Have you ever wondered what it’s like to try a cycling class at HF? Well, you’re in luck! HealthyFit blogger, Genevieve, gives us an inside look at her first class with Vanessa! 

At 8 a.m., I woke up to get ready for brunch. Just kidding. I actually signed up for HealthyFit’s 9 a.m. spin class and I was ready for a good Sunday workout.

When I arrived at the studio, I adjusted my seat to 4 inches high, strapped in my feet and warmed up for the 45-minute ride. Today, Vanessa substituted our class and I had no idea what I was in for—in a good way.

Once the lights went out, “Cruel Summer” started blasting out of the speakers. I felt like I was in an ‘80s dream, except my body was preparing for the interval training we were about to endure.

We started strong with a few sets of sprints. Vanessa instructed us to give two strong turns to the right and challenged us to move the silver nob from the left to the middle. I turned my blue nob three times and witnessed my speed go up. The class changed from third to second position and I felt my heart rate increase while we were cycling away to upbeat dance tracks. I was tired this morning, however about 20 minutes in, I felt recharged and ready for the next half of class.

Following sprints, Vanessa gave us a silent hill exercise. There would be no lyrics, just instrumental music to get us through one of the hardest parts of the class. We were instructed to switch the silver knob from center to left every 15 seconds and add more gear for our climb. Hills are not always my favorite part of spin class, but today I felt different. I decided to make my ride heavier and push myself a bit to get through the climb. It felt like my muscles were working to the max.

Post climb, we moved to our second sprint section. “It’s Raining Men,” came on the speakers and I think everyone in class felt that empowering moment, as we alternated our bike positions along with the beat. By this time, I biked 8 or 9 miles (I couldn’t believe it!) and forgot the fact I would be super sore later and drinking muscle recovery tea.

Ending class with “It’s Raining Men” would have ultimately made my day. But class wasn’t done just yet. Vanessa guided us through a robust arm workout, where we used our small towels to build up those biceps and triceps that needed some love. For six minutes, we held our towels and did tiny pulling movements, rising the towel above and below our heads to Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” melody.

For a finale, we did two more sets of sprints. Despite my adrenaline push I gained 20 minutes earlier, I was slightly struggling. Those last few minutes of class are always tough, but it helps to know that I don’t feel alone on this. I turned my blue knob three times to the right and moved the silver lever to the middle. I couldn’t let my hard work go to waste. Eleven miles and 1,086 calories later, I was sore, smiling and pretty amazed at the progress we made today.

-Genevieve