First Impressions: Workouts On Demand By Obé Fitness

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Many of us sought alternatives for exercise over the last 21+ months due to pandemic-related gym closures. While some people happened to have full-size at-home-gyms and didn't seem to skip a beat to their normal training regimen, the rest of us were left scrambling to figure out how we were going to stay in shape within the limited confines of our homes with access to minimal equipment. Thankfully, the existence of online fitness classes and exercise programs made it a possibility for people worldwide to have some form of exercise and even provided us with the opportunity to explore other forms of training.

Among the online programs that flourished throughout this time period and gave people hope that they wouldn't lose their minds or physiques was obé Fitness. Here, I'll explain exactly what obé Fitness is and provide a quick look at some of the classes I tried out recently as a part of my subscription.

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The Breakdown - How Does This Subscription Work And What Does It Include?

obé Fitness offers three payment options for its online fitness class subscription program: monthly, quarterly, or annual. If you choose to start with a monthly subscription, you'll be charged $27 per month and your subscription automatically renews each month. In comparison, a quarterly subscription costs $65 for every 3 months, which comes out to around $21.67 per month and the annual subscription costs $199 per year, which drops down the cost of each monthly payment to $16.58. On top of the discount for the quarterly and annual plans, you'll also have access to exclusive classes that you wouldn't be able to access normally with just a monthly membership.

Once you've joined obé Fitness, you'll have access to 20 live classes each day and over 7,000 on-demand workouts that fall under the following categories: Cardio, Strength Training, Yoga, and Activate/Recover.

While several of these classes require some form of equipment, such as a stationary bike for Ride and 1-8lbs dumbbells for Strength, there are many classes that can be performed without any equipment whatsoever, making this online exercise program an option for people who have limited space or want to stick to calisthenics or cardio-based training only. Another perk of using obé Fitness is that you access your classes on pretty much any platform including laptop, phone, or even Smart TV.

Some Of The Classes I Tried

I decided to try out a handful of classes to complement my current training schedule and my absolute favorites were Ride, Strength, and Stretch. Here's a quick look at what the experience was like for each class and what I thought.

Ride And Ride HIIT

I tried out both Ride and Ride HIIT. Ride typically lasts for 28 minutes whereas Ride HIIT was generally limited to 10-15 minutes. Each type of session involved beat-based rides that included both intervals and hills along with a little choreography here and there. Ride is best to do when you have more time to dedicate to the class but Ride HIIT is perfect if you're looking for a mid-day break from work during lunch or are worn out from the day but still want to get some training in. I chose Alex S. as my instructor for these classes and loved her approach to these classes.

One of the main reasons I loved this type of class was that you could choose the style of music you wanted to listen to throughout your ride, rather than be stuck listening to music you barely tolerate. Most of my Ride sessions were based on hip-hop, pop, or electronic music and the sessions were always fun and exciting, yet not overwhelming, and had plenty of rest in between songs.

Strength

I initially tried out the Power courses from other instructors but I found them a bit distracting and harder to follow at times as most of these classes were led by two instructors and having the other person in the video sometimes took the focus off of the main instructor. So, I decided to switch to Strength by Walter K. and Kat E.

Usually, I lift at the gym a few times throughout the week and prefer to mix up my training with compound lifts using barbells as well as isolated work with dumbbells, but I thought this type of class would be fun to try out and would be more of a realistic approach to training at home considering most people may not own heavy dumbbells or barbells. Each of these classes lasted around 30 minutes and was the perfect length for breaking a sweat.

This class is great for people who are looking for a mix of both cardio and strength, but I definitely recommend looking into buying several sets of dumbbells for when the exercises become easier over time and you're looking for more of a challenge. This is more of a functional training class so if you're looking for a class that's based on more traditional strength training you may need to look for another program or continue to train in your usual way at the gym whenever you go and use this class as complementary training.

Although I prefer more of a traditional style of training myself, I still thought this class was challenging at times due to the cardio aspect and was definitely a fun way to switch up my normal routine (AKA perfect for the mornings I didn't want to get out of bed to drive to the gym but also didn't want to be mad at myself for not training).

Stretch By Kat E.

I have a confession - I'm basically a novice at yoga and while I've done several classes in the past, I mainly use modified yoga and stretching as a part of my recovery sessions and days off. So, I tried Stretch to use as a part of my post-training routine and it was absolutely wonderful.

Most sessions were around 5-10 minutes long and incorporated a full body stretch sequence that allowed me to work out trouble areas and feel relief. Most of these classes required no equipment but there was the option to include a chair for some poses.

I thought this class was incredibly easy to pair with any of the other classes done beforehand and was extremely relaxing. There were no crazy positions and almost anyone could perform the stretches included.

My Verdict - Is obé Fitness Worth It?

The answer to this question depends on many factors, really, but if you're looking for an online fitness program that gives you access to live and on-demand classes that simulate in-person coaching and group training, then this is definitely the program to use, or at least consider. I thoroughly enjoyed trying out many of the classes and felt that the instructors were not only committed to the classes they were teaching but provided an uplifting and upbeat atmosphere that enticed you to train and enjoy the process. While you can certainly find other programs that are cheaper each month, I can guarantee that many of them will not provide you access to such an expansive library as obé Fitness offers and many of them will not allow you to customize your experience as much or at all. obé Fitness is best suited for people who prefer to train at home primarily and is geared towards people with general fitness levels that aren't looking to specialize in any area but want to gain a general understanding of different types of training.

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