Crystal O'Keefe: Welcome to the MetPro Method Podcast. I'm your host, Crystal O'Keefe. Today I'm joined by MetPro Coach Bianca de La Rosa, and today we are discussing different options for spin classes. Bianca is a registered sports dietician, a MetPro coach, and a certified spin instructor. Thank you so much for being here today, Bianca.
Bianca De La Rosa: Thanks so much for having me, Crystal. I'm so excited to talk about everything, spin and cycle, one of my favorite passions in this world.
Crystal O'Keefe: I feel the same way now. I am curious though, for you specifically, why spin as opposed to other group fitness classes?
Bianca De La Rosa: Yeah, that's a really great question. It's funny because, three years ago, I've been a spin instructor part-time for three years now, three years ago back in Houston, Texas, I was recruited after only my second spin class after ever, ever trying it.
And I've done so many different group fitness classes and really within like that second time of stepping in a room, I learned that it’s the energy that is formed inside a small dark room, really with the energy that like the instructor is giving but being able to silence the entire world for 45 minutes.
You've got really fun music that's going on. You've got fun choreography that really just gets your brain stimulated on something else, which is so much fun. And you kind of just, that opportunity to be in your own world and just have a really great time.
Crystal O'Keefe: Yeah, I've tried a lot of different group fitness classes and spin was the one thing that always spoke to me as well.
Yeah. Uh, there's just something. I don't know. You work so hard, but it's somehow refreshing at the end of it.
Bianca De La Rosa: It totally is. And it doesn't matter how you walked into that class, how you felt, what emotions you're feeling, that cathartic release when you leave the class is unlike anything else, as comparative to any other group class I've ever taken, it does not compare to like a spin class.
And so, there's nothing like leaving super sweaty and smiling walking out of a dark room.
Crystal O'Keefe: Agreed. I totally agree. So, in your opinion, what is the best way for people to find local spin classes? If they want to do them locally and live in person, how do they do that?
Bianca De La Rosa: Yeah. The first thing you would think is, well, why don't I just Google the class, but I actually like to look at Class Pass too.
Class Pass has a lot of really great options. A lot of times you can try like a first free class for a lot of cycling classes too. Maybe you aren't too crazy about one cycle studio, but you can try another one. So, ClassPass is really great. You can look it up really at any city that you're in and it'll give you a full list of cycle classes that are there.
But another option, you know, again, going back to the Googling, what are the top cycle places in my city that I can go to? Um, Dr. Google will give you a great grand big list.
Crystal O'Keefe: So, and you may not know the answer to this, but is that still possible even if you don't live in like a city?
If you live in a more rural area, is that still something that you can do?
Bianca De La Rosa: Yeah. So, if for some reason you can't find a local spin class, there's a lot of other options for you too. A lot of cycle classes are doing virtual spin. It was a big thing that happened during Covid because we couldn't go anywhere and everybody was stuck in their houses and, I'm sure as you know, Peloton was huge and it still is huge, but just being able to have that bike and having a virtual class is extremely impactful as well.
Or if you go to any gym, sometimes there are spin classes offered in just regular gyms, it might be a little bit different than your boutique or franchise studio, but it's still going to get you something of the same effect.
I've even done on certain times too, Crystal, I've taken my laptop and done a virtual class and just used the bike in the gym. Um, worst case scenario. And, uh, people might look at you and like, okay, what is she doing over there? But it's still really fun. So that's always an option too. And then, lastly, again, if you want to invest in an actual bike, Peloton bike is a really great option.
So, there's other things that you can do outside of going to just a, group class as well.
Crystal O'Keefe: So, what is your preference, like your personal preference? Do you prefer in person? How does that work for you being an instructor, when you want to take the class? What's your preference?
Bianca De La Rosa: Yeah, it's funny, it's a completely different feel when you're instructing a class.
You have to be on it. You have to shut out any type of thing that is going on in your life, any type of mood. Because people can see, really right through that. You have to be extremely transparent about that. So, there is a lot of energy that's put into the class, whereas on the flip side, on the client's end of things just trying to get through a really difficult class.
So, I enjoy actually attending like, live group classes just to get the feeling of, okay, like I'm not here to teach. I'm here to actually work. So, not to say that work isn't put on what you're instructing, but it's a little bit of a different feel.
Crystal O'Keefe: I would think it's hard to, that sometimes you just want to shut your brain off, as the person taking the class and not think about how you should put it together.
Bianca De La Rosa: Yeah, exactly. There's a lot that goes into a class. You have to think about playlisting, which takes a lot of time.
You have to make different playlists. You have to orient choreography different every single time. So, it's a lot of effort that's put in. So, being on the client end of things is just as equally as fun, and you kind of just get to sit back and relax and enjoy your workout.
Crystal O'Keefe: That's wonderful. Now, I feel like at some point I heard you mention that you might be getting a Peloton or you were thinking about getting Peloton. Did that happen? Is that something you're still considering?
