The Experts Weigh In: Cycle Therapy

Image via esquire.com

Like I've said before, cycling classes are my jam. In my 'former life' I managed indoor cycling studios for Flywheel Sports, and as a result, you've heard lots and lots about Flywheel (maybe too much in fact!). So in honor of mixing things up, I recruited one of my readers (and former co-workers) Jaclyn Bouchard to try out another cycling class in the city and report back.

Here's Jaclyn with the inside scoop...

BY: JACLYN BOUCHARD, CONTRIBUTOR

Class Taken: Craig Hunter's “Cycle Therapy” at Equinox Printing House (421 Hudson St., NY, NY)

Starting out my indoor cycling career at Flywheel was a bad idea. Well, it was a great idea, but it was bad for everything that came after. Comparing Flywheel to any other spin experience is like contrasting puppy mill offspring to purebreds; you won’t find them scratching at a window for attention and people are paying big bucks just to get one (in this case, class). So, back to the beginning, starting out at Flywheel was a bad idea because I am now a self-proclaimed spin snob… spob? Can we make spob happen?

Anyway, not having the ability to support my Flywheel habit, I have taken myself elsewhere but still managed to keep the Flywheel mentality - a terrible combination. I am now an Equinox member. Pause. An Equinox Printing House member. You better believe my muploads (mobile + uploads = muploads) are 80% super hip, exotic shots (in my brain) of my feet dipped into my exclusive West Village rooftop pool. 

The view from my oh so glamorous gym.

Now what was I saying?

Oh... spin! So I signed up for Craig Hunter’s 12:30pm Monday class titled “Cycle Therapy". I suppose when you teach these classes at Equinox you feel lost in a large fishbowl of instructors so you need to make a name for yourself via enticing class titles like Monster Cycle. 

Cycle Therapy? Sure, I just want to sweat it out on my lunch break.

So, I arrive, slip on my specialty shoes (Flywheel taught me I am a special rider…), clip in and get ready to sweat.

The Instructor: A very sweet man who seems high off of incense, Lululemon and meditation oils (aka. he is “that yoga person” - kind of like when you have “that theater friend"). Come on NYC, you know what I'm talking about.

When the music starts I am immediately slightly disappointed. I understand my obsession with dirty south hip-hop is not a shared attribute of the entire class BUT we dove headfirst into bongo drums and technostatic beats. And then... he started talking. Now granted, I am not a spiritual person so I am clearly every “that yoga persons” worst nightmare, but this just got really intense really quickly.

The Class: Broken out into “seven dances”, each with an accompanying bongo techno party. The normal “can you make it to the top of this hill??” was replaced with “your body is filled with millions of pathways that come together at seven points in your spine. Think of these stops as the local line stations and the others as the express. We are going to arrive at every local stop through seven dances.” I mean, I may only have a pre-med degree, but I am pretty sure if you search Grey’s Anatomy in its entirety there is no reference to local and express subway stops in your spine, but again, I am not a medical doctor.

The Final Word: Okay okay, putting all the eccentric add-ons aside, the class was great. Creating a “themed” ride is a trend that may be getting a bit out of control, but hey, this class was set apart from the others. For some, it may do the trick - spiritual spin alliances could be the perfect Monday cleanse. You could tell that Craig’s heart was fully into every second of the class and he sincerely cared if others were following along.

Because of this - his clear dedication to his work - I have been back almost every Monday since. Craig’s class is always an awesome mix of 1^st (mind), 2^nd (body) and 3^rd (soul) positions, integrating different resistance levels that create a challenging workout. We climb hills, we flush the legs out during sprints and we cross the finish line out of breath every time.

Also, he does really cute salsa dancing moves off the bike.

I really am a spob, aren't I?

