Los Angeles is a city with lots of fitness options.  Maybe you love a specific instructor, a special class or you’re the type to try the hottest classes with the hottest instructors.  Reserving a class with a well-known fitness instructor or a unique fitness class can sometimes even require a weekly or monthly calendar space to ensure that you get your favorite workout.  If you live in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago, New York or Seattle, YG Studios can make it easier for you to workout with the fitness instructors that you consider your gurus.

Two weeks ago I got the chance to celebrate the LAunch of YG Studios in Los Angeles at the W Hollywood Hotel.  While I wasn’t able to work up a huge sweat (damned back injury flare-up), it was super cool to get the chance to see 5 of the most well known instructors in fitness today teach a room of dedicated fitness enthusiasts.  You might have seen this photo from my Instagram feed:

Getting ready for a workout with @yg_studios for #LALaunch.l at the very cool @whotelhollywood

A photo posted by Melissa Burton, RD (@mburton0214) on Feb 6, 2016 at 12:03pm PST

Even if I couldn’t work out the way I wanted to, it was super cool to get a chance to experience some of the biggest names in fitness and see what they were all about.

YG Instructors from the LAunch party: Brett Hoebel, Sydney Benner, Shay Kostabi, Lacey Stone, Marxel Leobez

I don’t watch NBC’s The Biggest Loser but I had heard of Brett Hoebel.  He’s a tough love motivator during a class but he was fun and made all the attendees laugh while they were sweating.

Next up was Sydney Benner, creator of a fitness fusion class held in dance clubs called Flight that I had heard about (but didn’t get to try) last year.  Sydney reminded me Gwen Stefani.  She was strong and bubbly.  She also went through the crowd and high fived people after her set which I thought was kind of awesome.

Shay Kostabi is a name I’ve heard in fitness circles for years and there’s a reason why – she emanates positivity as she makes you work.  Forgive the second musical comparison but Shay reminded me of Fergie from The Black Eyed Peas – pretty but powerful.  I think anyone named after a drunk cowboy who is an unlikely hero in a movie has got to have a sense of humor and the desire to rise above.  I’d love to take a full class with Shay when I’m fully healed.

I was super excited to experience some fitness time with Lacey Stone.  If you’re interested in fitness, you know the name Lacey Stone. I knew of Lacey from my fitness whoring days in New York but never was able to take a class with the well-known instructor.  Lacey was fun, motivational and made every person in the class work.  I wound up chatting with her briefly after her class and she seemed so very nice.  I would LOVE to take a class with Lacey sometime soon.

The fitness portion of the day ended with some fusion yoga by Marxel Leobez.  Marxel has an interesting background that features college in New York (just like me), fitness, wellness and music.  Marxel was all over the place during his teaching time (like sitting on the bar as he cued).  As a new yoga teacher myself, I think I might want to take a full class with Marxel once my body is healed.

After the fitness portion of the YG Studios LAunch, attendees were offered a healthy lunch (who knew you could spiralize beets?):

and some drinks (I saved a bottle of Better Booch Rose Kombucha for later) and enjoyed a Citrus Champagne Punch with a view of Hollywood (yes, I did silently wave at the Duran Duran Star on the Walk of Fame over near the Capitol Records building as a part of my day drinking adventure):

After enjoying a sampling of what YG Studios could bring to the Los Angeles fitness scene, I sat down with the founder of YG Studios, NT Etuk, and learned that an injury and strength regained through Pilates (sound familiar?) helped inspire this entrepreneur to create a dually beneficial platform allowing fitness fiends to “find their guru” while simultaneously helping fitness instructors build their following outside of a specific gym or boutique studio.  As a fitness enthusiast and as a new yoga teacher, YG Studios is very appealing option that I hope to avail myself of very soon.

Thank you, YG Studios for some fun and fitness in LA topped off with pretty sweet swag bag and very cool yoga mat (folded):

If you love fitness or if you teach fitness, check out what YG Studios can offer you (if you’re in one of the 6 locations).

Disclosure:  I was invited to the YG Studios LAunch party but was under no obligation to write about the event.  All opinions are 100% my own (and I promise not at all altered my version of exercise on that date – day drinking).