CHELSEA — It's CrossFit — but cleaner.
A new outpost of the trendy fitness craze has opened in Chelsea, and unlike its fellow CrossFit gyms, which eschew machines and are typically based in industrial garages, Brick New York's clean, orange-and-black space is chock-full of amenities.
CrossFit, a fitness program that combines gymnastics, weightlifting, strength training and metabolic conditioning into constantly varied workouts, has exploded around the city, with dozens of independently owned locations in the New York area.
Most of those gyms favor a bare bones approach, typically in industrial spaces packed full of dumbbells and pull-up bars, but without showers, leaving members dripping with sweat after an intense early-morning workout, without a way to get ready for work quickly.
But Brick, which opened on West 17th Street in August, offers members towels, showers and even air conditioning — all rarities in the CrossFit world — letting exercisers get ready for work or a night out without having to make a stop at home.
"It fits Manhattan," said Will Lanier, a coach and general manager at Brick. "We've got everything you need in terms of going to work — from soap to shampoo to blow-dryers."
The high-class approach worked in Hollywood, the home of the original Brick.
The luxe 13,000 square-foot Chelsea spot also has a smoothie bar, a turf field for running and more than 120 feet of top-of-the-line pull-up bars.
Those amenities come at a price. The gym costs $250 a month for unlimited classes, though even that cost does not make it the most expensive CrossFit gym in the city.
The price hasn't deterred people from joining. Brick has recruited 425 members since it opened in August. Lanier said its membership was as diverse as Chelsea is.
"There's a lot of the gay community, young professionals, moms, everyone," Lanier said.
That, Lanier said, was the focus of the gym — its amenities were just a bonus.
"Our bread and butter is the community," Lanier said. "Members can come in and always feel like part of the family."
Members can also enjoy sweat-free events outside the gym, like happy hours. Lanier said Brick had to charter a bus to an upstate orchard after an overwhelming 67 members signed up for an apple-picking trip.
For those hoping to get a bit less intensity with their workout, the gym offers yoga, as well as B/X, a bootcamp-like class aimed at non-CrossFitters that eschews heavy dumbells in favor of more cardio.
"You don't need to know CrossFit to do the bootcamp," Lanier said.
The gym offers free introductory classes twice a week for potential members. New members must take an "Academy" course to learn the fundamental movements before starting CrossFit classes.
