Last night I broke out of my normal routine and met my fitness-loving friends Grace (of Lean Girls Club) and April for some sweat-inducing, heart-pumping indoor cycling at Revolve near Union Square.
The class was hosted by Urban Girl Squad, a company that organizes classes, volunteer opportunities and other events for women in the city to socialize and enjoy a lot of the amazing things this city has to offer. I’ve been to two other UGS events – volunteering at Gods Love We Deliver and drinks at the 21 Club with a tour of their legendary wine cellar.
One of my goals this year is to try new workouts to mix things up from my usual trips to the gym and runs. First was SurfSET, now indoor cycling. As popular as it is, I’ve only taken one class previously and that was a few years ago. Going into this, we were a bit nervous about how intense it might get and how well we might do, even though we’re all runners and in good shape, because, well, it works different muscles than we’re used to working and in different ways!
I got to the studio and it was buzzing with women at the front desk signing in. After changing from my work clothes in a very cramped restroom and stuffing my bags, winter coat and Uggs in a locker in the cramped locker hall, I made my way upstairs. We grabbed three bikes next to each other and our instructor, Christianne, came over to help me get my bike set and clip me in. It’s a strange feeling to be clipped into a bike and feel like your trapped! We were definitely in for a ride!
First impression of Christianne? She’s going to kick our butts! She was serious about getting the most out of us and pushing us through the workout. She was spunky and energetic, which really set the mood and got me pumped up. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the class and the instructor had a lot to do with that. And the music. Being used to teaching a class full of regulars who cycle often, I wonder what she really thought about our class filled with a lot of first-timers!
We went through some ‘warm-ups’ to get used to the bike then did a series of hills and intervals. It took a few times for me to get used to getting in and out of the saddle, but once I did it was a lot smoother and I could go between the intervals faster. About 30 minutes into the class there we switched to an upper body workout using weights that were attached to the bike. It was a nice breather from the cycling but it wasn’t easy! I definitely need to work on my upper body strength! The class was about 55 minutes long and pretty intense the whole way through. The thing I like about indoor cycling is that you choose how hard it’s going to be. While it’s a group class and the instructor pushes hard, the student gets to choose what they want to make of the class. Our instructor was great about saying things like “it’s just 30 seconds of pain, you can do it.” For me, that works.
I thought it was a great class and was glad I got to take it with Grace and April – suffer together! Definitely a nice change up from my usual Wednesday night. I have to admit though, while I enjoyed the class and might drop in a few times in the future, I don’t think I could make spinning my regular workout like so many people do. However, if I was going to, I’d want to take classes like this one that includes an upper body workout.
Grace, me and April after the tough workout!
We’re already planning our next fitness adventure; can’t wait for more!
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Today’s workout -
