spinning class?

[matildawong]

Hi there. My gym has a spinning class that I desperately want to take but each week when the day comes, I chicken out. I was at the gym today thinking, 'why don't they have more information posted on the classes?'... There's nothing listed -- no tips on what to wear, how to prepare, etc...

It just occurred to me to ask here! Does anyone here take a spinning class? Is there anything one should know for the first day?

(I took a class once with my sister in Mexico when she lived there. I loved it but it was terrifically difficult. The people at my gym here are suited up and have gloves and they look like professional spinners and it's terrifying to think of my first day where I'll be nearly falling off the bike trying to keep up. Talk about intimidating!)

Any hints from anyone for the first day of spinning to make it less scary?

 

[panda08]

Date: 11/5/2008 2:58:54 PM
Author:matildawong
Hi there. My gym has a spinning class that I desperately want to take but each week when the day comes, I chicken out. I was at the gym today thinking, ''why don''t they have more information posted on the classes?''... There''s nothing listed -- no tips on what to wear, how to prepare, etc...

It just occurred to me to ask here! Does anyone here take a spinning class? Is there anything one should know for the first day?

(I took a class once with my sister in Mexico when she lived there. I loved it but it was terrifically difficult. The people at my gym here are suited up and have gloves and they look like professional spinners and it''s terrifying to think of my first day where I''ll be nearly falling off the bike trying to keep up. Talk about intimidating!)

Any hints from anyone for the first day of spinning to make it less scary?

I''ve taken a number of spinning classes. Whether or not it''s enjoyable depends a lot on the instructor. Some are great, take time to choreograph the "ride" with the music, lead you through an imaginary journey and get you really pumped up. Others are totally boring, just play whatever dance or techno music in the background and tell you when to stand up and when to sit down. If you think your instructor sucks, try another one.

Don''t be intimidated. It can be really fun! Most instructors are nice. Get to the class early and tell the instructor it''s your first time. He or she will help you set up your bike and answer any questions. Wear bike shorts so that nothing gets in the way. Some will say wear the padded bike shorts but I think your butt''s gonna hurt the first couple of times, regardless of how much padding you have on. Bring a bottle of water and a towel, you''re gonna need ''em! Don''t worry about fancy bike shoes, gloves or heart rate monitors. You can always work up to those things. A regular pair of tennis shoes is perfectly fine. Some bikes have a knob, while others have a lever, to control the resistance on the bike. PACE yourself and don''t turn the resistence on too high, despite what the instructor says, especially on your first time out or you''ll probably have difficulty finishing the class. It''s hard to say how much to crank the resistence but you''ll get the hang of it the more classes you take. Don''t be worry about sitting down and slowly pedaling if you''re tired.

Have fun! I really enjoy spinning and it''s a great work out.

 

[emeraldlover1]

YAY! I love spinning. I go about 3 times a week and I used to go a lot more but like with anything you got to switch it up. Anyway...Panda gave the best advice. I just wanted to ditto the instructor thing. Go until you find one you like cause there are a lot of good and bad ones out there. Once you find a few that keep you pumped up you''ll be hooked. Oh, maybe this will help. Its a stationary bike...you can''t fall off it.

 

[matildawong]

Thanks Panda and EM1!

I truly appreciate your hints. Thanks especially for the knob/lever fact, Panda. And thanks for the reassuring point that I can always sit down if I need to; I don't HAVE to push myself over the limit.

I am a very ... manic... person with lots of nervous energy and emotion. I think spinning might do me a ton of good by helping me relax and frankly, by exhausting me.

I notice that the bikes are set up VERY high and I am very short. Does the high setting have to do with allowing people to stand up easier?


Thanks again and EM1, your stationary bike comment cracked me up.

 

[panda08]

Date: 11/6/2008 12:36:31 AM
Author: matildawong
Thanks Panda and EM1!


I truly appreciate your hints. Thanks especially for the knob/lever fact, Panda. And thanks for the reassuring point that I can always sit down if I need to; I don''t HAVE to push myself over the limit.


