Should You Try SoulCycle For Weight Loss?
If you’re an avid athlete who’s too conscious about his/her body fitness, then you might have heard of SoulCycle. In fact, if you’re keen enough, you’ve likely seen people emerge from a SoulCycle class, some laughing and some drenched in sweat.
As a curious person, you must have asked yourself what exactly is SoulCycle and what does it have to do with weight loss, and what are the best weight loss medication solutions available.
Founded in the mid-90s, SoulCycle has gained countrywide popularity in most regions of the United States. Having gained a huge following among most women, SoulCycle has opened nearly 100 boutique spin classes across the US where people can gain inspirational coaching, cool music, and an addictive vibe.
As a concoction of cardio and strength training, SoulCycle is believed to improve your cardiorespiratory fitness and your muscle tone at the same time. So, should you try SoulCycle for weight loss? Well, let’s discuss this boutique spin class and see whether it offers similar benefits with expert sites such as https://thecodyallen.com.
What is SoulCycle and What Exactly is it For?
If you’re a beginner, it’s quite confusing when it comes to distinguishing between SoulCycle and exercise bikes. With exercise bikes, the mode of training is quite similar to riding an actual bike. But, when it comes to SoulCycle, things get a little bit complex.
Just like exercise bikes, SoulCycle combines the resistance training of HIIT with strength training to work out the body. What makes this technique unique is how it combines the SoulCycle classes with energizing music, flashing lights, and motivating instructors.
What makes SoulCycle so effective is how it offers a powerful mind, body, and soul experience. The session is attended by thousands of enthusiast riders who ride together by following the rhythm of the music. This boosts their energy and gives them the motivation to accomplish a lot as a team.
What Should You Expect in a SoulCycle Class?
In case it’s your first time attending a SoulCycle class, then there’s a lot to expect from this workout program. First, you need to dress up appropriately while in the SoulCycle studio. Since you’ll expect to sweat a lot, you need to wear breathable sweat-wicking clothes to stay comfortable. You also need to wear spin shoes (which can be rented in the studio at a fee).
Now, a SoulCycle class mostly starts with a warm-up to keep your body moving. The warm-up is then followed by HIIT workouts that involve intense bursts of high-intensity paddling followed by low-intensity paddling. In most cases, the intensity of the workouts is activated by the rhythm or rather the beats of the music that’s playing in the background.
But, other than high-resistance training, SoulCycle program is accompanied by a series of strength training to make the high-intensity cardio workouts effective. During this time, cyclists rise out of their bikes to jog, jump, roll, and perform some push-ups, squats, lunges, and triceps.
Riders also lift weights ranging from 1-5 pounds to spice up the strength training. After that, SoulCycle classes are concluded with a few minutes of low-intensity cycling to stretch the muscles and cool the body.
Can You Consider SoulCycle for Weight Loss?
Well, the answer to this question depends on the effort you put in. However, according to most experts, indoor cycling provides one of the most effective calorie-burning exercises as it lets you shed around 500-700 calories per hour. Since SoulCycle is a good example of indoor cycling, there’s a higher chance of shedding some calories in each session.
Another reason why SoulCycle is good for weight loss is the fact that there are great instructors to motivate you and offer professional advice on how to exercise. But, considering SoulCycle focuses more on spinning, this program tends to focus more on toning the muscles, building endurance, and relieving stress other than aiding in weight loss.
Is SoulCycle the Best Program For Weight Loss?
Although most riders prefer SoulCycle for one reason or another, there are instances where this boutique spin class might fail to work out for you. So, in this last section, we’re going to discuss the other side of SoulCycle to determine whether it’s the best workout program for you.
1. Exaggerated Calorie Burn
Spinning exercises are known to help people shed fat and lose weight. But, when it comes to SoulCycle, this spin class relies on a high-intensity workout that’s followed by moments of moderate-intensity exercises. During the session, your body is drenched in sweat and the killer spin convinces you that you’ve really worked out a lot.
Now let’s get to the actual thing. In a spin class, you tend to burn an average of 400-600 calories every 45 minutes. If you spin thrice a week, you burn approximately 1,800 calories. But, to lose one pound of fat, you have to burn around 3,500 calories.
With this calculation, it’s clear that SoulCycle is an ineffective way of losing weight. Therefore, to lose weight using this technique, you need to incorporate other forms of cardio exercises.
2. Too Many Activities in Less Time
Another factor that makes SoulCycle an ineffective means of losing weight is how the activities are planned. First, a SoulCycle class goes for 45 minutes. Inside these 45 minutes, riders perform lots of activities such as weight training, arm choreography, jumps, handlebar push-ups, and hand positions among others.
While these exercises focus on cardio and strength training, the limited time available restricts riders from exercising fully to generate specific muscle fatigue. Since you’re not exercising to the maximum, it becomes hard for you to burn enough calories to successfully lose weight.
3. Risk of Injury
Another factor why SoulCycle is an ineffective weight loss plan is the high risk of injury that’s involved. You see, in a SoulCycle class, riders move in unison depending on the instructors or the rhythm of the music.
The worst part is that riders perform high-risk movements with their legs locked into position. Some exercises involve peddling at very high speeds of over 100MPH with feet locked on the pedals. These kinds of techniques are considered risky as they can lead to severe injuries on the hips, knee, ankle, and back.
4. The Heat Masks the Intensity
Just like our first point, SoulCycle can trick you to think you’re burning a billion calories when in real sense you’re not. You see, the majority of the boutique SoulCycle classes are poorly ventilated making them notoriously steamy. As a result, this makes you sweat a lot when peddling.
If you’re a beginner, it will be easier for you to get fooled thinking that the sweat is a result of a high-intensity workout. Secondly, extreme heat will make you feel exhausted thus preventing you from burning enough calories.
The Takeaway
As you can see, SoulCycle is a high-intensity HIIT workout program that tests your strength and endurance with resistance training. This exercise tones your muscles and boosts cardio endurance while helping you burn major calories.
If you’re a fan of high-energy group fitness, this program is the best option for you as it allows you to exercise with other riders. However, if your main goal is to lose weight, SoulCycle is not enough for you. You need to add more resistance training besides SoulCycle to ensure that you burn as many calories as possible.