Strength Training Classes
in our Seattle Gym
Community Fitness offers In-Studio Classes,
Livestreaming & On Demand Videos
AFROBEATS & DANCEHALL
Strength Training Classes
Strength Training
Classes
in our Seattle Gym
Community Fitness offers In-Studio Classes,
Livestreaming & On Demand Videos
Browse Free Sample Classes | Use the video player above to try free sample classes.
#HustleforthatMuscle
STRENGTH TRAINING IN SEATTLE
#HustleforthatMuscle
STRENGTH TRAINING CLASSES NEAR YOU
Voted Seattle’s Best Fitness Studio ~ Seattle Magazine
Bodyweight classes and light Dumbbell training are great places to start when you’re beginning a new Resistance Training program. We make it easy to work out on your schedule, and our upbeat instructors make it so fun you’ll forget how hard you’re working! Group strength training classes can benefit you in several different ways. We’ve designed our classes to help you build lean muscle mass, reduce body fat, boost your metabolism, burn calories, increase bone density, increase your flexibility, improve your range of motion, and more! It’s no secret that regular weekly exercise can raise your energy levels and improve your overall sense of well-being, so what are you waiting for?
Our gym is conveniently located in the heart of north Seattle on Roosevelt Way NE. If you live in the Roosevelt, Green Lake, Ravenna, Wallingford, View Ridge or U-district neighborhood, we’re located near you! Join in-studio with like-minded individuals so you can smile more, worry less, and experience the best version of yourself on a daily basis. Our Strength instructors have over 100 years combined experience leading group exercise classes and improving fitness journeys of people all over the country. Whether you like to mix it up and try a new Strength format every day or come back to the same class each week, we can help you improve your fitness and build a strong healthy body and lifestyle.
From the initial warm-up to the final cool down, our classes are guaranteed to get you moving, make you sweat and get you ready to take on the world. Check out our BODYPUMP™, HIIT (high intensity interval training) and Bootcamp classes, which will give you a wide variety of exercises to keep you moving and motivated.
Build your coordination, boost your confidence, and improve your flexibility with any or all of our health club’s Strength Training classes. If you’re unable to attend your regular weekly in-studio class in our north Seattle gym, you can tune into your class live from home, or watch the class reply whenever it’s convenient for you, with our demand library.
A STATE-OF-THE-ART FITNESS FACILITY
Since 2006, our health club has offered the best selection of Group exercise classes and instructors in the Pacific Northwest. We’re conveniently located in the center of Seattle, near the Greenlake, Wallingford, Wedgewood and Ravenna neighborhoods – just two blocks from Whole Foods on 65th and Roosevelt. Our gym has two studios, each equipped with pandemic air exchange systems, twenty tons of heating and cooling power for climate control, wood sprung floors, two large screen TV’s on either side of the instructor stage, colored LED mood lighting and audio surround sound with acoustical treatments.
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING CLASSES
Strength Training Classes For All Fitness Levels
The group strength training classes in our north Seattle gym, allow you to feel comfortable and safe while building strength and getting in your workout in-studio or at home. No matter your age, gender, or fitness level, our professionally guided classes will help you feel confident exercising and moving your body. Even if you haven’t worked out in years, you can join in the fun as our instructors provide a variety of workout levels to choose from. Our goal is to build a community free from judgment that supports your fitness journey in a fun and positive environment. Full Body Strength is a great example of a total body workout for all ages and fitness levels. Try our HIIT or Bootcamp classes if you’re looking to pick up the intensity level with a combination of cardio and strength interval training.
Whether you’re just starting out or know what you’re doing, our group exercise classes make it easy to get a workout that helps you get inspired and feel good. You should expect to be challenged, and push yourself to new levels with empowering workouts. New classes are added to our virtual On Demand library of classes daily so you’ll never get bored. Everyone is welcome and you are encouraged to move at your own pace. You’ll get results and learn more with each class you participate in.
Typically, strength training classes at our North Seattle health club will start with a dynamic warm up, followed by an easy to follow workout routine that you can modify if needed. Each class is guided by a fitness professional who will help you make the most out of your exercise time. Intensity level will vary by the style of workout you choose, but every class you take will challenge both the body and brain. If you can’t make it to a class in-studio and also don’t have weights at home, check out our list of equipment substitutions here. We make it easy to workout, even if you’re not able to make it into the gym, you can participate at home with our online strength training video library.
Large Variety of Strength Training Classes
At our Community Fitness gym in north Seattle, strength training is our passion. That’s why we provide a wide selection of strength and cardio classes that you know and love. With formats like BODYBPUMP™, Total Body Conditioning, HIIT, Tabata — there’s something for everyone. We design each group exercise class to be easy to follow, modifiable and positive. Join us at the studio, have fun and get your sweat on. It’s our goal that you feel safe and comfortable.
