34 Degrees North

I like this place. It works for me. Grateful it exists.

As a disclaimer, I don't think I'm the quintessential 34 degrees client, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

I'd been floating around among various fitness studios, and was looking for a more permanent gym. I wanted to find a class hyper-focused on building pull-up strength with the occasional compound lift mixed in (CrossFit was something I never got comfortable doing). I was browsing prospective gyms on Yelp and remembered 34 Degrees North. I ended up counting the number of photos of people hanging on things and upside down, and thought, maybe I'd like it here. I tried it and decided to stay.

Parking:
I like that the new location has ample, no cost, stress-free parking (for better or for worse, Gelson's has also seen an uptick in my business).

Gym facility:
The gym is two buildings with lots of open space and sunlight, and minimal with few machines. There are clean bathrooms w/ amenities and showers in the back.

In the main area there are lots of rings, pull-up bars and punching bags. There is only 1 climbing rope (I wish they'd get more, so climbing can be added to the standard curriculum) and it's not very high. I am really happy they have good rigging, and not the shitty rigging bars that tear up your hands. And chalk.

To me, I would describe the aesthetic as not Gold's gym, not a garage gym, and not Equinox; it's kind of somewhere in between. They also have one of those Inbody machines that measures your body fat percentage.

Cost:
In terms of $/class, it's ideal with a monthly membership. But if you're only going to purchase a smaller class package, it is cheaper to sign up through classpass (for my algorithm, it went from ~$33/class using a package to ~$17/class using classpass). However, note that only part of their schedule is made available via ClassPass.

(Just for some random perspective: to satisfy my own curiosity over the classpass algorithm, I looked up the credits for Barry's Bootcamp. For a somewhat comparable purchase, my account was showing a spread of ~$29/class using a package to ~$15-21/class via classpass. For nearby Crossfit SM, it became ~$25/class to ~$6/class. And for Sweat60 Fitness, it was ~$28/class to ~$7/class.)

Classes:
Like I previously alluded, in comparison to many of the other reviewers on this page, I probably don't represent the heart of the 34 degree community. I've only taken a fraction of the classes offered, and probably have a lower frequent rate. And being not very fit or athletic, I'm definitely on the low end of the bell curve of this group.

But I'm learning and trying! :) And I feel I've gotten a lot of support from coaches & fellow classmates. I like that the classes are programmed in phases. I like that the coaches are sticklers for form, and there is a focus on quality reps vs just doing stuff fast. The staff remembers your name. Most everyone has been friendly and encouraging, and willing to help each other out. As someone that honestly has no idea what is going on half the time, and doesn't understand what to do with the barbell, I'm glad this isn't the type of gym where you dissolve and become completely lost.

At the same time, someone once told me they used to offer a foundations course; I wish they still did. On occasion, the gym does offer additional workshops, community events and competitions (flexibility workshops, ice bucket challenges, cannabis yoga, etc.). Overall, it's refreshing to be in a gym environment that is aspirational and not soul-crushing or cliche.

And Orion is the best; he is awesome. His training is a breath of fresh air with a focus on movement and versatility, versus body composition change being shoved down your throat. I'm not an athlete. I wish I liked fitness and working out, but I honestly just don't. So for me, the fact that his programming isn't utterly suffocating and I'm getting a bit stronger = win. This guy is zen. This guy knows many, many things. I think he'd be great for anyone, but perhaps especially for dancers, rock climbers, aerialists, martial artists, ninjas, circus and parkour people. Definitely if you enjoy flow or calisthenics. I feel like his training philosophy is more expansive, opening the door to learning new things. And in the process, cleaner lines get developed, inversions get easier, and grip strength improves. Recommend.

34 North is more than a gym, and you'll see that once you experience it. When you walk in, you'll see notice the beautiful aesthetic - the big windows, the sunny colors, industrial touches, the fresh air flowing through. I mean, if you're spending a chunk of your week somewhere, you want it to be nice to look at!

Then, you'll feel the positive vibes as you're welcomed by the staff and clients (aka Northerners). Nobody is a stranger for long here. It's no mistake that Lo & Tanner (the owners) created this environment. They put their hearts into what they do, and that's made clear with the work they have done to make this place what it is. 34 is built on positive community, solid training methods and a mindful approach to movement. As a member here, you're getting much more than a killer workout. Training and being active are huge parts of my life, so having a gym where that is understood and encouraged is priceless to me.

The trainers are all approachable and excellent at what they do. They are experts in their specialties, and will always keep your form in check. It's quality over quantity here, and that's what gets results. The training staff is a team, and they are all on the same page about programming and 34's training philosophy.

I started taking classes here in September 2018, and since then I've seen progress in many areas of my training. My upper body strength has improved immensely, and so has my core. I've trained abs every way you can think of, but nothing has been more effective than the workouts I do at 34. I attribute my progress to the thoughtful programming and the trainers! The classes are enjoyable and challenging, as they should be. I've also learned skills on the gymnastics rings, improved my kettlebell technique and my handstands.