Bianca De La Rosa: Oh my gosh. I want a peloton so bad. We are waiting until we are settled in a state soon and have a house or cute little townhouse and have a gym set up and everything. We just move around. We're moving around so much right now that I don't want to put a Peloton into storage the moment we get it.
So, I want a Peloton so bad. I've actually, surprisingly, only rode a Peloton a few times now, but I've taken the instructor Kendall, uh, for cycle and she's wonderful. I mean, she's everything that represents strength and empowerment and yes. So, I would love to get a Peloton bike
Crystal O'Keefe: That is awesome to hear.
And I think most people that listen to this podcast know that I'm a huge Peloton fan, so I'm not really shocking anyone with that. But I have to say, since you're thinking about getting one, you're moving around a lot. I don't know if you're aware that they have started renting bikes, and I wanted to make sure you knew about that.
Bianca De La Rosa: Yes, I did. I did know that, and I just recently found out about that like a couple of weeks ago, which that's a really great option to have in case that you can't have one permanently, like at your residence. Renting would be a really good option. So, I might have to push on the hubby a little bit more just to get Rent a Peloton.
That would be amazing.
Crystal O'Keefe: Definitely. And uh, and you mentioned taking your computer to a gym. I have seen so many people just in the Peloton community use all different kinds of bike. You don't have to have a Peloton bike to use Peloton. You don't even have to have Peloton equipment to use Peloton. You can use an iPad, you can log on in a lot of different ways and use the app, and whenever I'm traveling I exclusively will use the app, but I go to the gym and I'll use whatever treadmill is there and take a class and still get that experience.
Because I like to run a lot, I feel like since I've gotten my treadmill, I've probably run more than I have biked. But I like both.
Bianca De La Rosa: Yeah. It's nice. It's nice to have the best of both worlds because you never know that one time where you might get really burnt out on the tread, you can just switch to the bike.
So, either way it's really good. It is. But yeah, the Peloton app is pretty amazing. I was able to get two months, free on it. Yes. And I was using it for strength training and even in the bikes in our gym here. Very thorough and there's so many classes that are uploaded every single day.
That's the most exciting part too. You don't do the same thing over and over.
Crystal O'Keefe: I totally agree. Now, are there certain kinds of things that people who might be considering spin are there certain fitness aspects that people should keep in mind if they're looking to try spin?
Bianca De La Rosa: Yeah. Well, first and foremost, it's not an easy workout. And, if somebody says it's an easy workout when they walk out of the class, they probably didn't do it quite right. There's a lot of resistance that you're working, you're basically going up hills, high hills, low hills. Heavy resistance, things of that sort.
It's a type of endurance training in essence, so you're going to be torching a lot of calories, for anyone that has any type of injury in like their back or knees, things of that sort. There are ways to ride the bike as well. Just keeping that in mind. It's going to be a serious workout, but you get what you put into it at the same time too.
It's like anything else, if you aren't able to put a hundred percent, you might not get like that thorough workout that you thought you would get.
Crystal O'Keefe: Yeah, that's totally true. And I think that also sometimes people get really hung up on like following every cue the instructor gives and I think if you're kind of easing into it, you know, you're brand new to it.
Not to get too hung up on that at first and just kind of, yeah. Your first goal should just be getting through the class.
Bianca De La Rosa: Exactly. That first time that class, just get through the class. More than likely the instructor is going to tell you about the different positions on the bike, what you might be experiencing post bike.
Everybody has a little bit of interesting and odd soreness that's a little bit different from a normal group class, but your body gets used to it. I always like to say to my clients, it takes about two weeks to really have a flow of the class, and it takes about a month to really start following cues, so there's no pressure.
The good thing is, is once the lights go down, the room is dark. And so, you can kind of go at your own pace, maybe start in, you know, the back of the room so you can kind of see what everyone else is doing. And then as you advance week to week, okay, go on the third row, go in the second row, and then if you're feeling really confident, jump up to the front row.
Crystal O'Keefe: As long as you have a nice instructor like you that doesn't yell at you.
Bianca De La Rosa: I might be a different person on the bike Crystal.
Crystal O'Keefe: Oh, no.
Bianca De La Rosa: No, I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. All, all for good intent.
Crystal O'Keefe: Honestly, there's, there's a place for both. I remember a spin class that I took that I loved, and hated at the same time.
It was an in-person class. And the teacher would get off of her bike and walk around and she would yell at you. And in some ways, I didn't like that because it felt very like in your face, but at the same time, it did push me harder. Not everybody responds to that, which is why, to your point, that it's good to try different classes and different instructors and kind of exactly.
Find what fits for you because there are lots of instruction types.
Bianca De La Rosa: There is lots of different personalities. You're going to have some that your right are all in your face. And it's more of like, like a bootcamp coach in a way. And then on the flip side, you have instructors that really bring out the best in you and make you feel good.
