George Washington University student Karen Joseloff admits to being so obsessed with the fitness class SoulCycle that her roommates have designated certain hours of the day when she is and isn’t allowed to talk about the popular workout.
“SoulCycle has become a religion; it’s the community, the mantras, the endorphin high and of course the passion and energy that draw people back day after day,” Joseloff enthused.
The New York native has been participating in SoulCycle classes for the last six years, partaking in six to 10 sessions a week.
Since its opening in New York City in 2006, SoulCycle has expanded to 35 locations. SoulCycle opened its doors to the DC community last August and reached instant success among college students in the Georgetown area. First Lady Michelle Obama has also been known to stop by for a class at the M Street location.
“The response in DC has been simply incredible,” says Kristyn Clark, SoulCycle’s assistant PR coordinator. “The SoulCycle community has built so quickly.”
On December 18, SoulCycle opened a second DMV location at Bethesda Row in Bethesda, Maryland, which will provide University of Maryland students easier access to the trendy workout popularized by celebrities like Oprah, Ariana Grande and Bradley Cooper. The company also has plans to open two more locations on 14th Street and in Arlington.
The classes don’t come cheap though at $30 a class plus shoe rental, and no student discounts.
“I definitely think that the price is high, but it also forces the clientele to be serious about their workout because they are spending so much, which creates a different environment from your free college gym,” says George Washington University senior Shira Solomon.
The 45-minute cycling class uses high-intensity cardio and tones the upper body with hand weights and core-engaging choreography. Riders work with speed and resistance to burn fat. The musical rhythm helps train riders in coordination and timing and is proven to improve a rider’s cognition, focus, and reflexes, according to Clark. Riders can burn between 500 and 700 calories in one session.
Instructors make their own playlist and routines, making each class highly individualized. From there, the instructors connect with and empower riders to try their hardest, forming strong bonds between those who cycle.
Classes are held in candlelit studios to make you feel as if you are partying in a healthy nightclub and not working out. “It definitely has become a social scene,” Solomon explains. “I feel like people go as a status symbol; people go with friends to Soul rather than meeting for lunch,”
Clark attributes SoulCycle’s popularity and cult-like status to its ability to resonate with riders. “It is a sanctuary for people to disconnect from the outside world and to focus on themselves,” she says. “It is a rare, uninterrupted period of time to work on both your body and your mind.”
“At the end of the day it’s a glorified spin class, but I’m still guilty of paying upward of $30 a class because it’s so fun,” says University of Maryland junior Michelle Leibowitz. “I would consider going to the Bethesda location, but it’s a little expensive to do on a regular basis”
“I definitely think there are a bunch of people who have hopped on the SoulCycle bandwagon since it arrived in DC, but I would say it’s mainly popular because of the people at GW who already attended Soul at home,” Solomon says. Students from New York at the university were more likely to know about SoulCycle. DMV area schools attract many students from the New York and New Jersey area and those are the individuals who definitely have helped spread the word.
At the University of Maryland, most in-state students have yet to experience SoulCycle but expressed interested in trying a class. First time riders pay a special of $20 plus free shoes, and instructors will properly show them how to use a bike.
With the arrival of another semester and the beginning of a new year, the time is now to pick up a new and invigorating workout routine. Perhaps SoulCycle will be the edge you need to get out there and get moving.
“I’m definitely going to be one of the first people to try it out,” gushes University of Maryland sophomore Claudia Pagan. “I’m always looking up different types of workouts and I’ve seen a couple of locations. It seems like an incredible workout. I’ve done cycling once, but it seems like cycling with a twist.”
Cycling with a twist, a soulful one, indeed.