Strength training doesn’t have to be complicated or scary. The basic premise is to use resistance (which could just be your own body weight) to load your muscles beyond normal levels. This reactivates dormant neural pathways (and creates new ones too) which innervate the muscle fibers. Greater recruitment and utilization of the muscle fibers means you’re stronger and more prepared for the next challenge. Which will lead you towards progressive overload (doing just slightly more than you did last time). The best place for anyone to start when it comes to strength training at the gym is bodyweight training. Regardless of age or weight, it’s the safest and easiest way to start a new resistance training routine. As is the case with any group exercise program, consistency is the key to success. And if you can’t make to an in-person class at our north Seattle health club on Roosevelt Way, online strength classes make it easy for you to stick to your routine.
LIVESTREAMING & ON DEMAND WORKOUTS
10+ Weekly Livestreams & 2000+ On Demand Videos
Livestreaming
With more than 10 live classes offered each week, and nearly all classes available on demand, there’s always a chance to have fun and stay accountable while being with the community that inspires you. Tap into the motivation of your favorite fitness classes and instructors in real time. Experience high quality, professionally produced virtual workouts, streaming straight from our Seattle Studio on Roosevelt Way NE. Share unscripted and unfiltered moments with real classroom participants. Whether in your living room or on the road, our livestreaming keeps you committed to your fitness goals.
On Demand
Let our gym’s on demand strength training classes help you crush your goals on YOUR schedule! With our health club’s on demand videos, you’ll never have to miss a workout. We have thousands of group exercise videos that you can stream from your laptop, your tablet, and even your phone. Our on demand strength classes stream in HD, and are all professionally-guided fitness routines that you can access anytime, anywhere. Increase your performance, build strength, or de-stress your mind and body. We make it easy to press play for targeted strength training workouts, fun and energizing dance fitness courses, dynamic HIIT and Bootcamp workouts, Barre, Cycle, Pilates, Yoga and everything in between. You’re just one click away from joining the north Seattle fitness community that has just want you need, right when you need it.
#SomethingNewEveryday!
Testimonials
I love Barre, Strength, HIIT and the Dance classes too! The teachers are motivational, inspirational and very experienced. Whichever workout I choose, I know my body and my mind will be nourished. Everyone is so welcoming here, from the staff to the other members. You come in solo and leave with friends. Definitely helpful when accountability is a factor. I’ve NEVER been more consistent with exercise since I joined. All the other gyms, I never went to and quit. LOL. The group classes and community has kept me consistent (about 10 years!)
Community Fitness is like a family, it’s the connections that keep me coming back. Aside from my body firming up, my mental health and discipline has improved. But the most memorable part of my experience at Community Fitness is the love and support I felt when I went back to Susan’s pump class after my son died. Working out at CFit, continues to help me feel more energized, happier and content. I’m always telling others how much I love it. I talk it up and my excitement and love for the classes usually gets them.
This testimonial is way overdue, but I just wanted to say that CF On Demand workouts ROCK! The virtual On Demand classes at Community Fitness have been a life saver for me! The variety of online strength training classes + the option for exercising any time = total awesomeness! All the instructors are great, but a special call out to Autumn Skeel, Jenny Heap and Danielle Sharp (who does a fabulous job of calling out specifics on weights, proper form and methods for modifying to make the workout easier or harder. I love it all.. Bootcamp, Tabata, Full Body Strength – keep up the FAB work!! And THANK YOU for making these workouts available at home!! I can’t remember the last time I used so many exclamation marks!!!
Learn more about Laura | Colorful Cities
SHINE ONLINE
Share your stories, selfies and workout wins with us online, and watch for instructor and member spotlights to come through our feed! #CommunityFitness
Instructor Bios
Read more about our World-Class Fitness Instructors below!
TOP FAQS
What are the best strength training classes for beginners?
Generally speaking, the best group strength training class at our north Seattle gym for beginners is Full Body Strength. Similar to Less Mills BODYPUMP™, clients primarily use barbells and weight plates and hit all the major muscle groups. With lower weight and higher reps, this class is highly modifiable as clients can put as much or as little weight on the barbells as they want.
Another strength and conditioning option at our health club for beginners is Cycle / Strength. Half of this class is performed on the bike and the other half is spent off the bike doing strength training exercises. This group exercise class primarily builds muscular strength and endurance but also provides a good cardiovascular workout. Easily modifiable, clients can add as much or as little resistance to flywheel. The strength portions are more intense when compared to our Full Body Strength class, but the duration of the strength exercises are shorter and clients can choose light, medium or heavy weights.
