Northside Hott Fitness to perform a workout – with a high temperature of 105 degrees – in Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A new fitness facility will soon heat up Bethlehem’s downtown business scene.

Northside Hott Fitness, offering a variety of instructor-led fitness classes in a state-of-the-art space heated to 105-plus degrees, is expected to open in late spring at 77 W. Broad St. Suite 5C in downtown Bethlehem, co-owner and instructor Rachel Griffith told 69 News.

The new fitness studio will be located next to Ripper’s Pub and near the Sun Inn Courtyard.

It will occupy the newly renovated space that previously housed the Fraternal Order of Police, Bethlehem Star Lodge #20, which recently relocated to the former Adagio seafood restaurant on Pembroke Road in Bethlehem.

Griffith will run Northside Hott Fitness with his partner, Anthony Spagnola.

The facility will be a spin-off of the nearly five-year-old Hott Fitness Factory, owned by Spagnola and Giovanni Grella, on Willow Park Road in Bethlehem Township.

“We see an opportunity to serve more people in a crowded part of Bethlehem, which will be more convenient for certain people,” Spagnola said.

“We’re very excited,” added Griffith.

“We are very passionate about the fitness industry, and this is a way for us to continue to share what we love with the public in a more urban environment.”

The facilities of the city of Bethlehem will feature a class structure similar to the one offered in the Hott Fitness Factory, but will have a different identity with its own schedule, price structure and atmosphere, said Griffith.

“We’ll have the same class format as the one at Hott Fitness Factory, but we’ll also have more of a boutique style,” Griffith said.

At Northside Hott Fitness, Griffith and Spagnola plan to lead classes — most held in rooms heated between 105 and 110 degrees — with other instructors throughout the day.

Morning, afternoon and evening classes will be offered, Griffith said.

The new studio will offer several membership options, including unlimited class memberships, and class packs that allow individuals to participate in multiple classes.

“We’ll also be doing some grand opening events,” Griffith said.

Programs aren’t finalized yet, but Northside Hott Fitness will feature several classes that resemble some of Hott Fitness Factory’s most popular offerings, including ABSoluteSTRENGTH, a resistance-based total body workout based on weights, bands or bodyweight; ABSoluteLIFT, a class focused solely on weight lifting exercises that target every major muscle group; and ABSoluteSHRED, a high-intensity, full-body sculpt workout designed to push you to your limits, Griffith said.

ABSoluteSHRED targets every major muscle group, and participants burn fat and calories with intense cardio bursts, build strength and endurance with dynamic resistance training and engage their core and improve overall stability and balance.

Other offerings include some hot yoga, hot barre and hot Pilates classes, Griffith said.

Individuals of all ages and fitness levels will be welcomed, and exercise modifications will be available.

“People will have 45 minutes to focus on themselves, and I want them to make the most of those 45 minutes,” Griffith said.

“Our lives are so busy, and I think it’s amazing that people can find the time — even if it’s just a 45-minute class — to put themselves out there and work on themselves. That’s huge. I always say, ‘You can’t be anything to anyone until you take care of yourself. Once you take care of yourself, you can take care of the world.’

The new location will occupy a roughly 1,500-square-foot, soon-to-be-renovated space, Griffith said.

Showers and changing facilities will be available.

“Our focus for this location will be functional group training for small groups,” Griffith said.

“We really try to focus on the client’s needs and make sure that everyone is healthy. So, class sizes are no bigger than 20 people.”

Griffith and Spagnola are both restaurateurs, with Griffith operating nearby Apollo Grill on West Broad Street in downtown Bethlehem and Spagnola operating Sotto Santi Pizzeria Pub on West Fourth Street in south Bethlehem.

The couple is excited to continue serving the Lehigh Valley by helping more area residents achieve their fitness goals.

“We both fell in love with the food industry, and then we also forged a great partnership when it came to the world of fitness,” said Griffith. “So, I’m really excited to continue marrying our love for food with fitness.”

Northside Hott Fitness’ social media pages, where people can stay updated on the latest happenings in the business, are new.