How SoulCycle lost its soul
January 29, 2021 12:59 PM Subscribe
The boutique fitness phenomenon sold exclusivity with a smile, until a toxic atmosphere and a push for growth brought the whole thing down. "“Your riders should want to be you or fuck you. That was the mantra,” a former instructor I’ll call Bobby says. “And those two concepts are not mutually exclusive.”
... A former employee shared a photo with Vox of a sticky note that hung in the studio’s office. On it, a quote attributed to Janet said that if riders start asking if they were on cocaine or say that they look like they had an eating disorder, it means that instructors are hitting their goal weights."
“lost”?
posted by Going To Maine at 2:33 PM on January 29, 2021 [13 favorites]
posted by Going To Maine at 2:33 PM on January 29, 2021 [13 favorites]
"...the treadmill was invented ... to cause the incarcerated to suffer..."
Nothing gives me a more of a sense of moral superiority than biking to our local bike trail and passing a boutique cycling studio that's two blocks from the start of the (free! outdoor!) path.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 2:43 PM on January 29, 2021 [15 favorites]
Nothing gives me a more of a sense of moral superiority than biking to our local bike trail and passing a boutique cycling studio that's two blocks from the start of the (free! outdoor!) path.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 2:43 PM on January 29, 2021 [15 favorites]
This reminded me of Broad City for some reason.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 2:48 PM on January 29, 2021 [8 favorites]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 2:48 PM on January 29, 2021 [8 favorites]
From the article: “we inhale intention and exhale expectation”
Don't get involved with any organization that spouts stuff like that.
posted by SoberHighland at 2:49 PM on January 29, 2021 [43 favorites]
Don't get involved with any organization that spouts stuff like that.
posted by SoberHighland at 2:49 PM on January 29, 2021 [43 favorites]
Or if you have to, make sure you get compensated for it.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 2:57 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 2:57 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
I read this a few weeks back, and although I knew nothing about SoulCycle besides recognizing the name, I wasn't surprised by most of it. As someone who can be a bit obsessive about exercise, albeit largely due to health concerns, I've watched a number of people get sucked into similar platforms/groupthink things similar to SoulCycle. Cults of whichever fitness lifestyle brand. Heck, SoulCycle even put the expectation in their name.
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 3:00 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 3:00 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
There are outdoor SoulCycle classes on stationary bikes now and I feel like they are so close to understanding something.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 3:16 PM on January 29, 2021 [97 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 3:16 PM on January 29, 2021 [97 favorites]
I've watched a number of people get sucked into similar platforms/groupthink things similar to SoulCycle.
It's not the concept of these kind of fitness places that lead to disaster and ruin, but the people running it and their "Core Beliefs™".
OrangeTheory is a good example. It's a fitness brand with a "cult" following similar to Peloton/SoulCycle/Bikram Yoga/CrossFit/etc. But, metrics are kinda abstract (Splat points!, which is really just minutes in Zone 4+ according to HRT), everything is time based (vs reps), and even the distance-y stuff like rowing is time cap. Even the cardio is modified base on ability (running -> walking -> bike), so if you have knee problems you can do something easier on your joints.
But, most importantly, the clientele and general not a bunch of assholes. When I went, pre-Covid, half my classes were middled aged house wifes that put on "It's Wine O'Clock Somewhere!" sweaters on after class ended. And they fit right in with the early 20's "I'm going to...CRUSH THIS WORKOUT BRO!" dudes with their protein shakes, and with the 40 year old tech bro trying to get decent at pushups for once in his life (uh, so that's me). Anyway, it will worked, and everyone at all different levels all had a good time.
posted by sideshow at 3:22 PM on January 29, 2021 [9 favorites]
It's not the concept of these kind of fitness places that lead to disaster and ruin, but the people running it and their "Core Beliefs™".
OrangeTheory is a good example. It's a fitness brand with a "cult" following similar to Peloton/SoulCycle/Bikram Yoga/CrossFit/etc. But, metrics are kinda abstract (Splat points!, which is really just minutes in Zone 4+ according to HRT), everything is time based (vs reps), and even the distance-y stuff like rowing is time cap. Even the cardio is modified base on ability (running -> walking -> bike), so if you have knee problems you can do something easier on your joints.
But, most importantly, the clientele and general not a bunch of assholes. When I went, pre-Covid, half my classes were middled aged house wifes that put on "It's Wine O'Clock Somewhere!" sweaters on after class ended. And they fit right in with the early 20's "I'm going to...CRUSH THIS WORKOUT BRO!" dudes with their protein shakes, and with the 40 year old tech bro trying to get decent at pushups for once in his life (uh, so that's me). Anyway, it will worked, and everyone at all different levels all had a good time.
posted by sideshow at 3:22 PM on January 29, 2021 [9 favorites]
Just a reminder if you think everyone in spin class is missing the point: not everybody feels safe or comfortable biking on the road.
Other criticisms of fitness cults may still apply.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 3:29 PM on January 29, 2021 [116 favorites]
Other criticisms of fitness cults may still apply.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 3:29 PM on January 29, 2021 [116 favorites]
I have to walk past a spin class to get to my corner store/bodega. The horror show of rich and rude and maskless people that I have to skirt around is enough for me. No thanks. Byeeeeeeeeeeee.
posted by lextex at 3:29 PM on January 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by lextex at 3:29 PM on January 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
There are outdoor SoulCycle classes on stationary bikes now and I feel like they are so close to understanding something.
As someone was once somewhat serious about cycling: The real serious boys and girls might not be in your outdoor SoulCycle example, but they aren't tooling around on the bike path either. On my days where I was doing pretty much anything but hills, long distance, or recovery, I was indoors on my smart trainer.
