If you’ve spent any time watching TikTok’s wellness channels, you’ve probably seen videos of celebrities and fitness influencers working out in beautiful gyms equipped with all the workout equipment a fitness enthusiast could dream of, a trendy black color scheme, and really perfect lighting. If you’re keen-eyed, you might have even noticed the distinctive logo wallpaper. The fitness center in question is Alo Gym. Yes, we’re talking chic activewear brand Alo, and it’s even more dreamy than your favorite TikTok stars make it look on screen.
The likes of Glen Powell, the Biebers, and Kylie Jenner have been spotted in the dedicated gym space, while TikTok users like Alix Earl and Jake Shane have shared full videos of their experiences.
As a health and wellness journalist, I spend an unseemly amount of time sifting through the nooks and crannies of the wellness world on social media, so naturally I was super curious about the gym that kept popping up on my feed. After a bit of research (and a bit of a fall down the TikTok rabbit hole), I quickly discovered that this isn’t your average gym where you can just pop in and get a membership, but an invitation-only training space located at Alo’s headquarters in Beverly Hills. (Note: this is a different space from the Alo Sanctuary studios that you may have seen online as well.)
When I found out Alo Gym was closed to the public, I noted it as a cool workout space and thought nothing more of it. Then out of nowhere, I got that email: “On behalf of Alo Beauty & Wellness, we’d like to invite you to a one-on-one personal training session at our Beverly Hills headquarters.” And so began my experience with Alo Gym. At POPSUGAR, we don’t believe in gatekeepers, so we’re bringing you on this journey.
My experience with Alogym
After responding with an enthusiastic “yes” to the email invitation, I booked a one-on-one Pilates training session a few weeks later. On the day, I arrived at the brand’s unassuming yet grandiose building in Beverly Hills and was greeted by a complimentary valet.
It might sound odd, but even the valet parking waiting room had a cool vibe, with murals of the Hollywood Hills, white leather couches, and, oddly enough, a motorbike, but it paled in comparison to the rest of the Aro headquarters.
After taking the elevator from the parking lot to the main floor, the doors slid open to reveal a dramatic yet serene lobby with six-story-high ceilings and dramatic windows that let soft sunlight into every corner of the room. I scanned from right to left, taking in a stately fig tree, curated racks of Alo apparel, a giant “alo” sculpture, and multiple seating areas that looked straight out of a Restoration Hardware catalog. To the far left of the lobby was the reception area, where I checked in for my class (I arrived two hours early, unlike usual, but wanted to take advantage of all the amenities).
I was told to wait anywhere in the lobby, so I settled into a comfy sling chair and got some work done. I had some time to kill, so I asked if there was anywhere nearby where I could get lunch, and they kindly recommended a salad from Goop Kitchen, which was incredibly delicious. I want to stress that at this point, I hadn’t even left the lobby yet and I was already super impressed.
When it was time for class, the instructor found me and asked if I needed any Alo gear for my workout, but being the go-getter that I am, I decided to wear the Alo set I already had to class.
She guided me through the brand’s now iconic gym space. A quick rundown: to the left of the entrance is a wall of “alo” branded boxing gloves, to the right are mirrors, and you walk through layers of strategically placed palm tree planters to enter the gym space. The center floor of this gym is pretty wide open, leaving space for boxing and other floor workouts. The walls are lined with every fitness machine you can imagine. But we turn left and enter a private alcove tucked away at the far right of the gym, featuring three Pilates reformers.
When I asked if I could videotape ourselves doing the lesson together, the instructor looked at me as if I was asking if I could eat at a restaurant. Not only did she say OK, she was willing to help me get the content, literally offering to take photos and videos of me in action in her class. So I took her up on the offer.
Just like in a Pilates class, the instructor walked me through the movements and gave me advice on spring settings. But every now and then, after making sure my form and alignment were correct, she took my phone and took photos and videos from different angles around the Pilates Reformer. It’s clear that she has this down to a science and knows which movements and angles work best. At first, I felt a little uncomfortable with the instructor playing the role of videographer, but after the first or second session, I didn’t care about the camera and was just focused on the experience as a whole.
But don’t be fooled, this class isn’t just for the photos. After an hour performing various moves on the reformer, my abs, arms and legs were burning hot. I should point out, however, that this is not a classic Pilates class, skewering towards the more modern, rigorous and fitness-focused side of the sport.
At the end of my training, I toured the rest of the Alo wellness space, because the gym is just a small part of all the facilities at the headquarters: There’s a cold-water pool, an infrared sauna, a cryotherapy chamber, a snack station, a recovery suite with skin care and hair tools, a movie theater, and even a recording studio. Each space feels like a movie set, with logos scattered throughout and a moody, organic, modern aesthetic that’s somewhere between a spa and a nightclub.
Even better, I was gifted a set of cozy Alo sweatshirts to change into, as well as skincare products and accessories (packaged in the brand’s iconic grey tie-dye bag, of course).
In short, Alo Gym is a true wellness wonderland.
My impressions after training at the “Influencer Gym”
I’ve taken many fitness classes over the years and have seen plenty of people propping up their phones to record themselves, often to varying degrees of discomfort from the instructor and fellow class participants.
But this Pilates session at Alo was an entirely new experience: filming wasn’t just tolerated, it was actually encouraged. At this particular gym, this policy is clearly for their benefit; when celebrities and influencers post fitness videos with activewear brand logos splashed across the background, it’s great marketing. But the experience got me thinking: are there any benefits to a gym space that caters primarily to influencers?
Admittedly, as a journalist who is somewhat new to this “content” game, it was liberating in a way: I felt a lot less awkward about having a camera pointed in my direction as I made my way between the spears and planks.
Of course, I was the only person in the Pilates class, so it was a relief not to worry about offending anyone (though there were a few other people working out in the main gym space nearby, taking photos and videos, too), and I never once felt awkward or worried about being judged.
Being in a space where I was free to videotape my experience was an empowering (if I may say so myself) experience, and I’ll be honest, I tried to be more conscious of my posture than usual while the camera was rolling, which is always a win.
Does this mean we all need to feel free to film our workouts to boost our confidence? Not at all. But for anyone interested in recording their sweat sessions for social media, whether for work or leisure, spaces like this might be useful. Places like Alo and other “influencer gyms” are places where content creators can film other people’s workouts without intruding on them. It might sound strange, but spaces like this could create a more universally positive training experience for everyone.
But in the meantime, I’ll happily hit up the Alo Gym of my dreams any time — record or no record.
Kristin Thomason is a lifestyle writer and editor based in Southern California. She previously served as the Health & Fitness Director at Mindbodygreen and the Fitness & Wellness Editor at Women’s Health. Kristin’s work has also appeared in POPSUGAR, Travel + Leisure, Men’s Health, Health, Refinery29, and more.
