It’s Friday, so I’m covering my favorite subjects of diet and exercise. (I’m basic like that and also love hair, makeup, and fashion.) Ellie Kemper of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt recently did an interview with US in which she sort-of revealed how much money she sinks into SoulCycle classes. It costs $34 a class and while she’s cut back recently she used to go about four times a week. She won’t reveal her total Soulcycle spending per month but if you do the math that’s $544, which sounds outrageous. Ellie, 38, said she loves it because it makes her feel like an athlete. (She’s not representing them and is not getting paid for this endorsement.) Ellie has a new memoir she’s promoting called My Squirrel Days.
On the physical changes from SoulCycle
“My arms got more defined. Some people don’t like this, but my legs got bigger. I like that because I feel strong,” she says. “I feel like a beast, and I enjoy that feeling of being a strong beast.”On the psychological changes
“I happen to love it because it makes me feel young again. It makes me feel like I’m at the club again, but also it makes me feel like an athlete. I played field hockey and I ran track, and I really like the idea that someone is coaching me,” she says. “It takes me back to a time in my youth when I was thriving. So that’s why I love it.” She continues, “And I don’t work for SoulCycle.”She won’t reveal exactly how much she’s spent
“I am careful in my proselytizing because I think it’s not for everyone,” she says of the 45-minute, $34 sessions. And though she says she’s been hitting the bike since 2014 — at times, up to four classes a week — she won’t reveal how much money she’s spent on the trend over the years. “I’m not going to put a number out there,” she tells Us. “It’s so mortifying when you see that number!”She’s embarrassed how long she raved to Tina Fey about it
“I felt like, Well she understands that this is the topic that I will enjoy talking about, and I felt so pathetic afterwards just for myself because I must go around talking about it a lot if I’ve made it that obvious. But excuse me, Tina Fey is an icon who does not need to be wasting time talking to me about SoulCycle.”She cut back in 2016 after her son was born
“There are studios near me but I go to one specific instructor,” she says. “It takes me 40 minutes to get there. I don’t want to blame it on my son, James, because he is the treasure of my life — but having him makes it a little more difficult.”“When I do have the energy, I do The Bar Method in my bedroom online because it saves a lot of time. Or I run.
People covered this interview too, which is where I heard about it. They include the detail that Busy Philipps’ husband, Marc Silverstein, has taken over 1,000 SoulCycle classes. That means he’s spent arounds $30,000 on them no joke.
Spinning is one of my favorite exercises and I have a spin bike at home. It’s a used manual Schwinn that I got at Play It Again Sports for $199. I have bike shoes and do free spin classes from YouTube from Studio Sweat (I don’t subscribe) and Global Cycling Network. (If you want my favorite classes let me know and I’ll comment with them.) I used to go to RPM classes at the Y, but the timing didn’t work for me. I once went to one of those dark loud classes at a spin-only gym. It wasn’t SoulCycle but it kicked my ass. In terms of cost it’s free for me now or the local YMCA is about $70 a month for a family membership. I’m considering dropping it because I work out from home more. It’s so much cheaper living in the country. $34 a class is outrageous and the cost difference wouldn’t be worth it for me. SoulCycle is definitely for rich people.
photos credit: Avalon.red and WENN
Has anyone here on CB tried orange theory? I need something to create serious burn but also get me more hyped up about exercising on a schedule (I enjoy exercising when I do it, but I HAVE to do it after work/afternoons or evenings which is hard to prioritize when I also need/want to do other things. I currently workout at least once a week but want to get to 4x/week)
My fellow mom friends love Orange Theory! I need to try it.
I don’t find OrangeTheory to be all that special. Just a basic treadmill HIIT class with a lot of marketing behind it. Try a class, but then go to your other local HIIT studios and see if you like their classes better, or if OT is for you.
I don’t but I know a lot of people who do OT and actually one of my high school friends works at one. They all seem to really love it but I really know nothing about it.
@IB I do OTF 3 days a week and Iove it. If you get the premier membership you can do as many classes you want per month. Its 169. But I love the fact that the classes are small and you have a coach. The workouts are hard as long you push yourself more in each one. It’s worth it!
