The Class: Located in Snider Plaza, Beyond Pedaling offers an intense cardio session that works the whole body. The class, Cycling45, is 45 minutes of continuous cycling, coupled with intermittent sets with light weights to tone arms and unique moves to work the core. Upbeat instructors and pumping music ensure a positive, fun workout.
The Appeal: Who could pass-up a hardcore cardio session that sculpts and tones, burns fat, and promises to be a good time?
The Instructor: Sydney was extremely energetic and encouraging. She led the class from a bike at the front of the room and clearly demonstrated all moves while providing straightforward instruction. She shouted words of motivation throughout the entire session and didn’t even sound winded! When I first arrived, Sydney took me into the studio and helped me to adjust my bike, clip-in, and get started. I loved the individual attention and motivation she provided!
The Space: The Beyond Pedaling lobby is brightly lit, with clean white lockers lining one wall. A friendly receptionist greeted me, and after signing in, I rented a pair of $3 cycling shoes. Entering into the studio itself was like entering another world. It is narrow, cool, and dark, with candles along the floor providing a peaceful ambiance. A long mirror lines the front of the studio, and directly in front of that is the instructor’s bike, situated on a raised platform for easy visibility. Loud music pumps through the speakers, and overhead fans keep cyclists refreshed throughout the workout.
Who’s There: Fit women in their early 20’s and 30’s and one or two young men.
How It Went: After Sydney helped me adjust my bike and taught me how to clip-in, I cycled slowly on level six, my “flat road,” to get loose as other cyclists trickled in. After about six minutes of my own lackadaisical pedaling, the class began right on time. We started with a warm-up on our flat road setting, and focused on getting our legs moving and our heart rates up. We then added some resistance as we stood “out of the saddle” and did sets of cycling push-ups and crunches. I don’t have a lot of coordination, so I found it challenging at first to alternate between push-ups and crunches while also cycling to the beat, but after one set I got the hang of it.
We then moved into sprints of 45 and 60 seconds. After recovering from these, we added heavy resistance and entered into an out of the saddle hill climb. We recovered by returning to a seated position for the arm workout. Using 2 lb. weights, we did a variety of stretches including reverse bicep curls, tricep curls, and tricep pull downs. I usually dislike working on my arms, but this seemed to go by really quickly. Following this upper-body work, we entered into a series of jumps before cooling down. After unclipping from the pedals, Sydney led us in a series of stretches before we wiped down our bikes and headed for the lobby.
I really enjoyed clipping-in to my bike during this workout – it was something I’d never done before. In the past when I’ve cycled, I always found it annoying how my feet frequently slipped from the pedals, especially during sprints. Clipping-in made me feel much more stable throughout my ride, and I pushed myself harder without fear of my feet slipping.
The Aftermath: I left sweaty and feeling energized! My legs felt exceptionally strong for the remainder of the day, and the next morning my arms were sore.
Loved: I loved how the studio space was darkened during the class. This kept me focused on my workout, and even pushed me to work harder since I didn’t feel self-conscious about my classmates seeing me pant during the hill climb!
Hated: Bike reservations are on a week-by-week basis. To reserve a bike, you must sign-up on Monday at noon, when the entire week’s schedule goes live. The spots fill-up pretty quickly, and I was worried by the time I got access to a computer there wouldn’t be any bikes left on my desired day/time (thankfully, there were).
Cost: Your first class with Beyond Pedaling is free. After that, single classes are $22 each. Packages of five, 10, and 20 classes range in price from $100-$300, and monthly unlimited memberships are available for $175.
Difficulty Level: This class was definitely a challenging one! During our sprints and hill climb, I really felt the burn, and the arm toning left my triceps tingling! I enjoyed being able to change the resistance on my bike to best suit my workout – when level 16 on the hill climb was too intense, I dropped back down to level 14 and felt much more comfortable.
Bottom Line: If you’re seeking an upbeat, challenging cardio class complete with arm toning and ab work, Beyond Pedaling is the place for you. I 100% recommend this class.