I am a very ... manic... person with lots of nervous energy and emotion. I think spinning might do me a ton of good by helping me relax and frankly, by exhausting me.


I notice that the bikes are set up VERY high and I am very short. Does the high setting have to do with allowing people to stand up easier?



Thanks again and EM1, your stationary bike comment cracked me up.

You''re welcome! If you have a lot of energy, spinning is certainly a good way to expend it. The seat of the bike can be adjusted to accommodate anybody''s height. I''m 5''1" and have no problems. Your instructor should be able to help you adjust the height of the seat so that it''s comfortable for you.

 

[Skippy123]

Keep us posted on how you like it. I did spin class a few times and I agree with Panda. One thing I will tell you that I did do was when they said make the tension harder I pretended to, but didn't (it was hard enough for me already). LOL

Those people are intense but it is a really great workout!!! I did what Panda suggested; I went to class a little early but the instructor wasn't there so I talked to one of the die hards and he helped me out and then I talked to the instructor too (she was running late).

 

[matildawong]

Thanks again, Panda!

And Skippy, I will surely post an update after the class. It''s tomorrow. I plan on going early (you have to reserve a bike; there are 20) and either talking with the instructor or maybe another person in the class.
I totally know I''m going to do the pseudo-tension-adjusting thing.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 11/7/2008 12:47:44 AM
Author: matildawong
Thanks again, Panda!

And Skippy, I will surely post an update after the class. It''s tomorrow. I plan on going early (you have to reserve a bike; there are 20) and either talking with the instructor or maybe another person in the class.
I totally know I''m going to do the pseudo-tension-adjusting thing.

Have fun!!!

 

[matildawong]

Hi guys! I''m back from class. It was really great. The instructor wasn''t one of those overly nice, worrisome people (like me. ha ha.) but she led a challenging class and I really enjoyed it. I got a lot of help from a woman who was there as early as I was and she helped me set up the bike and then the instructor helped me fine tune it.

My lower back and abdomen are my weakest things and so sitting on the bike is actually harder for me than standing. I end up using my arms to hold my ever-tiring body up when I''m sitting and I feel like I''m sliding forward. I may up the handlebars to the highest click next class.

Next class!! Yay! I want to go back! I can only make it one day a week but I''m thinking yoga on one night and spinning one morning a week.

I fear my bum is going to be really, really sore tomorrow. My forearms (holding myself up) are ALREADY sore!

Thanks so much for your help, everyone. Part of my elation this morning is that I conquered a fear -- just going the first day -- so thanks for your support!

 

[Skippy123]

Yay great job and awesome that you got there early. Those veteran bikers rock and are helpful! Yay, I hear biking is one of the best things to do; they really burn calories and interval training really burns calories like crazy! Awesome, maybe I will go back to a class after reading there posts!

 

[panda08]

Matilda, I''m glad you enjoyed your class and will be going back for more! YAY for conquering your fear

 

[elrohwen]

I think Panda had some great tips. It will be difficult on your first few times, but remember that the beauty of spinning is that no one knows how high you have the resistance set or how fast you're going.

If you get tired or winded, just turn it down and continue pedaling until you feel like you can ramp it up again. It's not like a treadmill where everybody will know exactly what you're doing (and you won't be able to see what they're doing and be jealous of the amazing shape they're in).

As for clothes, just wear bike shorts or some other form fitting shorts. I've also done it with a tight pair of shorts under a regular, more baggy athletic short. That's always good if you feel silly walking through your gym with spandex on. Bring water and make sure you grab a towel because spinning makes you sweat (in my experience, more than running or using the elliptical).

I also agree that instructors vary ... I went to a class at my gym every week because I loved the instructor and, for whatever reason, her class was never packed (I think because it was on a Wednesday ... seems like most people go on Tuesday and Thursdays). Anyway, she left and a new girl started and it just wasn't the same, so my enthusiasm lagged. I also tried a class with a very very popular instructor and found I just couldn't stand her. She was way too peppy for me and expected us to yell back when she asked if we were pumped up, etc. I like to sit on my bike and suffer in silence, thank you very much

ETA: I see you've already taken a class ... good for you! I guess I should read down more than 3 or 4 posts

Hopefully some of my advice is still helpful.