I know some people who love it and others who say it gets boring after awhile. I feel like I’d feel stuck with their format after not very long.
My sister got me into Orangetheory a few months ago and I feel like it’s truly changed the way I look at working out. I don’t dread going to class. I’m sure it was just a talented sales girl at the front desk the day I did my trial class, but they framed it for me as ONE hour in the day that was just for me (I have 3 young kids and severe mom guilt when they sob when I leave them to go the gym). I leave my phone in the locker, focus in on an intense and diverse workout for one hour, and leave feeling strong and accomplished. It’s an added bonus when there is a coach who has a good playlist. In three months, I’ve lost only 10 lbs, but my body is already transforming. I have definition in my arms for the first time in my life, my curves are still there but are firmed up and toned. I do the premier membership and my husband balked at the expense at first, but then he saw what it is doing for my confidence and how much happier I am, and he supports it fully now.
I’ve been an OTF member for a year now and I love it! I go 4-5x a week. Their format works for me. I like how you are told exactly what to do and how I do not have to think about what I am going to do while I am working out. I have a co-worker who tried it out, but she ended up not liking it. The first class is complimentary so if I were you, I’d try it out.
I’m a member, I enjoy it 🙂
Orange Theory is awesome. They start with you where you’re at. Since I’m older I had someone tailor the workout for me at my level and it works really well. I did it because I met a woman who lost 40 pounds over 3 years and got really fit. I was watching her and I couldn’t believe what she was able to do so I approached her and I asked her all about her experience there – that’s what made me sign up.
Also, Ellie Kemper is adorable. She has the “It” factor.
I tried for a month. It is good if you’re undisciplined about exercise, but I don’t think this will drive you over the edge to ultra athlete. To an extent it is what you make it. The coach will push you. I liked that they encouraged you to be friendly with the other attendees. I did quit the membership because I love running and I’d rather run for an hour and do weights on my own. But again they do help push you. If you pick a city location the cost is double than if you are in a suburb.
Can we just talk about the Y for a moment? Where I live it’s about $120/month for a family membership. YIKES. I know some people can spend that – but not us. I always thought the Y would be affordable…
Ok that’s insane. Also my dad moved away but I added him to my family membership so I could get the senior discount. It’s cheaper than the rate for just my kid and me. I just double checked and for the two of us (with my dad) it’s $60 a month.
That’s how much mine was too.
I pay about $100 a month for a NYC YMCA membership. It is expensive and costs way more than when I joined my hometown YMCA in the suburbs which was around $70 a month (I also got the “young adult” discount at the time). The plus is that I pay the citywide YMCA fee so I can work out at multiple YMCAs around the city, though I only go to one (and I won’t say which but it is probably the nicest one in the city in my opinion). It has amenities that I like that the “cheap” gyms don’t have. But it’s also why I won’t join a yoga studio and I just keep going to new studios to take advantage of the “new student discounts” (the Y has yoga classes but very few that work with my schedule).
I belonged to a Y in Chicago for years and it was very cheap, no more than $40 per month including all the fitness classes (when I first joined you had to pay separately for classes but they thankfully changed that model). Even though it was in a neighborhood that became super gentrified. I’m guessing it might be more now.
Same here! I always assumed the Y was cheap. My husbands work has a discount there, thankfully. Try asking them about any possible discounts, student, work, organization, etc. if you are on any government aid I know you basically go free(zero judgment). So like us, if you are middle class but not rich, it cost a fortune and it’s insane. I was going to do swim lessons for our 3 year old there this winter but two lessons a week WITH a membership is 80$ a week….for 12 weeks. Yikes. I realize swimming is important but damn.
Same here! I need to sign my almost-3-year-old up for swim lessons. Guess it won’t be at the Y. UGH! We are def middle class but not even close to rich, and these costs are brutal.
My work doesn’t have a discount, but we can get a reimbursement of up to $150…a year for fitness expenses. So that covers a month and a half?
Any classes for kids that need to be paid for are very pricey! And the swim lessons are no better than what our Parks/Rec/Marine.
There’s a Y near my house but I’ve been part of another gym for a long time before that Y was built. This gym has 3 different locations. I pay $49/month to go to 2 of the locations. The third one isn’t as close and I couldn’t justify paying $65 for that club to be included.
