For our first fitness post, we decided to tackle one of the most notorious classes out there: SoulCycle. Go big or go home, right? For those who don’t know, SoulCycle is essentially a revamped version of your typical indoor cycling class, complete with rocking music, candlelit studios, and extremely passionate and motivational instructors. From the get go, SoulCycle was at the top of our to-do list when it comes to classes we’ve been wanting to try; it’s got a rep for being exceedingly difficult, yet regulars swear by the cult-favorite workout. So, where would we stand? We wanted to find out.
First, let’s talk bank. As high school students, price is a huge factor when determining which classes work best for us. After all, we definitely aren’t trying to drop half our savings on overpriced classes when there’s so many inexpensive options that deliver great results. Unfortunately, SoulCycle does not excel in this area. While a first time ride is a discounted $20 (which is still pretty up there in price), each proceeding class is $30 per ride: an amount that is way out of our ideal budget. There is also an option to purchase classes in bulk (5, 10, or 20 classes) at slightly discounted prices, but we would only recommend this option to avid SoulCyclers, as classes expire after a couple of months. Overall, because of the hefty price tag, we went in knowing that SoulCycle would probably not become part of our regular routine. Still, we wanted to find out if this hyped-up class is worth the money, so we decided to splurge just this once.
While SoulCycle is biggest in NYC and Southern California, where there are 17 and 11 studios, respectively, there are only 3 studios available in Massachusetts: Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and Chestnut Hill. We decided on the Chestnut Hill location, since it’s only about a 20 minute drive from our houses in Wayland. The location itself is not only a pretty convenient drive, but it is also a very prime spot for an exercise class; right next door there is a Sweetgreen (where we enjoyed some yummy salads post-workout), a Starbucks, and also some great shopping if you wanted to make a day out of it. This really added to our experience, because we were able to turn working out into a fun social event.
First, let’s talk bank. As high school students, price is a huge factor when determining which classes work best for us. After all, we definitely aren’t trying to drop half our savings on overpriced classes when there’s so many inexpensive options that deliver great results. Unfortunately, SoulCycle does not excel in this area. While a first time ride is a discounted $20 (which is still pretty up there in price), each proceeding class is $30 per ride: an amount that is way out of our ideal budget. There is also an option to purchase classes in bulk (5, 10, or 20 classes) at slightly discounted prices, but we would only recommend this option to avid SoulCyclers, as classes expire after a couple of months. Overall, because of the hefty price tag, we went in knowing that SoulCycle would probably not become part of our regular routine. Still, we wanted to find out if this hyped-up class is worth the money, so we decided to splurge just this once.
While SoulCycle is biggest in NYC and Southern California, where there are 17 and 11 studios, respectively, there are only 3 studios available in Massachusetts: Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and Chestnut Hill. We decided on the Chestnut Hill location, since it’s only about a 20 minute drive from our houses in Wayland. The location itself is not only a pretty convenient drive, but it is also a very prime spot for an exercise class; right next door there is a Sweetgreen (where we enjoyed some yummy salads post-workout), a Starbucks, and also some great shopping if you wanted to make a day out of it. This really added to our experience, because we were able to turn working out into a fun social event.
From the moment we entered the SoulCycle building, we were immediately struck by the overwhelmingly positive energy that existed in the studio. The studio itself is very clean, bright, and organized, with inspirational quotes scattered all across the walls, in and out of the cycling room. This really set the mood and got us excited for the class, so we give the interior an A+.
Furthermore, the staff that greeted us at the front desk were extremely warm, and were more than happy to answer any and all questions we had about the SoulCycle experience. In fact, after telling the lady at the front desk that it was our first time, she happily gave us a tour of the studio, and even helped us get set up early in the cycling room. This was extremely helpful, as we would have been completely clueless as to how to set up our bikes if she hadn’t taken the time to adjust them to our liking. We really appreciated this extra attention that they give to all first time riders, and it really made us feel comfortable there.
Now, let’s talk about the most important part of our experience: the class itself. As we entered the bike room, we were immediately struck by the strong community feel. The room was fairly small, and quite packed with bikes, which made us feel like we were working together as one even though cycling is such an individual work out. In addition, our instructor, Jeff R. (who we loved!), was positioned slightly higher than the rest of us on stage at the front of the room. Because of this, cyclers are able to clearly see and follow the instructor, no matter where you are located in the room. He also wore a headset so he was easy to understand, whether instructing us to turn up our bike’s resistance or preaching inspirational words to the class.
Once we were clipped into our bikes and everyone was ready to go, the class began almost immediately. The dim lighting in the studio, as well as the booming pop music that played on the loudspeaker, contributed to the excellent atmosphere of the class. Looking around at the other cyclers, it was clear to us that while there were some regulars, there were also a fair amount of newcomers with a wide range of experience. In addition, although SoulCycle has a rep for being very young and trendy, in reality people of all ages attended our class, from teens to middle aged women--yes, nearly everyone in the class was a woman, barring one man. While we don’t think this should deter men from trying SoulCycle, it is definitely something notable to point out.
Something that pleasantly surprised us about the class was that there was simple choreography incorporated into the workout. As dancers, we definitely appreciated this twist, as it made something as unvaried as pedaling a bike a bit more exciting and familiar. That said, at times we felt the dance moves slightly took away from the intensity of the workout.
One recent addition to SoulCycle is a quick arm workout with light weights (1-3 pounds) found on the back of the bikes. We loved this part of the workout, because it broke up the cycling just a little bit, while giving our arms a little attention, as well.
All in all, our SoulCycle experience was an overwhelmingly positive one; in the end, we definitely got a lot of bang for our bunk. Once the class was over we were completely drenched in sweat, but we somehow still could have done another class--it really was that enjoyable. Moving forward, despite the price, we would love to attend another SoulCycle class. If you're stuck in a rut and want to switch up your workout routine, we highly recommend SoulCycle for fitness motivation, and an extremely unique experience.