictate the demeanor of your instructor. Rachel provided an engaging, personalized experience. A killer workout is awesome, but you never realize how important these other aspects of an experience are until you experience them.

Aside from how great and welcomed I felt in the class, I also thought Rachel's teaching style was awesome. Before every interval/TRX set we did, Rachel clearly and fully demonstrated every exercise that we would be doing. She explicitly stated and repeated when we would start and stop certain sets, and even counted down to each stop/start so that everyone was on the same page. I faltered here a little bit. I have pretty bad hearing, and at some points the music seemed to really compete with the volume of the instructor's voice, causing me to miss a couple of things. Not sure if anyone else had this experience, but I'm thinking it might just be me.

Overall an amazing experience. My whole body is sore today (in a good way) and I really felt like I had a comprehensive, total body workout. One thing that I think would be helpful, and need to stress that this is NOT exclusive to this studio, is that it would be nice if newcomers to a specific fitness genre or studio were told to arrive maybe 10 mins early so that the instructor can go over the equipment used. With all of my credits on ClassPass, I have gone out of my way to step out of my comfort zone and try things I have literally no experience with. In all of the classes I have tried, there was no 5-minute introductory period for total newcomers and I felt like I had to watch people around me to fully know what I need to do--which can be kind of awkward. To be fair though, I also did not ask for a quick intro to the equipment because I wasn't sure if that would take time from the instructor. Again though, totally not specific to Never Give Up Training.

Definitely a 5-star experience, check this place out if you...

The trainers at Never Give Up are truly the best! I’ve been a member for nearly two years now, with over 190 classes under my belt. The monthly challenges and the sense of community have kept me showing up almost every day this year. NGU offers something for everyone, whether you're into heavy lifting, prefer a blend of cardio and strength, are a Pilates princess, or seek a peaceful yoga practice.

I recommend this studio to everyone I know, and I can’t say enough good things about the staff. Special shoutout to Katie Heer—her heated mat Pilates classes have felt like therapy for my body and mind. She brings such a fun, encouraging energy to every session, always offers helpful modifications, and makes everyone feel seen and supported. Even when the workouts are extra spicy, she’ll have you laughing and smiling...

joined NGU at late 2017 and only had to leave due to a shift of my work location

First off let's just get to the point: This is one of the best choices in the area in terms of cost and quality. The group classes are always small enough to build a good relationship with your trainers and the NGU50 are the most balanced yet challenging bootcamp style workouts you can get in the area

The trainers (particularly my guy Lamar) are fantastic and passionate about giving you your money's worth and through the pandemic they've been very accommodating with remote classes and safety procedures.

Ali if you are reading this thank you for all the positive change you have...