8 Spots Where You Can Train Like an Angel in San Francisco

Photo: Victoria's Secret

In New York, you might run into a Victoria's Secret Angel at Dogpound, Ballet Beautiful, ModelFIT, or Gotham Gym. In San Francisco, you're less likely to spot a supermodel in the wild, but you can find local versions of the workouts that get the world's most in-demand models runway ready. Want to train like an Angel? Here are eight studios where you can make that happen without leaving the city.

Barre

Photo: Pop Physique

Victoria's Secret posted multiple ballet videos to its social accounts leading up this year's show, so you know barre is a big part of the Angel workout repertoire. If you can't make it to a Ballet Beautiful class in New York, Los Angeles, or online, try Pop Physique. The brand recommends taking 3-4 classes a week for "long, lean muscles, flat abs, and a tight bum," and says you will see results in six weeks or less.

Try it locally at Pop Physique's Mission and Russian Hill locations.

Boxing

Photo: HitFit

I have a theory that models are not selected for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show unless they box. Yes, boxing tones your arms and it's more interesting that bicep curls in front of a mirror, but there are a ridiculous number of models sharing videos of mitt-work on the 'gram. Good news: if you start boxing right away, you, too, can post videos of your mad speed skills. The Bay Area has a number of boxing gyms, but HitFit is a personal favorite. They offer beginner, intermediate, and advanced boxing classes, as well as intense TRX circuit training classes, and one-on-one training.

Try it locally at HitFit's Mission and Nob Hill gyms.

Cycling

Photo: SoulCycle

While SoulCycle sessions aren't on the models' #TrainLikeanAngel feed this year, there have been more than a few mega-models who've clipped in to find their souls over the last decade. As far as buzzy workouts go, the combination of sweat and mantra-driven motivation ensures that Soul has staying power.

Try it locally at one (or all) of the nine Bay Area locations: Marin, Union Street, SoMa, Castro, Palo Alto, Los Gatos, San Mateo, Berkeley, or Walnut Creek.

Dance

Photo: Dogpatch Dance and Yoga

Fantasy bra model Lais Ribeiro got her fitness on at 305 Fitness, a studio offering a rave-meets-workout vibe. Currently, 305 has locations in NYC, DC, and Boston, but you can get your choreographed dance fix in San Francisco at Dogpatch Dance and Yoga. Dogpatch has a variety of dance programming each week, including Bollywood Choreography, Tap That: Pop/Hip Hop Tap Dance, Burlesque Bump and Grind, and Ratchet Ballet. This is a dance studio with attitude... and an unparalleled gift for clickable class names.

Try it locally at both the Dogpatch and Oakland locations.

High Intensity Interval Training

Photo: Barry's Bootcamp

If you've stalked the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show prep videos on social media, you know these women are all about their HIIT workouts. Longtime Angel-in-Chief Adriana Lima is famous for her two-a-days, and frequently hits up Barry's Bootcamp to get her cardio fix. Why Barry's? The company brags that its weights-and-treadmill-workouts are the best in the world, and can torch up to 1,000 calories in an hour. 

Try it locally at one of the three Barry's locations in San Francisco: SoMa, FiDi, or Marina.

Suspension Training

Photo: Victoria's Secret

For a model-on-the-go, Suspension Training makes sense. With one set of straps—which easily fit in a suitcase—you get a fully-customizable, full-body workout. Your standard TRX class at your gym may be challenging, but lingerie and swim models take TRX to the extreme. (Eleven-time Victoria's Secret Fashion Show model Izabel Goulart, for example, brings new meaning to TRX Beast Mode on her Instagram.) Ready to tap into next-level Suspension Training? Lucky for you, TRX headquarters (and the brand's only training center) is located right here in SF. Advanced-level athletes, try the TRX Strong or TRX Sweat classes.

Try it locally at the TRX Training Center, 1660 Pacific Avenue in Russian Hill.

Yoga 

Photo: Ritual Hot Yoga

Stella Maxwell's pre-show routine included regular sessions with yogalebrity Beth Cooke from NYC's Y7 studios. Cooke gained a following for her hot yoga-meets-hip-hop classes, but you can get a similar vibes-plus-beats combo at San Francisco's Ritual Hot Yoga. The high-end studio provides everything you need for class—mats, blocks, and towels—and is famous for its fast-paced, sweaty flows to pop and hip-hop music. 

Try it locally at the SoMa and FiDi studios.