A few months ago, a friend and I came across a new member deal at a nearby cycling studio. We bought the 3 ride package and I instantly became intrigued by indoor cycling...specifically, this studio called Cyc. I loved the atmosphere, the music, the lights, the workouts, the instructors, and everything else about it. Overall, it had a different feeling than other gyms I had been to before. It wasn't intimidating and I instantly felt connected and welcomed.
"Cyc offers an exhilarating, beat-based, 45 minute ride that activates the whole body, the whole time. Weights are incorporated into sectors inspired by more than 20 different sport movements such as boxing, volleyball and swimming."
After a few weeks, I kept wanting more and knew that this workout was a great fit for me. I wanted to be part of the Cyc family and quickly figured out who to talk to in order to make that happen. I emailed the manager and found out that they'd be having "auditions" within the next month for those interested in potentially becoming a Cyc instructor.
For the audition, I had to prepare 4 sectors (i.e. songs) to perform for the lead cycologists there (I just love how they call their instructors "cycologists" - it fits perfectly with the name and working out is definitely a form of therapy for me...who needs a real psychologist when you can sweat out your problems?). These 4 sectors included a warm-up, jumps, swimming, and boxing. The Cyc method is much different than your typical spinning class. Their method incorporates weights during certain tracks and works the entire body (as opposed to Spinning, which is similar to simply riding an outdoor road bike).
Once the audition date arrived, I had picked my music, created and memorized my routine, and worked on my stage presence and confidence. The latter really got me out of my comfort zone. Physically and mentally, I can create a routine, memorize it, and perform it without any problems. Where it gets tough for me is having to lead a class and keep them motivated at the same time! I was able to let my personality shine through during my audition (even though it is still something I will have to continue working on) and was notified the next day that I made it into the next round and would be included in their training program to become an instructor!
The training program starts on May 4th. It's going to be one of the most intense, yet exhilarating, challenges I've ever done. We will be training at the studio Monday-Friday from 7pm-11pm for 8 weeks! I am so excited to meet everyone and see what training has in store for me. However, even though I have been accepted into the program, it does not guarantee an official Cycologist position. There will be on-going evaluations throughout the process and an exit audition must be passed before you can become an official instructor.
I will make sure to document this journey on the blog! Here's a short video showing a glimpse into what a Cyc workout looks like.
