obé fitness review (my thoughts + are the workouts good?)
Sharing my full review of the obé fitness platform, my favorite instructors, pros, cons, and if the workouts are good. 😉
Hey friends! Hope you’re having a good morning. It’s the usual routine over here – catching a virtual barre class and then hitting the pool with the babies later if it isn’t too smoky outside. The fire in Tucson is still horrible and the smoke has clouded the city for the past few days. I’m crossing my fingers that it can be contained soon!
For today’s post, I wanted to share my thoughts on the obé fitness platform now that I’ve had some time to try different workouts and instructors. I mentioned before that signed up for obé was kind of an accident. I did the free 7-day trial because I wanted to take more of Amanda Kloots’ workouts (I’ve loved her dance cardio for years) and when I called to cancel it, it was over the weekend and the office was closed. Since I paid for a month, I kept trying more classes, and called to cancel it and they gave me a sweet deal for the following month. So, here we are, and I have to say, I’ve really enjoyed some of the workouts I’ve found.
obé fitness review
What is obé fitness?
It’s an online fitness platform featuring 26-minute workouts in three different segments:
Sweat – cardio-focused workouts, like HIIT training, dance cardio, choreography, and bounce (a trampoline-based workout)
Define- strength classes with light or heavy weights, barre, and Pilates
Flow- yoga and stretch classes
They also offer longer 45-minute classes for each section.
Similar to Peloton, they have a live schedule, where you can tune in to take classes live, as well as many On Demand workouts.
What to expect:
The vibe for obé classes is fun and fresh. The instructor leads class, surrounded by pastel-colored walls and the set-up is fairly simple; you don’t see any flashing lights or distractions. You can choose a workout based on your goals (I highly recommend the dance cardio classes) and follow along from anywhere. The platform feels very “LA” with the emphasis on dance cardio, barre, and yoga. These are classes that I personally love, so I was excited to have more options to try (and also learn some new teaching moves!) while we’ve been at home.
The cost for obé fitness is $27 per month or $199 billed on an annual basis.
Pros:
– No need for crazy equipment or space. Many of the workouts can be done either with your own bodyweight or a set of light or heavy dumbbells. I like how attainable this is, especially for those who are working out at home right now.
– Short workout time! I feel like 26 minutes is workout sweet spot. You can get in an awesome workout without feeling like you’re making a huge time commitment, and if you’re feeling up to it, you have the option to take a longer 45-minute class.
– Fun instructors. There are a handful of instructors that I LOVE. Walter K., Peter, Michelle B., and Amanda Kloots (of course) are my very faves. They’re motivating without feeling drill seargent-y or too intense.
Cons:
– I can’t help but compare everything to Les Mills, but I feel like some of the instructors/classes are lacking experience and/or concrete planning. I’ve taken a couple of classes that didn’t feel like they were effective or well-planned to me, and also lacked proper form cues or engaging motivation besides, “Good job!” but that’s just me being extra picky. At the same time, I’ve taken classes that were awesome and felt extremely well-planned. It’s just a little more hit or miss than I would prefer.
– Sometimes the 26 minutes feels TOO short, but that’s a good thing. The Dance HIIT classes with Walter K. fly by!
Will I keep my subscription?
I’m still trying to decide. $27 feels a bit high for me, especially when Les Mills is only $14.99 and the quality and amount of workouts is much higher. I’ve also been paying for Peloton (which we love!), Sweat App, and a monthly On Demand subscription to Barre Body (<— where I used to teach in San Diego!). These fitness apps add up lol. I think it’s definitely worth checking out obé during the free trial to see if you like it!
So tell me, friends: what’s your favorite app or online resource for workouts?
xo
Gina
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Thanks for your review of Obé and followed the link to the post about Les Mills after reading this post. Both your posts are so well written, it’s difficult to determine which one would work best for me. I’m older (60plus) with knee issues, so I need low impact exercises. No jumping or knee twisting for me! Which of these two is most modifiable to doing the routines low impact?
Thanks!
Obe actually has senior classes (not sure about Peloton) that might be great for you!
yes! i’m so glad you shared this. they have great low-impact options!
During quarantine, I’ve tried Tone it Up, the SWEAT app (tried both FIERCE and PWR), and DanceBody. DanceBody is definitely my favorite out of the 3—I wish I had discovered it first because I would have stopped searching!
I am not loving that you had to call to cancel your subscription. I read comments from people struggling to unsubscribe in the app store. For that alone, I’m not sure I’d give Obé a shot.
