CorePower Yoga Review 2024: Yoga For All Levels

The products featured in this article have been independently reviewed. When you buy something through the retail links on this page, we may earn commission at no cost to you, the reader. Sports Illustrated editorial staff are not involved in the creation of this content. Learn more here.

CorePower Yoga is a franchise-based yoga studio company with over 200 locations spanning across 22 states. I checked out my local CorePower Yoga studio and took three different classes to learn all about this company.

I work in the fitness industry as a group fitness coach and personal trainer; however, yoga has never been a part of my routine. I’ve only ever participated in a handful of yoga classes and therefore would classify myself as a beginner yogi. Prior to my CorePower experience, I could not tell you the definition of Bikram yoga, had no idea what it means to do a vinyasa and never did sun salutations. However, after a few of these hot yoga classes, while still far from a knowledgeable yogi, I feel much more comfortable in a yoga studio.

I’ll go over the pros and cons I found with CorePower Yoga, who I recommend it for and my experience with CorePower Yoga. I explored online reviews for numerous CorePower Yoga studios and found frequent praises and complaints. The article will also cover the types of classes offered at CorePower Yoga and provide some additional information about what people can expect.

Quick Overview of CorePower Yoga

CorePower Yoga was founded in 2002 by Trevor Tice in Denver, Colorado. After a serious accident, Trevor found himself unable to do the outdoor activities that he was passionate about and was seeking an exercise replacement. He began practicing yoga as he traveled for work and fell in love with the practice. He found a niche for a more upbeat yoga practice and in 2002, CorePower Yoga was born.

CorePower Yoga is a franchised yoga studio that includes in-person and virtual on-demand yoga classes as well as yoga teacher training. There are ten different types of classes offered with varying intensity levels as well as lessons and meditation. Six of these classes offered are for all experience levels, two are for foundational levels and two are for advanced levels. Class types are scattered across varying days and times throughout the week.

The Pros of CorePower Yoga

CorePower Yoga is great for a variety of individuals because there is a diversity of class types and multiple levels of intensity. The instructors give both progressions and regressions for certain movements, ensuring both beginner and advanced yogis are able to find success in their practice. The instructors were extremely welcoming and made me feel comfortable as a beginner in yoga. They knew the names of the people in the room, kindly corrected form when necessary and demoed the poses they were taking us into. Each instructor was a perfect fit for each class type and their energy matched the energy in the room, allowing us participants to relax into our practice.

I enjoyed the multiple aspects that each CorePower Yoga class included. The setting of intention at the beginning of class and the reflection at the end helped me to find a great mindset for my practice and left me feeling relaxed afterward. Adding a specific block of core work in each class challenged me. The heated room had me sweating throughout the entire practice, leaving me feeling detoxified and ready to rehydrate afterward, though in a good way. I left each class feeling both relaxed and invigorated.

The Cons of CorePower Yoga

For seasoned yogi veterans, CorePower Yoga may not be the right fit. CorePower Yoga does have a spiritual aspect, but not to the level that other traditional yoga studios do. The classes run on a similar template and over months or years of practice at CorePower Yoga, participants may begin to get a bit bored of the repetition. However, for someone who is intimidated by typical yoga or has never done yoga before, CorePower would be a great place to ease into the practice.

I love yoga and its numerous benefits, however, as a certified personal trainer with four years of experience, it’s not my preferred form of exercise. While yoga is great for functionality and mental well-being, there are other forms of exercise I would recommend most people add to their workout routine, including cardiovascular training and strength training. A balance of different types of movement is important for everyone, and I believe yoga is a great supplemental form of exercise to be added to an exercise regimen. With that in mind, CorePower Yoga may be a bit expensive for some consumers. Adding another gym membership on top of CorePower may be out of budget for some people. However, I would like to emphasize that a gym membership is not needed for an individual to train and there are ways to do both cardiovascular and strength training outside of a gym environment.

What To Expect in a CorePower Yoga Class

CorePower Yoga recommends yogis arrive at the studio ten to fifteen minutes prior to class start time. This allows members to get themselves set up in the room. The door to the practice room locks at the class start time and you will not be allowed in if you are late, so be sure to arrive before the scheduled class time. A yoga mat and towel are needed for class. Many yogis bring their own, but CorePower offers the option to rent any equipment you need. Some classes require additional yoga accessories, such as blocks or straps, which is communicated before class and provided by the studio. Ensure you bring water because the room gets quite warm and you will be sweating. I suggest wearing workout clothes that you can move well in because you will be doing exercises in which you’re bending and reaching in all directions. I also recommend tighter-fitting clothes to ensure they will not move much. Many of the women in the room were wearing workout leggings and tank tops or sports bras. The men were mostly wearing shorts and tank tops or no shirt at all.

