First class

[CR400]

Ok, I did my first spin class last night and I thought that I was gonna die. How many of you felt like this durning your first class?

My heart rate was around 93% to 98% for twenty minuets of the class. Is this normal for a first class? I do ride a road bike in the summer so I was surprised to see it go so high.

I think I may have had the tension higher then I was supposed to on accident. I played with the tension before class and was not sure if I had loosened it all the way.


Well as painful as it was it was fun.

[Adventure Girl]

My heart rate was around 93% to 98% for twenty minuets of the class. Is this normal for a first class? I do ride a road bike in the summer so I was surprised to see it go so high.What do you mean by 93% to 98%? 93% to 98% of what? Heart rate should be expressed as number of beats per minute (say 150bpm). Or are you saying that was 93% to 98% of your maximum? You could NOT sustain that for 20 minutes.

[snapdragen]

Yes, my first class I thought I was going to die. It gets better.....not easier...but better.

[CR400]

Ok, I'll try to give the actual bpm. I use my heart rate monitor to display the time of activity and then it only shows it as a percent. My max heart rate is set at 210. So between 190 and 210 should be between 90 and 100%. So i guess that would mean it was between 195 and 207. I did have to slow down a few times and even stopped a couple of times and set even though we were supposed to be standing. To try to get my heart rate below 90% or close to it. And yes it really was that high for 20min. Does this mean that maybe my max heart rate is higher then I think? Also have sustained 200bpm for three miles. After which I slowed down for fear my heart would give out not because I had to, ok the feeling of wanting to throw up helped, felt the same way last night.

[wabisabi]

I think that sounds like too high for too long. You might talk to the instructor. The good ones will provide some information about this. Yes, when I first started I would blow up at some point, and woudl have to slow down. For me, the trick is a sufficient warm up, then you can do a lot more without blowing up. When it does start, you should definitely back off. I agree, it gets 'better but not easier' because you compensate by cranking it up more. For me, it does definitely help, especially with sprints and hill work.

[alpinerabbit]

I nearly died my first class too. Boyfriend had to carry my bag home.

[traveller_62]

Ok, I did my first spin class last night and I thought that I was gonna die. How many of you felt like this durning your first class?

Well as painful as it was it was fun.

For my first 4 weeks of spin class I felt like I would either pass out or throw up (or both!) at every class. And my heart rate was off the charts....Eventually though I acclimated to pace of the workout and to the spin bike.

Hang in there, it will get better! Spinning has really helped my cycling because my instructors are all die hard cyclists and have designed their classes to work on specific cycling skills.

- traveller

[Irulan]

if it's that bad the first few classes, you should back way way off on how hard you are working. It's very easy to overdo it in a spin class if you aren't used to it. That's what the tension knob is for, set it for what works for you. Just becasue the gal next to you or the instructor cranks hers halfway around for evey gear change, doesn't mean you need to do so. Use little tiny increments to establish a level that is comfortably intense, but won't cause you to blow up.

[alpinerabbit]

I went to my second class this winter, today. I had a stomach bug to get over this week so I took it easy and did not go beyond 170, I think. I tried keeping up with the cadence at all times but did not put on too much resistance...






..... note to self: when riding during menses, do not wear zebra-striped shorts. wear black.

[anne_77]

You might want to try out different instructors. I go to about four or five different instructors at my local gym (I go around 3-4 times a week right now) and one of them in particular does everything by "zone 1, zone 2, zone 3, and zone 4" of your heart rate. An instructor who measures exertion by heart rate might help you sustain longer and get a more satisfying workout if you're having trouble pacing yourself.

[Irulan]

You might want to try out different instructors. I go to about four or five different instructors at my local gym (I go around 3-4 times a week right now) and one of them in particular does everything by "zone 1, zone 2, zone 3, and zone 4" of your heart rate. An instructor who measures exertion by heart rate might help you sustain longer and get a more satisfying workout if you're having trouble pacing yourself.

at our gym, they do not use heart rate at all as an indicator, it's all "percieved exertion" on a scale of one to ten. This is the gym policy. .... "You should all be at a low 7 right now..."

I suggest you get a HRM if you don't own one.

[anne_77]

"Perceived exertion" measures the same thing that a heart rate monitor is supposed to measure - physical activity intensity. And it can be done on a scale of 1-10 or 1-4.

What I was trying to explain, just from my own experience, is that measuring your heart rate does nothing if you don't use it to pace yourself. And it's easier to pace physical activity intensity in a spinning class with an instructor who uses physical activity intensity as his or her benchmarks for the class.

There are a lot of instructors who simply tell the class what resistance they should be at (1-10), whether they should sit or stand, and what cadence to achieve. Unfortunately that's worthless if you're not in the same shape as the instructor.

So again, from my personal experience, I've found it helpful to try a variety of instructors, and I personally particularly like instructors who measure how hard you're supposed to work as opposed to what resistance you're supposed to be at.

[Irulan]

huh. I wonder if this is a factor of any given gyms' set up. Aside from personality differences and music difference, all the class leaders do it the same at my club - just tell you to go up a "gear" or down a "gear", percieved heart rate, or higher /lower cadence. They are very general. There's a real homogenity to the experience really, not sure if that's a good thing or not.

~i.