Dealing with the public on the bike path was always a disaster (most people think it's actually a "stand around in a group of 6 across the entire area" path), and traffic was bad enough where I lived that the cars also would also get in the way. If SoulCycle did power zone training, I might have done that instead.
posted by sideshow at 3:31 PM on January 29, 2021 [18 favorites]
As someone was once somewhat serious about cycling: The real serious boys and girls might not be in your outdoor SoulCycle example, but they aren't tooling around on the bike path either. On my days where I was doing pretty much anything but hills, long distance, or recovery, I was indoors on my smart trainer.
Dealing with the public on the bike path was always a disaster (most people think it's actually a "stand around in a group of 6 across the entire area" path), and traffic was bad enough where I lived that the cars also would also get in the way. If SoulCycle did power zone training, I might have done that instead.
posted by sideshow at 3:31 PM on January 29, 2021 [18 favorites]
I have no love for SoulCycle but there's a ton of reasons someone might not want to be on roads or trails but still want to get cycling-type exercise outside within reach of accessible toilet facilities, basic medical supplies, a telephone that can definitely reach 911/fully-reliable cell service, the security provided by an actual facility with staff in it, transportation that can be immediately accessed in the case of a family/childcare/work emergency.
A lot of people just cannot go out and ride bikes. It's mostly only white men who can do so without taking a shit-ton of expensive and/or time-consuming precautions or are allowed to take the kind of time off distance cycling requires, and even they are often still at the mercy of hostile environments.
posted by Lyn Never at 3:31 PM on January 29, 2021 [93 favorites]
A lot of people just cannot go out and ride bikes. It's mostly only white men who can do so without taking a shit-ton of expensive and/or time-consuming precautions or are allowed to take the kind of time off distance cycling requires, and even they are often still at the mercy of hostile environments.
posted by Lyn Never at 3:31 PM on January 29, 2021 [93 favorites]
The cycle part of SoulCycle is just something that can be done by a group of people, of all shapes and sizes, together. It's a means to an end (fitness).
I've been in plenty of cycling group rides that disintegrate at the first hill or stop sign. It's even less inclusive than a $34 SoulCycle class.
posted by meowzilla at 3:41 PM on January 29, 2021 [8 favorites]
I've been in plenty of cycling group rides that disintegrate at the first hill or stop sign. It's even less inclusive than a $34 SoulCycle class.
posted by meowzilla at 3:41 PM on January 29, 2021 [8 favorites]
Some of us just hate the outdoors!
I genuinely enjoy pedalling in place while watching anime characters beat the shit out of each other. If you see me outside on a trail of some kind, you should probably call the cops because I've been kidnapped.
As I read the article, I had a sudden glimpse of what at least one of the new Sex and the City episodes will be: Charlotte joins an exercise cult, gets in a brawl after she loses first bike, Carrie disapproves of the whole thing, but jumps in, handbag flying, when the fight begins.
posted by betweenthebars at 3:53 PM on January 29, 2021 [11 favorites]
I genuinely enjoy pedalling in place while watching anime characters beat the shit out of each other. If you see me outside on a trail of some kind, you should probably call the cops because I've been kidnapped.
As I read the article, I had a sudden glimpse of what at least one of the new Sex and the City episodes will be: Charlotte joins an exercise cult, gets in a brawl after she loses first bike, Carrie disapproves of the whole thing, but jumps in, handbag flying, when the fight begins.
posted by betweenthebars at 3:53 PM on January 29, 2021 [11 favorites]
....it made working out transcend being a chore or even a necessity, becoming something spiritually and physically empowering, possibly even emancipating.
i just lost some weight immediately after reading that.
posted by lalochezia at 3:54 PM on January 29, 2021 [15 favorites]
i just lost some weight immediately after reading that.
posted by lalochezia at 3:54 PM on January 29, 2021 [15 favorites]
I ride a bike that takes me places AND I use a stationary bike!
posted by aniola at 3:56 PM on January 29, 2021 [9 favorites]
posted by aniola at 3:56 PM on January 29, 2021 [9 favorites]
FWIW, my joke wasn't that broad. I get stationary bikes and exercising indoors. I was riffing on bringing an indoor adaptation of the outdoors... outdoors.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 3:58 PM on January 29, 2021 [14 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 3:58 PM on January 29, 2021 [14 favorites]
A place where I used to work had stationary bikes outside because a team used them for training, so it doesn't seem odd to me. They would pedal furiously, hop off, do some kind of exercise that involved bouncing on the ground, then hop back on. Maybe it was a burpee? A crossfit colleague tried to explain burpees to me once, but the whole concept was so stressful I couldn't absorb it.
posted by betweenthebars at 4:07 PM on January 29, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by betweenthebars at 4:07 PM on January 29, 2021 [4 favorites]
Or, crazily enough, both indoor and outdoor cycling have their advantages and disadvantages. When the weather is good, or good enough, and the people on the path are reasonably considerate, nothing like pedaling outdoors on a well-maintained trail without too many cage (car) crossings. And few things so miserable when most or all of those conditions don't prevail. (Also the safety issue, which varies considerably with the race and gender of the rider vs. where they are, and when.) Indoor cycling has the advantage of controlling any number of X factors, and the new machines are pretty good at being adjustable to different levels of difficulty; you can even get something like this that you can stick a real bike on and get the best of both worlds, depending on the factors above. Sign up for a reasonable online fitness plan, like Zwift or Apple's new Fitness+, and you can even get some group activity/reinforcement without it getting too culty. (I said too culty.)
posted by Halloween Jack at 4:20 PM on January 29, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by Halloween Jack at 4:20 PM on January 29, 2021 [5 favorites]
I like Swift because I’m alone in my basement and people can give me a “ride on”. Of course I’m also broke so had to cancel my subscription and now I just ride alone. Really fascinating article.