Another thing I thought of: People seem to have differing opinions on how to set up the bike. I've noticed that those who are interested in cycling outside often set the handlebars low and the seat high, to mimic a road bike. People who are just there for the exercise tend to set the seat low and handlebars high, I think because it's more comfortable. Just keep that in mind in case you do plan on biking outside. You'll be better off if you train with the bike set up more like a real bike. But if you're just there for the exercise, set it up however you'd like!

 

[matildawong]

Thanks, elrohwen! Yes your tips were still helpful because I went back to the class this Saturday! I had an even better instructor -- actually she kind of blew the other instructor out of the water. I LOVED her.

I feel like my metabolism is all wonky now -- could 2 classes alone do that to me? That second class was the hardest workout I've had in .... probably years.

Anyway, I notice I'm all off-kilter -- getting gnawing hungry pains every few hours, but then only able to eat small amounts. Could that be from those crazy sprint/calorie burners we did? Maybe it's PMS-related.

I really want to continue with the classes -- and maybe add in yoga or the "24Lift" class with barbells and hand weights for toning. I'm so tired of feeling .... tired and kind of flabby. And the classes challenge me and give me a real boost of self-confidence!

 

[edl]

Date: 11/7/2008 2:14:38 PM
Author: matildawong


My lower back and abdomen are my weakest things and so sitting on the bike is actually harder for me than standing. I end up using my arms to hold my ever-tiring body up when I'm sitting and I feel like I'm sliding forward. I may up the handlebars to the highest click next class.

Next class!! Yay! I want to go back! I can only make it one day a week but I'm thinking yoga on one night and spinning one morning a week.

I fear my bum is going to be really, really sore tomorrow. My forearms (holding myself up) are ALREADY sore!

Glad to hear you enjoyed it!

I recommend you spend some time with the spin bike (before class) and figure out what's the ideal setup. Most people want their seats low and handlebars high, but this can cause knee pain from too short of a stroke and too much angle. Most of your weight is on your bum, which causes major soreness.

Ideally you should set your seat as high as possible, but do not allow your hips to rock from side to side. Your foot should make a 90 degree angle to your leg throughout the stroke.

For handlebars, try to set them a bit lower. Ideally you want your back and arms to be relatively straight, so you look like a nice symetrical triangle from the side. If you're slouching or feel overly stretched out to the bars they need to come closer.

The net effect of these changes is to increase power from a better leg stroke (which makes your workout more efficent), and shift some weight from your butt to your legs and your arms. By making your back and arms almost straight, you transfer a lot of weight to your skeletal system and don't have to use as much of your muscles to hold you up.

Bike shorts definitely help! Cycling shoes also help improve your power output and workout. I'd also consider a heart-rate monitor, since you don't want to push it tooooo hard...

 

[matildawong]

Thank you so much for the information, edl. I put the handlebars higher the next class and it was so much better for me -- I had felt like I was reaching too hard last class. This class I put the seat lower and I think maybe took it a bit TOO low because my knees did feel it.

I''m looking forward to the next class.


AND...dum dum DUM, I took the "24Lift" class which is a weights class. I can''t believe I went at 7:30 p.m. (I''m a night owl, so I figured ''why not?'') to a class that was like my own personal nightmare of social/exercise anxiety mixture. The figuring out what barbell sizes to use and trying to change weight loads quickly while learning new moves and having NO ENDURANCE on anything. ... But I LOVED it, too. I am still recovering from using muscles I haven''t used in years but I think this class coupled with the extreme cardio of spinning might just be the perfect combo for me!

I hope I can keep motivated and STAY in these classes. I''m afraid I''ll lose my "pink cloud" of being all happy and newly obsessed with them.

 

[matildawong]

Just an update even if no one is reading. I''m still sticking with the spinning. I LOVE it. I am feeling more confident, less tired and fatigued and more WITH it. I am burning off a lot of my nervous energy, too.

And the weights class, it''s making me sore in places I''ve never knew had muscle. My body is changing a little tiny bit already. I hope I can keep with this. I''m doing 3 classes a week, 2 cycling and the weights. That isn''t so much.

I do wonder, if anyone has a second, when will this soreness go away? I am sore in my earlobes! OK not really. I have never really been in shape; have been rather soft my entire life. Never could run with endurance or anything, even in school.

I''m thinking that starting a total regime like this at age 36 and out of the blue might have something to do with the soreness.

 

[sammyj]

Congrats on your workout routine! It sounds like you''re doing really well!

In regards to your ''soreness,'' feeling sore after a weights class should be pretty normal. It''s the feeling of tearing your muscles so that they can rebuild themselves to be stronger. If it''s a ''soreness'' in specific muscle areas (e.g. biceps/triceps, quads, etc.) then I wouldn''t be too worried. When I used to do weights (I don''t anymore...I''ve totally fallen off the workout wagon), I wouldn''t consider it a proper workout if I didn''t feel a bit of pain (the good kind) the next day. Personal trainers will always tell you that you want to rip your muscles so that they can rebuild. I wish I could explain it better....

One tip though...Make sure you are stretching properly after each workout! This might lessen the soreness .

 

[matildawong]

Thanks, Sammyj. Yeah, I''d say it''s a ''good'' kind of sore. And the soreness is related to the muscle groups she has us working out. But man.... getting used to this regime... owwww.

 

[October2008bride]

Date: 11/26/2008 2:07:46 PM
Author: matildawong
Just an update even if no one is reading. I''m still sticking with the spinning. I LOVE it. I am feeling more confident, less tired and fatigued and more WITH it. I am burning off a lot of my nervous energy, too.

And the weights class, it''s making me sore in places I''ve never knew had muscle. My body is changing a little tiny bit already. I hope I can keep with this. I''m doing 3 classes a week, 2 cycling and the weights. That isn''t so much.

I do wonder, if anyone has a second, when will this soreness go away? I am sore in my earlobes! OK not really. I have never really been in shape; have been rather soft my entire life. Never could run with endurance or anything, even in school.

I''m thinking that starting a total regime like this at age 36 and out of the blue might have something to do with the soreness.

I''m a lurker on this thread, but I''m still reading and you are motivating me to try it!!

I tried it once in undergrad and didn''t make it through the warm up. No one helped me set up my bike properly or anything though - so maybe that is why it hurt oh-so-badly in all of 2 minutes.

haha

Congrats on sticking with it!!

 

[matildawong]

Hi October, thanks for posting! Hope I can inspire folks like me who are wary of classes to go try this stuff. Except now I''m going to whine about it.

Yesterday''s spin class was torturous. I only took Friday off and I felt like I had never done a class before. To be fair, the instructor tried a new set of routines on us that she actually said, "I''m not going to lie, this one''s a b**ch" ... woah. I fairly staggered out of there.

And, TMI alert, but something crazy happened intestinally yesterday. I ate a small lunch and we went mall-hopping and I had a 1/2 fish taco (culprit?) and then we went for our fave pizza and salad place and midway thru my second slice of (oily, cheesy) pizza I was HIT with cramping. I thought it was gas pains and when DH went into the drugstore I for Gas X I realized we better get home ASAP! DH thinks the grease on a newly fast metabolism made me ill, I wonder if it was the class coupled with the taco. Who knows but it was bad. I''m a nervous stomach girl by nature but never have to race to the bathroom or anything.

I can''t believe i just wrote a paragraph on that, but I''m really trying to see the changes that are happening with my body with these 3 intense classes. So far, the scale at the gym says I have GAINED 5 pounds. I wonder if it is muscle. ?

So there''s my lovely update. I have my clothes all ready to go for Monday''s "Lift" class. The only other thing I notice is I am stiff stiff stiff upon waking in the morning.

