With so many gyms and fitness groups to choose from, it takes a lot for a program to stand out from the crowd. But Boca Park indoor cycling studio XCycle isn’t just about breaking a sweat, it’s about creating a community.
Founder and instructor Jen Barnet wants everyone who takes her class to leave feeling like a better person. “We want you to feel as if you are on the Strip in a club, but you’re partying in the most healthy, amazing way,” Barnet says. “You’re not walking out with a hangover. You’re feeling more powerful, more inspired than when you walked in.”
The LA-to-Vegas transplant fell in love with rhythm- and music-based cycle classes years ago when SoulCycle swept through California. When Barnet decided to move to Vegas three years ago, she noticed the absence of her favorite cycling classes. “I said, ‘I need to do this on my own, to build this out here.’”
A “community of indoor cycling lovers in a low attitude environment,” XCycle opened its doors in 2016. Inside, the beautiful boutique-style studio mimics a club environment—there’s even a giant glowing wall that changes colors along with the music. The goal, Barnet says, is to create emotion in the room. “If it’s a heavy hill, we want to pick songs that are going to have lyrics that uplift you. Our job is to keep you inspired and motivated.”
Attend one of Barnet’s classes and you might even hear her drop one of her personal favorites, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Growing Up (Sloane’s Song).”
“It’s a song I like to play in the beginning of my ride just to set the tone, or I like to play it in a hill because the song’s lyrics are so powerful,” she says. “It just really gets you thinking and you end up pushing.” XCycle at 750 S. Rampart Blvd., 702-489-6099, xcyclelv.com.
