Venting

[lovelylibrarian]

I spin about 5 times a week and there are a few things that annoy me.


Guy that is breathing so hard that I think he's going to pass out. Lower the resistance for God's sake!
Girls that are chatting through the whole class. How totally distracting. I could barely hear the instructor.
People that totally do their own thing. I think it's OK to modify a little bit to suit your needs but why come to a class if you are totally doing your own thing. It's distracting.


Maybe I'm just having a cranky day. Is it just me?

[singletrackmind]

It's not just you though I can't say I understand it. Several women complain about another one in a class I sometimes do because she's very, um, outgoing in her comments, grunts, etc, throughout class. Sure, she is occasionally a distraction but no more so than any regular group ride and she even imparts a certain energy into the mix.
They also complain about the noise or kind of music, if the fan is on too soon, etc etc.
Whatever, I've usually got my head too far into what I'm doing (pretending to try to catch the lead-and blow past) to worry about what else is happening. Unless the instructor does another all Cher class. Then I might have to crawl up to that worn out old soap box myself!

I do sit up in the front row so maybe not being able to see much beyond either side also helps?

[Veronica]

I love Cher. :D

I rode up Mount Diablo on Evil Pulled Pork day (it's a long story - pulled pork, before a big climbing ride...) singing Cher songs in my head. It wasn't pretty, but I made it to the top.


V.

[Eden]

I don't do spin classes, but re the guy who breaths very hard.....

I know that when I have to do zone 5 efforts as part of any of my workouts, yeah I probably sound like I'm going to pass out, but rest assured I'm OK. We're all just different. The hubby, who has big lungs almost never sounds out of breath even when he's at top effort, me on the other hand, though I process oxygen better than he does, I heave like an out of control set of bellows. Let the guy do his workout and don't worry about him.

[lovelylibrarian]

I don't do spin classes, but re the guy who breaths very hard.....

I know that when I have to do zone 5 efforts as part of any of my workouts, yeah I probably sound like I'm going to pass out, but rest assured I'm OK. We're all just different. The hubby, who has big lungs almost never sounds out of breath even when he's at top effort, me on the other hand, though I process oxygen better than he does, I heave like an out of control set of bellows. Let the guy do his workout and don't worry about him.

OK. I honestly was worried about him-- that he might pass out. I'll try to stop worrying though.

[singletrackmind]

I love Cher. :D

I rode up Mount Diablo on Evil Pulled Pork day (it's a long story - pulled pork, before a big climbing ride...) singing Cher songs in my head. It wasn't pretty, but I made it to the top.


V.

Hee hee, that's where I wish our instructor was playing Cher songs-
in her head!
Yeah, Cher's ok once or twice, but the entire class??? Have to admit it was amusing and I'll get to rib her on this one forever.:D

[bmccasland]

Yeah, but the look on the instructor's face when you pass out is priceless. :D

Actually it was just her look when I went for my inhalor. I was smart enough to release the tension. Now if she could grasp the concept that the worst thing is to *just stop*. Once my breathing was under control, I was there pushing myself again.

Sorry for the heavy breathing, pant pant pant.

But I learned, and despite what the instructor says, I control the tension knob.

[Dogmama]

Yup, that's probably me. I often use spinning to do controlled intervals that I can't do on my rode bike. I sweat a lot too. But I don't fling my head around like some guys & spray the room :p.

If you don't like the music, tell the instructor!! When I'm putting music together, I try to get a mix of what everybody will like.

Finally, if I get really irritated in a class, chances are, I was irritated when I walked in. I just needed something to vent at!

[SpinClimber]

As with anything there will always be aggravations in classes.

I'm an instructor and for me is people that stroll in 10 minutes into the class, right as we start the drills and proceed to tell me it is their first class and do not know how to set up their bike

Or the people that complain they're legs hurt, I had one girl do this the entire class, at first I thought it was the way her bike was set up so in a rest I got off and checked, no... She just liked to complain.

Also people that don't bring water.... urrrg what are you thinking

[teigyr]

Some of the guys who breathe hard hard exhale so moisture comes out. I try never to sit near those guys, I'm a firm believer in keeping bodily fluids to myself. That and the head shaking, what is up with that?

