Going to class was the hardest part.
I gave myself a fitness challenge two weeks ago and I kinda failed and I kinda succeeded.
If you follow me on IG, you would have seen that I did a poll where I asked you guys if I should do SoulCycle for 7 days straight. Most of you were VERY supportive (some said I was crazy haha) so I decided to give it a try. Although I only did it for 5 days due to personal reasons, I was very proud of myself for even trying. SoulCycle is a pretty intense workout! Here’s what I learned:
SoulCycle makes cardio fun
I hate cardio, but I know it’s a necessary part of losing weight and getting fit. I hate using the treadmill or the Stairmaster, but weirdly, I’ll gladly do cardio with SoulCycle.
If you haven’t tried a SoulCycle type class, it’s basically a spin class where you workout to the beat of the music. The lights are turned off in the room and the music is really loud. Since it feels like I’m in a club, it makes the whole working out experience that much more fun. There’s a lot of energy, it’s fast-paced, so the 45 minutes goes by pretty fast.
You will sweat, a lot
When it comes to working out, I don’t sweat that much – not even in weight training or hot yoga. But with SoulCycle, I sweat A LOT. Get your water and towel prepared because you will burn a lot of calories.
Going was the hardest
Almost all the days I had to workout, I really didn’t want to go. An hour before my workout, I made all these excuses in my head why I shouldn’t go, but since I announced it on IG, I felt more accountable. I had to go! Every time I made it class, that was an accomplishment in itself because once I got there, I never regretted going.
Recovery wasn’t what I thought
The first time I did SoulCycle back in 2014, me and my bf were sore for DAYS — like we could barely walk. Maybe it’s because my body was getting used to the workout because this time around, I wasn’t as sore. I would feel minimal soreness, but what really got to me was how tired I was after each class. I felt great maybe 30 minutes after the workout, but after that, I would be exhausted and in bed by 8 or 9 PM.
My previous trainer recommended that I should take BCAA’s before, during, and after the class. Once I started doing that, I felt so much better. I was still tired, but my energy levels were much higher than before. She explained to me that my body feeling tired is natural until I get into a routine.
I felt accomplished
A class like SoulCycle is hard, so everytime I finished a class, I felt very accomplished. It takes time getting used to all the different exercises and it’s also hard staying on beat, but I’m getting better at it slowly! One day, I hope to be in the front row with those girls who bike SUPER fast. But baby steps, right?
Have any of you tried SoulCycle? If you want to challenge yourself like I did, SoulCycle has a more doable workout called Warrior Week where you do 4 classes in one week! From time to time, they offer a series pack called The Warrior Pack.
LMK if you any of you want to workout at Santana Row’s SoulCycle! 🙂