Class starts with a simple pose, typically child's pose. While in this pose, the teacher instructs participants to set their intentions for their practice. After a minute or two, the teacher brings the yogis through a series of vinyasa flows. These simpler flows are used as a warm-up. After the warm-up, longer flows are incorporated. Longer flow series are introduced slowly, letting the class participants ease into each of the movements before moving into a quicker pace for the sequence. Between sequences, a vinyasa of upward dog to downward dog resets the participants before moving into the next series. Every CorePower class includes a series of core work exercises. This core work section is not long in duration but is quite challenging due to the series of exercises with no rest between. Toward the end of class, the intensity level comes down and the teacher leads members toward a resting state. Within this resting state, the teacher gives yogis time to reflect and practice mindfulness.

CorePower Yoga Classes

Core Restore (CR)

Core Restore, or CR, is a lower-intensity, more restorative class. The room is unheated and the music is calming. Yogis focus on their breath and holding poses for a stretch and calming effect.

CorePower 1 (C1)

CorePower 1, or C1, is recommended for beginners. The class is in an unheated room and focuses on foundational poses at a slower pace. Yogis in C1 will learn to connect their breath to their movement and find alignment within their bodies.

CorePower 1.5 (C1.5)

CorePower 1.5, or C1.5, is the middle ground of C1 and C2. A bit more difficult than C1 but not quite as challenging as C2, C1.5 is used as a stepping stone for members to enhance their practice. It is described as an intermediate vinyasa flow. C1.5 is perfect for yogis who feel as though they’re ready to advance beyond C1 but aren’t quite ready for C2.

CorePower 2 (C2)

CorePower 2, or C2, is an advancement of CorePower 1. C2 is taught in a heated room and has more challenging variations of poses taught in C1 as well as some more ambitious poses. It is quicker-paced and will definitely have you sweating.

CorePower 3 (C3)

CorePower 3, or C3, is arguably the most challenging class offered at CorePower Yoga. It is an advancement of C2 with high-intensity vinyasa flows prescribed to challenge your mind and body. Ensure you are sufficient with your practice in C2 before doing a C3 class.

Hot Power Fusion (HPF)

Hot Power Fusion, or HPF, is a heated class with an emphasis on strength and balancing poses. There is a focus on breathwork and per the CorePower website, the class is described as equally “challenging and calming.”

Yoga Sculpt (YS)

CorePower Yoga Sculpt is a total body workout using light weights in a heated room. Yogis flow through different poses and do high-count repetitions of strength training exercises. The energy in the room is high, the temperature is higher and the music is upbeat and fun.

Yoga Sculpt Bodyweight (YSB)

Yoga Sculpt Bodyweight, or YSB, is similar to Yoga Sculpt minus the dumbbells. It is a total body workout with strength exercises using your own body weight, such as pushups, squats and lunges. Similar to a Yoga Sculpt class, there are strength, core and cardio exercises.

CorePower Strength (CPX)

CorePower Strength, or CPX, is a strength training-focused spinoff of yoga. Dumbbells are used to enhance the challenge of the exercises. Breathwork through the exercises is utilized through instructor cueing. The room is unheated but the intensity is high.

CorePower Yoga Locations

CorePower Yoga has over 200 studio locations stretching over 22 states, including Washington D.C. California has the largest number of studios with 80 locations stretching the state. There are more studios in the western half of the US than the eastern. Urban areas tend to have more studios than rural regions.

States that have CorePower Yoga:

• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• North Carolina
• New York
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia
• Washington

To see a full list of CorePower Yoga locations, check the website for more detailed information.

My Experience With CorePower Yoga

I took three CorePower Yoga classes: CorePower 1, CorePower 2 and Yoga Sculpt. Each class challenged me in different ways and left me quite sweaty. The instructors’ personalities seemed to fit the class format they were teaching perfectly, and I loved the music of each class and how the room was lit with LED lights rather than bright overhead lighting.

