Top 6 Outdoor Workouts: RippedPHL in Center City
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Husband and wife Katie and Dean Costalas met Charvel Sarkis way back in 2011.
After some drinks and research, they came together in 2016 to open RippedPHL in Center City.
"We have a high intensity class that's half treadmill, half strength training at 1519 Walnut Street," Katie said. "So when we knew that things were going to be shutting down, we immediately started literally hauling dumbbells all over the place and trying to recreate our workout outdoors."
They also knew that during a pandemic, it was all about location, location, location.
SEE ALSO: Top 6 Outdoor Workouts: Remix Fitness in Horsham, Pa.
"We were at McCall Elementary School; we were up at Spruce Street Park; we got thrown out of Washington Square," Dean said. "You can't work out in Washington Square because it's a federal park."
"I ran the city, like every different street, and wrote down all these different spots. As I was running, (Dean) was like, 'Wait, we just ate at that place, go in, and ask them,'" Katie said.
That place was L'Anima, an Italian BYOB at 17th and Carpenter.
"They are really nicest people you could ever meet," Katie said.
The deal is that they share the tents and heaters - so in the space, there's a workout by day and pasta and wine by night.
Without the treadmills they have at their inside gym, they've modified to a socially distanced strength training and plyometric cardio class.
"I think the really cool thing is that this helped us to get a lot closer to all of our clients. Our community actually came together even more," Katie said.
SEE ALSO: Top 6 Outdoor Workouts: Grit Fitness in Horsham
