BikeRowSki – the perfect combination of competition and sweat

When Rebecca Branagan decided it was time to kick-start her fitness routine, she found a new class that has kept her wanting more six months on

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We all go through our fitness fads. You know the ones – you join your local gym, eat well and work out a couple of times a week. For a month or so.

Flash forward a month and all your goals are out the window and you’re avoiding the gym like the plague.

Let’s be honest – exercise can be hard and it requires a lot of effort and commitment. After getting home from a long day of work, exercising is the last thing on your mind. You’ve been dreaming about getting home to your latest binge-worthy Netflix series and have been contemplating what to have for your dinner since you finished lunch. And sometimes, these things take priority…especially for me.

But recently I have become a real fitness convert. I am no gym bunny but after coming across a relatively new craze called Bikerowski, I found myself on a new fitness journey.

Ultimate challenge

BikeRowSki incorporates spinning, rowing and skiing machines in a “one of a kind” heated fitness studio. Clients’ heart rates are monitored on a 65 inch smart TV using optical heart rate monitors.

According to owner, operator and head coach Stephen Weinman the combination means it is the “ultimate challenge”.

This means real-time advice so you can get the best from your session. It also makes it a very competitive class because you can see your heart rate and calories burnt on the screen in front of you.

The app

One of the big hurdles when it comes to forming a new habit is how easy it is to actually repeat the action. When it comes to fitness, this can mean a class that’s difficult to book can undermine your new-found dedication to your routine.

For me, booking my BikeRowSki class is simple –  download the app, chose the class and arrive. Simple!

When I booked my first class – using the app – I arrived 15 minutes early and slightly nervous for what lay ahead.

However, I was quickly put at ease by Kelly, who explained the class and gave me my heart rate monitor. All set I entered the dark studio and was instantly hit by the 35-40 degree heat. I headed straight for the bike. Having done spinning classes in the past it was the only machine I knew how to use.

Before the session began coach Sarah explained all of the stats that appeared on the TV and the screen on each machine. I had no idea how to use a rower or ski machine, never mind know what an “erg” was. In BikeRowSki, an “erg” is the machine you use – the bikes, skiers and rowers – that make up the class.

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By the time the class was over, I was dripping in sweat from head to toe. I had never experienced sweating like that before, but I felt amazing. The training I received from Sarah was exceptional, totally different to any other gym or class I had been in before. I came out redder than a beetroot but also on such a high, feeling de-stressed and energised.

New routine

It has now been over six months since I kick-started my new routine and I’ve stuck with it! I go three times a week. I honestly don’t know what I love most about the training – the fun and challenge in each session, the noticeable improvement in my overall cardio and technique, the coaches, the feeling of being fitter and stronger and, of course, the music! As well as this there are new friendships and great customer appreciation days.

Bikerowski originally opened in Kinsealy, Co Dublin, and has now opened other venues across the city. For more information on class times and locations visit bikerowski.ie or follow them on Instagram.

And take note… do note wear instant tan to your class or you will come out looking like streaky bacon.

I learnt this the hard way.