Fun fact. Do I like biking outdoors? Nope. Do I enjoy riding at ‘Cycle Bar’ indoors. Hell yeah! Not only do I like it, I love it! It’s my absolute favorite way of burning calories and toning my body. The first time I tried a cycling class was about 8 years ago. Mind you, I’ve tried core conditioning classes at the gym, boxing, cross fit, AND yoga, before but there are many reasons why I keep going back to cycling. For starters, there’s this huge misconception that we’re not working out our entire body while pedaling through a sprint or a hill during spinning. But reality is, we are working out every muscle to the core (no pun intended) while riding away.
See… I can go on & on about how cycling has impacted my life… But I can not do that until I share more about the place that has allowed me to get there. Previously, I’d leave the office to squeeze in cycling after work in NYC to then rush back home. Now, I owe a lot of my excitement to the fact I no longer have to, since CYCLE BAR opened a studio in Fort Lee, NJ. That’s only 5 minutes away from home, giving me the flexibility to work out the way I enjoy most, whenever I want. That’s the least of it! I mean we are talking about a premium indoor cycling studio located in Hudson Lights, NJ. They went above and beyond when it comes to all the amenities they have available for us. Reserve a bike and take it for a ride, you’ll notice each Schwinn bike tracks your calories, power, RPM, and many other metrics. This way you’ll see your progress at the end of every class and challenge your self on the next one you take! How cool is that?! You can control the resistance to what your body can handle, just make sure you’re pushing yourself and you feel that resistance ;). Every instructor has a unique way of running the class, always demonstrating the best techniques or form to improve your performance. This will help you reach your goals that will ultimately change your life one ride at a time. You’ll start seeing results in no time, I know I did. Shout out to Olivia for reminding us to ‘isolate’ making our legs do all the work from time to time. Join instructors Jesse, Marissa, or Kendall and many more during the week/weekends. For a full instructor list go, here.
It’s more than just dropping a few pant sizes for me, it’s what keeps me sane and what allows me to disconnect from my everyday busy life. Of course, I started to shed a few pounds. I also noticed an energy increase and a clearer mind which allows me to focus on my daily to do’s. No longer feeling fatigued and unhealthy all the time. 50 minutes dedicated to myself where not only do I work out my core, legs and glutes, but, when I pick those bad babies up, yeah I’m talking about the bar weights, I get to work out my arms, too. Because…
“I don’t want toned arms” said no one ever.
After multiple songs play, one after the other, we lose count of how many hills we’ve climbed and how many sprints we’ve completed. We lose track of time and we unravel ourselves with a group of people that did whatever it took to be in the same room… sometimes even doubting ourselves but overcoming these doubts and pushing together. We then take our last sip of water and end of the class with a few minutes of mediation, ahhhhh, my favorite part. Come #ROCKYOUR RIDE on Hip Hop Sunday, Mashup Monday, Wine Down on Wednesday, or a Jay-z vs Bieber class! They even email us the play list after each class in case we couldn’t get to shazamin’ our new favorite song.
I’d like to thank Marisa, owner of the studio in Fort Lee & Closter, NJ. She embodies all the criteria that falls under being a bad ass boss lady! She is very inspiring and it’s people like her that we need more of! I’m so happy to be a part of the CycleGiving local community (a philanthropic movement which partners with local organizations and charities to help them raise donations). Thank you for bringing what feels like the ‘four seasons’ cycling experience to Northern NJ, making it feel like a home away from home. This is just the beginning of my journey! (Marisa, bio)
“You can’t lose this race because you’re not running against anyone else. You’re only racing against yourself” Best competition there is.
xx neon hue