 

[matildawong]

Ew. Sorry for that rather gross post yesterday. This thread is now becoming the "Molly Chronicles Her New Workout Results" or something like that.

I think it''s been 3 weeks to a month of the classes. I notice I have a lot more energy, lately. But I also get on this food roller coaster (worse than BKW --before-killer-workouts) where I need to eat every couple of hours or I just sink into grumpy and irritable and sick. Then if I wait too long I eat too fast and too heavy and it makes me sick. My intestines cramped up yesterday too but I took gas x right away. I don''t know what this is.


On the whole the weightlifting makes me feel stronger and I carry myself better. The cycling makes me feel stronger, too, and it works out my nervous energy.

 

[elrohwen]

Matildawong, I kind of left this board for a while and forgot all about it, but I''m glad to hear you''re still into the spinning! It really is an intense workout, but I find that after doing it for a few weeks I get into it and it seems much easier. It''s just a tough adjustment period I guess. It''s also great because unlike running, it''s low impact and won''t hurt your knees. And it burns tons of calories! It''s one of the few things I''ve done in a gym and actually enjoyed.

My gym membership ran out and for various reasons I haven''t renewed it yet, so no spinning for me. But FI set up my stationary bike thing in the basement and has been bugging me to work out. It''s basically a thing that holds my road bike and allows me to ride it like a stationary bike. It''s great, though I find that without an instructor yelling at me, I don''t have much motivation to work very hard

. I usually end up popping in a dvd and watching two 22 minute sitcoms while pedalling along. I may not be working as hard as I would at a spinning class, but exercise is exercise! Your post made me want to go home and work out a bit.

I wanted to add that I agree with edl''s post about how to set up your bike. I see a lot of people in classes put the seat way way down and handlebars up as high as they go and while it seems comfortable when you''re out of shape, I don''t think it''s the best way to go. On my road bike the seat is about level with the handlebars and the seat is also about as high as it can go while still letting me comfortably reach the pedals. I think this is by far the most efficient way to ride and even if it''s really hard at first (and I know from experience that it is) I think it''s better for your fitness overall. So try raising that seat up and putting the handlebars down when you think your core strength is built up enough! Remember, hundreds of Tour de France riders can''t be wrong about the most efficient bike position

Also, I know what you mean about greasy foods. I generally don''t eat foods with that much fat and occasionally when I do my body is just not happy. I also finding that my eating habits change when I exercise and, unfortunately, it makes me want to eat more than usual, which probably cancels out the exercise. It''s tricky to keep the eating and exercising in check all at once.

 

[matildawong]

Hi elrohwen! Thank you for your thoughtful post!

I will take your advice and raise up my seat a bit (I have wondered if I had it too low, I think I do) and while I keep the handlebars on "6" (it goes up to "7") -- thereby feeling like I''m at least not at the highest.. I do think I should lower them as soon as I feel my core strength build.

Now I''ve got the flu or a bad cold and I wonder, should I go on Friday? I''m weak and spinning seems even more torturous right now, but it''s only Wed.

 

[matildawong]

Why does this always seem to happen? I had such a nice momentum going and then the Lift class was canceled Monday and I am now very sick with a bad cold. I was JUST starting to see and feel some results from a month of working out on a schedule.

I skipped spin class this morning. I wonder if I should go tomorrow and just take it really easy. Which will be hard because Sat. instructor is hardcore.


I''m at the stage of the cold where (TMI again) I''m ''horking'' out lots of icky congestion. So my head hurts and I''m woozy but I don''t feel as horrible as I did yesterday when it was all ''stuck'' inside of me. I am going to work today so I guess I''ll play it by ear.

 

[Nocturnius]

Unfortunately I had a terrible experience with spinning class and have never gone back. But let me explain.

I chose the worst time to try spinning: I had JUST gotten my wisdom teeth removed hardly two weeks before. When the workout got intense, my jaw started THROBBING (with my increased heart rate) to the point I had to sit down and slow way down and I was practically in tears over the pain. I was very discouraged and did not go back.

