SPENGA Santa Cruz - Santa Cruz, California

Maureen M.

I’m the type of person who usually joins something, sticks with it for a little while, and then falls off the wagon. So when I started SPENGA, I had my doubts. Fast forward 1.5 years—and 318 sessions later—and I’m proud to say I’m a regular.

In my late 50s, I’m now in the best shape I’ve been in for the past 20 years. The combination of spin, strength, and yoga is the perfect balance—and every class leaves me feeling stronger, healthier, and more energized.

All the instructors are absolutely amazing. They’re encouraging, knowledgeable, and always bring great energy. They offer personalized suggestions to improve your form during the strength portion, and their uplifting messages keep me going even when I’m having an off day.

MK, the owner, is the heart of this community. She continually reinforces messages of body positivity and inclusivity. Her leadership and spirit create an environment that feels supportive, not intimidating—something that’s often hard to find in fitness spaces.

I love my SPENGA trainers and my SPENGA pals. This isn’t just a workout—it’s a community, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.

Charlotte W.

I'm so sad to be posting this review after being a client at SPENGA Santa Cruz off and on for the last three years. Like many of the negative reviews here, my issue is not the workout itself. I would give the instructors and the workouts themselves a 5-star review. It's fun, intense and has a great community vibe.

They offer several different membership options, but the most affordable (the monthly - if you are going regularly) didn't make sense for me because I travel so much. So I've tended to do 10- or 20-class packages which is still $30 or $27 per session. Unfortunately, this spring I wasn't able to use all of my classes because of some joint issues. My health care provider recommended I avoid super high intensity workouts like HIIT and spinning, so I've only been going to yoga classes (I love Friday Revive classes with Treva!). Now, I'm moving out of state and have half of my classes left. When I asked if it was possible to get a partial refund, the owner Mary Kate said they were nonrefundable. Which is fair enough given it's a small business. But she also wouldn't allow me to transfer my remaining classes to a friend. Again, technically that's in the contract, but given the circumstances of moving it would have been a nice gesture.

Last fall, I bought several individual individual sessions on the Mind Body hat showed on the app I would have had a year to use them. Apparently it was a glitch in the system because MK said you can only use them within the month that you have a membership (which I did at that time). So she insisted on refunding the individual sessions and had me buy a more expensive class pass. I went with it because I enjoyed the workouts. But that flexibility doesn't extend both ways. I understand the no-refund policy, but I don't understand why transferring the classes would be an issue because it would be giving a new client a chance to visit the studio by using sessions that have already been paid for. This is in stark contrast to a remaining class pack I had at GOAT. They asked if I wanted a refund or wanted to transfer the classes to a friend without me even asking.

I love the idea of supporting a woman-owned local business, but this studio is not customer-friendly despite it's great staff. This is a disappointing end to what had otherwise been a positive three-year experience.

Michelle N.

I have not worked out or really moved much in years. I saw ads about SPENGA’s 20m-20m-20m circuit of Spin, Strength, Yoga. I have never been to a gym, I don’t want to go to a busy, sweaty gym and wouldn’t even know what to do. My Santa Cruz SPENGA studio is clean, cool, bright, each member has their own equipment and plenty of room to WERK it.
SPENGA sets targets for you and tracks your progress via their easy app. The energy of the instructors is keeping me motivated. I have questions and at times I need a modification. The SPENGA instructor feels like my own personal trainer-at no extra cost! I joined to have better mobility, work on strengthening, improve my blood pressure, and as a result, I have lost a few
pounds. The SPENGA community is welcoming and consists of all ages, shapes and sizes. I am feeling better and stronger already!!

Jen P.

The best workout ever with an absolute amazing crew of coaches. This studio has heart and soul, which you can’t say about many gyms. MK has done an incredible job creating a community of awesomeness. ⭐️

Ray E.

Never in a million year did I think I would do anything like this. I'm so glad I did. The workout is such and amazing balance between cardio strength and rest and recovery. The people are always friendly and kind. The trainers are quick to correct my bad form.
I will continue going and highly recommend.

Erika W.

I’ve been going to Spenga for almost a year, and I absolutely love it! I prefer the early morning classes, and the staff—from the friendly gentleman who checks you in to the amazing instructors—are all fantastic. Each class has a unique sequence targeting different muscles while maintaining enough consistency to know what to expect. I especially enjoy when the instructors mix it up with unique music—it keeps the energy high and the experience fun! The combination of spin, strength training, and yoga-style stretching is a perfect blend. Lastly, I appreciate how they keep it so clean! I highly recommend trying a class!

Penny M.

I find the combination of spin, strength and yoga a perfect for me. Mary Kate who's the owner, is my favorite instructor, she helps me do the moves correctly with asking me feel like I'm useless.

Camila M. F.

I love Spenga training. Is the best balance between aerobics, weights and peacefulness. I feel very good after every training. My mind and body feels waaay better that some months ago going to "standard gyms". You progress at your own rhythm and they celebrate you at every step. Love it.