I guess I’m in the minority here. I take spin class once a week. It’s not my favorite class but I like doing different classes during the week (Body Combat, Body Attack, Body Pump). I know someone at my gym and that is all she takes. They opened a Cycle Bar that is located downtown. They charge $20 a class. They try to lure you in with a “free class”
Again, it didn’t make sense to me to pay that much money when I can get the same type of class at my gym. Apparently in this class, there’s a screen that features everyone’s pace, etc. Yeah I couldn’t do that.
I recently tried Body Pump at my little gym and I was surprised at how fast it moved, especially between sections. I was really sore the next day but I didn’t like the format compared to the HIIT classes I usually take. Do you like it?
@esmom, Body Pump is my favorite class. I take it twice a week. I like the pace of it as well. I’ve gotten stronger as a result and it has helped my running.
BlueSky, thanks for the feedback, I’ll try it again. My understanding is that they go for a while with the same workout and then change it? The instructor last week mentioned that a new module or whatever was coming. So do you memorize the workout? Which I assume would make the pace easier than for someone who hasn’t done it before?
@esmom, it will be weird and awkward (it was for me)the first time because you are getting used to the routine. It’s pretty much the same format. What the instructor is talking about is the new release (they just did the “launch” at my gym last weekend). It’s pretty much the same moves but it’s just new music. They will do the new release for a few weeks before some of the instructors start “mixing it up” as in doing different tracks from the previous releases, if that makes sense. I know some people who don’t like it and prefer GRIT which is another version of HIIT. I tried it and didn’t like how fast the transitions were. I was afraid of injuring myself.
BlueSky, Thanks! Funny, I don’t really even remember the music from my first class so I’m sure I won’t notice if it’s different next time. 🙂
I’ve done it a few times and I can’t tell if it’s a good workout or if I just think it is because I’m sweating so much. The whole dancing on the bike thing is kind of fun, but I also feel like an idiot because I am never exactly in rhythm. I sit in the back.
I recently started doing what I call “country club cross fit,” which is like cross fit, but it’s for middle aged people and we aren’t in a bombed out warehouse. No one expects you to be hip or able to dance, so it’s nice.
Country Club Cross Fit sounds like something I might actually like!
That’s a lot. A lot of my friends do class pass and it makes it a lot more affordable. I get her point, though. I never thought I would like spin, but then My husband bought me a peloton bike and it is rocking my world.
I’m filled with peloton envy
I’ve been thinking about a Peleton for a long time…good to hear you’re loving it! Anyone else have input about them?
I love and am obsessed with my Peloton (and I say that as someone who bought mine after never having done a spinning class, just trying out my sister’s ONCE).
I have never managed to consistently exercise for more than 8 weeks at a time, and the Peloton is a game changer. It’s actually pretty addicting, and I’ve found my anxiety/stress levels go down.
Plus, you can now finance it at 0%, so I could afford it, and the resale value is great if you decide you hate it.
I love my Peloton!!!!!!
Well, now I feel better about spending $99/month on unlimited hot yoga classes. It’s like a drug – you leave feeling amazingly calm and strong.
I wish we had those by me! We don’t even have a sauna in my area.
While we are on this – what do people with ‘weak’ knees do? I wrecked my knees running and doing pretty intense rowing and boot camps for a while, and now have some serious cartilage loss – meaning no running or anything high impact.
I’m told cycling should be good, but it’s not my thing at all. I do yoga but I’m looking for something…more?
I’d also love to know tips on this!!!
Swimming? That is super easy on the knees and joints.
The folks I know with cartilage loss bike and swim. Maybe try some different cycle studios to see if there’s one that could be a good fit? There’s a huge range out there.
Swimming?
I have a similar problem with my knees, and I rock climb indoors with ropes. Fantastic workout, so fun, and hasn’t hurt my knees. I am in better shape now than I was in my 20’s when I was running and lifting and doing kickboxing, and all I do is climb, do some pushups and stretch, and occasional yoga.
