CorePower Yoga - Walnut Street

Philadelphia, known to a small but influential group of locals as "Philly," seems to be some sort of a workout desert. There is no equinox and only one CorePower in the city?!?! Damn I'm starting to sound boujee lmao my fault... I made the trek from Black Turtle Coffee to Corepower to make the 1pm sculpt class. Much to my surprise, the class wasn't full and had ample space to actually do yoga. I think I have PTSD from every studio in nyc where even getting a spot in a sculpt class is an absolute BLOODBATH. Really grinds my gears but I don't really have a solution for that so Imma stop complaining. Mina (sorry if I spelled your name wrong Mina) was a FANTASTIC teacher, the perfect amount of leading a good workout but not making it so hard where no one can do the mf class smh. She also did a good amount of the class along with us, which is one of my critiques of yoga teachers in general. A good general leads from the front like Mina does. Mina isn't playing scared. Few things have my endorphins pumpin, dopamine rushin, like a good yoga sculpt class. The perfect mix for me of getting an actual workout and stretching out. I feel as free as a female gymnast in my body while simultaneously feeling lean like a Fight Club Brad Pitt after a good sculpt class. As for Philly, known to a smaller but likely more influential group of locals as "The Big P," I'm sorry I called you a workout desert but will some of y'all please give me some recs for other classes to do. I hang my hat on taking constructive criticism in stride when given opposing evidence. Why am I in the Big P so much lately? Good question, my dear reader. That will be covered in a later review. But I WILL be back to take Mina's class again. THANK YOU COREPOWER! THANK YOU MINA! IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov__

The workouts themselves are great but the music is so loud that you cannot hear the cues. The instructor is literally shouting but the music is so loud you can’t hear. Also the heated classes get so hot that it’s just gross and seems dangerous. If you think it’s because I’m old that I’m saying this you could be right. But I’ve spoken to plenty of young women and men who say the same thing.

The teachers are great! The studio isn't ideal. It's dingy and smells weird. It kind of feels like you're just inhaling everyone's sweat.

I took my first yoga sculpt class today with my instructor, Jillian and she humbled me for 60 minutes. Jillian was incredibly kind upon my first check-in, making sure I knew where to go and what to expect, as well as directing me on where the class would begin and kindly suggesting what weights I should have. I thought she would be the type of instructor who just stood there and gave us directions but to my surprise, she was also working out with our class and encouraging us, as well as making sure to correct my form if I made a mistake which I do appreciate. The class was heated and hot, not uncomfortably hot, but warm to where you know if you put in a good workout, you will be dripping sweat. Jillian does make sure to remind you to hydrate and if you need to take a break it’s OK to take one as well, but pushes you to do your best. The studio is huge and clean, as well as having bathrooms and towels readily available. I do see myself getting a membership here! I can’t wait to go back to my next class.

Mostly exceptional! Great workout. Challenging and effective. Friendly staff and instructors … With some constructive feedback/room for improvement. (Hence the minus 1 star). The positives: large studio space with multiple rooms for >1 class at a time. Prompt check in at front desk. Vast retail selection of yoga apparel, athleisure, mats etc. Locker room for showering, changing etc. Locks available. Vast schedule with early morning to later evening classes of variable class types — from more traditional yoga to yoga sculpt (which is more of yoga HIIT including abs, cardio, squats, and optional weights.) Yoga sculpt is my favorite class type and complements my cycling, Pilates, and orange theory workouts well. Mostly good instructors. Motivating. Encouraging. Good cueing and coaching with a tie in between body, mind, and spirit. Emma is great. Carla is great. Brian is great. Very challenging but modifiable classes with many progressions and regressions offered to students to tailor their practice to their specific skill level/needs. Clean space. Temperature well maintained (hot in the hot yoga studios but nice and cool in lobby and locker rooms). My constructive comments: music is usually VERY loud. Blaring. I like the music because it’s motivating and fun but it’s usually so loud that you often cannot hear instructor cues especially if they’re on the opposite side of the room. During final stretch/final rest, I want to relax and close my eyes but still, the music is at a very high volume. I have seen students in class who have commented on this pre/during/post class but feedback doesn’t seem to be acted on as it pertains to this. Some instructors (not all) cannot count. I have been a fitness instructor for 13 years so I have a lot of experience counting on the beat. Many count down from 8 but with pauses in between which is actually a 16 count — or count down from 4 but with pauses which is actually a total of 8. This may seem trivial and I know I am more sensitive to it due to my background but it’s important if you’re holding a plank or pose and want to pace yourself through an exercise. It’s something that maybe should be reviewed. All of the instructors here have good musical taste although I think it would be nice if playlist is changed more frequently. I teach cycling and make a unique playlist for every single class so maybe my standards are too high. My only suggestion regarding scheduling is that if there is a last minute sub, I would love to receive an email with an opportunity to cancel or reschedule the class. Recently I arrived to class to find that there was a sub and it is an instructor I’ve had before that I do not enjoy because she acts bored (if not bothered) to be teaching. Had I known it was her, I would have opted to cancel/reschedule the class. Finally, there is little to no reinforcement of the no cell phone policy in class. This is a reflection of how addicted and selfish some people are, but I wish the instructors reinforced this rule. Many yogis are texting, obsessively checking their phones during class and it is distracting, inconsiderate, and rude to both the instructor and other participants. TLDR: A very sweaty workout. Fun. Engaging. HARD. I consider myself fairly fit and I’m challenged by CorePower yoga sculpt every single week. Some room to improve, always. Thanks for keeping me strong!