When I say I am literally the most average Joe you will ever meet when it comes to working out, I mean it.

I’m not the person you see at the front of a packed SoulCycle class, shouting out inspirational quotes and having no trouble instructing five classes in a row.

When I came to Denison I was so excited to hear about the spinning classes they offered. I had been to JoyRide (a spin studio with a couple locations around my hometown) around five times in the past three years of my life, and loved the workout I had gotten from each class.

At first I was hesitant about the fact that the classes offered were student led, getting the impression that they wouldn’t provide the kickass workout one gets from an actual studio and or gym with. However, halfway through my first class I realized I was incredibly mistaken.

A different environment in no way means a less intense workout. I spent my first semester as a regular attendee of classes led by Stephanie Munoz ‘18 and Tommy Solberg ‘21.

I became obsessed with the music, tough workout, energy and incredible amount of sweat that accompanied each session.

After a semester of attending, they approached me about becoming a teacher. I was so excited to be given the opportunity to have a job on campus that provided a workout at the same time as some extra cash.

The first time I instructed a class I was terrified, but you get used to it pretty quickly. The shakiest part of the whole experience is being up front. Everyone is watching you to copy your movements and listening for instruction on what to do next. Once you get used to that though it becomes really fun. You get to plan your own playlist, know what workout is coming up next and get to be the source of energy for everyone in the class.

One of the more stressful parts of the job is when classes fill up. In order to sign up for a class all you have to do is text either Steph, Tommy or me. Because the studio only has 10 bikes, classes fill up super quickly. It’s always a bummer when someone asks when the next open spot in a class is and your answer revolves something around 2 weeks away. However, we are working on coming up with a better system where it’ll be more of a “first come first serve” basis, making the whole sign up process more fair.

If you’re interested in taking a class, feel free to text one of us and sign up! The schedule for classes can be found online at my.denison.edu.