Don’t skip this post! I promise it’s more than us wearing Lululemon and drinking Pellegrino while talking about our next hair appointment (we can do that another day). Let’s talk about that SoulCycle workout you heard someone mention one time.
In our worldly experience, SoulCycle gives you one of two impressions:
- You think it’s a cult. An over priced workout that you can’t understand how these Taylor Swift-chanting, Peppermint Mocha-drinking robots are up and chanting in these packed cycle studios at 7AM while still looking like they belong in a Beyonce video or models for a J.Crew ad.
2. You are part of the SoulCycle community and will swear on your firstborns life that there is no better workout and you are exploring different ways of selling non-vital organs to afford more classes because that’s how much you love it. You also went in with a skeptical point of view, but now you’re building robots to auto book your bikes when they’re released at noon.
- For real though, we met someone who did that… #BadAssBitch
Fear not friends, we are somewhere in the middle. Without further ado (and bad analogies), we present the key points of what you need to know when considering SoulCycle.
- Go in with an open mind. Yes, you will see a lot of fit people who know each other and have their game faces the minute the music starts. Don’t be intimidated. They had a first time too.
- Ask for help. Ask the staff to help you set up on the bike – there are specific settings for each person. It makes a huge difference between having a great workout vs leaving in pain.
- You’ll need shoes and a water. This feels pretty self explanatory.
- It’s okay to not be an advanced rider on day 1. You’re biking to a beat, you’re moving your arms, your chest, your legs, your butt. Unless you are a trained dancer, no one is going to judge (and if you are, you’re also not being judged). It comes over time.
- OMG SWEAT. Go in knowing that you will sweat. 45 minutes of intense cardio means you will look like you entered a wet t-shirt contest and won.
- Say hello! Surprisingly enough, SoulCycle is a fitness community that supports you in reaching your goals. It actually makes coming back that much better. You’ll see your progress and people will support you in it vs try to beat you out.
- At the end of your sweat sesh, introduce yourself to the instructors. They’re trained in a professional training program (shipped off to NYC for months) to do this. They’ll make sure they help you the next time you come, give you some tips, and you also make a new friend.
- Hydrate and stretch. I cannot stress this enough. You just put your body through the ringer and unless you’re Lance Armstrong in the golden days, you need to take care of your body. Drink a lot of water. Stretch everything.
With that said, just because you’re on your way to a better, healthier you doesn’t mean you have to go buy a green juice (barf…) and start growing your own kale.
Cheers,
AM
Awkwardly Mansome 