Spin x HIIT at CycleHouse Indoor Cycling

January 14, 2020

Spin x HIIT at CycleHouse Indoor Cycling

I’ve had my fair share of cycling across different boutique studios in Metro Manila, but I’ve never done a combination class where indoor cycling and high intensity interval training would go together.

As if burning over 600 calories per ride wasn’t enough, the additional burn from the HIIT session made me wonder if I could handle such an advanced class or die in the process. As my first workout of 2020, I couldn’t help but want to give this combo workout a try.

What and Where is CycleHouse?

“Cyclehouse rides go beyond the choreographed, rhythm-based moves, sprints, climbs, and resistance; we aim for a full mind-body experience to keep the endorphins and good vibes flowing long after you leave the studio.”

Founded in 2017, it’s known to provide a great indoor cycling experience at an affordable rate. Located on the 8th Floor of the Padilla Building (across Strata 2000, beside Jollibee Plaza) in walking distance of the big Ortigas mall district with MegaMall, Podium and Robinsons Galleria. They recently renovated their pioneer branch and gave it a whole new look!

For ClassPass, Ortigas has the most number of studios within walking distance offering indoor cycling – UpperDeck Lifestyle Center, CycleHouse at the Padilla Building, Ride Revolution in Shangri-La and Gold’s Gym at Ayala the 30th. CycleHouse Indoor Cycling has the most number of available classes in the Pasig area. Their classes usually range at 4 credits per class, regardless of the difficulty or length.

Other than their Advanced – SPIN x HIIT (60 mins) class, they also offer tiered difficulty rides that start with Beginner (45 mins), Intermediate (55 mins), Advanced (70 mins), Intermediate – Themed Rides(45 mins), Intermediate – Resistance (45 mins) that have schedules as early as 6:45am to 8:55pm, which means you won’t have an excuse to not go!

(Photo grabbed from the CycleHouse Indoor Cycling Facebook Page)

What are the CycleHouse facilities like?

In terms of inclusion, they provide free water and small towel for the workout proper. Shoes are included for regular packages but not for ClassPass users (more on this later), but you may bring your own pair if they are SPD or Look Keo compatible. They also have lockers where you can leave your things during the sessions, but you’ll need to bring your own padlock. As of writing, there are no complimentary bath towels, soap or conditioner in the showers so you will need to bring those with you in case you want to shower afterwards.

There is limited parking in the building so you should call 09054771888 if you intending to park within the building with a fee of Php 50 for the first two hours.

What is SPIN x HIIT?

SPIN x HIIT is a one hour class that combines both Indoor Cycling and HIIT. There are two versions of the workout being offered: Spin x HIIT: Glutes and Abs & SPIN x HIIT: Arms and Shoulders. The main difference is the kind of where the HIIT workout focuses, which is good if you intend to take these classes regularly as your muscles will need recovery time in between sessions.

I did both classes on different days and personally enjoyed the SPIN x HIIT: Glutes and Abs workout the best. I really feel like it was challenging and left me body a good kind of sore afterwards. You will need to change shoes from cycling shoes to rubber shoes in between the session.

The SPIN Experience

I have to say that I was a bit disappointed when I found out that ClassPass users had to pay an additional Php 50 to borrow the shoes for spinning. This is partly because it’s normally included in their regular class rates and I’ve gotten used to every other studio having it inclusive with their credits. I didn’t enjoy my first spin class with them because I had problems clipping the shoes to the bike and they kept coming off during the workout. I came out with a few bruises on the lower legs when the shoes unclipped and hit my lower leg while they spun. This was the first time this ever happened to me and I’ve been to several spinning studios already.

Despite issues with the shoe clipping, I did think that Jaspher, who led all the classes I’ve taken with CycleHouse so far, was a great instructor. Music was good and he always led the class with a good energy. Compared to other spinning studios I’ve tried, it was much more like an intense aerobics class on a bike, which was a fun in its own way. While the class was tagged as an advanced class, the community as well was a good mix of people who go regularly, those on ClassPass like me and those who are just starting out.

The HIIT Experience

Unlike F45, which recently exited ClassPass Philippines late 2019, where the boutique studio is built around the HIIT Team experience with TVs that show the moves and countdowns across the studio, CycleHouse’s HIIT is done inside the free area of its boxing gym Elite Fitness next door.

While I’m not particularly shy, one aspect of boutique fitness experiences that I tend to appreciate is the intimacy of not having people not doing the same workout as you distract you. The first session I did for Spin x HIIT: Arms and Shoulders was then a bit distracting for me because there were boxing coaches on break who watched us for most of the session.

The actual HIIT workout was done in stations and teams. The instructor would show everyone how it was done once and then place a cellphone on a whiteboard where it would count down the seconds until it was time move to the next station. They would proceed to go around and check the form and encourage people to do more. I did appreciate the several times the coach came up to me and corrected either bad form or encouraged me to take on heavier weights.

It felt like the HIIT session was a great way to end the session because it felt like I had 2 workouts in one afterwards. For all the sessions I attended, there was also a nice community energy with regulars meeting and going through the workout with newbies. They even do this thing where they ask for your ages and your team’s goal on the last stretch is to match your age’s total number in terms of reps.

Rates and Class Schedule

Among indoor cycling studios in Metro Manila, the currently have most affordable class rate for non-package classes starting at Php 350 for their M-F classes before 12pm, while their standard single ride is Php 600 per session. You can check out their rates here.

Last Thoughts

I definitely enjoyed meeting both old and new friends who live, work and study in the Ortigas area for a change, as one of CycleHouse’s advantages is their differentiated and distinct class types for people who don’t want to get overwhelmed for their first indoor cycling experience. It’s definitely somewhere I can bring friends to try the workout for the first time without breaking the bank!