 I've been going to the gym (aiming for 3 times a week) for a while now, and really enjoy doing classes such as body balance (not really a hard workout but good for muscle toning and relaxation) and body combat (my fave!) so I thought adding a spinning class might be a good idea as I don't get out on my bike as much as I'd like to, and I want to improve my riding.
So I went to a 45 minute class tonight, but I found it mega hard and didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Partly I think it's cos I enjoy the being outdoors part of cycling, so it seemed weird to be indoors (and I was absolutely dripping sweat - lovely!) My chest feels really tight now and I keep coughing, which doesn't usually happen to me after exercise.
Basically I think I was trying too hard to keep up with the speed and resistance suggested by the instructor - in some other threads on here people have said to go at your own pace, but it's really hard to know what that is when someone's telling you to do something, like turn up the resistance when it already feels really stiff. I would be easier if I could use my spd pedals, but I forgot to check how easy it would be to do that. And I'm not sure if attacking the equipment with a spanner is the done thing at my gym (Bannatynes)
On the plus side the bikes are a lot nicer than the normal exercise bikes in the gym area, with a less granny sized saddle.
Basically I'm not sure I want to go back, but I feel I should as it would be so good for my fitness. Encouragement needed please!
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 I went for about three years to Spinn classes and loved it. Some Spinn bikes haves SPD attachments on the reverse of the pedal. I wouldn't suggest taking your own pedals unless you have a very good relationship with the gym !! You only drip with sweat because it is inside and there is no breeze. I guess it doesn't suit everyone. I did find it was harder than I anticipated but I clearly didn't stuggle like a newbie. It was obvious to the instructor that I rode a bike a lot as I told him I'd never done Spinn before and he commented at the end. It will help bike fitness to a certain extent. I found that it just assisted in maintaining my fitness as opposed to improvong which is another reason why I don't go so much now. I would just take it a bit easier maybe but if you don't enjoy it then it isn't for you. You may get to like it when you are more use to it.
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I don't think I'm as fit as you! Forgot to say, my usual cycling consists of a few hours on a weekend pottering round back lanes in Northumberland without any major hills, so getting out of the saddle was a bit of a shock to the system! When I'm back in my home county it's even worse, it's as flat as a pancake. I can cover the miles but mostly at a constant comfortable pace.
I'm not really a proper cyclist... :0(
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 Don't give up on it just yet, give it another go and you will get to judge how much resistance to give it and defo go at your own pace, if you need to sit down and spin gently while you get your breath back while everyone else is doing a standing climb then do it, any decent instructor will understand and should positively encourage you to do that until you get your fitness up to the level when you can keep up. In my gym there are people who only do the spin classes so they are the ones that can stand to up the resistance all the way. So I would agree with Carolyn, try it again and if it's not for you then do something else but it really is a good exercise for toning up and helping with your general fitness and does burn them calories. As for not being a proper cyclist, who says you have got to clock up hundreds of miles a week or go hell for leather down some mountain just to be termed as "proper", you get out on a bike and enjoy it so in my opinion that makes you a proper cyclist!
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 Also some of the bikes are different to others. Some of the instructors will go "make sure you turn the resistance a complete turn" and that would make the pedals impossible to turn. So I would just put the resistance up a bit, and ignore the explicit instructions. You shouldn't really be putting the resistance up so much that you find the pedals hard to turn. 50rpm is probably about as low as you should be going? Also make sure you try the different instructors, some of the instructors at my old gym were useless and some were great. The music can make a difference too. Try asking someone about the pedals, I know some gyms have a few bikes that have two sided pedals, one side with spds. Mine didn't though and they did look at me like I was mad when I asked, but it is worth a try!
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"When I'm back in my home county it's even worse, it's as flat as a pancake" I guess you come from the Lacashire Cost then? Because quite a few of us on here are from Lancs we can find you some hills if you ever come home 
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| Edited: 23/04/08 16:36 |
Yep, I'm from the Lancashire plain! Grew up in Leyland, did most of my cycling near my boyfriend's parents' house in Croston (round Mawdesley, Rufford, Ormskirk etc) There were only about 2 "hills" we ever used to encounter! We don't get back there that often really though, tend to meet up with the family in the Lakes. And I know it's prime mountain bike territory, but I prefer to walk up my mountains! Plus they're a family of roadies, bit of off road has been done but not recently. My bike is an old ex-mountain bike (Trek 6000) that's been road-ised.
Thanks for the offer though! Where do you like to ride then?
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I ride all over, but I live about a mile from Rivington. My favourite area is probably the south Lakes. But living where I do obviously a lot up Rivngton as I don't have to drive.
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| Edited: 25/04/08 21:16 |
Hi
Just a bit about Spinning..
I went to my first class, vaguely confident because I cycled a bit. The instructor told me that I shouldn't worry about any resistance & concentrate on actually spinning the wheel for a full hour. I thought he was being overly cautious but was so right! The class was upstairs and when it finished it was all I could do to grip the rail and get down-legs like jelly..In my time I have seen a number of obviously 'fit' blokes come a cropper halfway through
BUT I did go back and I have never felt as bad as I did that first night. Even when I stopped for a while and went back it was never that bad and a couple of people have said the same. It is the only class I stuck at for any length of time- co-ordination not being necessary..
It might be worth another go? My advice is similar to what the others have said:
Don't take all resistance instructions literally-do only what you can. Good Instructors want you to enjoy your workout not kill yourself (Nobody knows how much you actually add on or off anyway, just fiddle with the dial a bit..)
Bikes/Instructors/Music vary-try some different ones if you like (I prefer a proper tune myself rather than a thumping beat ..I still think 'Hill Climb' when I hear Coldplay..)
Wear proper cycling kit-I wore shorts,mitts,shoes the second week-much better (no helmet obviously...)
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Well there's a class on tonight I think so I'll give it another go if I get home in time! SparkysDreamer, I wore proper shorts the first time, glad I did. Unfortunately I only have those because they're new - all my other kit like gloves etc. is at my parents house with my bike. Will be up there this weekend though so can bring stuff back for next week. I think I had the same attitude as you last time, it's reassuring to hear it wasn't as bad the second time.
Music wise it was quite good I thought - involved Good Charlottes and Green Day!
Will report back after my next class...
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 keep going, just concentrate on ur cadence etc, all bikes tend to be on different resistancies anyway so just use what feels right to you, try to use spds if you can that will help, why don't you find a little hill nearby try riding up it now and then a month later and see if theres a difference i suspect there will be. I have a local hill, which i used to struggle on over time with spinning I can now ride with a singlespeed (I'm 15 stone!!) so trust me it works!!!
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Hello again, well I went to spinning again last Thursday, and as sparkys said above it wasn't anywhere near as scary the second time cos I knew what to expect. I went easy with turning up the resistance, only did it every other time the instructor said to, and concentrated on keeping going. I went out on my bike on Sat and couldn't half feel the after effects in my legs on the hills!
There's a class tonight again (they do it at 6pm 2 nights a week at my gym - added reason to keep going as it's one of the only classes I can deffo get to at least once a week). Will monitor the effects on my fitness! I'll be very happy if I just tone up a bit...
Thanks for all the encouragement everyone.
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Good to hear it went much better second time around! I have to say I think it definitely helped me get a bit more toned -or a bit less wobbly is probably more accurate..
Interesting what you said Gayle-I have tried to commute more on the bike and drop the spinning class, but I might try to include a class to build my strength. I think a structured workout gives me some much needed self-discipline and its a bit less publicly humiliating for me than attempting a single speed as I wouldn't have to get off and push!
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