HE & SHE were brainstorming one day that we would like to try something different than just hit up one of our favorites and sweat it out. Maybe we had one too many Zicos but originally we had decided to hit up all three of our favorite indoor cycling studios in the NYC in one day: SoulCycle, FlyWheel and Revolve. Coming up with a schedule to fit the day where we can get in some of our favorite instructors would prove challenging at first but based on some personal preferences, the plan was laid out: an 8:30am SoulCycle class with Charlee Atkins to begin our day. Then we would run up to FlyWheel Flatiron for our first class with Jesse Alexander. The cap to our trifecta would be over at Revolve with Stephanie Nieman. Stephanie, already one of HE’s favorites would be new to SHE. Unfortunately due to some last minute events, we would have to push Revolve out 24 hours later. And honestly, I don’t think either of us complained too much about that given what occurred in our first two classes of the day. Below, HE focuses on the instructors while SHE focuses more on the studios. Enjoy!

He Sweats:

-SoulCycle and Charlee: Heading into the day I would have thought Flywheel with its focus on resistance would have been the harder of the three classes. Probably why we scheduled it as the 2nd of three classes. Little did I know Charlee was going to make us stand for not one song. Not two songs. Not five songs. But for basically the entire 45 minute class. Including weights. Halfway through class I’m pretty sure I saw SHE glaring at me. If eyes could kill. That’s when the thought first crept into me that maybe we should have left more than an hour in between SoulCycle and FlyWheel. We wrote up Charlee once before (http://www.hesweatsshesweats.com/he-sweats-she-sweats-attends-a-charlee-partee/) so I will save you the time on the rest of her class. But bottom line as always, this class to begin our indoor cycling Trifecta was as hard a class as I had ever done. Post class, downing my Think Thin peanut-butter bar, off to Flywheel we went to take on Jesse Alexander.

-Flywheel with Jesse Alexander: Only my second Flywheel indoor cycling class, I was rather excited to try Jesse. We had been hearing a lot of positive things about him from a number of people. We were also both excited to learn that www.fit-journey.com<http://www.fit-journey.com would also be in class. SHE had been pressing me to read up on her. Which I did. Not much to add to her awesomeness! A week prior to my first flywheel class with Holly, I was really just taking it all in. Learning the ropes and lingo. SHE absolutely crushed me in that class with her power score. I was determined to do much better this time around. The Flatiron studio is so different than that of the Upper West Side. Where I thought I heard angel harps blasting in that oh so spa feeling uptown, the Flatiron location gives off more of a fitnessy let’s get our sweat on sort of feeling with both Flywheel and FlyBarre going on simultaneously. Jesse made sure to introduce himself to everyone In the room. One bike at a time. I loved that. Developing a personal connection with each rider. You can never underestimate the value of that. Jesse’s class was awesome. He pushes you to take up that resistance every chance he gets but adds so much needed inspiration to keep on pushing. I see why many call out Jesse as one of the must takes at Flywheel. He has that “I want to go out and grab some beers with this guy” personality. As for my final power score I came in around 7th place much to the competitive dismay of SHE. Albeit I was annihilated by 6 others, Fit Journey being one of them.

-Revolve with Stephanie Nieman: To say I was happy we delayed our third ride of the three for 24 hours would be understatement of the year. I happened to get over to Barry’s Bootcamp post FlyWheel to take in a core class with Rebecca Kennedy. Five minutes in on the tread I realized my legs had had enough on the day and just stuck to the floor for the remainder. God only knows what would have happened if I was clicked in for 45 minutes for a third ride. Maybe one of these days I will change my mind and take a man only class at Uplift but for now I am left stalking Stephanie at Revolve. SHE was very excited to take Stephanie with me after all my blabbering about how awesome her class is. Revolve is definitely more like FlyWheel than Soul with the torque focus. Stephanie would probably be ranked in my top three fitness instructors with regards to pure energy. She has a nice mix of in the saddles vs. standing runs. But I honestly believe Stephanie’s desire to push her students is what defines her as an instructor. The hooting and hollering while running the floor. Making sure our dial is turned high enough until she personally sees the sweat dripping from our faces. Love her!

My bottom line on all three classes is this: They were all so different yet had the same sole purpose of giving us the workout of a lifetime as if it were our last. Charlee, Jesse and Stephanie are three of the best I have taken and from a guy’s perspective, I left each one feeling as I just got my ass kicked. SHE earned her Mermaid Inn supper that Friday evening while I of course snuck in a 7:00pm SoulCycle class with Ben T. What!!!

She Sweats: Soul vs. Fly vs. Revolve. I’ve mentioned this before, I really don’t have one particular studio that I favor over others, I just like to take classes with teachers who inspire me. If some happen to work at Flywheel then I’ll go there and if some happen to work at SoulCycle/Equinox/Revolve/Kiwisweat/etc, then I’ll go there! HE had been cooking up an idea of going to a class at Flywheel, SoulCycle and Revolve, all in the same day so that we can really compare the difference between all three studios. We ended up having to reschedule Revolve for a different day because of last minute conflicts with both of our work schedules (which is normal for two people with 9-5 jobs who think it’s ok to go to indoor cycling all day every day). It ended up working out because we were both a little more tired than expected from the first two classes. Every ride was just as good as the one before it. Great teachers, great music, great energy. All just had the atmosphere of a different studio! Our first ride was at SoulCycle with Charlee. As HE mentioned, we’ve written about how much we both love Charlee’s classes before so check it out again Charlee’s class that morning was so freaking hard though. We did the whole class standing up pretty much…even the weights portion was done standing which I’ve never done in any indoor cycling class before so I thought that was cool. I love that I never know any of the songs in Charlee’s class but that I’m always obsessed with every single one of them. Anyway, on to Jesse at Flywheel. The second our SoulCycle class was over I instantly realized my mistake. I should have made us do Flywheel first because of the Torq board.

Flywheel studio via ballantynebuzz.com

 HE and I would be competing and now I’m suddenly exhausted from SoulCycle! The first time HE came with me to Flywheel I beat him on the Torq board but this time I fell 15 points behind him. 15 points, considering we went to SoulCycle an hour before Flywheel, is not that bad at all – in fact, I’d say it’s kind of awesome. I came in 10th on the Torq board though, which I’m a little disappointed about but at least I made it to the board at all! We are going back to Flywheel soon, first workout of the day, so that I can reclaim the throne. That’s obviously the main difference for me between SoulCycle and Flywheel. Flywheel is more competitive. The tech pack and the Torq board bring in a whole different aspect. Lastly, a little more than 24 hours after our SoulCycle/Flywheel double, we made it to Revolve! I’ve never taken a class with Stephanie before so I was very excited, and for good reason, she was amazing!! She’s so much fun and I can’t wait to go to a class with her at Uplift one week from Saturday! (Since HE can’t join, any other SHE’s who are interested should come with!) We didn’t use any weights in this class but I’ve been to Revolve before and have used weights. All in all, they were three awesome and amazing classes, taught by three awesome and amazing teachers and I’d gladly pay $30 (give or take) for any and all three of them again!

Revolve studio via wellandgoodnyc.com