Glen Ellyn spin studio to offer 'rockin,' calorie-burning classes
Something always gets in the way.
Work. Errands. A new "Star Wars" trailer. Anything to avoid going back to the place that usually leaves us exhausted and ready to curl up in the fetal position.
But hear Janelle Sullivan explain her workouts, and you'll probably quit making excuses.
"We'll dim the lights. We'll turn up the tunes. We'll get this place rockin,' and it'll be a lot of fun," says Carin Fanter, a former client turned fellow instructor.
This place is Sullivan's new spin studio, RISE Cycle in downtown Glen Ellyn and, like her, it's full of energy and endorphins.
"They'll leave here feeling pretty amazing," Sullivan said.
She encourages her team to bring their personalities and soundtracks to group fitness classes. Fanter likes AC/DC and Def Leppard - the "happy metal."
"We still want it to be an intimate experience," said Fanter, operations manager. "We want our instructors, just like at RISE Fitness, to feel like they get to know their customers, that they understand what their goals are and that they can support them through their goals."
The roughly 700-square-foot space is a couple doors down from Sullivan's flagship, RISE Fitness Studio. It's not a gym, she says, but a community, where Sullivan celebrates the trimmer waistlines, the success stories and the birthdays.
"That is what is unique about us - the personal touch," Sullivan said.
At the spin studio, classes are a cardiovascular workout that engage the legs, abs and arms. Cyclists face the instructor and a floor-to-ceiling mirror. They can plug in USB drives into the bikes and record their heart rate and other data. Unlike other models, these bikes don't merely track speed, but power in watts.
Besides burning major calories, expect to get a "mental release" in two kinds of classes, Sullivan said.
The RISE Ride includes 45 minutes of cycling on Schwinn stationary bikes followed by 15 minutes of weights and stretching. The hourlong RISE Race is geared more toward athletes in endurance sports who can keep up their training indoors. But instructors tailor their routines and welcome cyclists of all skill levels to both sessions - even if their last time on a bike involved training wheels.
"We want to inspire people to really push themselves," Fanter said.
Sullivan's business had a humble start, first running classes out of her basement. She spent about 10 months teaching out of her daughter's dance teacher's studio and opened RISE in May 2014.
"I am so proud, and to be able to see a dream come true and from the beginning to the end, makes me have tears in my eyes," Sullivan said.
During a weekend opening celebration, the spin studio will offer $10 classes Saturday and Sunday at 505 Pennsylvania Ave. A full schedule is listed at Riseglenellyn.com.
It's a natural next step for Sullivan, to continue offering variety and keep clients from making those excuses.
"Now, we're really a one-stop shop," she said.