Core Studio

I bought the 10-​class groupon because I saw that Core Studio got rave reviews on Unilocal,but I regret my purchase. If you’re new to the megaformer, Pilates or Pilates-​like exercises, I’d recommend going to a different studio. The instructors are really rude if you’re a newbie. I’ve taken classes with Shea and Van, and both spoke in such irritated tones to me when I had incorrect form that I felt like leaving right in the middle of class. Honestly, I’ve never felt so uncomfortable in an exercise class in my life. I’ve been in Crossfit classes where everyone around me looked like
Pro athletes and completed their sets twice as fast with 5 times more weight, but I still felt comfortable because the instructors were encouraging, patient, and great at explaining proper form. At Core Studio, if you don’t already know how to perform the move, be prepared to get attitude from your instructor and very little help with correcting form.

I had my first class with Hang this morning. She was very helpful with getting me started and adjusting my form throughout the class. The class itself was better than I had expected, it was a great workout that left me sweating. I’ll definitely be back!

I would give it half a star if there is an option. Absolutely one of the worse customer service experience in my entire life! Unwilling to cooperate whatsoever and it happened to me not just once but three times! They need to hire better front desk and or be slightly more flexible. I DO NOT recommend anyone going here, there are plenty of alternative in the area!

I am extremely pleased with Vera’s classes. With her as my personal trainer, I am getting leaner and fitter. My understanding of how to use the SPX machine has dramatically increased as well as my confident on the machine.
I feel extremely happy and lucky to have found Core studio and her. Her workouts work every muscle of my body and after only a few repetitions, the exercise makes me laugh in pain (in a good, rewarding way). She is very motivating and gets me to work harder even when I think I can’t go on.
I have also taken Core Barre with Hang and she is amazing. She does the workouts with you and is a great demonstrator. Her class was the first class that I laughed in pain (in a good, rewarding way).
I am a devout Vera, Hang, SPX and Core Barre follower :) I’m in love with Core Studio and would (highly recommend x10^infinity) this studio.

Well-​maintained studio with some great instructors. When I first came here, the velcro on the machines was exposed and kept ripping at my overpriced Lululemon pants. Luckily, it has been rectified and I hope they keep it up! (#firstworldproblems)
There are some instructors that I like more than others, some that give more guidance than others, some I feel blah about. It’s just the nature of a studio — some people have different preferences for what they look for in a teacher. Some teachers are hard and make me want to cry (or is that just an excess of sweat?), some teachers I tune out completely, some teachers are in between. Try them all before you decide which one will help you hit your stride.
Cancelation/​No-​show Policy
I have mixed feelings about this. Sometimes it’s good that they have one in place because then I feel obligated to show up. On the other hand, emergencies do come up within the 12-​hour window and I almost want to cancel. Or, sometimes I am too tired to go and drag myself there even though I don’t want to. This could be dangerous because shouldn’t we be listening to our bodies? If my body says «fatigue, exhaustion, near-​death» should I still be coming?
Megaformer or Pilates?
I have a classical reformer pilates background, which feels more like physical therapy with deep, gentle core work that help builds stability and strength in a slow manner.
Megaformer is like pilates on steroids and cocaine. This is also more of a personal choice for many and you shouldn’t judge the studio for what their expertise is. While I do prefer the gentler version of pilates, pilates is $$$ compared to megaformer… and megaformer does give some great *physical* results. My rear is very noticeably less droopy and things that were once dimpled are dimpled no longer. (Except my face. My face dimples are still there.)

So happy that I started coming here because of classpass! They also have affordable classes via groupon. So far I have tried 5 spx classes with Van, Tamar, Tiffany, Melly and Esther. Van and Melly were my personal favs! They were all pretty great, though.
The classes are intense and almost painful while you are at it, but very effective workout. The members and instructors are such inspirations for how fit they are.
The studio is tidy. Wish they provide towels. Overall – still my new favorite studio in town!