TLDR: People are horrible.
posted by misterpatrick at 4:35 PM on January 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
TLDR: People are horrible.
posted by misterpatrick at 4:35 PM on January 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
I've honestly been tempted by Hydrow. Is there someone here that can tell me that they are terrible so that I don't feel guilty about not buying one?
posted by Quonab at 5:03 PM on January 29, 2021
posted by Quonab at 5:03 PM on January 29, 2021
Just a reminder if you think everyone in spin class is missing the point: not everybody feels safe or comfortable biking on the road.
One of the things I eventually learned as a runner is that people who enjoy say, ellipticals, or treadmills, don't not just run outdoors because somehow, the idea had never occurred to them. 20s me, you were an idiot.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 5:38 PM on January 29, 2021 [20 favorites]
One of the things I eventually learned as a runner is that people who enjoy say, ellipticals, or treadmills, don't not just run outdoors because somehow, the idea had never occurred to them. 20s me, you were an idiot.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 5:38 PM on January 29, 2021 [20 favorites]
I haven’t been in my gym since March, and I have an ebike that gets a lot of use once winter is over, but working out on a stationary bike means I can just focus on exercise and stress relief without worrying about being hit by a car, which is a nice thing when you need it.
posted by heurtebise at 6:06 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by heurtebise at 6:06 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
I never did SoulCycle but I did get into spin classes at a popular gym chain once. There can be some real magic with a talented instructor and a good setup. The dim lights, the loud music, the charisma and energy of the instructor, combined with the endorphin rush can really make it seem like an "event" and leave you feeling elated (if exhausted). It sounds like what I experienced was a watered-down version of the SoulCycle formula for the masses. There were certainly some instructors I gravitated toward but I never felt a sense of competing for their attention and I dreaded it when the only available bikes were in the front row because I felt like they'd notice if I was slacking off and/or cussing at them (but then, I'm not a competitive person, so I could have just been oblivious to what some others were feeling). At any rate, I can absolutely see how this sense of euphoric "event"/"experience" combined with the high school exclusivity antics of the affluent could be a potent combination.
posted by treepour at 6:17 PM on January 29, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by treepour at 6:17 PM on January 29, 2021 [6 favorites]
I was lucky enough to live where I could bike commute and get good weekend "away" rides. But with the CA smoke, then rain and the pandemic I'm starting to almost see the attraction of indoor cycling — but at home. I'm slowly getting sucked into Zwift (at least until the weather gets nice and the days get longer.)
But this article isn't so much about indoor cycling as it is about a weird business cult. The work "toxic" gets tossed about a lot these days. but SoulCycle sounds like it could be the dictionary definition of "toxic workplace." Yech. Too bad.
posted by cccorlew at 6:26 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
But this article isn't so much about indoor cycling as it is about a weird business cult. The work "toxic" gets tossed about a lot these days. but SoulCycle sounds like it could be the dictionary definition of "toxic workplace." Yech. Too bad.
posted by cccorlew at 6:26 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
TLDR: People are horrible.
I’m pretty sure that’s in the specs.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:44 PM on January 29, 2021 [6 favorites]
I’m pretty sure that’s in the specs.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:44 PM on January 29, 2021 [6 favorites]
> a popular instructor once told him not to let a specific rider book what’s known as the “boyfriend bike” — the bike that’s directly in front of the instructor’s podium. [...] The rider was able to book the bike anyway, and so the staffer, honoring the instructor’s wishes, moved the rider. [...] “She called literally within 30 seconds of me doing that, because you get a notification email when your bike gets moved, and began verbally assaulting me,” [...] “They would bully people who booked front row bikes and would confront them in the studio physically,” [...] Many would hang out with their most adoring fans outside of class, and those riders would then talk about having drinks with their favorite instructor within earshot of other riders, resulting in even more hostility.
There's something very human about this -- but not uniquely human. Bonobos might be skeptical as to the merits of spin cycling, but they'd totally dig the dominance hierarchies (wiki).
posted by are-coral-made at 7:11 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
There's something very human about this -- but not uniquely human. Bonobos might be skeptical as to the merits of spin cycling, but they'd totally dig the dominance hierarchies (wiki).
posted by are-coral-made at 7:11 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
>> Don't get involved with any organization that spouts stuff like that.
> Or if you have to, make sure you get compensated for it.
Putting aside the workplace being something of a cult, the setup could roughly be a reasonable win-win-win exchange between the customers, the instructors, and business's owners: wealthy customers get to exchange a bit of spare cash for motivation, fitness, and social status from membership of an exclusive in-group; instructors get to combine their their time and energy with the business' facilities and marketing reach in return for a cut of the class fees, as well as the opportunity to grow their own private client list they might be able to monetize later; and the business's owners get to exchange their time, energy and capital invested into the business for a cut of the generated cash flow from clients.
> the most notorious riders were a faction of what’s known as Akin’s Army — riders devoted to instructor Akin Akman. Former employees say that though Akman, who now has his own fitness company, AARMY, with fellow ex-SoulCycle master instructor Angela Manuel-Davis
A successful spin-off venture, & the cycle continues ...
posted by are-coral-made at 7:12 PM on January 29, 2021 [4 favorites]
> Or if you have to, make sure you get compensated for it.
Putting aside the workplace being something of a cult, the setup could roughly be a reasonable win-win-win exchange between the customers, the instructors, and business's owners: wealthy customers get to exchange a bit of spare cash for motivation, fitness, and social status from membership of an exclusive in-group; instructors get to combine their their time and energy with the business' facilities and marketing reach in return for a cut of the class fees, as well as the opportunity to grow their own private client list they might be able to monetize later; and the business's owners get to exchange their time, energy and capital invested into the business for a cut of the generated cash flow from clients.
> the most notorious riders were a faction of what’s known as Akin’s Army — riders devoted to instructor Akin Akman. Former employees say that though Akman, who now has his own fitness company, AARMY, with fellow ex-SoulCycle master instructor Angela Manuel-Davis
A successful spin-off venture, & the cycle continues ...
posted by are-coral-made at 7:12 PM on January 29, 2021 [4 favorites]
I have zero interest in soulcycle and these cult-like fitness gurus gross me out. I'm also getting weirded out but some of the data monitoring for things like Peloton. I've seen commercials for that home fitness mirror in which you basically just workout in front of a camera and the commercial says, "get your whole family involved" and shows adults and children doing aerobics and I was just so skeeved out. So rife for potential abuse of those cameras.
And since there's been a conversation in the thread about it, I myself cannot bike because I have almost no peripheral vision and would barely feel safe riding a bike on my driveway, let alone a road. But stationary bikes inside a gym can have its annoyances so the idea of doing a stationary bike class outdoors in the fresh air sounds nice. As long as it's in view of trees or water or something nice to look at, I'd be down for it.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:30 PM on January 29, 2021 [9 favorites]
And since there's been a conversation in the thread about it, I myself cannot bike because I have almost no peripheral vision and would barely feel safe riding a bike on my driveway, let alone a road. But stationary bikes inside a gym can have its annoyances so the idea of doing a stationary bike class outdoors in the fresh air sounds nice. As long as it's in view of trees or water or something nice to look at, I'd be down for it.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:30 PM on January 29, 2021 [9 favorites]
the day I found out what soulcycle was was when my bike got a flat tire and I wheeled it into what I thought was the nearest bike shop, where I found a reception desk manned by two impossibly fit ladies who sneered at me.
posted by Jon_Evil at 9:18 PM on January 29, 2021 [26 favorites]
posted by Jon_Evil at 9:18 PM on January 29, 2021 [26 favorites]
Speaking of working out in public being a privilege, my #1 and #2 reasons for running indoors are cyclists and men, not necessarily in that order. Especially the entitled sidewalk-hogs in my town who happen to be both.
posted by armeowda at 10:37 PM on January 29, 2021 [12 favorites]
posted by armeowda at 10:37 PM on January 29, 2021 [12 favorites]
It’s weird how hard people slag on spin classes. I’m an avid cyclist that has done 25k+ miles on the road and has taken spin classes since 1998, am certified to teach and went to Soulcycle five times a week for a couple of years early on. Spin is very different than riding on the road—different enough that it can be much worth it, but like lycra and running red lights it’s something that a lot of folks just can’t or won’t understand. No distractions, a very stable bike, you can close your eyes. AND, riding with a room full of people to good music is really pleasurable and can lead you to a workout you would never hit on your bike. I can burn 1100 calories in 60 minutes on a spin bike... I think it would take me 2.5x as long on a road bike + riding to and from the park, etc.
The deal with spin classes is that 90% or more of the teachers are really bad. Bad form, bad workout, bad music, talk too much. It is hard to find good instructors. At least in NYC this is because they are paid $35 a session or less. Soulcycle paid their good instructors good money and so they had really good teachers. And that was worth it for a while. Then something happened — probably what the article describes — and there were fewer and fewer good teachers. And then other things about the classes changed: they were pushing the students too hard. Telling us to dial the resistance way up and then stand and ride at a very high cadence. It became evident that pretty much the whole class was cheating: riding without any resistance so that they wouldn’t fall out of step, so that they looked like they were doing the really hard work (which was just not possible... you can’t push 350watts for an hour if you weigh 120lbs.) So it became a status thing and that was awful and nearly everyone that I knew stopped going in the same 6mo stretch. And my favorite instructor died and my other favorite quit at that some time. Something was amiss.
But — I have no compunctions saying that when it was good it was very very good. I stopped eating out and cut other budgets way back so that I could afford to go and the effects on my fitness were tremendous. All things must pass, though.... I went to a single class last year and it gave me the fantods. And now, like so many people, I ride by myself in my office on a kickr and zwift... which is fine, yay, but I don’t get to 1000+ calories in an hour before work or over lunch, with all the endorphins and the feeling of wellebeing. I miss it.
posted by n9 at 11:53 PM on January 29, 2021 [24 favorites]
The deal with spin classes is that 90% or more of the teachers are really bad. Bad form, bad workout, bad music, talk too much. It is hard to find good instructors. At least in NYC this is because they are paid $35 a session or less. Soulcycle paid their good instructors good money and so they had really good teachers. And that was worth it for a while. Then something happened — probably what the article describes — and there were fewer and fewer good teachers. And then other things about the classes changed: they were pushing the students too hard. Telling us to dial the resistance way up and then stand and ride at a very high cadence. It became evident that pretty much the whole class was cheating: riding without any resistance so that they wouldn’t fall out of step, so that they looked like they were doing the really hard work (which was just not possible... you can’t push 350watts for an hour if you weigh 120lbs.) So it became a status thing and that was awful and nearly everyone that I knew stopped going in the same 6mo stretch. And my favorite instructor died and my other favorite quit at that some time. Something was amiss.
But — I have no compunctions saying that when it was good it was very very good. I stopped eating out and cut other budgets way back so that I could afford to go and the effects on my fitness were tremendous. All things must pass, though.... I went to a single class last year and it gave me the fantods. And now, like so many people, I ride by myself in my office on a kickr and zwift... which is fine, yay, but I don’t get to 1000+ calories in an hour before work or over lunch, with all the endorphins and the feeling of wellebeing. I miss it.
posted by n9 at 11:53 PM on January 29, 2021 [24 favorites]
When I first heard the phrase "spin class" I visualized these guys. So disappoint. ;-)
posted by sammyo at 6:42 AM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by sammyo at 6:42 AM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
Side note: a lot of exotic dancers are motivated by the basic human needs to eat and be housed, provide for children, etc. Yeah, some dancers may be making a living wage, as opposed to minimum wage workers who are making less than a living wage, but (much like ballet) very, very few are getting rich.
posted by eviemath at 6:47 AM on January 30, 2021 [7 favorites]
posted by eviemath at 6:47 AM on January 30, 2021 [7 favorites]
Sometimes exotic dancing is what ballet hopefuls do to pay the bills while just starting out, in which case the motivations are exactly the same.
posted by eviemath at 6:49 AM on January 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by eviemath at 6:49 AM on January 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
Everything I know about SoulCycle up until now came from watching The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. This is gonzo, and thanks for posting it.
posted by jquinby at 6:51 AM on January 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by jquinby at 6:51 AM on January 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
Yes and don't remember body odor during intense ballet technique class, and the dancers were not book intellectuals but had deep understanding of art, music, theater, and were in it for the creativity and expressiveness.
Anyway, not a class or group kind of cyclist, the only spin class I took was for training for an event in the basement of a bike store, intense but did not last. Reading the article though, an exercise class that did not have glaring overhead lights, good music seems much more pleasant than gym style. Not that there's anything wrong with gyms.
posted by sammyo at 7:54 AM on January 30, 2021
Anyway, not a class or group kind of cyclist, the only spin class I took was for training for an event in the basement of a bike store, intense but did not last. Reading the article though, an exercise class that did not have glaring overhead lights, good music seems much more pleasant than gym style. Not that there's anything wrong with gyms.
posted by sammyo at 7:54 AM on January 30, 2021
I dated a hardcore soul cyclist about 5 years ago. I'm super biased, but that toxic aspirationalism was always there. That's not weird, tho, right? Every exercise brand from crossfit to yoga is based around these dynamics, as far as I've ever been able to tell. I also dated the owner of a yoga/Pilates* gym and was always amused by the mystic/astrologic names they gave the poses and the blatantly SandM names they gave the Pilates machines. The one stop shop for your 50 Shades of Gray crowd that wanted to indulge both their inner butterfly and their dirty washcloth.
I don't mean to be derisive or dismissive. But as a shlubby guy on the outside who has (oddly enough) dated a lot of deeply fitness-minded people and thus gotten a participating outsider's perspective: gyms are about sex and power and transactionlism. Thither athleticism. When has it ever not been the case? Why were ancient Olympians nude?
"There are parallels between fitness instruction and the sex trade," is up there with, "Award shows are political."
*I should say that I totally respect my ex's degree in and experience in exercise and physiology. She was brilliant and helped people be healthy and recover from injury while building her own business and employing folks. I'm a bit less but still respectful of yogis for the same reason. I'm just saying the marketing ranges from silly to exploitative, as most marketing does. My ex would fully agree.
posted by es_de_bah at 9:53 AM on January 30, 2021 [8 favorites]
I don't mean to be derisive or dismissive. But as a shlubby guy on the outside who has (oddly enough) dated a lot of deeply fitness-minded people and thus gotten a participating outsider's perspective: gyms are about sex and power and transactionlism. Thither athleticism. When has it ever not been the case? Why were ancient Olympians nude?
"There are parallels between fitness instruction and the sex trade," is up there with, "Award shows are political."
*I should say that I totally respect my ex's degree in and experience in exercise and physiology. She was brilliant and helped people be healthy and recover from injury while building her own business and employing folks. I'm a bit less but still respectful of yogis for the same reason. I'm just saying the marketing ranges from silly to exploitative, as most marketing does. My ex would fully agree.
posted by es_de_bah at 9:53 AM on January 30, 2021 [8 favorites]
Great article - this covers a lot of ground too. There's everything from fitness fads, to a business success story, to service culture, to politics, to private equity and on and on. Thanks for posting.
I have a couple scattered thoughts to share.
First, I wanted to react to this: gyms are about sex and power and transactionlism. I'm in no way calling es_de_bah out here, just that the comment hits on a sub-text contained in many other comments.
I completely disagree that gyms are about sex and power and transactionalism. Instead I think those are elements of service cultures. Almost every word of the article describing how trainers interacted with the customers could be lifted and recontextualized in an article about waiting tables, just for example. Gyms, particularly studios with classes, are another manifestation of how humans interact when the power dynamics are asymmetrical. Those elements of sex and power are not in the essential fabric of gyms - they are in the essential fabric of hospitality business. And mainly because those issue are very much embedded in our culture as a whole.
Second, I want to point out that training in a gym or a class is a very vulnerable thing to do. You work hard and then you're judged by yourself or others according to one metric or another. It's this vulnerability that can lead to the cult-like behaviors called out in this and other articles. People bond in adverse situations (and what is 90 minutes on a stationary bike other than an adverse situation?) SoulCycle just added the air of exclusivity to the mix.
Lastly, I love my gym. I love fitness. I am not athletic. It took me years to get over myself and just enjoy fitness for the challenge of it. I'm not the fastest or strongest or best looking person there. But I have my goals, reasonable as they are, and I move towards them. I have benefited immensely both physically and mentally from being active. I include this only to point out that gyms are not inherently toxic - they are just places.
posted by elwoodwiles at 10:52 AM on January 30, 2021 [13 favorites]
I have a couple scattered thoughts to share.
First, I wanted to react to this: gyms are about sex and power and transactionlism. I'm in no way calling es_de_bah out here, just that the comment hits on a sub-text contained in many other comments.
I completely disagree that gyms are about sex and power and transactionalism. Instead I think those are elements of service cultures. Almost every word of the article describing how trainers interacted with the customers could be lifted and recontextualized in an article about waiting tables, just for example. Gyms, particularly studios with classes, are another manifestation of how humans interact when the power dynamics are asymmetrical. Those elements of sex and power are not in the essential fabric of gyms - they are in the essential fabric of hospitality business. And mainly because those issue are very much embedded in our culture as a whole.
Second, I want to point out that training in a gym or a class is a very vulnerable thing to do. You work hard and then you're judged by yourself or others according to one metric or another. It's this vulnerability that can lead to the cult-like behaviors called out in this and other articles. People bond in adverse situations (and what is 90 minutes on a stationary bike other than an adverse situation?) SoulCycle just added the air of exclusivity to the mix.
Lastly, I love my gym. I love fitness. I am not athletic. It took me years to get over myself and just enjoy fitness for the challenge of it. I'm not the fastest or strongest or best looking person there. But I have my goals, reasonable as they are, and I move towards them. I have benefited immensely both physically and mentally from being active. I include this only to point out that gyms are not inherently toxic - they are just places.
posted by elwoodwiles at 10:52 AM on January 30, 2021 [13 favorites]
Haven't read the article yet but am I misremembering that people started boycotting soulcycle a few years back because they contributed to the Trump campaign?
posted by aspersioncast at 11:06 AM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by aspersioncast at 11:06 AM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
People have a lot of reason for preferring a spin class to riding outside.
If you are in America, riding on the road is nerve wracking. Drivers both don't expect you and don't want you there. They will drive into oncoming traffic around a blind curve pass you on a road with no shoulders. They will pass too close. They will honk. They will scream. They will cut you off to make a right turn in 100 yards. They will get pissed, even when you are exceeding the speed limit.
Trails are crowded with unleashed dogs, darting children, and pedestrians blocking the width of the trail.
"I like spin classes more than riding on the road or trails." is a perfectly valid preference and doesn't deserve to be smugly shat on in every discussion of exercise. Not everything works for everyone. Spin classes harm no one. Shaming people for their preferences does.
[Yes, yes, caveats apply. A bad spin instructor, etc. etc. Spin classes in and of themselves are not actively harmful in the world we live in right now. Even in your ideal world were bike commuting is safe, there will still be people who can ride an indoor bike but cannot ride a bike outside, people motivated more by riding in a large class than an empty trail.]
posted by JawnBigboote at 11:38 AM on January 30, 2021 [8 favorites]
If you are in America, riding on the road is nerve wracking. Drivers both don't expect you and don't want you there. They will drive into oncoming traffic around a blind curve pass you on a road with no shoulders. They will pass too close. They will honk. They will scream. They will cut you off to make a right turn in 100 yards. They will get pissed, even when you are exceeding the speed limit.
Trails are crowded with unleashed dogs, darting children, and pedestrians blocking the width of the trail.
"I like spin classes more than riding on the road or trails." is a perfectly valid preference and doesn't deserve to be smugly shat on in every discussion of exercise. Not everything works for everyone. Spin classes harm no one. Shaming people for their preferences does.
[Yes, yes, caveats apply. A bad spin instructor, etc. etc. Spin classes in and of themselves are not actively harmful in the world we live in right now. Even in your ideal world were bike commuting is safe, there will still be people who can ride an indoor bike but cannot ride a bike outside, people motivated more by riding in a large class than an empty trail.]
posted by JawnBigboote at 11:38 AM on January 30, 2021 [8 favorites]
Every time I read an article like this where they're describing a cult (or an organization with cult-like features) I think to myself "what kind of cult is this? What's it based around?" It seems like SoulCycle is a sex cult. Which isn't necessarily bad! It's an excellent way to get endorphins and ocytocin at concentrations well above FDA approved levels. You just gotta be careful about not creating a toxic cesspool of vanity and exploitation. So maybe that didn't go well in this case.
Also it sounds like Equinox thought they were buying a money cult. Whoops.
posted by Leeway at 12:37 PM on January 30, 2021
Also it sounds like Equinox thought they were buying a money cult. Whoops.
posted by Leeway at 12:37 PM on January 30, 2021
You can buy an Echelon Sport bike at SprawlMart for $400 or so and ride whenever you want in the privacy of your home without having to worry about the plague, how well you do or whether or not you're wearing the right clothes. It's ideal for introverts who love biking but live where it snows in the winter.
posted by tommasz at 1:49 PM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by tommasz at 1:49 PM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
After reading this thread, I'm starting to think that making an activity into a matter of moral superiority (or moral failure, if you don't do it) will inevitably lead to someone making it into a cult.
