Business Profile: Spinsational, Briarcliff Manor
Barry Coleman was in good shape virtually his entire life. But by 2002, years of working at a corporate job and lots of business travel conspired to send his weight soaring.
Some 25 pounds overweight, a friend encouraged Coleman to join him at a local spinning class, a version of the old stationery bike but with music and an intensive 45-minute to one hour workout.
At first Coleman didn’t care for it, because the seat he was sitting on was much too uncomfortable for his backside. But a woman in the class introduced him to a gel seat and soon he was hooked.
By 2004, looking for a way to supplement his income, Coleman became an instructor and over the next seven years began leading as many as 20 classes a week at gyms throughout Westchester and Putnam counties.
“The music, the class, some have 25 people in the class, you’re getting a lot of energy in the class,” Coleman said of spinning. “Myself, I have a lot of energy. Period. We’d be in there whooping and hollering and when the 45 minutes or an hour was over, I’d be dripping in sweat. I found out that was the best cardio program in all the gyms, bar none.”
In 2011, Coleman and a few partners opened up Spinsational in Briarcliff Manor, a studio on North State Road that devotes much of its focus to what has become one of the most popular exercise activities in the nation. Coleman said Spinstational’s program is about 75 percent spin class, the high-energy cardio workout. Patrons can top off the final quarter hour with kinesis, a training regimen that uses light weights to help tone and chisel the body.
The advantage of spinning, said Coleman, who lives in Yorktown resident and is a lifelong Westchester resident, is it has little to no impact on joints such as knees and hips. If someone has had wear and tear on their bodies or has suffered an injury there isn’t the constant jarring and pounding associated with jogging or some other activities.
“It also has the fun element,” Coleman, 59, said of spinning’s appeal. “You have a lot of fun with spinning if the instructor has the right vision and he has the right energy, or she has the right energy. There’s not a fitness program that can offer what spinning does.”
At Spinsational, there are a few other activities for those interested in fitness. Available programs also include jump rope, another top-notch way to burn calories, and BOKWA, an increasingly popular exercise where participants draw letters and numbers with their feet while moving to music.
Coleman also hopes to soon reintroduce yoga to his studio, since many clients now prefer to opt for that after a good spinning class. It’s also popular with women, which comprise a large majority of his clients.
But the bread and butter of his operation is spinning. A 45-minute session can burn off an average of 485 calories, more for those who maintain a higher intensity pace, he said. Almost anyone can participate. The only requirement is being at least 4-foot-8, and for those over 75, doctor’s clearance is required.
“People feed off each other,” Coleman said of the motivation that the class provides.
Beginners are sometimes concerned they’ll slow down the class, but Coleman said he’s gotten rid of his beginners groups. He wants newcomers to see what they can achieve if they’re serious.
For starters, he recommends four to five sessions a week for greatest effectiveness, then scaling it back to three days a week. But he reminds those that fitness isn’t a program but a lifestyle.
“I tell people when they walk through this door, it’s not a program, fitness is not a program, it’s a life’s journey,” Coleman said. “Once you get yourself fit, you have to continue to work out in order to remain fit.”
Spinsational is located at 450 N. State Rd. in Briarcliff Manor. To learn more, call 914-502-0614 or visit www.spinsational.net.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