I first tried Core Studio in Palo Alto through Classpass and my experience was mediocre. I had taken classes in SF at Core40 before, which also uses the megaformer and gives you a full body workout in just 40 minutes. Maybe I was just spoiled at Core40, but I felt that the instructors I had at Core Studio weren’t as good at explaining the different exercises and cueing the reps and when to switch. However, I liked this form of exercise and since I just started medical school at Stanford, Core Studio was conveniently located and a decent option. I asked them if I was eligible to purchase classes through Groupon and they said yes, so I purchased 10 classes at a discounted rate.
My biggest gripe with this studio is their strict and poorly explained cancelation policy. It says online that clients with class packages would lose their class if they late cancel/​no show and clients that have a monthly subscription for unlimited classes would be charged a fee. This policy seems fair. As a new student with limited funds and a hectic schedule, I had to miss 2 classes and to my surprise, they charged me hefty fees both times. I explained to them that the policy wasn’t clear that Groupon users would be charged for cancellations, since I felt that I was a «group package» user, but they refused to budge. What was horrifying for me, was that the $ 40 fines + what I spent on Groupon cost more than the class itself. If anything, at least make the fine equal to the cost of a class, not more! I felt totally taken advantage of by their unclear policies and terrible customer service. Because of this, I would warn against becoming a member at this studio since it seems that their sole incentive is to find ways to make as much money as possible, even at the cost of customer satisfaction.

Bumping this place up to 5 stars almost exclusively for Kate’s classes!
Soo… not to get creepy… but dat ass! Her butt alone has motivated me through at least 3 classes. And as Candice’s review for the other location indicates, BOOTYS ARE IN. And I genuinely feel much tighter and stronger in that area of my body. Nicki Minaj would be proud.
Kate is awesome and I highly recommend her for your first few times at the studio. She knew that I was in my sub 10 classes time frame before class and said she’d keep an eye on my form which she definitely did. She comes around and makes slight adjustments in a really nice and not annoying way. Just this morning when she saw I was barely making it through a plank, she came over and patted me on my sweaty shoulder and said keep going. She’s just great!
She also plays fun, top 40, and hip hop music which is fun in class.

I love Michelle’s SPX classes. They are HARD but you feel great at the end when you’re done. She keeps you from slacking which I sometimes do when I think the instructor isn’t looking. heheh… Megaformers is hands down the most efficient workout I’ve ever done. I did track and swimming in high school and took an intense abs class during college and I never had abs like these. Holy cow. I also have ADD while exercising and appreciate that you switch from move to move quite often. I do wish the classes spent more time on arms though.

I’ve been living in the Bay Area for just under a year and a half and I’ve been on exactly zero dates BUT in the last 100 days I’ve taken 90+ Core Studio classes.
So it’s not like I’m not doing anything with my life is all I’m saying. Filling the void, amiright?
But for real, I’m 100% more dedicated to working out than any dude I’ve ever dated, so that’s got to be something. Never in a million trillion years did I think you’d ever catch me getting up at 5:15am every morning to workout or taking time out of my very busy solo Netflix-​ing and legit chilling schedule, but here we are… a little over 3 months later and I’m keeping this piece pretty tight, if I do say so myself.
So forget dudes, dates, and dic… uh, nevermind. All you need to know is that I’m all about that Core Studio life rn and things are going really, really well.
In general, I’m not a fan of outrightly being told what to do, so I’d never really ventured beyond a single class at any one gym before quitting, but I can’t get enough of Core Studio workouts.
From Reel Ryder Cycle to SPX, from their San Mateo location to this Palo Alto one, there’s nothing I don’t enjoy about how accessible the classes are and how it’s helped me whip my vessel into shape.
It’s always a tough workout, and you’ll sweat. And if you don’t sweat you will struggle and your muscles will feel like their shredding through every move but after class you’ll never regret the work you put in and I saw results almost immediately… thus why I’m so hooked now.
I enjoy all the instructors, who each have their own way of teaching that’s both challenging and fun. They’re super encouraging during the workouts but not patronizing, which I greatly appreciate. You’ll never get the same routine twice, so it never gets stale.
I do the 3 month unlimited classes right now and I’m really happy with it. I take a class every day because they make it so easy with the flexible schedule and wide range of class times. For what I’m getting out of the classes and routine I definitely see the value in the price tag and while it’s not cheap, it is 100% worth every penny and all the effort, and waaay better than a boyfriend.

Amazing workout facility with top notch instructors! I come here with ClassPass and LOVE it. If you work or live in the area, I sugguest coming and working out here!

My first and only class was a Barre class with Kate.
The only reason I’m not coming here on the regular is a price tag far beyond my recent graduate budget. The class was absolutely amazing. Kate is encouraging, motivating, and drives you to push farther without being intimidating. Overall, the class combined exercise for flexibility, strength, and balance perfectly. By the end of class I was sweaty and exhausted, but that good kind of exhaustion– like my body was getting stronger, and thanking me. Being a former dancer, I also like how the class stayed true to the forms of barre/​ballet work it took inspiration from while still be easily understandable/​beneficial to a non-​dancer.
Definitely a good place to go get your work-​out on if you can somehow magically afford it.
(Noted, I just took a free class and therefore did not have to deal with any customer service/​sign-​ups/​payments).