Jaclyn Bouchard... where do I start? She's a fun one for sure. Jaclyn has the street smarts of Riff from West Side Story, combined with the flair of Lady Gaga (that's a compliment, in case you weren't sure). By day, she does sales for a sustainability start-up in the West Village (so eco chic of you, JB!), but by night, you'll find her at the trendiest NYC establishment drinking VSL with a BKS - that's an abbrev. for vodka soda lime with a big kid straw. What kind of vodka?, you ask? In her own words - "Whatever is cheapest. Nail polish remover if you have it". Jaclyn claims to have CPVS (chronic phantom vibrate syndrome). You know, where you always think you're receiving massive amounts of texts and emails, when alas, there are "none, goose egg, zero"? And if she were stranded on a deserted island, she'd only require a boat load of Pirate's Booty White Cheddar, obviously keeping with the theme there. You see? She's a fun one, and I'm glad to call her my friend (and group fitness class guinea pig)!

Makely's Magic: Pump Up The Jam!

So there's this guy I know. His name is Ryan. He loves the show Honey Boo Boo. He contemplates his Halloween costume 364 days in advance. He's obsessed with Lululemon and doesn't care if anyone knows. Sometimes he carries a murse (that's a man-purse, for those of you who aren't familiar with the lingo). And you know what? He's not afraid to play a little Britney Spears in his cycling class. 

Ryan is my kinda guy.

Today, he's given us a sneak peek into his latest playlist. It's guaranteed to be a good time. I mean, this is the guy who just threw a Boy Band Ride at Flywheel Sports and dressed up like AJ from the Backstreet Boys.  I've included the pictures so you can take a break from Hurricane Sandy updates and get a good laugh.

So download these jams... hit the gym... and work out that beautiful body of yours! New music = new-found motivation!    ...And if you're stuck inside with no power thanks to Hurricane Sandy, well... enjoy your free ticket to R-E-L-A-X!

Ryan Makely is an instructor at Flywheel Sports in New York City. When he's not teaching (which is almost never), you can find Ryan flexing his acting muscles. One day you may even catch him on Broadway! Until then, you can get tickets to his FLY show in NYC at least 10 times a week by clicking HERE!

The Experts Weigh In: Lose It To Live!

Image courtesy of a-fat-girl-ate-me.blogspot.com

BY: GRANT BELTON, CONTRIBUTOR

The most common reason for people to start an exercise program is for weight loss. Whether there are other motivations - like reducing the symptoms of various chronic diseases or improving appearance - weight loss is still the reason that 95% of people walk into our facility at Flywheel Sports. Although exercise is a powerful component when it comes to healthy living, it is not the primary factor when it comes to weight loss. The only thing the body takes into consideration in the maintenance of body mass is caloric balance. More calories in than out - you gain weight. More calories out than in - you lose weight. It is that SIMPLE! Obviously since it is easier to consume calories than it is to lose them, food intake becomes the primary factor in losing weight, not exercise.

We have all heard that diets don't work. I'm here to tell you that this is not the case. Diets DO work. If they didn't work then people wouldn't lose weight when they go on them. What doesn't work is the idea that we can go off a diet and maintain the benefits of the diet. Do you expect to get a paycheck when you quit your job? No! The day you stop working is the day you can no longer expect to receive a paycheck.

Image courtesy of squidoo.com

The reason the weight loss industry has been a failure in delivering sustained weight loss is because they have not yet come up with the 'magic pill' that we all want. We want to have our cake and eat it too - literally. We are a charge it! society - buy now and pay later (with no interest). We want to wine and dine, eat everything in sight and then think about losing it for next year's resolution. Well, weight loss is not that easy. Like a credit card bill that suddenly spirals out of control, the more weight you have to lose, the worse your experience becomes.

To put it in perspective, here's a little reality check. Ask yourself this question and answer it honestly. By all accounts, do I live a normal life? If the answer is 'yes', then look in the mirror and get used to what you see - this is what you 'normally' looks like. But if your answer is 'no' and you desire to take off the perennial 10 pounds that most have and nobody wants, then you have to be willing to say goodbye to your 'normal' life - NOW. You will have to change things and adopt a lifestyle that may seem abnormal to you.

Question: How long does this have to go on for?
Answer: As long as you want to keep the weight off.