I also hurt my knee running (runner’s knee). My physiotherapist said swimming is the absolute best for bad knees. I resisted because of cost and inconvenience but maybe it’s not as bad for you. I used an elliptical that has a very small incline. Not as flat as a ski machine, but pretty flat. I still get twinges, though, and I couldn’t use it until my knee had healed a bit. A bike probably would be better for your knees, but if you truly don’t like it you won’t keep at it. If there’s a way for you to try it out for a month or so, try it. Maybe it won’t be as bad as you remember. I sympathize because I am not a bike fan, either.
I am a spin instructor 4 days a week, and it has been the easiest consistent workout for my knees that I’ve ever done. I played Division I basketball, blew my knee out, lost 35 pounds of muscle, and was convinced that I was done with anything physical and with high intensity workouts.
For anyone with knee issues or other aches or pains, I always harp on them about their form while riding. THE most IMPORTANT THING is proper bike setup. If my knees are ever achy in the middle of a workout or afterwards, my seat is too low, or too far forward. It’s always a “Oh, well duh!” moment when I look down and check my bike settings.
I tend to ride at a lower resistance too, because of my knees. When having to add resistance, I use a very light hand, and even on hills, I’ll stick to form, and not ride as heavy.
Omg so jealous! I would quit the Y and pay that in a heartbeat, honestly. We don’t have any hot yoga studios near me…I would have to drive an hour to the closest one. I have dreamed of moving somewhere with a hot yoga studio. Now, there is a ‘rich gym’ in town(that’s the nick name because it costs hundreds and hundreds a month between memberships and classes LOL) that offers hot yoga but I can’t afford 600$ a month for gym fees and class fees. Ugh.
Soul Cycle is just a lot of great marketing and branding. You can find plenty of great spin classes out there that don’t cost a fortune, but they’re also not a place that you’re SEEN. When it comes to things that are worth the $$ I would ditch the studio and buy a Peloton!
Please please please comment with your favorite classes!! I have been thinking about investing in a peloton bike because there are no great gyms by my place, i have to work out in the morning or else it doesn’t happen, and spinning is the “best worst” cardio option for me. But omg $1000 for gym equipment that I’m not entirely sure I will use?!?! I CAN’T DO IT OF COURSE AND IT WOULD BE RIDICULOUS TO DO IT. I could do a $200 bike and youtube videos though!!!! Please please share! Thank you!
I have a FlyWheel/FlyBarre membership and I take a lot of classes there. It’s not cheap, but because I can do barre, spin and HIIT classes I feel like I get a lot of variety for the money, and the instructors are amazing. It’s basically more athletic SoulCycle and PureBarre. I can’t motivate myself to do any of this type of stuff in a traditional gym, so since joining I’ve gotten in the best shape I’ve been in as an adult.
Peloton is amazing. It’s a big expenditure, for sure, but it’s in your house and the classes are terrific. I was worried that I wouldn’t use it, but I’m on my bike 3-4 times a week, and they have over 10k classes to choose from. I love it.
Pelotons are totally worth it – the convenience is unmatched, and both the bike and the classes are super high quality. I use mine several times a week, sometimes every day.
My BIL has asked that my sister and I stop obsessing over the Peloton, so I feel the need to spread the good news online now.
It’s amazing. It’s worth it. I went from someone who had never exercised consistently for more than an 8 week stretch to actually wanting to get on the bike. Before I bought it, I had never done a spin class. Ever. I realize that’s crazy. I tried sister’s once, and it was hard and uncomfortable, but I decided to go ahead and pull the trigger and buy it.
Plus, it’s pretty low-risk. If you hate it, there’s a 60 or 90 day return policy, and the resale on it is pretty good. I find it is what gets me to exercise, in part because I know I’m still paying for it (0% financing for 36 months, and they just auto withdraw the money from your account). Blessed be the peloton because it actually gets me exercising.
Plus, Dennis is REALLY hot. That helps.
OK I’m sorry I didn’t double check it was Friday and I was lazy! This is my alltime favorite class I have done it over and over it’s 45 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv0H9iCz8Ms&vl=en
This is a shorter fun class for days when you don’t feel like working out (still a workout, 35 mins)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUrZ29-1COA
An hour long spin that’s doesn’t feel like hard work but is (this is new)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPRDo3feu0A
About a 40 minute spin from Studio Sweat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsRc7Q-YxuE&t=2402s
A hard 1 hour spin lots of ups and downs from Studio Sweat (has two parts)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTLtv0hoSHU
Also Global Cycling Network, anything with Paul he’s the best.
