I have a new love and its name is spin class. More specifically, Cyclebar. Although we’ve only been together for five days, I am obsessed. Whether I’m starting my day with a 7 a.m. ride or ending my day with a late night visit, my next spin class is all I think about lately.
My obsession began with Tori Sterling, whose YouTube content inspired me to start my journey toward a healthier lifestyle. I have been mesmerized by her channel for several months. Not only has it lit a spark in me to start eating better, it is what motivated me to attend my much-loved, recently discovered, rhythmic spin classes at Cyclebar.
Spinning is definitely not a walk in the park, nor for the faint of heart; it is an intense cardio and full-body workout, but with the fun, music mash-ups and enthusiastic instructors, you almost feel like you are not even working out.
After just five classes, I feel more energized everyday. And bonus: I have already dropped five pounds and feel my strength and stamina increasing with each ride
These are three reasons why I love spin class. Hopefully they will inspire you to give it a try. You never know, you might just fall in love, too!
1. The atmosphere
Picture this: you walk into a building where you are immediately greeted by a wall of inspirational messages, like “Challenge Yourself,“ "Winners Show Up,” and “Rock Your Ride." You are then met by a warm and welcoming staff who hands you a free Cyclebar water bottle. Yes, I said free!
Then, the regular riders greet you with friendly smiles and small talk in the locker area while you set up for class and fill your water bottle with perfectly chilled or room temperature water.
You then enter the cycle theater, everyones favorite place. The lights are dim and you see 55 bikes perfectly set up in a semi circle facing the instructors bike. You “click in” and start your warm-up, setting yourself up on the leaderboard. Loud music from pop to EDM starts pumping through the speakers. Then you hear the instructor’s voice, leading the choreography for each song and motivating you not to give up. The lights alternate between different shades, to dimmed, to completely off. Your mind and body gets lost in the rhythm of the music as you pedal for miles all to the beat of the song that is playing. You can’t help but want to hop on a bike and ride along with the dance party
2. The workout
All I can say is, wow! You get a good workout in only 45 minutes because the ride simulates you conquering a steep incline not just once, but twice. While riding, the instructor will tell you where you should aim to have your tension at during the ride. However, if the goal of the instructor is too high, you are encouraged to keep it down at the level that is comfortable for you.
There are no breaks during the ride, but Cyclebar provides you with a water bottle and a clean towel so you stay comfortable. During the ride, be sure to keep yourself hydrated and wipe the sweat from your face.
The bike tracks your RPMs and at the end it provides the average RPMs. The bike also displays the tension, power and mileage. At the end of class, the instructor unveils a leaderboard and ranks you in the class. It's so motivating to see your own results improve every ride; the feeling of accomplishment is unexplainable. Just always remember what you're working towards and you will end up with a beneficial workout.
3. The instructors
First, how cool would it be to teach a spin class? To be able to have the stamina to teach more than one class a day, get to ride all the time and get paid. These instructors are honestly the most inspiring people I have met. They have taken their fitness journey a step further and now motivate others to do what they love.
Throughout the ride, the instructors make sure you do not give up and inspire you to push through the challenging parts. Each class features one song when the riders are encouraged to ride at their own pace without instruction. During this time, many of the instructors share a personal reason behind the song they chose to use for this portion of the class. This activity encourages trust and often times a reason to connect with the instructor and so much more.
Spin classes are motivational, inspirational and a great workout with proven results. It encourages a healthier lifestyle, and honestly, what’s not to love about spin class?!?!