You will no longer be able to leave it for tomorrow or start your diet on Monday (remember, that strategy is what got you in trouble in the first place). Losing weight is not impossible or even hard if you are willing to take the bull by the horns and claim responsibility for your decisions. No more excuses - fat does not care about excuses. Many people have lost weight and kept it off successfully. They did it by eating properly and adding plenty of activity to their lives. Many of these people never joined a gym, bought any equipment or lifted a single weight. They just took the time to take care of their bodies. Weight loss begins with the intention to lose weight and ends with a lifetime of healthy, happy living that suddenly isn't so hard once you get the hang of things.

Here's a final word for my indoor cycling folks. I'd like to share some interesting facts about cycling and weight loss...

Bob Seebohar, a USAT nutritionist, talks extensively about metabolic efficiency. That is, controlling blood sugar levels and insulin response through diet. At lower levels of aerobic intensity, the body burns a higher percentage of fat. As intensity increases (along with heart rate) the body begins to burn a higher percentage of carbohydrates. While the overall caloric burn is higher, it is the carbohydrates and not the fat stores that are depleted. Why should we care about this? For two reasons... First, we have about 70,000 calories of fat stored on average and second, many of us would like to improve our body composition and utilize those stores on a daily basis. Bob's goal is to get athletes to use a greater percentage of fat at higher intensities.

Grant, with fellow Flywheel instructors Ryan Makely and Chris Tracy, showing Good Morning America how this cycling thing is done!

The number of calories you burn cycling varies depending on the duration and intensity of your workout, as well as your body weight. Surprisingly, moderate-intensity workouts burn a higher percentage of fat than vigorous-intensity workouts. According to the American Council on Exercise, when you exercise at a moderate-intensity, approximately 60 percent of the calories you burn come from fat. Cycling at less than 10 mph qualifies as moderate-intensity exercise.

When you increase the intensity of your cycling workout to vigorous, the majority of the calories you burn comes from fat, concludes the American Council on Exercise. So if you're cycling at a speed of 10 mph or faster, you're likely getting a high-intensity workout. You know you're working out at a high intensity if you're breathing so rapidly that you can't carry on a conversation.

Although you burn a higher percentage of fat cycling at low to moderate-intensity, you burn more calories overall (and therefore more fat) at higher-intensities. With that being said, if your goal is weight loss, most of the calorie deficit you create will result in fat loss anyway in the end because your body won't have excess calories to store as fat. Calories you burn at rest and during everyday activities will also pull from body fat stores to meet your basic energy needs.

At the end of the day, I want you to push yourself to the edge and find the GREATNESS in you! Find an activity or meal plan that works for you and then stick with it. The end results will more than make up for the pain of the adjustment period. 

Courtesy of flywheelsports.com

Grant Belton is a Brooklyn native and long-time NYC resident who grew up in the trendy neighborhood of Williamsburg before it was deemed 'trendy'. After pursuing a career in the travel industry, Grant segwayed into the fitness world - his true love - by becoming a certified personal trainer and an indoor cycling instructor with Flywheel Sports. When he has the occasional day off and is not teaching class at the break of dawn, you can find Grant relaxing and doing nothing at all! Well, maybe eating his favorite, Greek God Honey Yogurt and blueberries, but that doesn't take much effort. His doctor most recently told him he should drink more water because he was dehydrated. Hello! He teaches like 14 classes a week! Of course he's dehydrated! In response, Grant has increased his water intake and purchased a box of Depends. (Just kidding)!

                                                            To check out one of Grant's awesome classes, click here!

Advice From The Experts: Telling It Like It Is!

Image courtesy of flywheelsports.com

If you can't tell from the picture, this guy is serious. Grant Belton is one of those people who gets down to business and doesn't let much else get in the way of the end goal. I used to take his early morning cycling class at Flywheel Sports on the Upper East Side and by the time I walked out the door at 7 am, I felt more accomplished than I did on most days... combined. 

Grant's class is intense. He pushes you hard. But the sneaky thing about him is that he does it with such calm. He doesn't raise his voice at you. He barely inflects, to be honest. He embodies 'calm, cool and collected', and something about this low-key persona gives you that extra bit of motivation to push yourself harder than you ever have before.

That's right, he doesn't yell. He doesn't scream at you to work harder. He just quietly expects you to... and you DO.