And it's really nice to have that conversation like before class and then even after class too. And that's how you get to know like your clients and really, like create that rapport with them too. So, you kind of know what everyone's boundaries are and how far you can push 'em. But yeah, that's a, that's an interesting point that you bring up.
Crystal O'Keefe: Uh, and, and I also wanted to get back to the, uh, soreness that you alluded to. I don't want to get you graphic for anybody out there, but those first couple times that you get on the spin bike, the seat is not the most comfortable. So sometimes, undercarriage can get a little sore…
Bianca De La Rosa: Yeah, for, for lack of better word. It's a little tough. It's a little tough. And if you've never done a spin class before, it's going to be a little sore, you know, in the groin area, in the inner hips, definitely in the hip bands and hip flexors. But again, stretching is really, really important. Before and equally important afterward.
Drinking lots of water and, your body does get used to it a lot sooner than you would think. But yeah, the first couple of times it's, you have got to get through it a little bit. It's different.
Crystal O'Keefe: Yeah. Yeah. You gotta just kind of tough your way through it those first couple times.
But you know, I've been doing spin classes for years and it was only the very first two times that I did spin that it actually hurt. And even if I go like a month without taking a spin class. It doesn't hurt. Yeah. In the same way. Like your body really does get used to it and staying. It does used to it.
Bianca De La Rosa: Yeah, exactly. I agree with that though. Like, um, taking time off even like a couple of weeks. I mean, I think at a certain point I took a couple of months off, as we were transitioning and moving and. I still didn't experience that soreness when we came here, to Charlottesville, Virginia. And, it was, I was not expecting that either though.
So, I guess maybe at a certain point the body, like, it's like muscle memory maybe in a way. So, who knows?
Crystal O'Keefe: I think that's, I think that's exactly right. And then, um, I also just kind of wanted to ask about your thoughts on playlisting. I know that this is another area that is so different for every instructor.
Do you have like certain artists or genres that you, that are like your go-tos?
Bianca De La Rosa: Yeah, so my genres really are composed of a lot of like electronic music. So, a lot of electronic house music, progressive house, things like that. It's so much fun and there is, there's a certain beat to this music that is very, very high energy.
And so having that high energy beat really excites, not just me, but also clients too. Also with electronic music, it has a beat that you can follow. There's a lot of music out there where the beats are really hard to follow when you're cycling, so electronic music gives the ability to do that. But at the same time too, I also like, other things like, I mean, pop music is pretty good.
It's something that everybody will know they can ride along to you. So, kind of mixing that a little bit. But mostly electronic music is my favorite.
Crystal O'Keefe: That's fun. And I picture the kinds of electronic music where it's like, building the whole time. That's what I'm picturing. Like it goes not the whole time, but it'll go through like the chorus is like that build and that's your big intense effort.
Bianca De La Rosa: Yes, it's like a build and then it has really intense drops. And the drops are what gives you, I mean, in my opinion, it's what helps give explosive energy for when you're doing, jumps outside of the bike or sprints and things like that. It's, again, it's different for every coach or every instructor, but the music that is a little bit more low tempo and low key, I find it really hard to just like gather all my energy and get a sprint out.
So, the higher tempo music is, it's pretty fun. It's fun.
Crystal O'Keefe: And I, and I'm also curious, when you take other people's classes, do you take them based off the type of music that they play?
Bianca De La Rosa: Hmm, really good question. So not necessarily, I think it's mostly based off of what kind of instructor it is. If they are extremely authentic in what they serve and what they give to their clients and really make you feel good walking out of that class.
It is a hard thing to do. It is very hard to do. And having somebody that is motivating you and makes you feel empowered, whether you have to sit in the saddle or whether you're, just killing it outside of the bike. I think it's really based on instructor.
It's a plus if they have really great music. That instructor really, truly makes a big difference into how your workout is going to feel throughout and how you're going to feel walking outside of that room.
Crystal O'Keefe: Excellent points. And also, is there anything else that we missed that you wanted to make sure people at home know about when they're thinking about a spin class?
Bianca De La Rosa: Yeah, I mean, I think just if you haven't tried it before, try it at least. And if you try it once, try it one more time, because you never know. You could end up being a cycle instructor or you might end up finding something that really, that resonates with you and you really love and could become a passion.
It's a great thing to do and you get to meet so many fun people. And of course you get to exercise and it's for your health, which is the most important thing.
Crystal O'Keefe: Those are all great points. Bianca, thank you so much for your time today. I really appreciate it.
Bianca De La Rosa: Yeah. Thank you so much for having me, Crystal. I loved being here.
Crystal O'Keefe: Well, right back at you. Listeners. That's all for this week. You can find all of the MetPro Method episodes anywhere you get podcasts, or you can go to metpro.co/podcast. Please be sure to follow the show and rate and review that lets other people know what to expect. You can also learn more about MetPro at metpro.co.
I'm your host, Crystal O'Keefe, and I'll be back next week. Until then, remember, consistancy is key.
