I've Got the Eye of the Tiger

The first stop on our tour of boutique fitness centers is a spin studio. And no, I’m not referring to a room where you twirl around in a sassy skirt until you’ve reached your calorie-burning goal for the day. (Although, that sounds simply delightful yet nauseating at the same time. Quite conflicting.) Today, I tried out Knoxville’s newest cycling studio, TurboSpin!

I ambitiously decided to go to a 6 AM class, and my sleepy bear self got there just in time to get prepped before we began. At TurboSpin, you rent shoes that clip into your bike (like a bowling alley…except cooler, of course) so you may want to allow yourself a few extra minutes for this before class starts.  

After getting my shoes, the instructor directed me into the large studio of around 25 bikes lit up by a black light and helped me get my seat set up properly, and clipped my shoes onto my bike. The instructor made her way up to the front of the room to a bike facing me and my fellow spinners. She then proceeded to give us direction as we biked along to music -- a workout soundtrack of songs with varying tempos to allow for different speeds and resistances which could be controlled on our individual bikes.

Shortly after the music cued up and the peddling began, I knew I was right in my wheelhouse. (Pun intended? Maybe.) Fun fact: I’m a very competitive person. The TV monitors at the front of the room lit up with each biker’s stats including the power we were exerting and our RPM (rotations per minute). These stats and rankings were tied to our bike numbers rather than our names so no one knew exactly who was ranked in which place. Didn’t matter to me, though. It was game on. I was determined to be ranked at the top.

However, by about the third song in, I had come to the realization that I was a novice at TurboSpin and was in for quite a tough workout. Though I managed to maintain a solid fourth place for a good while, this class certainly kept me on my toes. Throughout the 45 minutes of biking, we rode in the saddle (pedaling in your seat), jogged out of the saddle (pedaling while standing), sprinted (high resistance pedaling as fast as you can), climbed up hills by adding resistance…you name it! And it was so fun!

Now one thing I will say about spin classes is the music makes or breaks your drive and energy. A good ways into the class, I was really starting to feel it and dropped back to fifth or sixth place. As Katy Perry’s song Roar was playing, we began climbing up a huge hill (meaning we added a bunch of resistance to our bikes). At this point, I was starting to drag, feeling pretty worn out. Then (thank goodness) the music builds and I hear, “I’ve got the eye of the tiger!” And just like that, I was back in the game, chuckling at how, in that moment, a little Katy Perry was all a girl needed to keep pedaling.

Forty-five minutes, 19.2 miles and 620 calories later, I was nothing short of drenched, and my legs felt like pure Jello getting off of that bike…in the best possible way!

I really enjoyed TurboSpin! If riding a bike is something that is not currently part of your weekly workout plan, cycling classes are a great way to cross-train and grab some high-intensity interval training (HIIT). I also highly recommend it if you are a beginner and need a starting point. The cool part about spin is that it is YOUR workout. You decide each and every minute how hard you are going to work, and your tool for that is your resistance knob. You turn it to the right…you feel as if you’re cycling through sand. Turn it to the left, and you can kick up your speed. Simple as that!

By creating a high-energy atmosphere, spin classes are such a great way to get your day started. Plus, cycling is a terrific, low-impact cardio option. And it gets better: most studios will offer the first class to you complimentary! So what do you have to lose? Find somewhere locally where you can try a cycling class. Typically, larger fitness centers have cycling studios, and most cities have independent studios like TurboSpin. You’ll burn a TON of calories and have a blast while you’re at it!

Up next, it’s all about endurance as we explore running groups. Have no clue what those are? Come back next time to find out! Until then, remember we are CALLED by God to keep our bodies strong and healthy to fulfill His purposes. Let’s live that out by staying active!

Have you tried TurboSpin or something similar? Share your experience in the comment section below!