Soul Cycle is the city's only indoor spinning studio at least to my knowledge. Conveniently located on the UWS only minutes from my apartment, this spinning studio offers top of the line spinning classes that combine the intense cardio workout of spinning with the mind and body elements of yoga. The instructors are fabulous-and to any dedicated spinner, you know that the quality of the class depends on the instructor!!
I first heard about Soul Cycle from a friend and decided to try out a class to see what all of the hype was about. I was eager to see if the Soul Cycle classes were any good since I was currently very displeased with my spinning classes at the gym I had joined. I called Soul Cycle and spoke with someone who walked me through the whole process. At SC, classes are purchased by "series" or class packages of 5, 10, 20, or 30. You can also purchase a single class for $27 (I know, I gasped too!!). Once you purchase a series (all available online at their website or via phone), you can go online to sign up for a class. The class schedule is posted monthly complete with who will be teaching each class. However, in order to sign up for the class, you have to reserve a spot in advance. VERY IMPORTANT** Since the classes at Soul Cycle are in such high demand, certain peak time/instructor classes can be almost impossible to reserve a spot in. Therefore, you must reserve your spot the first available chance you get: Mondays at 12 noon. On Mondays at noon you can reserve all of your classes for the week, and be sure to act quickly on any peak classes (8:30 am, 9:30 am, and 6:30 pm- also any class with Laurie or Stacey is bound to fill up quickly as they are both fabulous and have a very loyal following).
When I first heard that I would have to plan my spinning schedule a week in advance just to reserve a spot, I thought this is complete bullshit. I mean, I don't always know what my schedule is like for the week. Things come up all the time!! Not to mention, what would happen if I wasn't able to get to a computer Mondays at noon to sign up? Well, all is not lost. You can always call them before and explain that you aren't able to access a computer at that time and give them a list of the classes you would like to sign up for in advance and they say that although they might not be able to guarantee anything, they will try their best. I have never called in advance with a list and not gotten a spot FYI.
All class at SC are 45 minute classes except for the occasional 1-hr "Soul Survivor" classes, which are considered to be the most advanced classes. SC also offers different class levels based on difficulty, but I have always found that there are constantly first-time spinners in almost any of the classes and the instructors are very good about keeping an eye out for the newbies. SC also offers a teen class, which I haven't taken, but I have heard great things about. Also, SC has a strict cancellation policy-all cancellations must be made at least 24 hours in advance otherwise you will be charged in full for the class.
So, enough admin stuff. I bet you are wondering how the classes are? Well, when I took my first SC class I was shocked about a few things. 1) SC doesn't let you spin unless you wear the spinning shoes that clip into the bike-sorry no gym shoes allowed. They say that the other shoes guarantee a better workout and are safer. If you don't own a pair, you can rent them from SC.
2)The spinning classes all incorporate weight lifting. I know what you are thinking-spinning is hard enough, but how the hell am I going to lift weights while spinning! Well, I was shocked too, but the weight lifting doesn't usually happen until almost the end of the class and the weights are only 1 lb. weights
3) These classes also incorporate choreography into the standard three position spinning- something I had never done before in my 6 years of spinning. This can be challenging at first, but once you get the hang of it, very fun!
Although I haven't taken classes from all of the instructors yet, I love all of the teachers I have had thus far. Each has her own teaching style and music choice and all bring something different to the table. All instructors are knowledgeable, professional, fun, motivating, and qualified. They all play great music-everything from ACDC to John Mayer to Kanye West to Ingrid Michaelson and are sure to please just about anyone's musical tastes. All classes are taught in the dark by candlelight and all end with a brief cool-down and stretch. I have grown to love this spinning studio so dearly and I leave every class feeling energized, healthy, and focused. I used to be someone who dreaded exercising and now I find myself looking forward to my spinning classes all week long! Soul Cycle has changed my life dramatically. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun way to maintain a healthy mind and body! read more