Clipping in at Zengo while you #MoveAtMosaic

Here are the opening stages of taking a class at Zengo Cycle : you walk in, and immediately realize how beautiful the studio is. Grab your water, clip into the bike, and notice that there’s a towel already on your handlebars and – wait – are those weights on your bike? Hold up, wasn’t this a spin class?

And then your instructor bounces into the room. That’s pretty much the only way to describe Kelsey, who headed to the instructor’s podium with such infectious energy and joy that you can’t help but think – okay, this is probably going to be a lot of fun. The lights dim, everyone sits up a little straighter with anticipation, and the music begins.

 

FIRST of all, let’s talk about that music. Kelsey had perhaps the best soundtrack we’ve ever heard in an exercise class. It seriously bumped, the perfect mix of top 40 and throwback jams, with each song timed expertly to whatever stage of the workout we were heading into. Going fast? Better get ready to hear a song that gets your heart racing. About to climb? You know that beat is going to drop. It was so good, we made a mental note to look her up on Spotify after, because it was a playlist we need in our life. Despite the sweat dripping down our bodies (more on that later), we found ourselves singing along more than once to the tunes piping through the studio. Music so good that you’re literally singing through the pain? Now that’s a soundtrack.

 

Okay, the workout – it was incredible, of course. Prepare to be challenged in a Zengo class. It’s not a casual cycling trip, but that’s good news, because we’re guessing that you’re not heading into the studio to take it easy. The ride profile rotates through sprint-based workouts and traditional climbs. You’re up and down, in and out of the seat. Sometimes, it happens so fast that you don’t have time to consider just how hard you’re working, or the fact that your legs are begging you to give them a break. That’s good news for you, too, because class flies by, and before you know it, you’re on your last song, flush with the joy of a really good workout.

 

Zengo incorporates a full-body workout on the bike – expect to do arm and abs work while you’re riding. Easier said than done, by the way – let us know how those obliques feel the next day. And for one song, you focus on your arms entirely, grabbing those weights nestled innocently on your handlebars for some decidedly NOT innocent arm work. Low weights + lots of reps = total burn. Originally worried that we wouldn’t be able to handle both the cycle workout and the extra arm/core work, we (somehow) got through the full class, and left feeling like we’d challenged ourselves from head to toe.

 

And let’s talk about the mind – because it gets a workout in Zengo, too. Throughout the class, Kelsey coached us along with positive, affirming statements. It sounds like it could get cliche, but it’s exactly the opposite – fellow riders cheered along, or applauded with her. It created a super tight sense of community throughout the ride. And a lot of what Kelsey said resonated deeply with us. Frequent reminders to honor your body, to be thankful that it was healthy and strong enough to ride that day, hit the nail on the head – after recovering from serious injury in the last year, it felt like Kelsey was speaking directly to us. We left feeling energized, motivated and proud of ourselves – what more could you ask for from a workout?