On May 14, 2008, his doctor told him that he was going to die.  Not only was it a chore to get through day-to-day life, like walking up a flight of stairs, but, his heart was working twice as hard as it should.  The next day, he cut out sugar and soda–resulting in a weight loss of 50 pounds over the next few months, alone–and never looked back.

Meet Doug Johnson, über instructor at SWERVE and one of the most inspirational guys on the NYC fitness scene.

Why he’s different: Well, for one thing, there’s Doug’s story–which is pretty unreal, especially once you check him out in a tank top.  In class, you’ll also find Doug alternating between riding and walking around the studio with an iPad in hand, like a clipboard.  Yup, he’s got your RPM, resistance, gear and output right in front of him, so, basically he knows exactly how hard every rider is working at all times. “I hold you accountable because I want you to be a stronger and more efficient rider,” he says.  And really, who wants to mess with that?

Doug’s schedule: “Nothing less than 20 classes per week, typically 24″ which nets out to 4-5 per day.

What he loves about SWERVE: “There’s unity in the team.  We really rile people up and it’s this rooting for their team, and for each other, as friends, that changes how the class ends.”

Where you’ll find him before or after teaching class: At Barry’s Bootcamp! “The best way that you stay on top of your craft is learning from others,” he says, noting that his ever-expanding core group of favorites there include: Patrick Frost, Courtney Paul, Noah Neiman and Natalie Raitano.

What’s inside his closet: Sleek, form-fitting pieces by Y-3, Zara and Lululemon.

Favorite restaurants in SWERVE’s neighborhood? Westville and Republic.

Guilty pleasure? Sour Patch Kids (highly addictive, he says), along with any other type of sugar-loaded, gummy candy.

Fitness (and life) motto: “You are the embodiment of infinite possibilities.”  Can’t argue with that.

Want to book a class with Doug?  Click here.

Opened last week inside David Barton Gym‘s Astor Place location, it gives off a rock ‘n roll club vibe by osmosis, with CYC clients sharing the bustling lobby and dimly-lit locker rooms done up in British rocker chic style.

Combined with the studio’s own music decibel level (very loud) and club crowd (equal ratio of girls wearing diamond studs and Sparkly Soul headbands and tanned, toned guys in muscle tees), you’ll be in full #partyonabike mode by the time class starts.

Fresh off his appearance on Kathie Lee and Hoda/The Today Show, head instructor and CYC creator Keoni Hudoba was himself, tanned and toned (he’s a native Hawaiian) and super psyched about CYC. Hudoba spent the majority of class on the bike, demonstrating upper body moves inspired by sports like swimming, basketball and volleyball (done with 2- or 3-pound free weights throughout the entire 45-minute class vs. via a dedicated segment).

He took a few breaks to cheer us on, separating the 50 riders into three groups for a little friendly competition infused by the studio’s blacklight, and to play a short set on the large steel drum next to his bike. The class is fast-paced, a little frenetic and likely enjoyed most by riders with above average hand-eye coordination.

My biceps and triceps were definitely sore the next day. I do a decent amount of strength training and I find that this usually doesn’t happen after other indoor cycling classes. Bonus points for CYC.

Looking for a little eye candy and some big, crazy fun?  CYC is your place.  Hurts so good.

WIN IT!
The first 15 readers to comment below will receive an exclusive access code from STRENGTH+Sole for a complimentary ride at CYC (David Barton Gym/NYC location only).  So, let me know what you think of this post, what you’re looking forward to experiencing at CYC and see you on a bike!
Winners will be notified via email by Friday, 1/17.

Meet Kari Nicolle (pronounced “Kah-ree”). She’s an actress on the rise, an in-demand Flywheel instructor and the ultimate optimist.  I recently rocked a bike in Kari’s Flatiron class then sat down with her to talk about fitness, favorite products and her forecast for the notoriously tough-to-break-through town of New York City.

Her story: Kari hails from the San Francisco Bay Area and moved cross-country to study theater at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. For her, it was “New York, all the way.” Forever an athlete, having played soccer, softball and ridden horses competitively since grade school, she had never actually worked out inside a gym before moving east.

Now, she’s an actress with an agent and few Broadway and TV gigs under her skinny belt, out to score her first national commercial in 2014. “The talent level in this city is so beyond incredible, it makes me speechless.”

Why she’s different: She’s intensely positive–in and out of the studio. “Being a performer helps, it’s so in our bones to share ourselves with a crowd.”

Kari has mastered the art of teaching (she just celebrated her first “Flyversary” this month) and it may sound strange, but, I felt that she made amazing eye contact, despite the studio’s darkness during class. “I try to connect with every person in the room. People are only there because they really love it, from the staff to our clients…there are so many options,” she says.

