One of the founders of Soulcyle has talked about cramming people into the original location as they got popular – just to try and fit more people into the room to experience this type of workout. While worried that people would be upset being so close to their fellow cyclists, she said that something entirely different happened – an energy was created that went beyond what she could have imagined. Some riders may have been uncomfortable, but it sounds as though most of them had an amazing experience.

Earlier this week, my weight lifting class was packed. The instructor said she had never seen so many people fit in. You need a fair bit of space in the class for a step, mat, barbell, and different weights for different tracks in the workout, so we weren’t necessarily immediately next to eachother, but we were packed in. We made room for eachother and even shared weights if necessary. We made it work.

Then, something interesting happened – at least for me. I lifted some good weight for me, but I hardly noticed. I was so tuned into the energy of those around me, all working hard and sweating, and it somehow carried me along to get a better workout without hardly noticing in the moment (I certainly noticed in the pool the next morning). It was an awesome experience.

I’ve never had the opportunity to go to a soul cycle class, but I am intrigued by this added dimension to group exercise classes. Something to consider trying if you don’t experience it already.