If you're over big box gyms and mindless fitness classes, you're looking to step up your fitness game, wanting to learn some really cool skills, and be part of an awesome community, then 34 North is your gym!

Tanner and team will kickstart your training! You will lose weight and get in shape ..just follow his program, listen and results will happen !

Highly recommended!!!!

Good work out in their Pro Vita Tua, but it's hard to work out here without any air conditioning. That's a biggie.

Also, I prefer some mitt work for a boxing class.

Are you:

1) Someone that appreciates a family run operation that has personal service and is willing to work with your personal situation rather than however you fall into said gyms "corporate policies"

2) A guy or gal that wants to get strong, while not getting injured. 34 has progressive 6 week workouts with a DELOAD week. Looking good now at the sacrifice of feeling good later is not what this place is about. You will look good quickly too though for the record*

3) I can keep going, but you've probably already stopped reading this review. If you've made it this far just do the first week promo, it's a great deal.

This place is more than a gym. It's a community of cool people supporting each other and having fun. Do you libertas? You should. Come to 34 North!!

Lo's nut butter is delicious.

Orion is TOO bubbly at 6am.

Mychal is a yoga guru and will make you squat for days.

Tanner is ok.

Seriously though this place is awesome. I would recommend it to anyone from someone looking to start a fitness program to an athlete.

I've been going on/off to 34 Degrees North for years, dating back to their old location off Pico. I was an early adopter of ClassPass and after my first time trying out one of 34's group classes, it immediately became my #1 staple in my monthly workout routine. The only issue was I could only do 3 times a month through ClassPass which was a bummer.

Tanner has always surrounded himself with top-notch trainers and the classes at 34 Degrees go WAY beyond your typical group crossfit, HIIT training, etc. classes you find elsewhere. Each class is specifically tailored to work on a group of muscles/body parts and every movement you make during the class from the initial stretching to your breathing to the actual workout has a purpose. They also have many variations of each workout movement, so whether you are a beginner or advanced, you have usually 4-6 progressions to continue to advance to as you go through each 6 week workout course. The groups aren't too big and the trainers or other classmates are there to help you perfect movements if you are doing aren't perfect.

The workouts aren't simply "hey here's our workout and do as many reps as possible with limited/no direction in how to do it" as you find at a lot of other gyms. That's how injuries happen or how you form bad habits or get injuries. I played competitive hockey all my life and many of my injuries/chronic pains have been alleviated or gotten better.

I also love how they send super informative emails about ways to improve on the workouts you are currently working on and then tips for food, clothing, accessories, etc. There are also gym community events. It's truly a family at 34.

I finally went "all-in" a few months ago as a full-time member and couldn't be happier. Do yourself a favor and check out 34 Degrees North. Your mind and body will be thankful for it.

1 MILLIONS STARS! :) I feel like I can't ever leave LA, because of this gym. It's really hard to put into words how incredible this place is- it's just the best fitness experience available.

The classes feel like more than classes; they feel like training. It's crazy, I leave each class with goals I never knew I had (and also skills I never knew had)! Some days, I'm even like... wait, could I go to the Olympics?!?! JK ;) (but seriously, the classes really do make you feel like an athlete, it's the BEST!).

The classes are also an amazing mixture of different types and levels of movement, so I would literally recommend all of them to ANYONE (crossfitters, runners, yogis, dancers, sitters, pilati-ers(?), etc). All the classes are so great; my personal favorite is Libertas!

AND FINALLY, THE TRAINERS- are just pure gold! They are so knowledgeable, FUN, and motivating. I feel extremely lucky to learn from them :)

Other perks: they have showers and plenty of free parking!

ONE YEAR UPDATE:

New location, bigger space, easy parking, same great instructors, new program that runs in 6 week cycles, same emphasis on skill-based, functional movements and mobility.

When I started here I was doing assisted pull-ups with a heavy band. Now I can do a ring muscle up.

Worth it.

As a recovering CrossFit retiree, 34 North's Bodyweight Mastery class was like a breath of fresh air. Instead of half hating a workout done for time with a "get it done any way you can" mentality, Brian's class is 60 minutes of focusing on quality, strength building, and safe movements.

I found 34 North through ClassPass and couldn't have been more happy with my first experience at the gym. If you've done CrossFit before, the surroundings are familiar - big pull up rig, barbells, kettlebells, ropes to climb, and some other fun toys. While some classes at the gym are more conditioning focused, I really loved Bodyweight Mastery because it made exercise fun again. Instead of being about pain, gains, and exhaustion, it was about trying your best, trying something new on the rings/parallettes/pull up rig, and having fun getting strong. Brian is really encouraging and demonstrates a lot of progressions so that anyone at any level will feel like they did something cool that day.

I'm excited to spend more Friday nights at 34 North learning new stuff!