John Tolley and his wife Monica, both lawyers in Sheepshead Bay, have been trying to unload their peloton for months. While they enjoyed the lessons and praise from the instructors, they now realize they only spent $ 2,000 on the bike and gear because their friends hyped it on Facebook.
“We’re not easy to influence,” Tolley told the Post. “But all of these people told us the greatest thing was that we loved it. It was starting to feel like a cult. We felt like it was going to be a crazy thing where everyone feeds each other. “
Such groupthink is no accident, according to Amanda Montell. The author of the new book “Cultic: The Language of Fanaticism” writes that modern fitness studios today are designed to attract followers with cult-like tactics. The ubiquitous use of “charged mantras and monologues” creates an experience that is “so engaging” that people can’t resist coming back and spreading the message.
“Numbers-only athletes tend to quit within 12 months,” she writes. “When elements of belonging, self-esteem, and empowerment come into play, members are encouraged to renew their fitness memberships year after year.”
It’s an effective marketing strategy that captivates customers with the promise of conditioning both their psyche and chest. And brand-centric buzzwords are becoming a special vocabulary that gives insider status, Montell said.
“The technical jargon converts you, lets love bombard you to make you feel special,” she said. “At SoulCycle, for example, everyone knows that ‘taps’ take the 6 o’clock course, ‘noon on Monday’ is when you sign up for class, and ‘tap-backs’ are the order of the day [pulse] you do on the bike. “
“While it’s really important not to be sensational and equate a workout with a cult group like Jonestown, it’s just as important to know that the goal of fitness companies is to create solidarity, transcendence, elitism for insiders, and an immersive experience, that feels like more than just a workout, ”said Montell.
Today’s focus on body and soul coincides with a social change that has replaced the church with training. Take SoulCycle, for example, which has just been rebranded and even has a new slogan: Mind Altering Fitness. Like a religious space, SoulCycle’s candle-lit studios are decorated with inspiring mantras on the walls that make members feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves.
But there are less healthy downsides. Some popular instructors with a large fan base can have an oversized impact on their students. Some SoulCycle teachers have come under fire on allegations of sexual harassment. (SoulCycle did not respond to The Post’s request for comment. There were also similar widespread allegations against the leaders of Bikram Yoga and CrossFit).
Like cult leaders, charismatic trainers are deliberately assigned multiple roles, Montell said.
“Each teacher has their own cultic language and they are encouraged to blur the lines between training teacher, lifestyle guru, therapist, pastor and best friend,” she said. “That can lead to a strange power dynamic.”
For Tatum Treffeisen, 27, a publicist who lives in the Upper East Side and takes three to four peloton cycling courses a week, she keeps coming back because of the attraction of certain instructors, even if these courses have a “iconic atmosphere”.
“I follow five or six of my favorite teachers on Instagram,” she said. “I love these people and I love to see their stories.”
Treffeisen said having a Peloton Slack channel in the office helps promote connectivity with her colleagues.
“We talk about teachers we love, and I think that’s positive because people inspire each other to train,” she said.
While Montell doesn’t think it is dangerous to yearn for this connection, she does worry that teachers have excessive power over their students.
“I don’t think surrendering to the influence of a training instructor is bad, but when that person’s influence invades your whole life and you base your decisions on what to wear or who to choose based on who they are and what they think is scary, ”she said.
And when a popular teacher has half a million followers, you can bet that he or she is not your friend – or even aware of your presence in class.
“We think of sects as rural communities in the woods or in a mansion or bunker, but I think we have to think a little differently about sectarianism,” she said. “We are all prone to a corruptible guru. It’s just that they are not just out on the woods in the woods now. They are in your Instagram feed. “
