#flyweel

Or sign up for Flybarre in the middle of the week and have no choice. 

That’s what happened to me, at least. Anyone familiar with the cycle mecca that is Flywheel is well aware that unless you sign up for classes shortly after the 5pm Sunday email alert you’re subjected to waitlists or very random hours. So was the case this weekend when the stars aligned, my normal Saturday morning workout class was cancelled and I felt it time to try something new. 

I have been going to Flywheel cycling for almost two years now, but I’ve never given Flybarre a chance. Fortunately/Unfortunately for me the only class that I could get in was the Flybarre 60 class at 7:15am. I’m a natural early-riser so I wasn’t too worried, but by the time I walked into the studio I’ve walked into many times as a regular to try something brand new I had gathered a bit of nerves. The studio was small and the mats were ridiculously cushy (something I’d be grateful for later) and everyone seemed just as nice and as comfortable as the folks I typically power through cycling with. 

The instructor, Brie, came over to introduce herself. She asked about my typical workout and I told her that I normally go to Air Charlotte… to which she asked me if she knew Kristi, the fabulous Air instructor who was to blame for my already being sore that day. It was at that moment if I debated on faking an injury and getting out of there. Brie and Kristi do not play around. The next 60 minutes went something like this:

1. Warmup- Child’s pose. I got this. I can do child’s pose all day, everyday day… except for the fact that this child’s pose lasted about 5 seconds and the tempo is picking up really quickly. 

2. Ok forget tempo, this is cardio. This is cardio barre. I’m sweating already but I’m really loving the fast paced style of an ab series… and I rarely like fast-paced anything. 

3. Flybarre utilizes a series of accessories including different levels of weights (don’t kid yourself, 2 lbs feels like 20 lbs in no time), resistance bands and a big squishy ball that I was delighted to find out wasn’t heavy. 

4. Dance series. Ok, Brie warned me about this and I laughed when she said there would be an arm weights dance series (Important to note: I wasn’t laughing at her, I’m just incredibly aware that anything involving dancing and me looks like a really passionate soul train line mixed with a giraffe learning how to walk. I get it. I accept it.) Luckily this wasn’t as bad as I thought. It was a really high-energy arm series with what I can only describe as bouncy squats and lunges +arms. My arms were burning, but at least it was over quickly. 

5. I’ve taken enough Barre classes now that I understand the point is to exhaust your muscles. Consider the table-top leg series exhausting. Two minutes each side. I thought I was going to cry… I can’t describe it any further because I think I blacked out from pain but I can confirm that every move we did was WORKING. Hi strong hamstrings! Bring on the bikini bottoms.  

I’m not lying or on some exercise-high when I say the class went much faster than I expect. The 60-minute class was challenging and I wouldn’t recommend it as the best starting point if you’ve never tried barre, but if you are looking at stepping up your barre routine I say absolutely go for it. Big props to Brie and Flywheel. She was an incredible instructor and I felt like I learned so much from her that I hope I can carry into future workouts. I’m sure I’ll see her soon anyways… I’m quite the creature of habit.