SoulCycle's Tanner Bassett Recovers From Cardio With Netflix

Photo: @_tannerbassett/Instagram

Photo: @_tannerbassett/Instagram

SoulCycle instructor (and NorCal native) Tanner Bassett led 50-something Rockyt readers in a free class at the new Berkeley Soul on Saturday, and it was ah-mazing. If you haven't hopped on a bike with Tanner at Berkeley or Castro yet, do yourself a favor and book a class right now. 

For those who've met Tanner and pay attention during class, you know that he's powered by Elton John, ice coffee, and pizza. (I, for one, happily embraced his post-Soul Cheeseboard suggestion, and I'm not sorry about it.) So how does Tanner train (and recover) when he's not scarfin' slices? Read on and find out!

Rockyt: How do you prepare for the classes you teach?

Tanner: I get super into my playlists. I'm a big music junkie, so finding the perfect soundtrack is super important to me. I also try to stretch before class as it makes my legs less sore afterwards. I also have a weird thing: I like to get into the studio a little early and act a fool alone for a minute. It gets rid of the tension and I feel like it's less awkward when I act a fool in front of 50 people!

Rockyt: How do you cross train?

Tanner: For cross training, I go to yoga at least once a week. And, every two weeks or so I go to another high intensity interval training class. I generally try to avoid cardio because I do so much of it on the regular. 

Rockyt: What are your favorite studios for cross-training?

Tanner: I love YogaTree in San Francisco! 

Photo: @_tannerbassett/Instagram

Photo: @_tannerbassett/Instagram

Rockyt: Are you training toward a particular fitness goal right now? 

Tanner: I would like to do a triathlon at some point in my life, but I'm only just beginning to dabble into the idea now.

Rockyt: Do you take rest days? 

Tanner: I love a rest day! Most of my rest days consist of sleeping in, making a huge breakfast, taking my dog to a park, and then coming home and watching Netflix and doing absolutely nothing. I need a day to really just turn my brain off and enjoy the silence.

So there you have it. Rest days, yoga, and a whole bunch of Soul—when properly supplemented with ice coffee and pizza—keep this Soul instructor happy. 

And if you want to peer pressure Tanner into that triathlon, you can book his classes, or send him athletic emojis on Facebook or Insta