You know fitness is your passion when you travel and are so overwhelmed by amazing studios, that you WANT to work out twice a day to fit them all in. Yes, this is how I feel. I know it’s odd. Last night, I decided I wanted to try SoulCycle for the second time (NYC SoulCycle review). The West Hollywood location is just a half mile from my hotel.
I got to my hotel at 11 pm last night and saw there were open bikes, so I didn’t book in advance in case I couldn’t get up. Thankfully, I woke right up at 6:30 am and ran the uphill half mile to the studio. When I got there, I signed right in and rented my shoes. The single class was $25 plus $3 shoe rental, $7 cheaper than NYC. One of the guys from the front desk helped set up my bike for me.
SoulCycle is a total body spinning workout that infuses the energy of the music into the workout and uses light hand weights. During my first class, I had 1 or 2 lb dumbbells and thought they were too light so I grabbed a 3 lb pair. The lights go out at the start of class and you thrust into a room of intense fitness enthusiasts. I am always in awe of how fast some of the legs can spin! If I want to do triathlons, I need to learn.
I was not sold on SoulCyle after my first class, but this one was perfect. My class was taught by Angela, a few Yelpers warned her class was intense, just my style. Not sure if it was me or what, but the movements felt comfortable, challenging and I could not stop sweating. I actually wanted to push myself beyond my limits, unlike in many spin classes I take. My heart rate was consistently around 175 BPM. The other difference with SoulCycle than other spinning classes is that they include triceps and chest exercises, think doing a push up while spinning. At the end of class, I was a sweaty mess. I burned 649 calories total in just a 45 minute class (plus 1/2 mile jog and 10 minute cool down).
After class, I spotted a juice bar across the courtyard attached to an Equinox. I ordered a Green Detox at Earth Bar but customized it with almond milk and vegan protein powder. It naturally comes with kale, banana and pineapple. It was amazing. I’m going to make this regularly when I get home. Online it says it has 241 calories but it wasn’t posted at the time I ordered it.
I had a hard time choosing which studio to try out today. I also want to try Cardio Barre, Physique 57 in Beverly Hills, Pop Physique and this one class at Equinox called the Rockin’ Model Workout that sounds fun too! I also want to try more shakes at Earth Bar!
If you’ve tried any of these classes, let me know which one I should try next!
