RevolutionBuffalo

At the beginning of the summer, I accidentally took a SoulCycle class in DC. (This, of course, is a story for another time.) While I can live without the $30-a-class price tag and SoulCycle-trademarked ~motivation~, I was genuinely surprised by how much the workout challenged me. Spinning is HARD, you guys.

Call it fate (or ad optimization), but when I returned to Buffalo, an ad for Rev's new client special appeared on my Instagram feed. A week of unlimited classes for $20 was simply too good to pass up, so off to Rev I went, wondering how their classes would stack up to the SoulCycle experience I had several weeks prior.

It was amazing. The atmosphere is great, the playlists are fire, and the workouts are killer. Every class was challenging, but the instructors are super motivating (and not in a way that comes off as fake, which was the impression I had of SoulCycle). Each instructor definitely has a different style and vibe. Ultimately I preferred Emily's and Colleen's classes, but I felt accomplished every time I left the studio. I only signed up for spin, but TRX, rowing, and HIIT classes are also found on the weekly schedule.

I'm a little skeptical of the boutique fitness trend in general (why is the price of wellness astronomical all of a sudden?) but as a former D1 athlete, the concept of group fitness and using the people surrounding you as motivation is definitely something I can get behind. Rev definitely emphasizes the community -- it's something you feel when you walk in the door before class, when people are chatting with each other before they get on their bikes, and when they stick around for ten minutes after class just to connect with each other.

Tragically, my week of Rev classes was almost immediately followed by my permanent departure from Buffalo (ugh). I'll definitely come back here for Emily's 10:15am Sunday class any time I'm in the area.