• Exceed Physical Culture

  1477 Third Ave., nr. 83rd St.; 212-481-5300

  It’s been a boom year for boutique studios and, by extension, the ­Lululemonites who dabble in ballet today and Bikram tomorrow. The straight-shooting Exceed, on the other hand, is for deadly serious athletes who like to, you know, sweat. Burns-so-good group classes ($32 for 50 minutes), led by a dozen trainers with degrees in kinesiology and fitness development, cover TRX, conditioning, and boxing. Jump ropes and kettle bells up the ante, but the emphasis is first and foremost on form and performance. It’s insanely challenging, but isn’t that the point?

From the 2013 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine