I have a confession to make. I’ve been enjoying one of the hottest fitness trends in NYC for months and haven’t shared details yet! But a special event this weekend has inspired me to finally spread the word. So what’s the secret? SoulCycle!

OK, so it’s not so hush-hush, considering it’s been mentioned in nearly every newspaper and celebrity magazine (Kelly Ripa, Chelsea Clinton, Brooke Shields and many more attend) since it opened it’s first studio in 2007. Now SoulCycle has eight locations around Manhattan, the Hamptons and Miami. They’re planning to expand even more in the future, so stay tuned if you don’t live near a studio yet!

For newbies, spinning is like kicked-up stationary biking, with a machine that has a weighted flywheel that makes it more comparable to road riding. Fun fact from this month’s issue of FITNESS: A spin class torches more post-workout calories (some may call this the “afterburn”) than intervals, running, walking, strength or circuit training. In fact spinning tops the afterburn list!

It’s a serious workout that generally includes:

• Flats: mimic riding on a path with no elevation changes, can be seated or standing
• Jumps: alternating between pedaling in and out of the saddle
• Climbs: crank up the resistance!
• Sprints: a 30-second or so segment during which you give your absolute all

SoulCycle adds a touch of flair to the traditional spin class with a focus on core and upper body strength too. During the ride, attendees can expect chest and triceps presses on the handlebars, oblique crunches and a long song dedicated to high-rep, low-weight upper body strength moves all while keeping the pedals spinning. SoulCycle also focuses a lot on the mental aspects of exercise: Motivational mantras line the walls, loud music pumps through the sound system and the class is lit with candles.

I’ve attended—and adored—several SoulCycle classes over the past few months, including an extra-special one tonight. Jeremy (above) hosted a 60-minute session with a Michael Jackson soundtrack in honor of the King of Pop’s death exactly two years ago. In fact, they even chose the time of day to sync up with the timing of the day’s sad events. We climbed to “They Don’t Care About Us,” lifted with “Thriller” and tackled the last hill thanks to “Man in the Mirror” (the perfect song choice to fuel me through the last peak!).

The creators of spinning recommend keeping your heart rate between 50 and 92 percent of your maximum heart rate during the class to achieve the best workout possible. I’ve never tracked this officially before—I generally can feel when I need to amp up the intensity or slow it down—but no better time than the present, right? For the M.J. tribute ride, I strapped on my handy new heart rate monitor/watch and was pretty happy with the results:

The high that you feel walking out of the studio…I wish it could be bottled! I love the challenge that spinning offers and the mind-body benefits. Consider it Healthful Bites-approved :)

Sound off: Have you tried spinning? If so, what’s your favorite part of a class? If not, is there something specific that’s holding you back?

In other news, the sweetheart Brooklyn Fit Chick highlighted me on her blog this week. Check it out!