Ok all me crazy but the yoga studio near me is £15 a class – I go maybe two or three times a week – when I add it all up it sounds like an awful lot of money (I’m not making anywhere near Kemper lol) but honestly I feel like it’s an investment in my physical and mental health – plus this studio is closer to me than the other which is a little cheaper, so there’s the convenience factor.
My point is, you can’t put a price tag on your health – if you can afford it then it’s no one’s business to question or shame you for it. Some people buy shoes every month, some buy clothes, some go for drinks after work blah blah. So whatever makes your body and soul feel good, and unless you’re stealing or not feeding your kid or whatever, it’s nobodies business what you spend on yourself!
I may be the only one here but I freaking hate soul cycle and spinning classes in general. I dont like people talking to me while I sweat. Lol!
She probably buys them in packages, so it’ll be a little cheaper.
I have a friend who’s roommate loves soul, but hates going alone, so she’ll pay for my friend to go with her.
I do lagree more than spin, and those classss are usually $34-40 a class too. But I use ClassPass (I miss the days of unlimited classes) and packages.
I have done Barry’s Bootcamp which I think is similar to Orange Theory. I liked it and it kicked my butt. I found a groupon special for it. I do not have a SoulCycle near me but I love FlyWheel.
I live in Southern California where there is a CycleBar. I found a groupon for that as well. 10 classes for $120. I am always on groupon looking for specials.
Thanks for the tips on OTF guys! Also I tried a few different types of stationary bikes at the gym and they all hurt my butt. Is that just a part of spinning you accept (unless you get your own personal seat for your own personal bike) like a niggling runners knee and running?
Depends on what kind of hurt. At a cycle studio, they’ll make sure that you’re properly fit for the bike, which will make a big difference. There’s some tenderness to start, but it shouldn’t be unbearable.
And niggling runner’s knee isn’t par for the course for running, FYI. The ‘normal’ aches and pains are pretty easy to deal with, fortunately! People don’t realize this, but an impact exercise (like running) actually strengthens your joints.
I tried a couple spin classes and the bending over to clutch the handlebars killed my back. I’ve always said if I could find a bike with raised Handlebars (like the old stingray bikes of our youth) I could try again. Now I walk the dog, listen to books on audible and make sure I get about 12,000-13,000 steps in every day.
I have a FitDesk bike. It has a really wide & comfy seat.
I can’t even fathom 35$ per workout?!?! Ahh!! If you have the money sure, but I don’t think I could pay that even if I had the money. Seems crazy no matter how I slice it. It’s just how I was raised. Lol At least it’s a healthy habit??
I’ve never done Soul Cycle, sounds too fancy for me, but I love spin class, first discovered it in the mid 90s. The instructor can make or break a class for me, though. I used to be a competitive cyclist so I tend to prefer instructors with a cycling background, which isn’t always easy to find. Luckily I have a fantastic one at my local gym right now — the workouts are so hard but also go by really fast, lol — but I keep expecting her to leave because the good ones always seem to move on to greener, better paying pastures at my rinky dink community fitness center.
I also can’t do it more than once or twice a week or I start to get bored. I mix it up with running and HIIT and strength training. I had been thinking about trying to convince my cyclist husband to invest in a Peloton bike but I don’t think he’d go for it. I am so intrigued by it.
CB, I love your lower cost spin solution. I would love to know what workouts you do!
I admittedly have body image issues- when I heard how many classes busy Phillips husband went to I thought, ‘you’d think after all that he’d be ripped like Deadpool-‘ but he’s not. it’s like I think working out that much not resulting in unrealistic crazy muscles or tone-means you wasted your time or something? same with busy honestly-she looks great but if I was working that hard at being healthy i’d expect to look like Selma hayek-honestly. clearly I have body image issues because health doesn’t necessarily result in a crazy body
CB, did you find that cycling made your legs bigger? Or any of you other ladies that do it? I’ve done it but not with enough consistency to make any difference LOL, so I’m honestly asking. I have thunder thighs and don’t need them getting bigger!