I think the good thing about spinnning classes, though, is this: you don''t HAVE the pump it up and go way over your physical limit.

The reason I think group exercise classes are a bad idea in most cases is because I''ve seen too many people overdo themselves trying to keep up - they felt pressured by the fact that they were surrounded by people who could easily see them and see if they weren''t exactly up to par. So they went overboard and hurt themselves or made themselves ill.

The good thing with spinning class is that they usually make it darker and you feel more isolated. If you get tired and you can''t stand up and pump the pedals, you don''t have to and you don''t feel like people will be looking at you condenscendingly for not doing it. You just take a seat and pedal, and as a plus, you''re still getting a workout.

It never hurts to give it a try (unless you just had teeth pulled!

) So take a class or two and see if it''s for you!

 

[matildawong]

Ouch! Nocturnius.

Welll. It is with heavy heart that I confess I have not been to any classes for the past 8 days. Though the LIFT class was canceled one of those days. I have been so awfully sick. The kind where you dread every night because the choking sore throat/mucousy cough wakes you up every 2 hours. Even with Tylenol PM or whatever. I actually slept on the easy chair with one of the cats last night because DH has been so nice all the other nights about my non-stop coughing.

Anyway, I hope to be back at spin class on Friday morning. I hope I don''t collapse; I guess I''ll just have to take it real easy.

I''m so bummed, I had such a momentum going and was feeling strong and good. Now I feel weak and fat. And STILL sick.

 

[Skippy123]

Oh gosh, I hope you feel better soon. You should join us in the Healthy Lifestyle thread; I would love to see your posts there! hehe
What is the LIFT class like, my gym offers it but I never tried it? I do muscle hour which I enjoy.

 

[matildawong]

Hi Skippy! I was thinking I should go in there and join in. So thank you for inspiring me.

The LIFT class is really great. At my gym the equipment that is provided but that you must gather and put at your workout space are: a "step" (the ones they use in Step Class) -- used for balance or push ups; a barbell (you start out really small so you can master the technique, then load it up as you get stronger) and hand weights.

She cycles us through routines and I believe we alternate between a large muscle group and then a small muscle group. I know there''s a method to her madness but I don''t know enough about body-building. She plays music and the thing I love about this class is that it is all that toning/strength work that I don''t have the self-discipline to do on my own out in the gym. Especially when there''s workout demons that I feel embarrassed to go stand next to by the mirror while I struggle and pant and don''t know if I''m doing it right.

We do everything in LIFT; push ups (my face is on the floor mostly), rows, military press, chest press, all those exercises that I KNOW are going to eventually get rid of/firm up that over-the-back-of-the-bra bulge that I hate.

Best of all, between the spinning and the LIFT, I''m getting 200% better workouts than my measly 20 minute cardio on the machines and then a few weight lifts and then I talk myself into leaving workouts.

Does LIFT sound like your Muscle Hour class?

 

[Skippy123]

Well, one of the muscle hour classes we were lifting a bosu and doing push ups off it and all kinds of crazy thing but not the same. They do offer a class called LIFT at my gym and it sounds very similar; maybe I will give it a try and yes, definitely skip on over and introduce yourself to the Healthy lifestyle thread. We are a happy bunch and the more the merrier plus you could probably add a nice contribution the thread with your spinning and weight lifting knowledge.

 

[matildawong]

Just to update, I''ve been continuing with the Cycle class twice a week and the Weightlifting class once a week. I wish I could add in one more class but my schedule doesn''t fit with any more classes. And now I ONLY want to do classes.

I''m just totally loving the results I get from having challenging classes. It''s so much better than my lame going to the gym, doing cardio for 25 minutes and getting so bored and unmotivated...

I had to take a week of when I was so sick and I HATED missing classes, so that gives me hope that I will continue with this!

I''m going to VA for my family ''Christmas in January'' and I''m taking my workout clothes in case my sis and I want to go to a cycle class at her gym.