Grant will be joining us tomorrow to offer some advice regarding diet, fitness and keeping the weight off. Grant is a longtime instructor at Flywheel Sports in New York and is also a certified personal trainer, specializing in Olympic lifting, endurance training and nutrition. After years of pushing his body to the limit, Grant has learned a thing or two that he'd like to share with you.

So stay tuned... tomorrow is bound to be intense, yet somehow relaxed. Something only Grant Belton can pull off.

The Experts Weigh In: When Your Body Turns On You

BY: MARNI BLAKE ROTHMAN, CONTRIBUTOR

Isn't it nice to grow up completely worry-free? Because you and I both know that once you graduate college, 'life' begins. When I turned 23, I was sucker punched in the gut with medical news that would change my life forever.

Denial is a beautiful thing. When you're still young, you don't realize that your body can actually turn on you. I never had any issues growing up. I danced my whole life, constantly attending competitions and performing. I was always moving. I never sat down. Even after college, I continued moving, whether it was yoga, boxing classes, Pilates, cycling or working with personal trainers. I was ALWAYS doing something!

My medical journey began one night while I was working my dream job at VH1. I had stayed overnight to edit, spending the entire time staring at a computer monitor. After only a few hours of sleep, I noticed - while putting on my makeup - that my eyesight was blurry. I immediately blamed it on being tired and went on with my week, but my eyesight didn't get any better. It was like seeing a cloud everywhere I turned.

Assuming I needed glasses, I went to the optometrist to pick out some cool Prada frames, but low and behold, I didn't need glasses. I needed an MRI. PRONTO. After being admitted to the hospital, getting shot up on steroids, undergoing an MRI and spinal tap, and seeing three different doctors in one month, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. My first red flag just happened to be the optical neuritis.

I was so young! I felt nothing short of shocked. I was in a state of denial, refusing to let any health diagnosis stop me. I didn't even know what MS was. Today, I can share that it's an autoimmune disease that affects the nervous system. My nerves don't transfer properly, causing symptoms such as blurry vision, numbness and tingling. The worst part is that no two people have the same symptoms, making it that much harder to cure.

I continued my young adult life - partying late into the night, dancing at clubs and hanging out with people I shouldn't have. I wanted to tell my body "I'll show you!". After starting to fall down drunk and never knowing whether my symptoms were a result of the MS or a nasty hangover, I knew I had to make a serious change. I curtailed the partying and focused on my career. 

For me, the biggest hurdle with MS is listening to my body. I'm a workaholic and definitely overdo it. It's hard for me to say "Maybe I shouldn't work these hours" or "Maybe I shouldn't go out tonight". I don't want MS to stop me from anything. When I got my diagnosis, I continued to workout because I knew exercise was really important. I was actually devastated when my doctors told me to stay away from my favorite - hot yoga - because any room at that temperature can bring on MS symptoms.

After injecting myself three times a week with medication (the worse) while living alone in New York, I decided to move to LA. Of course, my parents were concerned. What if I had symptoms and needed their assistance? But luckily, I went away with their support, which I am grateful for, because I would have regretted never having tried out a new city.

Living in LA was great for my MS. The weather was perfect. I was taking advantage of all LA had to offer. I hired a personal trainer at Crunch, was seeing her daily and was also spinning once a week. One day, after doing a deadlift, I felt an awful pain shoot through my back. For the next few days, I actually thought it was an MS symptom. I had no idea that I had just done something stupid at the gym. The next few months resulted in multiple bouts of steroids to help the pain, but it only got worse. The pain got so bad that I could barely drive or sleep. After an epidural - which didn't work in the least - I had to stop working out altogether. It got so bad that I resorted to spinal surgery. 

After surgery, I was told that I couldn't work out. It was an awful message to receive. I became depressed and starting popping pain pills, barely able to move out of my bed. When my disc actually re-herniated, I had to have a second spinal surgery. I had reached an all time low. Luckily, I had a very supportive boyfriend in LA, but all signs were pointing back to New York where my family was.