Curious to hear your thoughts on all the Tracy Anderson-alike cardio dance offerings: Body by Simone, The Sculpt Society, DanceBody, The AKT…
yeah i don’t love that fact either. they should make it easier to cancel
i tried a 3-month subscription body by simone (free through a beautycounter incentive) and it was terrrrrrrible. and i love simone! the workouts weren’t great at all and most of the meals in the plan were salad variations
does the AKT have an app? i’m looking at the website and don’t see any on demand options
They do! https://www.theakt.com/go
One month free trial and no need to call to cancel 😉 When I tried it, about a month ago, it was allright. They don’t have a proper app, one must AirPlay it to the Apple Tv (or whatever tech equivalent) from the laptop. The lighting is so-so and so is the music (music copyright issues…), but the workouts are legit. Basically, it was fine for a month, but I would not pay for it. Still on the lookout for a gym alternative…
ahhhhh ok – good to know!! the music royalty stuff is such a pain
Curious: how do you enjoy your DanceBody? Private classes, On Demand, Lives…? I am kinda underwhelmed by the app. Very little selection, no choreo breakdown… Guessing the Lives are where the fun’s happening…?
I’m interested to hear the answer to this, too. I tried a live class on IG a couple of months ago and couldn’t get into it
I’ve been doing Obe since they launched, so I loved your review! Kat’s Power Hours are my fav if you haven’t tried them yet!
i’ll check those out – thank you!
Yes! Was coming here to recommend Kat. She was one of my fave instructors in NYC. I have never taken her classes here but she just has such good energy!!
i took one of her classes this weekend thanks to all of the awesome recs and loved it!
I tried Obe when the “world was shutting down” due to Covid and I too took the 7-day trial and I honestly felt like I was going to a college cheer party … the coaches (instructors?) all seemed really ditzy and without much of a plan. I literally made it through three classes (3-days) before my peloton arrived and I realized how much I thrive on being coached and pushed to my limits. I’ve of course cancelled my subscription with Obe but of course that was a nightmare in and of itself getting in cancelled. Do you know why in the world it’s so hard (impossible) to cancel the membership online?? If you had to choose one membership to keep, which would you choose? I’d of course choose peloton!!
i have to agree about some of the instructors – i just didn’t want to dive too far into it in this post. i mean, we all have to start somewhere, but usually that isn’t in an app that people pay for lol. the peloton and les mills instructors are just from another planet. SO motivating and knowledgeable with very effective coaching. i don’t think i could just choose one — it would have to be a tie between les mills and peloton
Another plug for Kat’s power classes on Obe! I start every Monday now with her Power Hour (28 mins of arms, followed by 28 mins of legs) with weights. I took her prenatal classes and it’s been fun to keep working out with her postnatally. I’ve gotten so much stronger thanks to her classes specifically, so I’m hooked on Obe. Walter and Peter have awesome dance classes, too!
i took her class thanks to all of your awesome suggestions and loved it!! i love when instructors don’t have artificial energy and she just felt very real and knowledgeable. it was great
The key thing to me is it feels like she puts a lot of thought into the class sequences and emphasizes good form. I messaged her once to thank her for that because I see so many fitness folks ignore good form and it’s so demoralizing to see that. Glad you enjoyed her class!
Controversial opinion, but I REALLY didn’t like that all of the women just wore sports bras on top while the men generally wore tank tops or tshirts. To me, that made it seem like they required it – when I’m sure that not all of the instructors would have opted to wear head to toe spandex! Also the lack of body diversity really irked me too. There were some instructors I liked, but this fact alone made me cancel.
I don’t typically follow classes, but when I do I’ve really been enjoying the Fiton App! Quite a few great instructors, variety of class styles (barre, yoga, strength, HIIT, cardio, etc) and different length classes. And the best part is that it’s FREE! There is a paid version where you can download classes to play offline and a few other paid features but I’ve been using the free version and absolutely love it!
Thank you for the rec!
Thanks for this great overview. I am looking for a virtual fitness class that is interactive where you not only see the instructor but other gym participants if they choose. Having a gym community motivates me and drives that accountability that I need. Do you have any recommendations?
hmmmmm i can’t think of anything! do you follow ashley at a lady goes west? she may know!
I tried the 90-day free trial with OBE and was charged $27.00 twice once for OBE and once for a company called Our Body Electric LLC. OBE did not alert me I was now a member, but just charged my credit card. I disputed the charge one day after the charge and still trying to get my money back. I did not try one class in 90 days, received no emails advising me prior to the charge on my credit card nor did I get a chance to refuse monthly membership as stated in their contract verbiage. I find their business practices unusual if not out and out deceptive. If you do the trial, make sure you remember to cancel before they bill you or you will not get your money back.
interested to know about dance body. Its quite pricey and wonder if its worth it.