u/Far-Statistician9673

taking a solo trip to Portugal in september & have 5 days to spare outside of my stay in lisbon. deciding between going to madeira or lagos (or anywhere in the algarve) for that time. if i did madeira, i would fly straight there when i land in lisbon from the US. i’m not a super experienced solo traveler so madeira makes me a bit nervous but it looks so gorgeous. any and all insight would be much appreciated, thank you!!

hii chicago people- apologies for this long post. i’m trying to decide between corepower and studio three and wanted opinions from people who’ve done both.

i did corepower religiously on the east coast for about 2 years and loved the sculpt classes. i honestly feel like they’re a better workout for me personally because i like the fast-paced style with lighter weights/cardio mixed in. i usually leave feeling amazing.

BUT… one thing that always bothered me was the cleanliness/crowding. the studios i went to were constantly packed, smelled sweaty, and i never saw equipment or floors being cleaned. locker rooms and the studio floors were disgusting and people were piled on top of eachother in the classes.

since moving to chicago i’ve been going to studio three and the studios are SO nice. every location feels super clean, spacious, and well maintained, and i literally see employees wiping equipment down every time. i also love the variety of classes.

my issue is i’m not sure i love the workouts as much. i’ve done about 14 classes now (hi-def, 3x3, hot mat pilates, power flow) and i feel like a lot of the harder classes lean more toward heavy strength training, which i personally don’t enjoy as much. i miss the more high-energy sculpt style workouts. and i don’t get as much out of hot mat pilates as i did cp sculpt.

for people who’ve tried both in chicago:

what are your thoughts on the chicago CPY studios in terms of crowds/cleanliness?
do you feel like studio three gets better/more challenging over time?
which membership ended up being more worth it for you?

right now i feel torn because:

corepower:
cheaper
more fun classes
feels like a harder workout for me
but crowded/less clean which gives me bad anxiety

studio three:
super clean + spacious
better amenities/vibe
more class variety
but not loving the workout style as much

curious what other people think!! also thanks for reading lol

hi ladies!! i’m taking a solo trip to portugal in september and am looking for any and all recommendations. i’ll be flying into lisbon and have 11 full days before flying back out of lisbon.

i’m in my late 20s, vegan, and am wanting to explore, walk, find cool bars & restaurants, take day trips (maybe even a wine tour), go to the beach & relax

i was initially planning on doing lisbon - porto - algarve but i think that might be too chaotic so now idk what to do.

would also loveee hotel / airbnb recs. thank you so much in advance!! much appreciated 🩷