I just completed my groupon 10 classes deal at Core Studio (mainly in Palo Alto location) and there were SO many 5 star things about it and so many 1 star things about it.
Firstly, let me say that I had a massive headache activating my groupon. I was a first time direct client but had visited once or twice via Classpass (when I was still using class pass) After many e-​mail exchanges (a lot of which included the over simplified «it should work!» …when nothing had changed and clearly it was not working still because I couldn’t sign up) I finally had to just go into the studio and demand someone look into it more. They then realized they had to merge the accounts. Although it was stressful they did (eventually) help me resolve the situation, but it did make me miss out on a number of classes that I wanted to sign up for that ended up filling up because I was unable to reserve in advance.
The exercise itself is 100% not intended for beginners, this is an EXTREMELY difficult exercise (I am talking about the SPX that is why I bought the groupon and the only classes I took there). However, if you are already athletic and in shape it is an amazing workout that challenges you and forces you to push past your comfort zone to see the changes in your body and strength. There were times when I thought exercises went for far too long and I found I preferred the classes when the instructor kept focusing on one muscle but quickly working through different exercises to target that muscle instead of spending too long on one exercise which really just forces me to take lots of breaks.
I also sometimes would be frustrated when the instructors would essentially yell at you for taking too long in transitions but since I wasn’t an everyday regular I didn’t know the set up for the exercise so how am I to achieve that quick transition if you’re too busy yelling at me instead of telling me the set up? I also had a few instructors that were less than ideal, sometimes forgetting exercises on one side completely.
I’ve taken a lot of SPX classes at different studio in my day and here are some of the +/​-​I of Core Studio
+studio location and cleanliness
+new and well kept machines (at palo alto studio, definitely older at san mateo location)
+music (some great hip hop tunes not just the standard house remix)
+great variety in exercises, sometimes other studios do the same 3 lunges over and over again, I appreciate core studio is always mixing up the ways to challenge your body
— the pricing is kind of insane, and I pay a lot for my boutique fitness…
–no towels
–sometimes it would be painfully hot and they refused to turn the air on for some reason?
–inconsistency in instructors
–require sticky socks (i know this can be for sanitary reasons but personally I like being able to take these spx classes barefoot but I understand this is their studio policy and shouldn’t)
–music (i know i said this was a plus before and choices were fabulous but wish they played it a bit louder, motivate me with that beat!)
Let me end on a positive note though, by highlighting some PHENOMENAL instructors. If you want your ass KICKED in a very motivating way that makes you want to work hard to make her proud, take Kate’s class. Kate is clearly an expert and pushes you in such a motivating way while still focusing on form and technique first and foremost. Vera is another huge HIGHLIGHT on their staff. Really well paced classes which such a variety of exercises, she kept the class moving which made me stay in the exercise instead of take breaks because I knew there was another exercise right around the corner. I also liked that Vera pushed my body without breaking it, as in –she didn’t demand I stay on my wrist or hold a lunge for 5 exercises in a row, this really makes a difference in these types of classes.
As I said at the beginning a lot of 5 star things and a lot of less than ideal things about my experience at Core Studio. But I do recommend trying it out! Definitely do not regret going there but happy that I had a groupon (great deal btw!) as I would have been disappointed paying the full price for a few of the classes I had. This review isn’t meant to deter you from at least giving it a try and who knows maybe it will be the perfect fit for you!

Yes! I was hoping to find a work out that would make a difference to my body and my mind. I found that at Core Studios. Esther my teacher is both clear and knowledgeable. I left feeling like I found a new challenge that worked my body and a focus of my mind. It was a work out with a purpose but not like yoga. Stronger and more dynamic than pilates. And while not a motion cardio class I was drenched in awesome sweat when I left.
A new favorite.

Terrible customer service, understaffed and unwelcoming to new comers. Hope this was a one off but the women who handled the Monday 5pm course was extremely rude and needs a class on customer service.
I showed up to there studio 5 minutes before the class and I wasn’t able to be helped until minutes before the clas. That was when I was informed that 10 minutes before I came in that my spot was given away because 1^st timers must show up 15 minutes before. Keep in mind that is a default on all classpass emails. Needless to say at the end of the day I was called out in front of the class for not having shown up 15 minutes before then I was rudely dismissed in a condescending manor.

