Cyclopedia: The New Kingdom of Indoor Cycling Workouts
With state-of-the-art cycling machinery, supersized screens, and even a juice bar and professional nutritionists on hand, Cairo's newest indoor fitness center, Cyclopedia, is set to be the go-to spot this summer to get in a hardcore cardio workout and keep your body in beach-ready shape!
"When I was in the USA, I noticed how popular indoor cycling studios are, and how much Egypt lacks them - so I did a little research and discovered that it is one of the most effective cardio workouts out there and that's when I decided that I'm bringing this business into my country," says the founder of Cyclopedia, Ayman Saber.
Cyclopedia, which is set to open on Friday the 21st of August, is an indoor cycling studio where you can get in a serious spinning workout on some high tech bikes that will help tone up all them trademark big hips that Egyptians across the board seem to possess. We really are a nation with very, umm, voluptuous lower bodies. But it’s no ordinary, run-of-the-mill cycling class. Located in The Corner Mall, Rehab, this fitness center (also, side note, loving the punny name!) is the only one of its kind in the city, featuring state of the art machines imported from Germany. But the coolest thing here is that sportaholics who go the classes have a huge screen in front of them, displaying motivational movies through an installed projector. Because cycling can get real dull, real fast when you’re staring at a wall, but when you have a giant screen with visuals in front of you, suddenly, it’s totally entertaining. The center will be offering group cycling classes that take up to 18 people per session, starting from 8 AM all the way until 11 PM so you have all day to go and get your cycle on.
The fitness club's founder talks to us about the difference between outdoor and indoor cycling, and explains about the benefits of the latter and has all excited to get into our training shoes and invade the hall. “During indoor cycling classes, you control the resistance of your indoor cycle, making the workout harder or easier as you go," Saber explains. There are several factors when it comes to indoor cycling which influence the intensity of the training; "Cadence, pedal rate and resistance of the bike’s flywheel, can be continually adjusted throughout the class to make pedaling easier or more difficult depending on the rider’s body position, as they either pedal from a seated position or rise from the saddle," Saber elaborates, "Indoor cycling provides tremendous physical and psychological benefits. You are strengthening your entire cardiovascular system working out various muscle groups, speeding up your metabolism, increasing your energy production, strengthening your bones and taking it easy on your joints.” It sounds like the mother of all workouts! Plus, let’s be honest, ain’t nobody want to get on an actual bike and just cycle across Cairo. Can you imagine weaving between traffic? Can you imagine dealing with Egypt’s heat? We don’t want to imagine either to be honest. We’d much rather put on out stylish workout gear and get a workout in an Cyclopedia, in the comfort of a cool ACed room, on really high tech bikes, and with a giant screen, thank you very much.
Although cycling is main sport the center aims to focus on, it is not the only thing they offer. They’re also introducing the TRX section where you use bands and suspension training to work out your calves, thighs and more without the use of any machines to keep a persistent body shape.
For those who like to work out before work, outings or any other events, there are showers and dressing rooms in the center, so you won't have to go into the office all sweaty and in your training gear. Just keep your post-workout outfit safe in the lockers and glam up (even using the hairdryers - YUP!).
Additionally, the center takes a very comprehensive and holistic approach for fitness. They’ve set up a juice bar so that you can keep healthy and hydrated with protein shakes and fresh juices. And the center even has professional nutritionists available to help prepare a complete nutrition\workout schedule for the best performance and results possible. Basically, Cyclopedia is a fitness freak’s happy place!