Another great strength class to start with at our health club, which also works the entire body, is Resistance Bands Plus. Clients can modify intensity levels with easy, medium and hard resistance band options. Training with bands, loops & tubes are often used in therapeutic settings and are considered “safer” than training with barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells or other types of weights.
Our Core Power, Core Stability and Pilates classes are also options for beginners. These are high rep, low weight, low-impact and use mostly just your bodyweight and a mat. Core strength classes like these help increase functional fitness levels, increase performance and also helping with injury prevention. All Strength Training classes are available on our On Demand Workouts page. Many Strength classes are also available in our north Seattle studios for in-person participaiton.
What are the benefits of strength training?
Make you physically stronger
Gaining strength makes everyday tasks easier (1, 2) and increases athletic performance supported by increasing lean muscle mass (1, 2).
Helps burns calories efficiently and decreases abdominal fat
Strength training increases your metabolic rate for up to 72 hours after exercise (3, 4) and with increased muscle mass you’ll also burn more calories at rest (5, 6). Studies have also shown that strength training exercises help reduce both abdominal fat and also total body fat (7, 8, 9).
Promotes greater mobility, flexibility and decreases injury risk
Strength training can actually increase your flexibility and joint range of motion (ROM), because weaker muscles tend to be less flexible and have lower ROM (10). Improved range of motion, can reinforce strength around joints such as your knees, hips and ankles to help prevent injury (11). Having a stronger core, hamstrings and glute muscles can take some of the load off your back which can also help with injury prevention (12, 13, 14).
Improves heart health and helps manage blood sugar levels
Studies show that strength training can decrease blood pressure by lowering the LDL (bad) cholesterol while improving blood circulation (15, 16, 17). Strength training can also lower body weight and blood sugar levels, and high blood sugar levels are a risk factor for heart disease (18). Greater muscle mass can improve your body’s ability to manage blood sugar (20, 21, 22), lowering the risk of developing diabetes (23).
Improves self-esteem & self-confidence
Strength training can improve your confidence (24, 25, 26), and studies have also shown a significant link between strength training and positive body image (27).
Decrease risk of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis
Strength training and weight-bearing exercises in particular apply stress to the skeletal frame, triggering your cells to build bones stronger. This reduces the risk of osteoporosis as you age (28, 29, 30).
Improves brain health, mood & quality of life
Regular strength training has shown to improve cognitive function in older adults (31, 32, 33), protecting against age-related mental decline. Studies have shown that regular strength training may reduce anxiety and positively affect your mood (34, 35, 36). Additionally, exercise helps to release endorphins, which can improve your mental and emotional state (37, 38). Strength training can also improve perceived physical and mental well-being (39, 40), and one study showed a decrease in physical pain and an increase inphysical functioning (41). The above information was sourced from the following article (Healthline/Benefits of Strength Training)
What is a bootcamp workout class?
As the name suggests, bootcamp workouts at our Seattle health club are modeled on old-school military training. This popular modality builds strength, endurance and agility and has become a bit of a catch-all phrase for a wide variety of strength related workout routines. An bootcamp workout at the gym generally includes a mix of aerobic, strength training and speed elements is basically a type of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), where you’ll alternate between busts of intense intervals followed by lighter activity. Group exercise classes often will focus on functional fitness with whole-body, multi-joint exercises that simulate movements people do in everyday life. In most cases, you’ll do calisthenics such as pushups, pullups, squats, lunges and crunches as well as drills and sprints. Resistance training with dumbbells and other types of weights is also common.
What is the difference between HIIT and Tabata?
All Tabata is HIIT but not all HIIT is Tabata. Tabata is a higher intensity version of HIIT, with shorter more rigidly defined work and rest intervals – the protocol is 20 seconds of all-out work (100% max) followed by 10 seconds of rest.
HIIT routines offer more flexibility. The specific amount of time you work and recover will vary based on the activity you choose and how intensely you exercise, but generally speaking intensity levels are supposed to be around 80-90% of your maximum capacity. Read more about each format below.
What is considered a HIIT workout?
HIIT workouts, in our Seattle gym, generally combine short bursts of intense exercise with periods of lower-intensity recovery, and is perhaps the most time-efficient way to exercise. It’s these intervals of extreme intensity that differentiate HIIT from the steady-state, continuous types of group exercise.
The activities being performed will vary and could include sprinting, biking or bodyweight calisthenics. An example of a in-studio HIIT workout using a stationary bike could be 30 seconds of cycling fast with high resistance, followed by several minutes of slow cycling with low resistance. The specific amount of time you work and recover will vary based on the activity and how intensely you exercise.
