Soul cycling is not only sportive activity, much more it’s about feeling your muscles and pushing yourself to the limits in a positive manner. A self-experiment.
I’m quite curious about to know what soul cycling is about, and even more about how long I will stand the gaff. Dressed in sports leggings and a light top, I’m ready for the sportive challenge. As soon as I’ve chosen my place, all others take a seat as well as our trainer who sits in front of us. The light goes out, except some club lights in all possible colours that lighten the corners of the room. The class begins, the music starts, it feels like spinning but more exciting. We’re warming up by pedalling. Over time, the pace gets faster, the resistance higher and higher. I’m getting warmer, feel my muscles work. Because of the shoes, we’ve been given at the beginning, that are attached to the pedals we can’t do anything but continue pedalling.
While I’m analyzing the course, I’d like to give you some facts about soul cycling: one hour lasts between 45 and 60 minutes, you burn up to 800 calories and exercise your entire body. It does not only work your legs, during the class we’ve been given small dumb bells to work the arm muscles.
The light, as well as the music’s bass line, pulsate through the room, we adapt our speed to the rhythm. The workout is executed sitting, half-standing and standing. Although I feel my power fading, I keep going. The group is motivating as well as the trainer who’s tireless to encourage us by shouting that we should continue and not give up. The overall atmosphere is intoxicating somehow, and I notice that there’s more to it than sports, it conveys a sensation and the awareness of doing good to myself.
It feels like the hour lasts long because I’m exhausted at a certain point. But no rest for the wicked, I continue motivated thanks to the group dynamics. As mentioned before, we take the dumb bells in between and train our arm muscles. It’s like a full-body workout. Slowly but surely the class comes to an end, we reduce the resistance and pedal easier and with less speed. In the end, we untie the shoes and walk to the shower on wobbly legs. I’m overwhelmed because I’ve pushed myself to the limits, have even crossed them, I feel every single muscle of my body.
Becycle Studio Berlin, Brunnenstraße 24, 10119 Berlin
Translation: Danielle De Bie