What’s inside her beauty bag:
Clarins Gentle Care Day Cream: It’s the only thing that works for her super sensitive skin.

Paul Mitchell Super Clean Sculpting Gel: Great for girls with tight, stubborn curls.

MAC Lipglass in Prrr: “I don’t leave the house without it,” she says, and quickly whipped it out of her handbag to show me.

Fitness (and life) motto: “Don’t get in your own way–and, just keep showing up.”

Want to book a class with Kari?  Click here.

On Friday night, Audrey and Diane, two of my 100-mile relay teammates, drove down from Vermont for a fun fall weekend in the city.  On the agenda: shopping, snacking on B-day Truffles at Momofuku Milk Bar, sipping Salty Dogs at Willow Road and cycling at SWERVE, the newest studio in the city, which opened yesterday.

Located on West 18th Street in the Flatiron, the exterior is reminiscent of SoulCycle, with colorful branded window vinyls.

The SWERVE concept is a team inspired ride, whether you come with friends or solo (both are encouraged). The bikes are brand new Schwinn, with the most amazing flat handles for position 2, separated into three teams: red, green and blue via overhead lighting.

Each bike is equipped with a monitor à la Flywheel and Revolve, but here, it’s synced to measure team performance, which is displayed via color-blocked bar charts on flatscreens. Go, team spirit. (SWERVE’s founders are college friends with finance backgrounds.) You can also check out your personal performance at the end of class via the ride summary that appears on your monitor.

Our instructor was Trisha, a blonde, braided Cali turned city girl. This was her fourth class in two days, but, we never would have known–she had great energy on and off the bike, plus a killer playlist.

After class, you can hit the juice bar with a selection of freshly blended smoothies, Chia Bars and cold-pressed juices from neighborhood favorite Liquiteria.

While SWERVE’s studio interior also looks like SoulCycle, bespoke details make it feel more luxe.

As a new Cory Vines ambassador, I was psyched to see SWERVE’s branded apparel collection includes the brand’s tops and tanks, plus some Nike favorites.

The SWERVE experience was fun. It definitely brings some additional energy to the city’s increasingly crowded cycling scene, And, girls, if you’re looking for eye candy, you can find it here…the studio was filled with cute finance boys on bikes!

Here, a guide to my stay-fit favorites:

The source for post-spin smoothies and juices, plus a selection of natural beauty products, supplements and fresh produce, The Juicy Naam has locations in East Hampton and Sag Harbor.

My friend Laura chose The Moon juice made with Cucumber, Pear, Kale, Lemon and Parsley (left) and I had a I Am Berry Cute smoothie with banana, blueberries, cacao nibs, acai and hemp milk.

Flywheel’s East Hampton studio is smaller, breezier version of the Flatiron location.  You’ll find the same packed class offerings (book early, though) and complimentary shoes and water bottles, so, you can just roll out of bed and still enjoy a great class.

Round Swamp Farm is heaven.  I could buy (and eat) EVERYTHING here–and, it’s so cute!

A fit girl-meets-foodie’s paradise: fruit and veggies, packaged salads, spreads and homemade sauces galore.

Beautiful freshly-cut sunflowers to brighten your table.

And, THE most amazing berry muffins for breakfast.

Right next door is a farmers market with fresh flowers, olive oils infused with fruits and spices and a must-visit cheese maker.  Don’t miss the Chocolate Oat Crunch Cookies by Anke’s Fit Bakery, which are Tracy Anderson’s favorite sweet treat.

Anke’s cookies, snack bars and granola have no refined sugar or wheat flour and are sweetened only with organic maple syrup, agave nectar, raw cane sugar and fruit.  Butter is replaced with canola oil.  Healthy and happy.

Leave the car at the house and bike, especially in Montauk.  Navy Beach is one of my most treasured spots to relax.

Heading east this weekend?  Let me know what are your favorites.

East or west?  Uptown or downtown?  Above or below 14th Street?!

Introducing SoulCycle’s newest NYC studio, which opened to much social fan fare (hello, #WVLG campaign) on Friday at 126 Leroy, next to Equinox Printing House in the West Village (Equinox bought SoulCycle in 2011, helping to grow the brand from 5 studios to 8 in NYC and Brooklyn, alone).

I stopped in for a class over the weekend with my friend Jeremy (last profiled here) and, unexpectedly, actress Liv Tyler.  While smaller than I anticipated, the new studio’s energy was intense.  And, as always, Jeremy rocked the house with his fierce attitude and killer playlist.  My favorite song from his set: “Into the Light” by Sander van Doorn, DubVision & Mako (feat. Mariana Bell).

