It was Heroes Row the Harlem, the first annual crew race between NYC’s finest: NYPD vs. FDNY. The event was hosted by the non-profit Row New York, which teaches underprivileged kids to row competitively, in partnership with the festival and one of my favorite fitness studios Row House.

After the race (P.S. my firemen smoked the cops!), we got in on the action, hopping aboard a training barge docked at Peter J. Sharp Boathouse, Row New York’s home base in the Harlem River, with a coach who taught us the ABCs of crew in just over an hour. It’s MUCH more complicated on the water than on an erg and a different experience, altogether.

When the yachts cruised by at high speeds, we were suddenly drenched in their wake and for me, there was no escape–I got the worst of it.

So, I was happy to be in Sperry H2O Escape sneakers. As our coach said, “It IS a water sport.” Ships ahoy!

Sneakers provided by Sperry; all thoughts/assessments are my own.

So, I was thrilled that my former colleague, Helaine Knapp, is now the founder of one of the most buzz-worthy new fitness studios on the Flatiron block: CityRow.

Helaine and I actually worked together twice, at two different media companies, and I’ve always admired her optimistic, easygoing personality.  After her latest stint on the digital side, she decided to pack up her business casual closet and re-invent herself, this time, rolling out bright blue mats and high-energy ergs.  I stopped by her studio at the corner of 14th & 5th for Signature Row, 50 minutes of interval rowing meets mat work, led by hunky instructor Shaun Jenkins (@thesrj).

Each station includes a water-based rowing machine and mat plus a variety of self-selected hand weights. The studio feels spacious, with under 15 rowers per class. Mine was a mix of girls and guys, and, I’ve heard that couples are also very into CityRow.

The class was a mix of traditional movements like squats, curls and pushups on the mat, combined with breathless rowing sprints. Shaun shouted CityRow’s standard directives, “Legs, core, arms!” and “Arms, core, legs!” to help first-time rowers remember their flow.

If you’re nervous about how to work your rowing machine, don’t worry. They’re extremely user-friendly with very few buttons.

(P.S. Never let equipment intimidation keep you from trying a new workout. I’ve found, that, especially with the introduction of so many new options in NYC, a primary focus of nearly all studios’ instructors and staff is helping new riders, rowers and guests learn the basics of how to feel comfortable and achieve optimal form.)

Things to know:

• Wear a tight tee/tank and leggings or bike shorts that won’t interfere with your row.
• Come dressed for class; there’s in-studio storage for stuff, bathrooms are down the hall.
• Bring a big bottle of water, towels are provided.
• If you need a snack, grab a clementine at the desk on your way in or out the door.
• If you want more stretching vs. sweating, incorporate vinyasa yoga with Row & Flow.

After class, as I stopped to wipe my forehead and put away my weights, I looked out the window: directly in line with the Empire State, the view’s pretty too!

Why he’s different: Remember from my recent review of the studio, Michael is a real crew coach vs. a fitness instructor. He rowed competitively in high school and college; after graduation, he continued as a coach for a few girls’ varsity teams and, most recently, the men’s varsity team at Clarkson University. He describes his training style as “a mix of fun camp counselor and intense crew coach” and you’ll find that all this high-level rowing combined with professional coaching makes for some really loud in-class cheering and major attention to proper form.

What’s inside his closet: A self-described very low maintenance kind of guy, you’ll find lots of workout clothes by Lululemon and Nike plus a few vintage pieces from Beacon’s Closet and newer ones scooped up at H&M.

A day in his life: Starts with 20 minutes of stretching, followed by 3-4 back-to-back classes at Brooklyn Crew. On off days, you can find Michael listening to bands at Glasslands and eating pizza at Roberta’s in his Bushwick neighborhood.

Fitness (and life) motto: “Keep calm and row on.”

Want to book a class with (and bat your mascara-free lashes at) Michael? Click here.