Welcome to Class Action, FLEETSTREET’s workout review series. We get sweaty at gyms and studios across Toronto and give you the low-down on what they’re really like.
The Studio
Myodetox Performance may be light on fancy gym machines, but their intense group training classes will get your heart racing. The company originated as a physiotherapy clinic before expanding into fitness, so unsurprisingly the focus here is on building a solid foundation. That means helping you hone strength, endurance and mobility for the real world, with workouts in three pillars: strength training, functional athletic training and metabolic conditioning.
The Space
Although Myodetox has multiple physio clinics in Toronto, there’s just one fitness flagship, which is a bit hidden in Toronto’s industrial Port Lands neighbourhood. After arriving through what looks like a secret back entrance, you’ll find 3,500 square feet of open gym space, with high ceilings, a large Platinum Rig (basically, an obstacle course racer’s jungle gym) and multiple workout stations. The second floor houses change rooms and showers.
The Workout
Get ready for 90 minutes of heart-pumping exercise: The MP Fusion class packs all three Myodetox pillars—strength training, functional training and metcon—into eight circuits, with two different exercises at each one. The way the class is chopped up (three rounds of 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off), you’re pushing yourself to the max for a burst of time, followed by a short recovery. And with so many stations, the minutes fly by, so you may be surprised it’s over fast.
We Tried It
The space may be intimidating to those who shy away from unfamiliar equipment, but our Myodetox instructor, Maddie, began by demoing every exercise, and the full workout was written on a board. Everyone attending our Saturday 9 a.m. class was serious about getting their sweat on, but there were still lots of smiles and encouraging high-fives between sets.
I loved having the opportunity to use equipment I don’t often get my hands on, including kettlebells, barbells, Bosu balls, rowers, battle ropes and (my favourite) weighted sleds. Despite trying this Myodetox class while pregnant, I still felt comfortable going at my own pace next to four incredibly buff guys in my group—though if you’re less experienced, the group dynamic might make you feel some pressure to keep up.
My favourite part of Myodetox MP Fusion was the finisher: Maddie likes to end her classes with having everyone do squats or planks set to three long minutes of “Flowers” by Moby (“Bring Sally up, bring Sally down…”). It’s easy to follow along to the song, plus it’s a great final burn.
The Verdict
Frequent gym-goers who appreciate mixing things up will enjoy working on the weaker areas of their bodies with this class. Overall, I’d rank the difficulty level of Myodetox MP Fusion a 5 out of 5. There are some extremely challenging stations, like the peg board, where I couldn’t do anything but literally hang there. But for fitter members, making progress climbing up that board would be a motivating goal. The gym’s biggest suck factor is the middle-of-nowhere location, which isn’t the easiest to access without a car.
Myodetox Performance, 13 Polson Street (rear entrance), Toronto, 416.778.6135, myodetoxperformance.com. 90-minute workout; $25 for one drop-in class (intro week pass $30); package pricing available.
