I Hated the Gym, So I Bought a Cycling Membership

Camila Fowler

Transitioning from a year-round athlete to a bi-weekly gym attendee was difficult to say the least, and something that I didn’t accomplish, at least in a traditional sense. I grew up running from one practice to another, but as time passed, the more obvious it became that these sports would soon come to an end. Eventually I would have to substitute with a different form of working out to match my current lifestyle. So, that was much more difficult than anticipated. This rang true for two reasons: number one, playing sports felt more like a social scene than a workout; number two, I had no idea how to go to the gym, that’s not how I had stayed in shape my entire life, no one had ever taught me how to be a “gym rat.”

Regardless, when my final season came to a close it became blatantly obvious that I needed to work out. No, I wasn’t gaining an obscene amount of weight or facing the demeaning fact that my teammates were my only friends, but with time I realized how valuable working out was for my mental, physical and emotional health. To some extent, everyone knows that working out has benefits, benefits that cannot be mirrored by anything other than working out.

The gym - one of the most intimidating, stuffy and forced environments ever. No matter who you are, I like to think that everyone feels slightly out of place when at the gym. Maybe this is to make myself feel better, but nonetheless, it is an unenjoyable and slightly stressful experience to walk into that cardio and weight room, surrounded by people of all levels, playing the same role.

Personally, I despise these trips, how am I supposed to know how to use all the towering machines that occupy the room, identify the perfect speed and incline of the treadmill or not make myself look like a fool in general. Whenever I started doing sit ups or crunches in my home I would always realize that my couch was directly behind me and I obviously would enjoy some time on my couch more than some good old physical activity.

I chose to ignore the gym for a while, and then I realized that there were alternative ways to stay in shape that I wouldn’t hate with my entire being. I had taken a cycling class two years prior and decided that I wanted to give it another shot.

Name: Camila Fowler.

Cause of death: Kesha versus Fergie cycling class

At: CycleBar, 12:00 p.m.

So, if you haven’t gotten the point yet, that class was where hell and real life met. It was extremely challenging and pushed me in ways that I didn’t know I would be pushed, but it was amazing at the same time. I was desperately holding onto my bike, trying to simultaneously catch my breath and somehow pedal to the sounds of Kesha that were flooding my ears. I left that class covered in more sweat than I would like to admit, an inability to move at a normal pace and a renewed love for my metabolism.

I’ve been attending these classes for the past month now. Luckily, I have nailed not looking like a clown when I am leaving class, and am able to happily say that classes have only continued to keep me in shape and cycling it up twice a week.

When you clip into your bike, your ears are flooded with music, eyes are drawn to the instructor in the front and mind buys into the experience. Yes, class can be extremely difficult, but it keeps you engaged regardless of the pain level.

The music, atmosphere and everything about the CycleBar experience motivated me to keep working and eventually, to keep attending the classes. 45 minutes of pure pain and bliss meet one another at CycleBar. The tone of every class is positive and serious, somehow being the perfect mix between a social outlet and high intensity work out. Oh, and the music is always the best.

I now have a subscription to CycleBar and cycle up to four times a week. It is an amazing outlet that has allowed me to avoid any and all trips to the gym and has kept me in incredible shape; one that I recommend to anyone and everyone if they have a burning hatred for the gym like me.