Forty five minutes later, I grabbed my Mavics, a stick of Orbitz at the front desk and left to stroll back to Chelsea in the sunshine–but, not before I popped into the photo booth to document my first WVLG ride and pose for a Polaroid, posted to the studio’s wall for all to see.

Sweat.  Smile.  SOLE.

See you there.

A few minutes into Jeremy’s class, we’re warmed up and here come the intervals.  Eight seconds in the saddle, eight out, four back in, four out, two in, two out.  Pushups: front, middle, bottom–down, up, down, up, then, side to side for the obliques.  And, HELLO…I’m dying!  He’s got an intensely fierce, down-to-business attitude on the bike, but, when I sit down with Jeremy after class, he’s incredibly soft-spoken and eloquent.  A true southern gentleman.

Looking at him now, I was shocked when Jeremy told me that he’s the only man in his immediate family under 200 pounds.  And, that he spent years as an overweight kid, growing up in South Carolina.  But, then, he moved to New York City and everything changed.

Why he’s different: A classically-trained singer, having studied at AMDA/the College and Conservatory of Performing Arts on the Upper West Side, Jeremy was plucked from behind SoulCycle’s front desk for instructor auditions in 2010.  Now, he teaches 13-16 classes per week and still finds the time (and motivation) to work out solo.

Before SoulCycle, Jeremy was a singer at a Russian nightclub in Sheepshead Bay, where crowd favorites included ballads by Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder; he finds his own inspiration in the music of Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli.  In Saturday’s class, we did the upper body/free weights segment to a sweet, spiritual Whitney Houston medley.

Labels he loves: Though he generally opts for a “sleek, smooth and fitted” look, like the Zara men’s collection, he swears that fashion really isn’t his thing.  He’s just a boy busy with other stuff.

Why he’s sweating, too: If you feel like you’re the only one dripping in sweat at Jeremy’s class, think again.  He feels the burn every time he gets in the saddle, saying that SoulCycle riders “come expecting to be taken to a certain place and I have to take them there, we have to give people what they come for, it’s a lot of pressure.”  But, somehow, I think that he’s totally up for the challenge.

Find your soul with Jeremy in Tribeca.
soul-cycle.com

Meet Tracie Hendricks, a self-professed “risk taker” with an edgy sense of style and seriously killer biceps.  Her class at Crunch, called “The Ride,” is sensory, sweaty and an opportunity for quality self-reflection–with the studio lit only by a sparkly disco ball overhead.

Why she’s different: She brings her contemporary dance background to cycling, with fluid movements and enviable posture on and off the bike.  She exclusively trained billionaire and one-time heir to Harrods retail empire Dodi Fayed and then-girlfriend model Kelly Fisher at a private home on the Champs-Élysées.  She was at the Ritz Paris for Gianni Versace’s final runway show in 1997.

Labels she loves: Balenciaga, Lanvin and Maison Martin Margiela (clearly, a high fashion girl, at heart).  Tracie is also the head of retail for Robin’s Jean, bringing her rock ‘n roll chic sensibility to the biker-inspired denim brand on Grand Street in Soho.

Fitness motto: “Live it, love it, own it.  It’s yours.”

Rock out with Tracie @ Crunch:
Chelsea – 220 West 19th Street (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.)
Midtown East – 222 East 34th Street (btw. 2nd and 3rd Aves.)
crunch.com

Meet Kristin Kenney, one of my all-time favorite fitness icons.  I followed her at Equinox for years–her Saturday morning cycling class at the 19th Street flagship was the place to work (on yourself).  She’s got a new gig at Revolve, NYC’s newest indoor cycling studio, which opened late last year.

Kristin is a jewelry marketing/e-commerce expert and model turned pro cyclist.  Right now, she bikes 50 miles per week; in the spring, that will bump up to 150.  And, she’s got two kids.  Hello.

Why she’s different: Rides are curated for each class based on real roads in Europe and Asia; Kristin draws our route on the studio mirror, highlighting peaks and valleys, based on actually having done each and every one–outdoors.  Today’s 12:30PM ride: Winterkopf, Austria.

Labels she loves: Giorgio Armani, Isaac Mizrahi, Ralph Lauren Purple and Black labels, and Solow (she’s a brand ambassador).

Fitness motto: “It’s not a matter of whether you can, it’s whether you will.”

Can’t argue with that.  See you there.

Revolve: 52 East 13th Street (btw. University Place and Broadway)
revolvefitness.com