Last year I discovered the magic that is Flywheel (a post on this coming soon). From January through April you could find me on a bike almost any day of the week and sometimes for two classes back to back (I think I went three times once…) and when I decided to spend my summer in NYC and Philly I figured it was time to try FlyBarre, the counterpart to Flywheel offered at most New York studios and others across the US. I still remember the very first class I took with Alyse Zwick back in May. I had done barre before back home in Arizona at my other favorite studio, Karve, but had never found a suitable replacement. When it comes to a class like this, it’s a love / hate relationship and it all comes down to the instructor and music being played.
One of the best things about Flywheel is that instructors are always happy to accept song requests and will usually find a way to work them into class. FlyBarre was no different and Alyse and I bonded over a shared love of music and I have a habit of tweeting her a few songs every few weeks to use during class. It makes the hour of pulsing, tucking and just plain madness go by A LOT faster and I tend to end my Friday’s with a simile on my face.
If you don’t know what barre is and have made it this far in the post, let me explain. Barre is a fusion of ballet, pilates and yoga where you target certain muscle groups throughout the class and through small isometric movements, burn out each one. Basically you hate the instructor, want to cry and quit and then walk out of class like nothing happened until you wake up the next day and remember the torture you went though. In reality it isn’t that bad, but it is challenging.
First classes at Flywheel/FlyBarre are free and if you’re a student like me they offer a pretty great discount. Check it out here: flywheelsports.com