My first time with CorePower Yoga was the CorePower 1 class. My second experience was a CorePower 2 class. Both classes had the same overall format: we began in child’s pose and set our intentions for the next hour of practice. We went through multiple vinyasa flows, did some core work and ended with reflection. While both classes were challenging for me, the CorePower 2 class was definitely more so. The CorePower 2 had a quicker pace, with more rapid transitions between poses, and some poses were harder than those offered in the CorePower 1, such as Bird of Paradise. The instructor cueing was a bit more beginner-level in the level 1 class, and someone who is brand new to yoga may struggle to follow along in the CorePower 2 class. With that in mind, yoga novices should avoid the level 2 classes until a bit more practiced.

My third CorePower Yoga visit was a Yoga Sculpt class. I would describe this as a hybrid of yoga, bootcamp and Pilates classes. We did movements with dumbbells for high repetitions with light weights, including pushups, lunges and squats. There was a cardio sequence, core work and lots of strength training. We flowed through some vinyasas with and without weights. The instructor in the Yoga Sculpt was much more high-energy than the other classes I took, which matched the demands of the class perfectly. She floated all around the room, said people’s names and helped to motivate when movements got tricky. The Yoga Sculpt was an intense workout that left my body very tired, and I definitely recommend it for those who want something challenging.

Customer Reviews of CorePower Yoga

CorePower Yoga has locations in 22 states. I explored customer reviews for CorePower studios within these states to find recurring compliments and complaints.

The size and capacity of the studio seem to be a recurring problem, leading to overcrowding. Yelp reviewer Amy visited a studio in Denver and felt it was way too crowded for her to get into the proper mindset. In her review, she stated that “we were all squeezed into the practice room, almost mat to mat.”

In the classes I took, which varied in times of the day, I did not find the room to ever be too crowded. I think overcrowding depends on the size and location of the studio, peak exercise hours and instructor popularity.

The instructors are mentioned frequently in reviews, mostly on a positive note. Gina from Mesa, Arizona, states: “Every instructor is so welcoming and will give options/modifications if you’re not familiar with poses.” This is helpful for individuals who are newer to the practice of yoga.

Many of the negative reviews were based around a class participant not liking their instructor or the way an instructor ran the class. It’s worth noting that everyone will have different preferences for instructors and that every instructor may not be for every individual. The best way to learn if an instructor is a good fit for you is to take a handful of their classes.

FAQ About CorePower Yoga

How many credits is CorePower Yoga on Classpass?

The number of Classpass credits depends on location. For example, in New York City CorePower Yoga ranges from 10-14 credits. In a less populated area it may only cost four credits. Check on your Classpass app to determine how many credits your local studio requires.

Is CorePower Yoga good for weight loss?

CorePower Yoga is a great form of exercise to be added to a weight loss routine, however, I would not recommend it as a sole form of exercise, especially if weight loss is the goal. For weight loss, I would recommend a combination of cardiovascular exercise and strength training, neither of which CorePower Yoga concentrates on, though the YogaSculpt classes do include facets of both.

How long does it take to see results from CorePower Yoga?

Results will vary by individual goals and frequency of participation in CorePower classes. With that in mind, common goals for yoga include stress reduction, an increase in flexibility and a decrease in pain which may come from lack of mobility. Stress reduction can be an immediate result due to the calming nature of yoga. Increases in flexibility and reduction of pain may take weeks to months to see results. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends flexibility training, such as yoga, at least two to three days per week consistently over three to four weeks to see flexibility improvements, with daily flexibility training warranting the best results.

Is CorePower Yoga always hot?

No, there are a few class options that have no added heat. These include Core Restore, CorePower 1 and CorePower Strength. Other classes have varying levels of heat. Explore class descriptions for levels of heat in specific classes.

Final Thoughts

CorePower Yoga could be a great form of supplemental exercise to add to your weekly routine. I would recommend it to individuals looking to improve their balance, flexibility and mobility. I also found CorePower classes to have a positive mental clarity effect.

CorePower Yoga, being a franchise, can have studio-to-studio differences in cleanliness, instructors and other policies. However, my experience with my local CorePower Yoga was positive and the instructors were extremely impressive. If you are interested in CorePower Yoga, I encourage you to participate in the free week the studio offers. It is a zero-commitment way to take some classes and see if CorePower Yoga would be a good fit for you.

Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.