Committing to something never looked so good, and in true Yorkville fashion, the new face of fitness has had a little work done to it. Vv Magazine’s Libby Roach gives us a tour of the brand new Equinox Yorkville.
Formerly the Yorkville Club, Equinox has rebranded and rejuvenated the space, making it the second Canadian Equinox club after the Bay street location, which opened 2013.
A gym rat juggernaut, Equinox marries the luxe look of an upscale department store – all marble finishes and gleaming glass, with intense and results-oriented equipment and classes – many of which are unique to the Equinox brand.
Boasting locations in the UK and US, Toronto is home to the only locations on the north side of the border (Vancouver is set to open soon). The Yorkville Club is similar to the Bay Street location, with a few noticeable modernizations.
Swathed in natural lighting, the upstairs portion of the gym is flanked by floor to ceiling windows, adorned with an artful decorative sculpture like motif that wraps around the Avenue Road facing windows. Spanning 32,000 square feet over three floors, the gym operates as a one stop shop for all your athletic needs – the onsite café IQ doles out specialized pre and post workout snacks, juices and meals. If you’re up for some pampering, check out the sublime spa located just off the main floor (women have a sneaky pass thru for direct access from their locker-room). If you’ve finally realized that those spandex leggings are in fact see through, their onsite gym shop has you covered.
Niche classes are highly sought after, and Equinox has a packed class schedule with some of Toronto’s top trainers, like Michael Decorte who teaches the cardio crushing Precision Running, or Eva Redpath whose Stacked class is no joke. The custom built cycling studio is home to Pursuit by Equinox, a spinning class that breaks the mold with numbered bikes jockeying for position onscreen, adding a real competitive level to indoor group fitness.
Yoga studios include regular and hot, a dedicated Barre space as well as a separate Pilates studio with reformer tables and all the bells and whistles. The main gym area features all the standard free weights in varying heftiness, as well as Smith Machines, Bench Presses and, unique to Yorkville, the Power Plate Pro 7, which amps up your movements with the subtle vibration that adds core stability exercises to every movement.
After you’ve properly posed and percolated into a puddle of your own sweat, drop by one of the frosty fridges that opens to neatly rolled eucalyptus cold towels, a lovely departure from most gyms who adopt the ‘bring your own sweat rag’ mentality. The change rooms are downright luxurious, no need for your old high school lock – all lockers come with built in locks for you to create your own combo and beauty amenities like Kiehl’s feel like a reward after a tough workout.
So is Yorkville Equinox the gym for you? Monthly memberships start at $171+ taxes, with Bay Street banking on $185 a month. Steep for sure, but who said looking good was cheap?
RELATED LINK: 10 Unique Gym Classes You Can Take in Toronto
What do you think of Equinox’s new location? Let Vv Magazine know in the comments below, or tweet us @ViewtheVibe.