I love the chatting women going on about who only knows what only to be told in class that in whatever stage we're in that we shouldn't be able to carry on a conversation. I don't get it...if you don't want to take the class, just go sit on a bike in the gym and talk. It's not that difficult.

Today's instructor was heinous. I'm not even sure he taught. He was going on and on about his cycling prowess and had the the majority of the class enthralled. He rides on the street. He likes to secretly race people. He adjusts himself when he comes up to red lights (:confused::eek::confused:).

The best thing was when one of the older people in class asked him how far he can go in an hour. He said he can actually do TEN MILES!!! Everyone let out this "oh, wow". I don't really want to judge but, er, I'm judging. I'm also not going back to this guy.

[Veronica]

Ewwww... that's way too much info to be passing on in class.

V.

[teigyr]

Ewwww... that's way too much info to be passing on in class.

V.

True. Though you have to kind of feel sorry for him. Did you know that he has difficulty because his bike doesn't have numbers when he shifts? He acted like that was a new-fangled and special thing and everyone seemed impressed that there are times he doesn't know what gear he is in.

I really had to keep quiet. He's a special fellow. Or then again maybe I was just cranky, who knows.

I think we were supposed to be doing sprints but I never heard any direction from him whatsoever. He kept talking about keeping yourself at the "edge".

[Dogmama]

Maybe they shake their heads because they have ear infections? My dog does that sometimes.

[SadieKate]

I love Cher. :D

I rode up Mount Diablo on Evil Pulled Pork day (it's a long story - pulled pork, before a big climbing ride...) singing Cher songs in my head. It wasn't pretty, but I made it to the top.


V.OK, I am now re-assessing whether it was actually the pulled pork that caused the problem.

[Veronica]

OK, I am now re-assessing whether it was actually the pulled pork that caused the problem.

Don't go blaming Cher...:D

V.

[Raindrop]

I teach seven cycle/spin classes a week...one of them at a community center. Last week I had a couple of women come in who hadn't ever attended before, so I greeted them, and set them up on their bikes.

During the beginning of my classes I always explain the goal of the class, proper form and pedal stroke and RPE. We are in the warm-up anywhere from 8 to 10 minutes and then proceed to a moderate effort before getting into the "meat" of the workout (about 10 - 15 minutes in). By the time we get to that point, I explain that they should be at a perceived exhertion level that has them breathing deeper and although still able to talk, not wanting to carry on a conversation. (Just one of the cues I use to help newbies to understand).

One of the women gives me a hard look, works for awhile and then blurts out, "You mean we can't talk at all??!!" I explain that sure they can talk, but if they're able to easily hold a conversation they might not be working at a level that will cause a conditioning response...and besides, a conversation during this point of the class would ruin it for the other members that were focusing on their ridel.

She was pretty quiet after that, but I knew she wasn't happy about it.

Later, after the class was over she came over to tell me that they (her and the friend), had a wedding shower to plan, and I kind of ruined it for them. I said that the planning was better done before or after the class...or, if they wanted to be working out while doing their planning it would be more productive to take it out to the bikes on the aerobic floor...you know, so they wouldn't be interuppted by the music, and my cues. (Yes, I said this very nicely and meant it totally....but talking during the my class should happen before or after, maybe a little bit during the warm-up. Otherwise, you're not there to work, IMHO).

OK...just my little vent about talkers in class....back to t subject at hand.

[Tuckervill]

I don't spin, but that drives me crazy in boot camp, too. You're lowering the intensity of the whole group if your conversation is more important than the next thing the instructor is about to tell us to do. If he has to wait between activities for you to finish your sentence, then my heart rate is going down during that break and I don't want that! (Of course, if the instructor would be a little less polite, I'd like that, too!)

Karen

[Miranda]

I put some blab in the other thread about this, but repeat a bit of that...

Try:

1) wearing decible lowering ear plugs to cut out some breathers, but still hear the cues;

2) close your eyes and focus on you, not the distraction you see with your eyes open.


fwiw

Miranda :)