Jesse Alexander: Don’t Mess with the Best
Let me start off by saying that Jesse is one of my favorite fitness instructors of any type, anywhere. He is a straight up dose of pure exercise therapy, both mentally and physically. So…you have an idea of where this review is going.
On Jesse:
- Jesse has just the right kind of attitude for the career he’s chosen: super friendly with his riders, but doesn’t let them get away with a thing (never tell him you’re tired or your bike was too tight or your back hurts, he will treat you to a noticeable eye-roll).
- Focuses on the “team” mentality. He’s constantly telling his riders to draw energy from their “teammates” in class, instructing each person to be mindful of their body language - because you never know who’s watching you for inspiration.
- Curses like a fucking sailor throughout the ride. Jesse’s dad was present for one of the classes I took with him (Jesse made sure to announce this) and I think this inspired him to curse MORE, not less.
Jesse-isms:
There are a few moves and terms that Jesse applies pretty regularly in his class, always flavored with a snarky comment du jour about pop culture or sports.
- “Rhythm Jogs”: Jesse picks songs with a discernible beat and lets his riders just rock it out from side to side, asking everyone to focus more on enjoying this segment of the ride than on their torque/RPMs.
- “Two Up Two Back”: Essentially a two beat tap-back to the tempo of a Jesse-flavored hip-hop track.
- “Keep it Sexy”: If everything went according to the imagination of Jesse, we would all meet our significant others in his class because we were all riding so sexily. This leads to my next Jesse-ism.
- “Couples that ride together stay together”: The proof is sitting in the front row - his wife is one of his biggest fans and often makes an appearance (and until recently, was massively pregnant. Legitimately cycled until two days before birthing).
On the Class:
- One of the reasons I became such a Jesse fan, besides his fun personality, is that his class is challenging. All of the instructors at Flywheel give you a run for your money, but I feel an extra special burn in Jesse’s class.
- I can track my success easily in this class (and any Fly class). When I check my stats online afterwards I always have a general idea of what numbers I’m going to see - you can’t fake it if you’re having a bad spin day.
The Fun Stuff:
- Great music: the best part about his playlist is the VARIETY. He very rarely repeats songs, though he does have a few favorites that he whips out for sprints or rhythm jogs.
- Theme rides: Jesse’s always looking for new ways to pump up his riders and reach new audiences. He loves musical theme rides (Beyonce/Jay-Z after Blue Ivy was born, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Old School Hip Hop).
- Working together: Jesse also partners up with other instructors at Flywheel to mix things up; he’s done two “Triple Threat” (http://blog.rateyourburn.com/blog/post/2011/11/14/event-review-triplethreat-flywheel-sports-with-chris-tracey-grant-belton-jesse-alexander.aspx) rides with Grant Belton (http://blog.rateyourburn.com/blog/post/2011/10/26/class-review-fly-45-with-grant-belton-flywheel-sports.aspx) and Chris Tracey (http://blog.rateyourburn.com/blog/post/2011/09/18/class-review-fly-45-with-chris-tracey-flywheel-sports.aspx), and has a “Prince/Michael Jackson” ride coming up with a Fly's Danielle Devine ([http://blog.rateyourburn.com/blog/post/2011/10/13/class-review-fly-45-with-danielle-devine-flywheel-sports.aspx] finally, a female!)
In Sum:
If you don’t know, now you know, reader.
Jesse is a cycling blast, his classes are challenging and a ton of fun. He's garnered himself quite the following - he's always hounded by admirers after class, and I must admit that I myself am drunk on the Kool-aid that is Jesse A.
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