If health and wellness are a priority, or you would like them to be a priority, do yourself a favor and take advantage of a free workout or two at Revolution Indoor Cycling, during their open house this Saturday, April 13th from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Located at 1716 Main Street, near Canisius College, Revolution’s newly expanded facility now utilizes 8,000 square feet of space to accommodate 70 diverse classes each week. Included in the renovation/expansion is the opening of the third location of The Healthy Scratch, a quick-service cafe offering healthy food and beverages, owned by Jessie and Kelly Pegula.
Revolution started as a cycling studio in 2015 by owners Colleen Kirk, Rachel McCrone, and Amanda Meyers. After winning an Ignite Grant through 43North and Facebook last year, the trio was able to realize their vision of becoming a diversified workout facility and offer exciting new classes including boxing, kettlebell, TRX, HIIT, and others, along with various cycling classes. You can find a full listing with class descriptions on their website.
The Ignite Grant also allowed for Revolution to hire manager Kathleen Granchelli, one of the founders of Lulu Lemon Buffalo Run Club, who not only handles the day to day operations of the business, but also organizes community outreach events, a part of their business model the owners hold very dear. Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, Revolution members and staff volunteer at Gerard Place, an organization that provides housing and supportive programs for homeless and single-parent families.
It is this commitment to community, along with a dedication to wellness and fitness, that made a collaboration with The Healthy Scratch a perfect union. The Healthy Scratch’s general Manager, Kristina O’Connor, states, “Our philosophy of ‘food with a purpose’ is a great fit for a fitness facility. Having a location at Revolution speaks to three of our seven wellness categories of food for health and wellness, food for energy, and food for recovery.” This is The Healthy Scratch’s third location along with Harbor Center and Roswell Park, and will soon be followed by a fourth location at Buffalo General Hospital.
This location caters to Revolution members, but is open to the public as well, featuring quick service smoothies to order, cold-pressed juices, grab-and-go salads and grain bowls, baked goods, and perfect pick-me-up coffees including cold-brew, high-performance, and regular brew.
Revolution owner Amanda Meyers knows that this is what her members wanted. “The demographics between the two brands are so in-line with each other, it just made sense. We wanted to offer our members an enhancement to their fitness lifestyle by creating a place to hang out a bit after a workout, while enjoying a healthy beverage or meal.”
As someone who has been around the exercise block a few times over the years, I had to do my due diligence and get a feel for what is going on inside Revolution for myself. I started with a “RevShred” class taught by David Pendley at noon on a Tuesday, perfect for a lunchtime fitness fix. David welcomed me into the 2,500 square foot strength training area upstairs, outfitted with treadmills, TRX equipment, water-rowing machines, battle ropes, and free weights.
The aptly named RevShred is a 45-minute circuit training class designed to use all muscle groups while incorporating cardio for a complete but fun work out. Eight stations were set-up with easy to follow descriptions of two exercises to be completed per station on a timed basis. If there is any confusion, Pendley is at your side to get you on track. During this class we carried sand bags on the treadmill, lifted kettlebells on the rower, and used Bosu Balls as weights, along with several other challenging movements. At the end I felt like my entire body had been pushed both mentally and physically, and I really liked it!
Because I am extremely dedicated to our BRO readership, I returned later that evening to take a 60 minute “Run + KB” class taught by Brian Harper at 7:15. Running is not one of my favorite things to do, so I was a bit nervous, but I was also curious about what exactly a running and kettlebell class was. There were about 14 of us for this class and we were randomly divided into two groups. While one group was doing interval running and sprinting work on the treadmills, the other group was doing various kettlebell exercises timed at stations. I’m not quite sure how, but Harper was able to manage both groups’ timing sequences while assisting where needed. After completing our rounds the groups switched. For someone who finds running no fun whatsoever, I actually enjoyed this class and found it easy to modify both on the treadmill and during the kettlebell work.
I decided after this class to treat myself to something from The Healthy Scratch. Someone recently told me that celery is the new kale, and is best consumed on its own, so I grabbed a celery juice from the large, fully and freshly stocked refrigerator case. It tasted pretty much like celery, but I could just feel my body thanking me for all the goodness it was taking in, and I felt great for doing so.
Since Revolution began as a cycling studio, I strutted back in, feeling all toxin-free after my celery juice, and took Lauren Corigliano’s Friday night “RevRide:Rhythm” at 5:00 p.m. Lauren was in the Run + KB class I had taken earlier in the week. She is one fit cookie and I was looking forward to seeing what this class was about. The spin room is located on the main floor and holds 39 riders plus the instructor. As an avid spinner, I can honestly say this class was unlike any I had taken before. The “rhythm” aspect incorporates quick upper body movements coordinated to the beat of the music, while upper body strength training with weights added to the mix. My Fitbit confirmed that this class is a cardio wonderland, my numbers sky-rocketed.
Again, a treat was in order so I decided to indulge in a smoothie. I like some texture in my smoothies so I ordered the “Low Key”; a blend of kale, spinach, banana, almond milk, rolled oats, and pineapple. Delicious, satisfying, and of course, healthy. The perfect punctuation to end a great workout.
Revolution also offers personal training in a dedicated 1,500 square foot space next to the strength training area, and large locker rooms with showers are available to men and women. Plenty of off-street parking can be found in adjacent lot.
If you’re a fitness fanatic, or someone who wants to make a healthy change to your lifestyle, this Saturday’s open house is the perfect opportunity for either.
- Sign up for free 30-minute classes on Revolution’s website.*
- Catch a pop-up Lulu Lemon Buffalo Run Club run at 9:00 a.m.
- Sample smoothies and juices from The Healthy Scratch.
- Sign up for giveaways, including a one-year membership at Revolution.
- Join new fitness friends for a the post-party at Billy Club beginning at 2:00 p.m. with drink specials. After all, even fitness gurus know how to have fun.
I can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday in the city.
*These free classes are already full, but people should still sign up as it is anticipated that some spots will free up.