I returned to New York feeling utterly defeated. I was so traumatized from my first physical therapy experience, that there was no way I was going back. I just went back to work and started dreaming of the day that I could work out again.When my back started to feel better and there was no shooting sensation going down my leg, I started going to private Pilates sessions on the reformer, but soon became bored. I needed music! I needed something to get me going and change my mood. 

After reading an article in the NY Post about a new cycling studio called Flywheel Sports, I decided to take the chance and see if my body could handle the bike. I started taking classes in July of 2011 and was immediately hooked. The best part was that my back was not hurting! I didn't care what my numbers were after class. I had discovered a workout that my body accepted! This was breaking news for me personally. It's been over a year now since my first class, and I have not missed one week.

I still wake up every morning unsure of how my body is going to feel. There are times that I am exhausted and don't want to work out, but ultimately I know I will feel 100% better after a Flywheel class. This is not just a workout. It's a jump back to life. For years, I went to the gym and barely broke a sweat since I only wanted to wash my hair once a week (girls, I know you can relate). Now it's hard to believe that I actually found a workout where I am willing to wash my hair three times a week! 

I saw my body change, but more than anything, my mental state began to transform. For years, I felt my body hated me. Now I only feel that way occasionally. Granted I can't do every workout, but when I'm on that bike, my body works with me and I'm in my happy place.

Image courtesy of Melanie Greene Productions

The sense of community at Flywheel is awesome. The instructors, staff and my fellow riders are supportive and uplifting. Flywheel has done more for me than anyone could imagine. They even went so far as to help me organize an event - MSquared: Music Against MS - for the charity I created. The event gave me an opportunity to share my love for Flywheel with family and friends, while raising money for this incurable disease.

I'd like to leave you with this: From the perspective of social media, everyone's life looks so perfect and glamorous. The truth is, everyone has 'something' and THIS is MY 'something'. I have MS, I have a bad back, but I also have Flywheel. Hope can be found in the unlikeliest of places.

MSquared: Music Against MS will be participating in the 30-mile MS Bike Tour in New York on October 21^st and the music event is being held on November 7^th at Session 73 at 7pm.  For more info please see www.musicagainstms.com or look for us on Facebook.

Marni Blake Rothman lives in New York City, works in TV and is currently producing Long Island Medium, airing Sunday nights on TLC.  She's worked with BRAVO, VH1, MTV and HBO, to name a few. When she's not calling the shots at work, you can find Marni sitting on the couch with her boyfriend catching up on her DVR, at a music festival doing the hippie dance or running errands in her neighborhood. When asked what she loved best about NYC, Marni said "My cleaners, nail salon, hair salon, drugstore, yogurt store and liquor store are all on the same block. In any other city, my errands would take me an entire day!" Find out more about Marni at: www.marniblake.com.

Advice From The Experts: Showing The Body Who's Boss

Guess which one is Marni!

I haven't known Marni for very long, a little over a year to be exact, but what I do know about Marni Blake Rothman is that she's electric. When Marni walks into a room, it's quite obvious she's arrived. There's always a big smile on her face, a sparkle in her eye and maybe even arms outstretched to give you a hug - if you're lucky. She's a walking, talking ball of love and you can feel it almost immediately.

In my previous job, I managed an indoor-cycling studio for Flywheel Sports. Marni came to try it out last summer and soon became a regular at Flywheel, attending a few classes each week. She was very vocal about her love for class, and in no time at all, we considered her (and her mom Felicia) part of the FLY family.

Months later I discovered that Marni had been diagnosed with a serious disease, and to make matters worse, she was only 23 when she got the news. Just by looking at her, you'd never guess that she was dealing with something so huge, but in a note to one of the instructors, she shared how she had struggled with her health for quite some time. Marni shared how she had not been able to find a workout that worked for her, but now, thanks to Flywheel, she had found the one thing that allowed her to rise above her body. She felt empowered and she felt strong for the first time in years.

Tomorrow, I asked Marni to share her story so that others are aware of the disease (to be revealed tomorrow) and the initial symptoms. Marni's story is a hopeful one - proving that there is life after your body turns on you. Marni has succeeded in showing her body who's boss, and I'm so happy to have her contribute.

Keep an eye out for Marni's article tomorrow!