Courtesy of Cycmode
Have you always wanted to drive through the rainforest, cycle through a city in another country or even play in a music video? You’ll be happy to know that you can do all of this and more at the gym. But not just any gym. When ready, such experiences can be enjoyed by rides at the new Cycmode boutique gym in Buckhead, Georgia. The health club is owned and operated by fitness lover Tasha White and hosts immersive indoor cycling, yoga workouts, and HIIT and strength classes. The most notable attraction, however, is the wall-to-wall rides in front of a 60-foot arched video screen. The room, always filled with good vibes and even better melodies, allows you to train to the “Pure Water” of the Migos while the video is played in front of you during an MVR (music video ride). You can also take The Trip courses which allow you to be transported to another world where you climb and sprint while staying on your bike. Another room in the gym has a 12-meter-wide video screen for high-energy HIIT and yoga. Boxing will be offered soon. These unique workouts set Cycmode apart and let its competitors know that White’s establishment is here to stay.
She opened her first studio in 2017 when she lived in Chicago and was only available for indoor cycling. White’s goal from the start has been to “bring a twist to fitness”. Eventually she headed south and opened her Atlanta office last March to expand the types of courses and bring technology and entertainment to wellness. “Immersive fitness just got real,” she says of her gym’s slogan, pointing out the difference between her space and others.
“If you go to a traditional, stationary bike studio, you have bikes in a room, it can be dark, you have a mirror behind the teacher with music,” she tells ESSENCE. “They tell you to climb and stand and sprint and twist and lean and all these things, but all of these things you can actually do here. We have the virtual technology where you can actually see it against the imaginary. “
White has found her way to compete with the growing list of well-known Instagram trainers and seasoned fitness veterans making waves in Atlanta, many of whom are men. She didn’t have to throw caution to the wind to achieve this. As she builds her clientele, an accomplishment in COVID times, she wants to make sure all members are safe. In the bicycle room, every second seat of the 35 available bicycles is left out in order to maintain distance and comfort. The bikes are still getting full and the beautiful studio continues to attract people to join, like Tennille Cooley of Douglasville, Georgia. She’s been a member of Cycmodes since it opened in the spring.
“I’ve always been a proponent of celebrating black owned businesses, especially black girl magic,” says Cooley. “Not many of us do that. You know we’re getting an old building, old equipment because you have to start [somewhere]. They are humble beginnings and there is nothing wrong with that. But when you see the opportunity to get the funding and the capital, you can come in here and they say, ‘Oh! This is a black-owned business? ‘ Yes indeed! It’s because of the perception we get from a black-owned company: we’re ragged, we’re not on time, we don’t have things together, or the system is crashing. You don’t have that here. So when you see it, you want to help elevate and celebrate it. “
As Cycmode grows, there are plans to bring it to local colleges and universities to include students. White wants to build a franchise model with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUS) like Spelman and allow the younger generation to make an impact, including by sharing the benefits of training.
“We want to expand to these campuses and hire their students as trainers,” says White. “This will teach them about business and running a company. You have to find ways to keep fitness fun and motivate us, especially in the black community. “
If you’re interested in what Cycmode has to offer but unable to experience any of the gym’s featured rides and other intense options in person, you can join Cycmode Digital starting September 18th (World) Live Streaming Home subscriber courses. More information is available at www.cycmode.com.