(Have there been any successful cults not centered around feelings of moral superiority/inferiority?)
posted by clawsoon at 1:56 PM on January 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
(Have there been any successful cults not centered around feelings of moral superiority/inferiority?)
posted by clawsoon at 1:56 PM on January 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
Some of the culti-ness comes from startup culture and its need to see itself as always revolutionary and innovative. It won't do to merely build a fitness business, take it to success, and provide a pleasant and useful service while making a large stack of money. Mediocre! What is called for is an entirely revolutionary way of thinking about fitness, that will change human beings and society, and confront the users with an opportunity to transform every aspect of their lives.
posted by thelonius at 2:04 PM on January 30, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by thelonius at 2:04 PM on January 30, 2021 [5 favorites]
Hey, I have a question: if someone starts a cult against you*, but you're interested in joining it or supporting it, what does this do?
Has this occurred in history before?
Can you still be a member?
Asking for a friend who is totally not in this situation or typing this-
posted by firstdaffodils at 2:21 PM on January 30, 2021
Has this occurred in history before?
Can you still be a member?
Asking for a friend who is totally not in this situation or typing this-
posted by firstdaffodils at 2:21 PM on January 30, 2021
who tf would ask if someone is "on cocaine" and is cocaine=skinny even a common stereotype?
posted by ToddBurson at 2:40 PM on January 30, 2021
posted by ToddBurson at 2:40 PM on January 30, 2021
who tf would ask if someone is "on cocaine" and is cocaine=skinny even a common stereotype?
Enough that it made it into the lore of the Comedy Central roast jokes:
Enough that it made it into the lore of the Comedy Central roast jokes:
But Nick DiPaolo had the joke of the night focused on Leary's buddy Lenny Clarke, "Did the Bowflex get lost in the mail? Holy s---. How can you have a coke problem and a weight problem? This is unbelievable. What are you snorting, confectionary sugar?"posted by mmascolino at 3:01 PM on January 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
Dude... there was this period in time called the 1970s. Also, a sociological phenomenon labeled “Fashion supermodels”. And a music movement called “Disco”. Plus every cocaine joke by every stand-up comedian ever.
Yes. Powder cocaine is associated with wealth and upper-class fun and being skinny.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 3:02 PM on January 30, 2021 [6 favorites]
Yes. Powder cocaine is associated with wealth and upper-class fun and being skinny.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 3:02 PM on January 30, 2021 [6 favorites]
See also Inside Amy Schumer's “Plain Jane” / diet cocaine trafficking skit. (Video probably geo-locked, unfortunately; it's in S03E02, 2015.) And, sadly, Robin Williams doing stand-up bits about cocaine involving literally climbing the walls of the theater, obviously actually high during the act.
posted by XMLicious at 4:42 PM on January 30, 2021
posted by XMLicious at 4:42 PM on January 30, 2021
How can you have a coke problem and a weight problem? This is unbelievable. What are you snorting, confectionary sugar?"
For the record T-Rex's Marc Bolan is known to have simultaneously stumbled into cocaine abuse and weight gain. Whereas his contemporary (and rival) David Bowie adhered to the cliche of skinny and wasted. This is the kind of thing one learns from reading catty biographies about glam rock icons.
posted by philip-random at 5:26 PM on January 30, 2021 [5 favorites]
For the record T-Rex's Marc Bolan is known to have simultaneously stumbled into cocaine abuse and weight gain. Whereas his contemporary (and rival) David Bowie adhered to the cliche of skinny and wasted. This is the kind of thing one learns from reading catty biographies about glam rock icons.
posted by philip-random at 5:26 PM on January 30, 2021 [5 favorites]
Hey, I have a question: if someone starts a cult against you*, but you're interested in joining it or supporting it, what does this do?
Has this occurred in history before?
Can you still be a member?
Apparently that varies by white supremacist group. Eg. if you're brown but a dude, macho enough, Libertarian-inclined or fascist-inclined, and willing to violently defend "Western Culture" as being superior to your own, then you're totally welcome in the Proud Boys. Haven't seen too many non-white three percenters, eg., or whatever the heck the Bundys are, though. Some groups would definitely just beat you up and leave you for dead (please don't try to join one of those). If Richard Spencer encountered and enthusiastic Black groupie, or Jordan Peterson encountered a fervent supporter who was trans, it would possiby blow a fuse in their brains, and could potentially be entertaining for bystanders.
In your more traditional religious cult settings, their responses seem to have ranged from elaborate show of baptizing/equivalent ritual the sinner followed by years to decades of surface politeness but lack of social acceptance into the group, to atonement/cleansing/punishment rituals that range in severity from pretty serious hazing to very serious and potentially deadly abuse. A few smaller and more insular cults just outright deny membership (eg. I don't think Westboro Baptist Church would admit a gay person, or even an "ex-gay" person?), but generally cults try to grow as much as is possible without cult leaders loosing their power and control.
posted by eviemath at 8:44 PM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
Has this occurred in history before?
Can you still be a member?
Apparently that varies by white supremacist group. Eg. if you're brown but a dude, macho enough, Libertarian-inclined or fascist-inclined, and willing to violently defend "Western Culture" as being superior to your own, then you're totally welcome in the Proud Boys. Haven't seen too many non-white three percenters, eg., or whatever the heck the Bundys are, though. Some groups would definitely just beat you up and leave you for dead (please don't try to join one of those). If Richard Spencer encountered and enthusiastic Black groupie, or Jordan Peterson encountered a fervent supporter who was trans, it would possiby blow a fuse in their brains, and could potentially be entertaining for bystanders.
