If you want to feel all the feels, take a SoulCycle class with Mantas at the NoMad to start your day. You’ll leave class floating on an endorphin high. NoMad is definitely one of the nicer Soul studios in NYC and Mantas is one of the most inspirational teachers we’ve had the opportunity to ride with. We’ll definitely be back to SoulCycle NoMad for another Mantas class in the future.
The ride that Mantas put together was great, it was challenging but not impossible. He encouraged us to get warmed up on our own as soon as we were settled on our bikes because class was going to start fast; he wanted us to be ready to go before song #1 was playing. From the very beginning, he gave us ownership of our own ride.
From song number one through the “take us home” song, class was full of ups and downs. We were fast and light, we were heavy and slow, and we were everything in between. There were brief moments of recovery and several moments of breathlessness. He mixed in his own rendition of Soul choreography and we were happy to do new moves which made our Soul ride feel new and different.
We rode with weights for the song right before our arms workout, which was awesome. We’ve done this once or twice before but riding with the weights is hard and you can feel your body engaging and recruiting muscles that are not typically used during a ride in order to counterbalance the weights. The arm workout was more traditional and really focused in on biceps and shoulders.
All in all it was a difficult class. The ride was solid, it had elements of newness (which is appreciated especially for Soul veterans) and it challenged parts of our bodies that may not usually be used as much during a typical class.
Mantas is super cute, extremely fit, friendly and outgoing. He said hi to the majority of the people as they set up and really worked the room, which makes such a difference and really sets the tone for class. As we got going, he reviewed what Soul is all about and the hand positions for the ride. It was nice that he didn’t assume that everyone was a veteran and really made the class feel more inclusive.
As class started, he set the intention and it was all about “ambition, not talent.” He focused on how hard we were trying and pushing ourselves versus how athletic we were as individuals. He tapped into the room using this mantra and the group came alive. Mantas proved that with a good instructor you can ride to music you’re not familiar with or that doesn’t get you dancing. He had so much motivation in his lexicon and was so connected to the group that we found ourselves using his words more than anything else as the fuel in our tank. Our favorite thought of the day was that sometimes we’re not ready to be put in a position that we’re put into, whether that’s in class, in life or at work; however, you grow and you thrive because you are pushed out of your comfort zone. He pushed us outside that comfort zone alright!
At the end of class, he was very reflective on our ride. He used it as a meditative moment for us to really think about what we had just accomplished and how we were giving back to ourselves by taking class. One thing is for sure, we would definitely give back to ourselves by taking his class again.
SoulCycle NoMad feels palatial compared to other locations. The location has two floors, with the check-in desk, a decent sized retail alcove (for all that Soul gear!), some lockers and the studio on the first floor. As you go down to the lower floor, there’s a huge open space where the majority of the lockers are located. There are some benches in the center of this shared area which makes it feel a little like a club house. The lower level is also where you’ll find the locker rooms.
The women’s locker room had six (!) showers and three toilets. There’s a long countertop by the toilets with six (!!) hairdryers (!) which is perfect for getting ready. You can expect all of the Soul amenities you could dream of in the shower stalls and toilets and on the countertops. This is probably the most practical locker room setup we have seen thus far at a SoulCycle location.
12 W 27th St, New York, NY 10001 NoMad Spin $$$$
SoulCycle NoMad
NoMad Spin, $$$$
12 W 27th St, New York, NY 10001
Get the latest reviews, hot classes, go-to instructors, must have gear and pumping beats delivered straight to your inbox every week.
SoulCycleSpin
If you want to witness a badass instructor firsthand, get to Sunny’s class at SoulCycle NoMad. She is an instructor with boundless energy that permeates the room, and the class gave it right back to her. Her words of inspiration and motivation were on point and gave it that SOULful vibe we all seek. Sunny’s class is not for the faint of heart (and she likes it that way), so make sure you come ready to work. Also make sure to grab some earplugs at the beginning of class: the music is so loud you can feel the vibrations in your chest.
Sunny started class by saying, “This class is brought to you by resistance.” That being said, we rode hard and heavy for the full 45 minutes. The only “recovery” we got between songs were exaggerated isolations, which BTW are not breaks, especially with heavy resistance on the wheel. If you can’t get through the warm up without dripping in sweat, you know you’re in for a treat.
Sunny’s music was amazing. Each song was a remix with an EDM twist (not in an obnoxious way) or with a tribal-like drum beat which was dope. She was electrified by her own tunes and so was the class. The remixes made the beat more pronounced so riding to the rhythm was easier even if the hill was a killer. Sunny urged us to make the connection between the resistance and the beat at all times. There was limited choreography because resistance was her priority and she didn’t want to sacrifice that in the name of a tap back.
Arms were limited to hammer curls and triceps. She wanted us to reach fatigue. She varied the cadence of the moves (ex. slow down, fast up) and alternated between tricep extensions overhead and tricep kickbacks to get the tris, but she wanted us to cash out….and we did.
Sunny encouraged the group to cross train and even plugged Barry’s and SLT (which are two spots we love too!). We loved her authenticity and her killer class. Sunny is definitely one of our new faves.
SoulCycleSpin
Mike Press showed up ready to work just as hard, if not harder, than the riders in his class. He seemed soft spoken at first, but perhaps he just needed a warm-up as much as we did, because as class progressed he became more and more alive.
Mike did the entire workout with us. We did some standard choreography but Mike had some atypical moves on the bike that we loved. We did full cross body oblique crunches, rode with one weight extended in front of our body (switching off between hands), and did cross body handlebar switches (our right hand was on the left handlebar and then the left hand was on the right handlebar). The core engagement required to do this move was a challenge alone, and then we had to keep up with his pace!
Mike applied decent resistance throughout the entire class – there was nothing light and fast and at times it was really heavy. He kept us riding to the beat of the music and added resistance as needed. His arms series included several moves: double arm and single arm punches, straight arm raises and bicep curls, and predominantly worked our bis and shoulders.
He waited until the “going home” song to really drop some inspiration on us. Something that stuck with us was when he challenged us to go through our day without making excuses. He went on to say that not making excuses is his 2017 resolution – he has been trying to do that every day since January 1st. Challenging, impressive and thought-provoking…
SoulCycleSpin
Kelly taught a feel-good class. She wanted us to find a resistance that felt good to start and we built on it – and took it off – from there. She didn’t overdo the choreography, which allowed us to really master our form during each song. She kept it fun for us and had energy and inspiration to boot. She is extremely present and urged us to be present as well.
Her playlist was solid although we didn’t know many of the songs … but it kept us going through class. Her arms series was good but extremely fast. She didn’t allow for us to get the full range of motion because the movements were so fast. If you usually go on the heavier side for weights, maybe go a little lighter. Her cues were also a little confusing and tripped us up a few times.
SoulCycleSpin
Amanda is all energy. The energy she exudes fuels the class from start to finish and it’s infectious. What’s even more impressive is that she had this much energy after teaching a class right before us! She rode about 75% of the class with us and the other 25% she was running (literally) around the room showing her riders love. She was highly engaged and gave props to the class for bringing their A game. Her class is like her: high energy. She must know her class is on the harder side because there were a few times where she mentioned modifications for newer riders. Amanda pushes you in all the right ways during class: from her choreography to her moments of inspiration, she keeps you motivated to move when you think you may be spent.
