CALGARY
◊ WHO THIS IS FOR ◊
The adventurous, the willing, and the unafraid
(or anyone INTO American Ninja Warrior)
WHAT YOU NEED
water bottle, runners, and a good sense of adventure
SYNOPSIS
Under new management since September 2019, Cor.Fit has earned their mark as Calgary’s premier obstacle race and ninja training facility. Though you’ll find obstacles common to national and international level races in-house, you don’t have to be training for an OCR, be able to traverse across the peg board, or ascend the salmon ladder to attend classes. They have a full menu of classes for everyone to enjoy, including kids as young as 7 yrs (mini ninjas). Whether you’re an avid or experienced competitor, or simply just curious to test your physical and mental abilities, the Cor.Fit community can’t wait to show you the ropes (literally). The obstacles we encountered were almost more challenging mentally than physically, and overcoming some of the fears I faced left me feeling more confident than when I walked in. This place is truly a recess for grown-ups.
Read on for the full article of Cor.Fit.
LOCATIONS 🍍
77 Edmonton Trail, Calgary
Located in Bridgeland, Cor.Fit’s an easy spot to get to from downtown (just across the bridge) and every time I’ve been, I’m pleasantly surprised by how easy street parking is to find on Marsh Road. Just give yourself a few extra minutes because, you know, parking in Calgary.
CLASS SCHEDULE 🍍
Classes at Cor.Fit include ~10 different types of classes per week, and even with limited OCR experience, there’s something for everyone. They do have a COR.101 program which is an introductory level class for beginners looking to familiarize themselves with form and technique on the obstacles. Other classes include Boot Camp, Ultimate Ninja and Ninja Warrior Training, COR.Cardio, COR.Nooner, COR.Metcon, COR.Hiit, COR.Grit, COR.Warrior, and Strength and Conditioning. They also have Open Gym times, where members can do their own workout in the space. Also, VERY cool is Ninja Warrior Junior which is for ages 7-13 and held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, giving parents the opportunity to bond over fun, Ninja Warrior style workouts with their kids.
In terms of the schedule, they’ve definitely geared themselves to the downtown crowd across the bridge, with early bird classes on Monday/Wednesday/Fridays, midday workouts, and several evening classes. There’s something scheduled every hour, if not half hour, between 5pm and 8pm when they close up. Weekend classes are pretty limited though, with Ninja Warrior Junior, and Open Gym on Saturdays and two Sunday classes before noon.
PRICE 🍍
Without having much to compare this style of studio to, the cost per class ($19.95 or less) seems pretty damn reasonable, and cheaper than others in the area. Their monthly unlimited membership doesn’t require a long-term commitment, which is nice, and class packs drop per class rates to $16.
Standard Programming (for ‘big kids’)
- Drop-in: $19.95/class
- Monthly Unlimited: $159.00/mo
- 5 Class Pass: $95.00 ($19/class – good for 6 months)
- 10 Class Pass: $180.00 ( $18/class – expires after a year)
- 20 Class Pass: $320.00 ($16/class – expires after a year)
Kids Programming (ages 7-13)
- Drop In: $14.95
- 5 Class Pass: $70.00 ($14/class – good for 6 months)
- 10 Class Pass: $130.00 ($13/class – expires after a year)
- 20 Class Pass: $240.00 ($12/class – expires after a year)
freedom fit Pass 👍🏻
Cor.Fit also partners with Freedom Fit Pass, another great option for the commitaphobes. Much like Class Pass, FFP acts as a no-strings-attached fitness membership program where members can attend classes at multiple studios, with one pass. *Bargain Alert: If you plan to do 8-10 classes/month (2x a week), you can save ~$40/month by purchasing the #NotSoBasic FFP Plan at $120/month, instead of the $159 monthly unlimited or a 10-class pass at $180 from Cor.Fit (though valid 5 extra months). For reference, pricing on FFP plans are below.
- #Basic (5 classes/month): $60.00 ($12/class)
- #NotSoBasic (10 classes/month): $120.00 ($12/class)
- #Extra (20 classes/month): $200.00 ($10/class)
- #SoExtra (30 classes/month): $240.00 ($8/class)
vibe
Cor.Fit is like nowhere we’ve been before and we’re into it. The studio is incredibly unsuspecting as they’ve converted what used to be a 13,000 square foot furniture store into an elite Obstacle Course Race (OCR) training zone. Within the four walls of the studio you’ll find traverse walls, pegboard walls, free standing 4, 6, and 8 foot walls, a warped wall and walls I can’t even explain, ladders, monkey bars, tires, ropes, balls, gymnastics rings, pull-up bars, A-frame structures, sleds, hang boards, (not sharp) spears, etc.. There’s a LOT going on. It’s all housed in a huge open concept space, allowing for multiple classes to be happening at one time. What you will not find: change rooms or showers. Sad face.
The Crowd
Kathy and Sean, owners and coaches, are very engaged with the community they’re building at Cor.Fit and we’ve felt like part of the family each time we’ve visited. Not only do Cor.Fit members support the heck out of each other in the studio or at local events and races, they also get out there and support our community. Like, for example, for the last 3 years they’ve hosted the Calgary Corporate Challenge OCR event during the September Games. In the classes we attended, the age gap across attendees spanned from early 20’s to 50’s (ish) – not that we’re counting – and included people of all fitness levels.
THE CLASS 🍍
WAY HARD | HARD | MIDDLE OF THE ROADSIES | CHILL | HELLA CHILL
COR.HIIT
COR.HIIT is a blend of high and low intensity intervals focusing on power, performance, and agility. The class was a blend of jumping, pulling, pushing, plyometrics, and challenged us to go all in. There were a few ‘blocks’ or circuits where we exerted as much energy (think heavy sled pulls and crash pads) as possible and got a small chance to rest while the rest of the class cycled through. The energy was high and members were often cheering and offering supportive chants for the rest of the class during rest periods.
COR.Grit
COR.Grit is a FULL 60-minutes of movement. This class wasn’t technically hard per-se but with the exception of a few water breaks, we did not stop moving. During the class, we were given lots of options for exercises, with one challenge being to climb as many walls as your years of age. There was tire flipping, wall traversing, pull up variations, jogging, sand bags, burpees and things I can’t begin to name.
Both HIIT and Grit were scalable, full-body workouts hitting every muscle group, including some that we didn’t even know existed. In all cases, I really liked the fact that until the very last set/rep/wall/climb, all the members supported, helped, and cheered the last person through until the end. When class wrapped up, people hung around to help clean up the space as needed and then mingle over some stretches (that is, if they weren’t doing back to back classes …what!?).
And that’s that! Click here to visit Cor.Fit for yourself and book in for a class! If you visit, let us know by posting on your Instagram feed or story and tagging us @fitcityguide and @corfityyc!
Author:
CARRERA
Carrera is a downtown Calgary-based O&G professional, former CBBF figure competitor and personal trainer, and Editor for Fit-City Guide. When she’s not behind her desk you can find her in the mountains enjoying some type 2 fun, not-so-gracefully flopping around local studios, or enjoying the YYC sunshine. She appreciates the little things in life and drinks black coffee like it’s going out of style. She believes that overall fitness is the key to living a long and fruitful (peanut butter full?) life and hopes to inspire folks to explore outside of their comfort zone
