Not Everyone Has a Good Opinion About Soul Cycling
As one of the largest exercise fads to take the world by storm, Soul Cycle seemed to be the perfect combination of a friendly atmosphere and sweat. In all honesty, the majority of the exercise’s popularity came from celebrities that decided to take part in this new type of working out and then glamorizing it on social media. Whether you’re a fitness buff or if you’re simply the type of person that’s looking to try something new, there are mixed reviews about Soul Cycling.
Working Out in a Group
One of the largest benefits that people experience when they go to a spinning class is it offers a group dynamic that you typically wouldn’t be able to find while working out, even if you attend classes. Everyone is in the same room going through the same strenuous exercises and pushing themselves to the limit. In fact, it creates this type of camaraderie that will help to motivate you to achieve new fitness goals with every class.
Working out in a group can be fun, but there are also people that prefer to workout on their own. If you’re not interested in being surrounded by a group of sweaty strangers than Soul Cycle certainly isn’t for you.
Burning Serious Calories
The whole idea of spinning is to push your body as hard as you can in order to burn as many calories as possible. If you’re able to get into a regular regime, you can cut weight off faster than with any other exercise. This is particularly true if you’re an avid indoor biker with incredibly strong legs. This is just one of the main reasons as to why fitness junkies can find themselves obsessed with the idea of cycling to lose weight.
Expensive Workouts
With Soul Cycle in particular, classes can be incredibly expensive. This is due to the popularity amongst celebrities, which inevitably boosts the popularity of the exercise itself, and gyms can easily boost the admission fees for their classes with ease. If you’re interested in getting the same general type of fitness experience as you would from Soul Cycle, it’s best if you choose a lesser-known spinning class. You may even find your regular gym will offer classes throughout the weeks for a fraction of the cost of Soul Cycle.
Experienced Fitness Instructors
Since spinning is such a high intensity exercise, it’s important to remember that each class will be taught with the assistance of an experienced fitness instructor. It’s not a type of exercise that anyone can teach as they need to make sure that everyone has proper form, is using the machinery to the best of their ability (and safely), and that everyone is having a great time. It’s always best to acquire training from a certified fitness instructor because you will know that your body is getting a great workout from every class. Plus, it helps to take away some of the burden of the expensive class cost.
Is It All a Fad?
It’s also important to consider whether spinning is the right exercise for you or if it’s another one of those fitness regimes that is simply a fad. Some of the healthiest and most fit people on the planet have never attended a spin class in their entire life, so it doesn’t mean that you need Soul Cycle to achieve your optimal goal weight. In fact, you can do a variety of at-home workouts for a fraction of the cost, if not entirely free.
Fad workouts are a huge problem around the world as people rely on a single aspect of improving their overall fitness when they could be doing dozens of other physical activities. Although your favorite celebrity may be endorsing Soul Cycle, it doesn’t mean that it’s the perfect workout for everyone.
Classes with Different Exercise Levels
Another huge problem that many people are starting to run into with Soul Cycle is they’re starting to break their classes up by different levels of exercise. In the past, before it became so popular, it was as if these fitness studios offered one type of spin class and that was it. Today, there can be several different types of classes that are offered to people of different levels of exercise experience.
You may be thinking, well that’s a great idea, especially for people who aren’t as fit as others! We’d be inclined to agree, aside from the fact that with many studios their cheapest option is typically the least effective workout. In fact, riding your bike for a couple of miles is probably far more effective than their least expensive option. If you’re looking for the great sweaty workout where you’ll be sore the next day, you’re surely be paying more than you could imagine (approximately $32 per class).
Busy, Busy, Busy
As mentioned, working out in a group is the perfect cup of tea for many people but for others it can be an uncomfortable experience. Remember, Soul Cycle recently experienced a boost in popularity and now everyone and their best friend’s are trying to book a class. With that being said, it can be relatively impossible to get into a class unless you’re planning on booking one in advance or during the week when it’s the least popular time to go.
You’ll also need to think about the popularity of the exercise and the size of the studio you’re attending. Many people have noted waiting areas can be small and cramped, especially for the amount of people signed up for classes. Also, your fitness studio may only offer a limited amount of showers, which can be inconvenient as you’re literally going to sweat buckets during every workout.
If you’re willing to put out the money and are interested in shredding approximately 500 calories with each workout, Soul Cycle is certainly something you should look into. If you’re someone that wants to stay away from the trends and understands that you can get a great workout for a fraction of that price, it’s best to find inexpensive spinning classes for the experience more than as your number one way to cut back on weight.