In your more traditional religious cult settings, their responses seem to have ranged from elaborate show of baptizing/equivalent ritual the sinner followed by years to decades of surface politeness but lack of social acceptance into the group, to atonement/cleansing/punishment rituals that range in severity from pretty serious hazing to very serious and potentially deadly abuse. A few smaller and more insular cults just outright deny membership (eg. I don't think Westboro Baptist Church would admit a gay person, or even an "ex-gay" person?), but generally cults try to grow as much as is possible without cult leaders loosing their power and control.
posted by eviemath at 8:44 PM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
Assuming we're now talking about the kinds of cults I think we're talking about, the concepts “honorary whites” and “honorary Aryans” are relevant. (And “honorary male”, for that matter.)
posted by XMLicious at 9:08 PM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by XMLicious at 9:08 PM on January 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
Okay, but SoulCycle is not some kind of egalitarian place that embraces those who have been priced out or displaced from "traditional" cycling.
It's $34 per session.
I've been a full-time bike commuter for more than 10 years. I started because I was too poor to do anything else. I still do it because the moral hazard is far less than anything else available to me. I'll be the first to say that all of the bad things about cycling are true, but also that most of those things don't matter. Yes, there's a weird male-dominated cycling subculture, and yes, you should absolutely ignore those people, because they only represent about 5% of the people who actually ride bikes. (Also, yes, cycling in the US is far more dangerous than it should be, but also, it's still safe enough)
Yes, the people who are trying to win the Tour de France (and those who follow them) are profoundly toxic. Ditto for the people who pay $34 to pseudo-competitively ride a stationary bicycle indoors for an hour.
Working-class cycling, though? The people who bike because they can't afford the bus fare? The people who bike because they don't want their commute to kill the planet? Those of us on $200 bikes that we maintain ourselves? That's the good shit, and there's actually a huge and surprisingly great community. There are dozens of us!
Yeah, the thing that wealthy suburban men do on the weekend is weird and exclusive, but, TBH, those guys are little more than bicycle cosplayers. Just ignore them, please, for the love of God.
posted by schmod at 9:28 PM on January 30, 2021 [5 favorites]
It's $34 per session.
I've been a full-time bike commuter for more than 10 years. I started because I was too poor to do anything else. I still do it because the moral hazard is far less than anything else available to me. I'll be the first to say that all of the bad things about cycling are true, but also that most of those things don't matter. Yes, there's a weird male-dominated cycling subculture, and yes, you should absolutely ignore those people, because they only represent about 5% of the people who actually ride bikes. (Also, yes, cycling in the US is far more dangerous than it should be, but also, it's still safe enough)
Yes, the people who are trying to win the Tour de France (and those who follow them) are profoundly toxic. Ditto for the people who pay $34 to pseudo-competitively ride a stationary bicycle indoors for an hour.
Working-class cycling, though? The people who bike because they can't afford the bus fare? The people who bike because they don't want their commute to kill the planet? Those of us on $200 bikes that we maintain ourselves? That's the good shit, and there's actually a huge and surprisingly great community. There are dozens of us!
Yeah, the thing that wealthy suburban men do on the weekend is weird and exclusive, but, TBH, those guys are little more than bicycle cosplayers. Just ignore them, please, for the love of God.
posted by schmod at 9:28 PM on January 30, 2021 [5 favorites]
Mod note: comment removed: Help maintain a healthy, respectful discussion by focusing comments on the issues, topics, and facts at hand—not at other members of the site.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:15 PM on January 31, 2021
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:15 PM on January 31, 2021
My comment was removed. I guess it was too negative. Some of the language on this thread made me angry. Apologies to the mods.
Here to say that spin classes are great. Going to the gym is great. I think that it is overly negative to indicate otherwise. When I got on a spin bike in 1998 I was 70lbs overweight, pre-diabetic, etc... and in my twenties. I’m 48 now and in perfect health and I credit spin classes and the positivity that I found there. It’s easy to be talked out of making a positive change in your life by people making fun of exercises, clothes, etc. Don’t listen to all that. Get on a bike (or a treadmill or the road or whatever) and just keep going back to it five days a week for three months and see what you think after that. Believe me it’s worth it.
The gist of the the issue here is that it is easy to make something cultish around exercise because of more reasons that I can count. It is also easy to make fun, or cast dispersions on people that are trying to improve their health and their lives. Yes, some folks find health on a wallmart bike and a commute. But some folks find their health other ways—and that’s just as good. The kinds of commentary that angered me would be silly if it weren’t for the fact that they discourage folks from making positive choices in the end. I lost my best friend to a massive heart attack at 41 years old and am well aware that that could have been me, too— were it not for the support that I found when I sought to make a change.
posted by n9 at 10:49 AM on February 1, 2021 [5 favorites]
Here to say that spin classes are great. Going to the gym is great. I think that it is overly negative to indicate otherwise. When I got on a spin bike in 1998 I was 70lbs overweight, pre-diabetic, etc... and in my twenties. I’m 48 now and in perfect health and I credit spin classes and the positivity that I found there. It’s easy to be talked out of making a positive change in your life by people making fun of exercises, clothes, etc. Don’t listen to all that. Get on a bike (or a treadmill or the road or whatever) and just keep going back to it five days a week for three months and see what you think after that. Believe me it’s worth it.
The gist of the the issue here is that it is easy to make something cultish around exercise because of more reasons that I can count. It is also easy to make fun, or cast dispersions on people that are trying to improve their health and their lives. Yes, some folks find health on a wallmart bike and a commute. But some folks find their health other ways—and that’s just as good. The kinds of commentary that angered me would be silly if it weren’t for the fact that they discourage folks from making positive choices in the end. I lost my best friend to a massive heart attack at 41 years old and am well aware that that could have been me, too— were it not for the support that I found when I sought to make a change.
posted by n9 at 10:49 AM on February 1, 2021 [5 favorites]
« Older "Off-puttingly truthful": growing up in a family... | The Library of Eco Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by XMLicious at 2:15 PM on January 29, 2021 [36 favorites]