My SoulCycle Journey

SoulCycle is an indoor cycling/spin fitness class, where you bike through various intervals while incorporating upper body workouts. The vibe of the studio involves upbeat music, various lighting, and a lot of positive energy. SoulCycle is great for all ranges of fitness levels – you control the resistance on your bike. Classes are typically 45 minutes, which can seem a lot while you’re cycling, but time flies!

SoulCycle is a Journey

I started my SoulCycle journey last month when I found myself with a ton of vacation hours and fitness credit to burn. I’ve passed by SoulCycle in Pasadena so many times over the years and finally stepped through the doors. Exercising in a group setting is exciting because you feel like you’re part of a community while being responsible for your own accountability. You do your best to cycle through the beat, follow the motion, and burn those calories. You push yourself through mental and physical struggles throughout the class, and you feel great in the end.

My SoulCycle Routine

1. Wake up and get ready for SoulCycle class. Stay hydrated before the class and avoid eating anything.
2. Arrive 10 minutes before the class starts to put away my belongings in a locker and set up my bike.
3. Ride.
4. Treat myself with a post-cycle drink: pressed juice, coconut water, or on rare occasions, coffee.
5. Go home, shower, and live out the rest of my day.

SoulCycle Thoughts and Tips

Try out different instructors. Every instructor is different, and there are some whose style vibes with you better than others. When I attended other cycling classes in the past, I found that I wasn’t a fan of instructors who kept yelling like I was in military boot camp. I really enjoyed instructors who are more on the motivational spectrum. Diego from SoulCycle Pasadena is such a good vibe.

We focus on ourselves. We’re quick to feel self-conscious because of the fear of judgment. In all honesty, I don’t care what people wear, whether people can keep up, and who people are. This is not me disliking anything, just my way of saying you do you, boo. This should be a general mindset while being kind to others.

Dress appropriately. You’re going to cycle and sweat. Leggings or cycling shorts are recommended to avoid chafing. You want to be comfortable, and leggings have never done me wrong. As far as tops go, a sports bra, tank, or short-sleeve works great. Long sleeves or hoodies can sound like a great idea in the beginning but becomes a bit uncomfortable after a few minutes.

If a mask is required, wear a breathable one. In all honesty, I am 100% against wearing masks when I am exercising. This is when I’m breathing heavily and sweating – I hate hot air and feel like my sweat is trapped within my mask, resulting in acne. However, I’m not the one making the rules, and I want to attend a SoulCycle class. The best I can do is wear a super breathable mask.

Live, Laugh, Cycle

When the instructor tells you to turn up the resistance of the bike, you’re responsible for your own accountability. Will you turn the knob two times completely as instructed, or two half-turns? The goal is to make sure you challenge yourself appropriately. You want to be able to somewhat keep up with the beat while making an effort to pedal. If you know you’re going fast without much of an effort, turn up the resistance.

Interested in joining a SoulCycle class? Your next SoulCycle class is on me ✨.

PS. This blog post was not sponsored by anyone. I paid for my own SoulCycle classes in full and shared thoughts based on my experience.