WASHINGTON 鈥� Six days a week, Alex Robinson leads hundreds of Washingtonians through 45 minutes of intense climbs, sprints and interval workouts 鈥� all on a stationary bike in a stadium-style room that was once a theater.
But two years ago, Robinson was doing something much different. He was patrolling the streets of London in a classic 鈥渂obby鈥� suit and tall hat 鈥� and occasionally policing appearances by the royal family. ()
鈥淵ou could say I鈥檓 on a bit of a different career path now,鈥� says Robinson, who served in London鈥檚 Metropolitan Police force from 2009 to 2013.
That鈥檚 because these days, Robinson is focused more on intervals than investigations. He鈥檚 the lead indoor cycling instructor at on Florida Avenue in Dupont Circle.
It鈥檚 quite a departure from his uniform-clad days across the pond, but when Robinson moved to D.C. to be with his wife, he decided to pursue a career in fitness and personal training.
鈥淒.C.鈥檚 such a wonderful fitness community, and everyone feeds off each other鈥檚 energy,鈥� he says, adding that he always enjoyed working out from his days training as a police officer.
His career switch turned out to be a good move 鈥� and is likely one that will keep him busy. After all, the popularity of indoor cycling doesn鈥檛 seem to be cooling down.
In 2014, opened its first studio in D.C., after experiencing success in New York and Los Angeles and building a list of . Since then, it鈥檚 opened two additional studios in the area.
New York-based Flywheel moved into the District in 2015, and has expanded to 36 locations throughout the U.S., and even two locations in Dubai. D.C. is also home to a number of small, locally owned cycling studios, such as and .
Robinson says the intensity of the cycling workouts is what keeps customers coming back.
In a dimly-lit room, bikers are led through a workout of constantly changing torque ranges and RPMs that can be adjusted based on experience level.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e getting the right range, you know where you need to be, but you can also customize it, so it鈥檚 really effective to the individual,鈥� Robinson says.
Results keep riders coming back too.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of science out there about how effective intervals are for targeting fat stores and also increasing your metabolism. So you can take a class and you鈥檙e going to get the metabolic benefits of that for several days after,鈥� says Robinson, who adds that the workouts also help to build and maintain lean muscle.
The number of calories burned per session varies from individual to individual, and riders at Flywheel receive an estimated amount after each workout on the studio鈥檚 app. Those who want to ignite a little friendly competition in class can also do so by opting to have their names displayed on the studio鈥檚 鈥渢orqboard,鈥� which ranks riders based on performance.
Sound too intense? Robinson says not to let the competition be a deterrent. The class style is especially inviting for beginners.
Unlike bright gyms, Flywheel鈥檚 cycling studio 鈥� and many others like it 鈥� remains dark, which is helpful for those who are worried others might see physical evidence of the pain that comes with each sprint. And while the lights remain low, the volume on the stereo is high, so as to drown out gasps for air.
But most of all, Robinson says, the culture is nothing but friendly and encouraging.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a special experience. It鈥檚 safe, it鈥檚 effective and it鈥檚 efficient. You come in and 45 minutes later, you鈥檝e got a great workout and you鈥檙e heading home,鈥� he says.
As of now, Flywheel is not reporting plans to expand its presence in D.C.; representatives say the company is focused on its Dupont studio. If you鈥檙e interested in giving a class a try, Flywheel offers free sessions for first-timers.
