Most studios compete on class variety, trendy formats, and slick design, and everyone’s trying to be the best at all three. NRTHRN Strong takes a different path. The studio feels less like a business and more like a retreat, with Nordic philosophy baked into every corner. It’s not just about the workout you finish, but the strength you carry into the rest of your life.

Members walk in expecting a sweat. They leave with balance, resilience, and the grounding sense that comes from training in a space built to restore as much as it pushes.

Nicoline Roth’s Nordic Roots

Founder Nicoline Roth grew up in Copenhagen, with family roots stretching into the mountains of Norway. That upbringing shaped how she saw health not as an accessory, but as a way of living. 

Long hikes, open air, and a respect for nature were constants. Later, when she faced burnout, she found herself drawn back to those roots. Yoga and heat became her therapy. Strength training gave her clarity.

From that period came the seed of an idea: build a space that captured both. She discovered the Nordic Trainer, a patented equipment designed by a doctor and former cross-country skier, and recognized its potential instantly. It blended intensity with longevity, a pairing she knew could transform how people train.

NRTHRN Strong is her answer, which is a studio that looks and feels Nordic, yet operates at the cutting edge of fitness innovation.

The Atmosphere: Nordic Balance in Motion

Walk into the class studio, and the walls mimic the shifting lights of the aurora. Sounds and materials are chosen to ground you, not distract. It’s hygge in practice: equality, togetherness, strength, and calm stitched into the atmosphere.

What’s the goal? It’s simple: when members step inside, they disconnect from the noise of city life. What remains is focus. Safety. A place that feels like a reset button for body and mind.

The Nordic Trainer: Smarter Training for Modern Lives

At the heart of NRTHRN Strong is the Nordic Trainer. Built to replicate the double poling motion of cross-country skiing, it offers far more than simulation. With 50+ exercises integrated into its design, it creates a full-body workout that blends dynamic strength circuits, cardio intervals, and mobility flows.

They want to appeal to clients who want all the high-intensity output without joint stress. Members work through scalable routines that build strength, improve endurance, and keep the body moving fluidly. 

For Nicoline, it represented the ideal training philosophy that’s both powerful and sustainable.

Why Cross-Country Skiing Works

Cross-country skiing recruits legs, arms, and core in continuous motion. It demands balance and stamina while staying kind to joints. Oxygen uptake improves, you burn more calories, and muscles across the chain stay engaged, leaving no weak links behind.

The Nordic Trainer channels those benefits into a studio format. Members don’t need skis, snow, or mountains. Instead, all they have to do is step onto the trainer and get the same blend of endurance and strength that skiers have long relied on.

What Makes NRTHRN Strong Stand Out

Plenty of studios sell themselves as mindful, even more push for maximum performance. Few manage to merge both. NRTHRN Strong does, because the design and culture are in sync. 

The studio is Nordic in every detail, from community-first values to the way recovery and resilience are treated as equal to intensity. They’re all for sustaining health, building confidence, and creating bonds inside the studio that ripple outside it. 

The innovation is real and the Nordic Trainer sets it apart. However, the culture is what members stay for.

Membership and Access

The Flatiron location in New York marks a significant milestone, introducing the Nordic model to a city with endless fitness options. Intro classes are priced to encourage first-timers, while packs and founding memberships offer value for those ready to commit. 

The model is flexible enough where if you want to test, train regularly, or invest long term, there’s always an entry point.

It’s a smart growth play. Accessible pricing lowers barriers, while premium membership tiers reward consistency. For members, the decision feels less like a transaction and more like joining a movement.

Final Thoughts

For Nicoline, NRTHRN Strong wasn’t really about opening yet another “innovative” or trendy studio. No, for her NRTHRN Strong is a sanctuary that reflects her heritage and her vision for modern training. The Nordic Trainer gave her the means, but the philosophy gives it staying power.

About Robert James Rivera
Robert is a full-time freelance writer and editor specializing in the health niche and its ever-expanding sub-niches. As a food and nutrition scientist, he knows where to find the resources necessary to verify health claims.