Spinning is a hit sensation style of cardio that has been around since the 90’s and now a Chicago wellness guru has created Bikettle, which is a combination of cycling, but with the use of a kettlebell that provides a total body workout where you burn tons of calories.
Quentin Love is the philanthropist and wellness guru who created Bikettle. The sessions are led by trained instructors and unlike spinning, this workout is designed as a high-intensity total body workout that allows you to build muscle while burning calories. The workout is comprised of cycling on an indoor bike while incorporating synchronized upper arm workouts with a 5 to 10-pound kettlebell. By adding the kettlebell to spinning, this helps tone and strengthen your muscles. The class is aimed to help burn 600 to 1000 calories per session and it is meant for people of all ages and backgrounds. “When you leave the room, you’re totally transformed,” says Love.
When Love first moved to Chicago, the spinning classes he initially took were boring and he wanted a way to enhance the cycling experience. Love began teaching spin classes two years ago at a Xsport in Chicago. His classes were intense but showed amazing results in his students. He soon grew a loyal following through the class and decided to open his own studio.
Love wanted to put his studio in a location where people lack access to a gym and bring a kind of business that is not available to many in diverse, poorer communities, which is why he opened the Bikettle Indoor Cycling studio in Chicago’s Humboldt Park. When establishing his studio, his main purpose was to help those who are struggling to help make their lives a little easier through fitness. “There are people that come to the studio who had just lost their jobs and don’t have the money to work out. We give them scholarships to help them come to class. That is the motivation in itself to know that a random stranger can support you and your fitness goals, and that’s what it’s all about,” says Love.
He describes the Bikettle experience like going to the club. You’re having fun while listening to music and burning calories, but instead of being in your best make-up and best clothes, you’re in your workout gear. “That’s what Bikettle is all about, it’s called the party on a bike. It’s all about having fun,” says Love.
In addition to helping people stay fit, Love constantly contributes to the diverse and poor communities in Chicago by trying to fill its wellness gaps. He established a restaurant called Turkey Chop in West Humboldt Park that serves free meals to the needy every Monday. His initiative of the eatery is to be able to get at least one balanced meal to someone at least once a week who don’t have access to balanced meals every day. To-date he’s served more than 130,000 free meals. He also established a non-profit organization called the Love Foundation, which has helped award grants to those in Chicago to help accomplish their goals in many aspects of life, whether it be parenting, starting a business or helping the community.
Love’s ultimate goal for his studio and eatery is to change the lives of others. Even though Bikettle recently emerged just a few years ago, it is already changing lives slowly but surely. Love expresses that many people come in with stressors in their life, whether it be mental illness, weight gain, sadness and many other issues, but they leave feeling accomplished and happy.
“We want to bring this type of atmosphere, this type of fun, this type of care, right to your doorstep,” says Love. “The objective is to reach as many people as we possibly can. Right now we’re just scratching the surface. There’s nothing like impacting the heart of people by opening these kinds of businesses.” Love encourages anyone to come and try his class. “The happier you feel about yourself, the more adept you are to achieve your goals, you truly feel you can achieve anything in your life.”
The Bikettle Indoor Cycling studio is located at 4353 W. North Avenue in Chicago’s Humboldt Park community.