On the other hand I dated a guy for a while who was a cyclist and OH MAN his thighs and butt. >_> Oh man.
I have thunder thighs as well and I’ve found that cycling slimmed them down and made them more shapely! Even my fat knees (yes, that is a thing) slimmed down to almost Barbie proportions!
Spinning doesn’t make your legs bigger. While there might be parts of class with heavy resistance cycling is cardio and cardio in whatever form will slim you down more than it will bulk you up. If you’ve ever seen professional cyclists, they tend to be not just slim but downright skinny.
My young teen’s ballet teacher recently freaked out because he said the students in the class were getting overdeveloped quad and butt muscles. (Sigh, the ballet world is so backward.). Yet he had no idea how to start to fix “the problem.” Thoughts?
I don’t think it made my legs bigger just more toned. Like maybe by really crazy standards it made my legs bigger but I like them that way with muscle.
I save big money by just doing the old fashioned thing of getting on my bike and cycling for miles around my neighborhood. Cycling with ear buds blasting music is good for my soul, exercising my body and isn’t expensive
Please don’t cycle with ear buds. That’s a huge safety issue.
This. And in many states, you can get a ticket for that as well.
I enjoy cycling outdoors but what I love about spinning is not having to worry about traffic or stopping for traffic lights. You can get in a great workout in a much shorter amount of time than being out on the road. Be safe out there!
I love SoulCycle style spin classes but I haven’t been able to find a class that fits in with my schedule after having twins!
We have a studio called Hotworx in the Dallas suburb that I live in and I’m in love. You basically work out in an infrared sauna with maximum three people in each one. I do their spin classes as well as their rowing classes and I feel like a million bucks afterwards. The best part is that they’re open 24/7 so I can always fit in a workout.
I can’t believe nobody has mentioned this, Kimmy’s season 1 episode 11 “Kimmy rides a bike!”
This episode shows the class as a cult and an addiction for Kimmy, I guess Tina was really listening to all her SC talk lol
This is the comment I was looking for! They all wore purple scrunchies and wanted to be in the front row lol
I don’t watch this show I need to!
She comes from the richest family in the state of Missouri, so it’s hardly surprising that she spends, spends, spends.
I didn’t know that, interesting!!
Gina, just looked her family up and holy hell they are ‘1%ers’ LOL She seems very sweet and down to earth. Good for her!!!
I knew her family quite well growing up (and I’m was not close to being in the 1%). They are very good people who give extremely generously and are pretty down to earth considering their stratospheric wealth.
I have a hot yoga studio near me and i love it and yet I don’t go because of all the normal reasons people put off exercising BUT I’m going today for everyone who would if they could. Hopefully I can make it a more regular habit.
I’ve tried cross fit, in the big warehouse and after hours in a karate studio. It’s a good workout but not my thing.
The thought of a spin class is so unappealing. I’ve never tried one.
My SIl swears by her orange theory class but I feel like I’m too out of shape to try one. It would be embarrassing to not be able to keep up in such a small focused setting I think.
Omg you Peloton people lol. Everyone I know who has one is equally obsessed with them.
We pay $88/month for family Y membership, which entitles us to use any YMCA anywhere in the world. We have taken advantage of this in other cities and states. We used to live five minutes from the closest Y but now moved another 15 minutes further out so it’s a bit of a pain but still worth it. There’s a swanky private gym near where we live now but no way am I shelling out for it even if it saves me 10 or so minutes in driving time. That’s ridiculous. Our Y just got remodeled and it is absolutely gorgeous with a beautiful mountain view.
She has zero money concerns and never has, so why should she care how much her favorite gym costs?
What? No mention of CrossFit? That’s definitely my church. I am totally annoying about it
If you have a spin bike at home sign up for the Studio Sweat on demand ! You only pay $20 a month and sometimes they have specials for $99 a year. I have been a member for years and the spin classes are great, but they also have bootcamp classes, TRX classes, muscle tone classes, yoga, pilates, etc. You can cancel anytime and every week 2-3 new classes come out. All the trainers are good and you will sweat YOUR BUTT off.