This place is awesome! I took a class there on Friday morning (via Classpass) and it was great. The space itself is lovely — very clean and minimal. All of the machines seem to be brand new. The instructor was awesome — very hands-​on as she knew i was a beginner. The class itself goes by really fast, since you’re only doing each exercise for a couple of minutes tops. It’s very form-​focused so even if you can’t do the full range of the move, the instructor only cares that you have the right form and that you are doing the moves very slowwwwllllyyyyy. Think: four super long seconds down/​up for each move.
One other thing to note is this class is super challenging so if that is what you are looking for you will love it. I’ve only taken a handful of megaformer classes prior to this one, and they are TOUGH. But, no pain no gain is what they say!

Core Studio is a small cozy studio and it deserves 5 stars simply because the workout I had there was so good and intense (yet I was only there once).
I went to a barre class with Hanna, she was sweet and professional. There were only 6 of us in the noon class so Hanna gave us all attention and guidance.
The studio itself is clean, 1 restroom (no showers) and super close easy parking at the cvs/​safeway parking lot (which is also a plus– you can combine the workout with grocery shopping).

For those that don’t know, this is not your traditional Pilates method. It’s more like Pilates and strength training with a sprinkle of cardio mixed in, and it certainly isn’t for the faint of heart! I’ve been familiar with SPX Pilates classes in L.A. and San Diego prior to trying Core Studio. It was fun getting reacquainted with this style again, and it was extremely humbling! I’m an avid marathon runner, yogi, snowboarder, and overall fitness fanatic, but even then the few classes I’ve tried at Core Studio kicked my booty in ways I haven’t felt in a long time! So. Sore. But. I. Love. It!
The Megaformer machines work both your upper and lower body, using a system of springs and pulleys. You get an intense core workout in every class as well. If things get too difficult, the instructors are good about telling you how to modify the moves. It’s also best to give these classes more than just one try, because the first class can be confusing since you’re pretty much transitioning from one exercise to the next as quickly as possible. Every move has a name too, so if you don’t know what a «Giant Wheelbarrow» is for instance, you’ll have to really listen to the instructor and look to your right or left at the person next to you and hope that she or he knows what that is!
I was lucky enough to have a free class pass, but also bought the new student special. Regular prices after that are pretty steep, but vary depending on your frequency, and whether you buy the Core SPX class or Core Cycle class.
I took classes led by Hsin-​Hsin, Michelle and Courtney, and all were good instructors!
I also love that they sell Über Fresh juices here, cold-​pressed, 100% organic, locally-​sourced juices delivered to the studio a few times a week. Perfect after a sweaty class!

The SPX classes KICK BUTT. I’ve done pilates at a few different studios in SF and the bay area, but this studio is definitely the most intense! A lot of pilates classes I’ve been to do more reps and more quickly. Here, it’s fewer reps but higher intensity and all about CONTROLLED movements, which results in much more BURN! The classes I’ve been to so far are much more leg/​glute heavy in comparison to other pilates classes I’ve taken. Not gonna lie, I was definitely struggling with the reps.
The instructors are encouraging though. Lucy is especially sweet and super helpful in going around correcting and improving form.
The machines here are different from the reformers I’ve seen at most studios, but still easy to use. And the studio requires you to wear treaded socks (which you can purchase at the studio if you don’t have any).
I’ve also tried a CORE ³⁰⁄₃₀ class with Van, which was 30 minutes of Real Ryder (spin/​cycle) and 30 minutes of SPX. Honestly, I wasn’t a huge fan of the Real Ryder part of class. The music was alright, but not loud enough and hard to ride to a beat. The bikes tilt left and right to imitate a real bike, which is a cool concept, but I personally find it hard to use effectively.

Came for the SPX core workout here organised by Unilocal and boy, it was crazy intense!
I’m used to bodypump, HIIT type of workouts, and SPX is NOT like that. It is about slow, controlled movements and you do the same workout for 2 minutes, etc. Sadly, I struggled pretty hard with it. Definitely not for beginners unless you happen to join a really small class so you get more attention on your postures, etc.
The SPX machine is amazing and you get to work out all the muscles of your body using it. It looks very new and clean (since we are told to wipe it down after the class for the next class), so hygiene seems to be great. The studio seems fairly small and has large mirrors on the wall which is perfect for you to monitor your form.
You can definitely feel the aftereffects of the workout the next morning when you wake up with sore arms, gluts and core muscles. I can imagine what the effects would be like if you stick to it for a month. Unfortunately, it isnt necessarily my thing :(
PS. Parking is difficult.