When researchers talk about HIIT, there’s a strict definition in terms of heart rate – they’re referring to workout intervals during which a person’s heart rate reaches at least 80 percent of its maximum capacity. To truly be high intensity, you’ll want to be reaching your anaerobic threshold and tapping into that energy system. Anaerobic threshold refers to the point during a workout when lactic acid starts to build up in the muscles. Workouts lasting 60 minutes probably aren’t going to be high-intensity enough, as it’s not possible to maintain that level of work for that long. A true HIIT workout will usually be more like 30min or less.
What is Tabata?
Tabata training focuses on exerting maximum effort for a minimal amount of time and breaks a workout down into clearly defined intervals.
A Tabata workout, in our Seattle gym, starts with a warm up then alternates between 20-second intervals of all-out (100% max) effort followed by 10 seconds of rest. Eight consecutive work-and-relax cycles go into a 4-minute round and eight total rounds make up a 40min training circuit (there’s a minute of recovery after each round). This two-to-one work-to-rest ratio elevates your heart rate to a high anaerobic zone while giving the body short windows to recover. By pushing your body into the anaerobic zone (meaning it’s working too hard to use oxygen for fuel and instead uses glycogen stored in the body), you burn more calories both during and after your workout.
Tabata workouts, at our health club, aren’t supposed to be easy and the protocols aren’t always followed correctly. Sometimes the 20-second bursts are too mellow to elicit increased EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) and improved aerobic and anaerobic fitness. If this is the case for you, it could be because your movements are too complicated or too easy making it hard to reach maximal intensity.
In-studio Tabata routines are designed to push the boundary of your VO2 max (the technical term for oxygen used during exercise) and typically incorporate lots of bodyweight movements, but exercises using a weighted vest or free weights are all acceptable. It’s good to use exercises that engage as many muscle groups as possible. Some example of exercises you might do are push-ups, mountain climbers, burpees and rotating squat jumps.
What is the best way to lose weight?
You’ve heard it said that body weight is regulated by diet and exercise. Another common weight loss related phrase is “calories in vs. calories out”. It’s true that if your caloric consumption (diet) isn’t lower than your caloric expenditure (exercise), you simply won’t lose weight.
Diet / nutrition is key to losing weight, because an increase in exercise also leads to an increase in appetite. So taking a ton group exercise classes (such as strength training) at our Seattle gym, won’t help you achieve a daily caloric deficit if you’re eating more as a result.
Because changing your eating habits can be challenging, keeping your diet (daily caloric intake) the same and changing (increasing) your group exercise regime is generally considered a good game plan. Plus, with an increase in physical activity comes a host of additional mental, emotional and physiological benefits beyond just weight loss.
Which is better for losing weight, Cardio or Strength Training?
Losing weight is a matter of caloric consumption vs. expenditure. Whether your taking group strength training classes in our Seattle gym, or doing cardio dance workouts at our health club, calorie burn will depend on factors like intensity, duration, and your weight. But generally speaking, Cardio will burn more calories in a single session. However, weight training increases muscle mass and the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn at rest. This means your body will burn more calories over time, including when you’re sleeping or sitting at a desk. A fitness program that has both cardio and strength training will maximize caloric burn. For more information on this topic check out this Healthline article.
What equipment is needed for virtual / on demand workouts?
Equipment used in our on demand Strength Training classes range from body weight to hand weights, from balls to resistance bands. Once you’ve taken a few group exercise classes with your favorite instructor(s), you’ll get a sense of what you’ll need for the class. We’ve included some creative equipment substitutions below, many of which can be found right in your pantry!
No weights, No Problem. Below you’ll find easy equipment substitution recommendations from Community Fitness instructors. Items that you likely already have or can procure at the grocery store (FYI, if you’re coming to an in-studio class at our north Seattle gym, all the necessary equipment will be provided for you).
- Hand Weights Light (1-3lbs): water bottles, jars of food, bags of rice or beans. Used in Barre and Pilates formats.
- Hand Weights Heavy: gallon jugs of water, laundry soap jugs, grocery totes filled with cans or paint cans. Used in Strength formats.
- Gliders: paper plates, micro fiber cloths, cardboard or socks. Used in Barre. Also used in Strength & Cardio formats like, Bootcamp, HIIT, Tabata.
- Yoga Blocks: stack of books (large, encyclopedia size), low chair or table, rolled towel or pillow can support hips for Yoga and Yoga Sculpt.
- Pilates Ball: rolled towel bound with rubber bands.
- Bands: long towel, robe ties or bicycle tubes. Used in Barre and Yoga.
- Chair. Used for Barre and/or Yoga.