Throwback

By Brian Gallagher

Throwback is a super fun, heart-pumping workout, in the Flatiron neighborhood of NYC, that combines rowing and circuit training — all under the guise of old-school games we loved while growing up. Imagine a game of dodgeball where you are required to finish a circuit before getting your chance to lob Nerf balls at the other team. The workout is all about teamwork, interactive and welcoming, and students almost forget they are getting in a serious workout. Here, co-founder Brian Gallagher tells us how he and partner Ryan Wilke came up with this novel idea.

The Spark

Long before Throwback Fitness was even a spark of an idea, co-founder Ryan Wilke and I both started our careers off in finance, and then made the jump into the fitness world. We were exercising together on our off hours from work, and noticed how much more fun working out can be when you incorporate friendly competition and teamwork. We searched the group fitness scene for an experience that combined both of these elements with a kickass workout, but didn’t find what we had in mind. Nothing quite hit the mark on the fun part, so we decided to create our own experience.

The Throwback Idea

After hosting a series of beta classes for family and friends, we were able to hone our concept and discover that people craved the competitive element. It forced them to push themselves harder than working in a solo setting. We saw that even in group classes — despite working out with anywhere from 15-40 other people in the room — the workouts are still very much individualized. We had to find a way to incorporate competition, interaction, and fun into every workout.