Joe Wolf, a massage therapist and nursing student by day, fills the Hollywood Wilshire YMCA's spin studio Tuesday through Thursday evenings with a crowd ready for a fast, fun and absolutely grueling workout. When he's not making the rounds to personally pump up participants, he seems to channel Andre the Giant's Dread Pirate Roberts from his bike, tracing his finger around the room and challenging the class to “Add more!” in a deep bellow (more resistance, that is). The workout is simple, no gimmicks and little chatter, just steady climbing or quick pedaling to an eclectic playlist — epic heartland rock, swampy industrial trip-hop, classic soul and funk, Top 40 R&B and electro-pop. Even gritty grunge ballads. Whether it's Joan Jett's “Bad Reputation” or Journey's “Don't Stop Believing,” the right song always hits the speakers just as the crowd is wilting, and the hour simply speeds by. —Jessica Langlois

1553 Schrader Blvd., Hlywd., 90028. (323) 467-4161, ymcala.org/hollywood.

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