[CR400]

Thanks for all your replies. It has been five weeks and 10 to 20 classes later. Not really sure how many I kind of lost track. It has become so much easier my heart rate is well in hand. The problem was that my heart was not used to the intensity of the class. Now I have to push to get it above 90%, I have to spin really fast (were talking cadances above 150) or go really heavy at least 6 full turns. I have a high LT naturally about 193bpm. Climbing gets my heart rate up faster then the high cadance though. A cadance of 110 feels so slow now even on my road bike on its trainer. The rest of my team mates and I do two classes now back to back so it is like an hour and 45 min of spin class with two different instructors.

The one lady was right about the different styles on instructors. At my gym we have four ladies who lead classes. Which range from a half to a full hour. One lady is really big on high resistance and low cadance work, loves to do hovers and pulls. Another lady is really big into sprints and fast works with less resistance, but has a more balanced class, she rides road. Both of them lead parts of that long class I mentioned. The other two are a combination of both but a lot easier. I do the muscle tension class twice a week and the speedwork class every Saturday. My cadance has gone through the roof I hit 186 one time. It was really hard to push down to keep from bouncing. I had really sore pecs later that day.

[Irulan]

I swear to god I'm going to scream if I have to listen to the Matrix soundtrack any more. Instructors, vary your music!!!

[doc]

..... note to self: when riding during menses, do not wear zebra-striped shorts. wear black.

Rabbit; hop on over to one of the many sites discussing the diva cup. Then you can wear your white shorts all month if you want. (Although I hope they don't really make white shorts...)

CR400; My coach has told me on numerous occasions that cadence on the road should be between 75 - 120. At 75 stand up!! (that's him talking) I can tell you for sure that cadences in the 180 range in spin class are NOT good for you. They are potentially damaging on the joints. Plus they are not particularly beneficial to the muscles. And you aren't supposed to get a pec workout in spin class. You shouldn't even get your cadence up to 150. Around 140 or so should be the max, above that increase your tension not your foot speed. I'm surprised your instructor is telling you to go there.

[VenusdeVelo]

Ok, I'll try to give the actual bpm. I use my heart rate monitor to display the time of activity and then it only shows it as a percent. My max heart rate is set at 210. So between 190 and 210 should be between 90 and 100%. So i guess that would mean it was between 195 and 207.

First: Anne said it correctly but I'll be more direct ... get a new instructor. Your instructor should be monitoring the class, recommending heart rate ranges -- unless you are doing anaerobic-based race training, sustaining for long periods up to 98% is ridiculous. Your class should either be focused for a specific energy zone or it should have a good varied set which goes thru multiple HR zones (usu 2,3,4).

Second: Get a new instructor :D (I'm sorry, did I say that already?). Your typical max cadence in a Spinning class, except at a supersprint (like 10-20 sec or so) is generally around 110. For ex, Johnny G Spinning recommends 110 as a max cadence. If you do spinervals DVDs, Coach Troy takes you higher than that. Does your trainer have resistance settings? If you work with resistance, power or gearing you should easily be able to tax yourself such that you are not having to do a super spin to compensate.

Sorry I don't mean to be so direct but instructors who don't educate and help students drive me nuts!!!

[CR400]

Ok first off I was trying to see if I could hit that 186. And I usually only do those super fast cadance for no more then 30 sec. If I know the set will be a min, I ride at between 115 and 130. 2 to 5 min about 120. I am using the speedwork class to increase my road cadance so the 120 feels more natural. Because I spent all last season mashing the pedals, I neglected spinning.

As far as heart rate, It appears I was out of shape. Hard to believe after a season of riding and ave 16 to 17mph.

[bcipam]

I've been "spinning" since spinning started - quite a few years ago.

First make sure you use a heart rate monitor. You can get one fairly cheap. Know your target zones (depends if you are spinning for "fitness", "fat burning" etc) and stay there occasionally allowing your heart rate to go towards the higher end.

Also tension is a personal thing. My opinion, since I am a cyclist and spin as a supplement to cycling, I try to keep the tension so I am spinning or riding as close to the way I do on the road as possible. That's not to say you won't have alot of tension on the bike to stimulate climbing, but keep in mind, when I hit a steep hill on my bike, I lower my gearing, think of that while spinning.

Also it really is more important to work on proper form then it is to get that tension up all high. I see so many people in class with the tension on too high, and their form gets all funky. Elbows bent and bouncing, knees sprayed out, back too upright. Again think about your form on the bike. Your pedal stoke should be smooth and even, elbows bent and in close to your body, shoulders down, back straight, no bouncing!!!

Start out slow. No need to keep up with the class. Just stay on the bike and spin, get a good workout and as it gets easier ( and it will) then push up that tension.

Have fun, I love spin class especially with a good instructor and good music (which is generally rock, not disco and not too loud. Loud music will send me out of the class).

[alpinerabbit]

I really like my crazy instructor, he's this old guy who is dried out like a prune.

I don't overdo it on the tension either, just so I can comfortably stand in the pedals.

occurrence this sunday: this guy in front of me let go of this gigantic f@rt. I nearly fell off my bike - no oxygen nearby.......... Since I couldn't go anywhere else....

and I refurbished my bike shoes with SPD cleats just for the winter break to take to spinning. It is really uncomfortable when your sneakered feet start going numb.

[BIKEAWAY]

are you using a machine to measure your heart rate or your own personal montior? A machine in the gym is really is overused is always over what the actual rate is...
I have been doing spin for years and I spike my rate 4 time per class for at least 60 seconds for weight loss and interval training.
I do back to back when I can and the 2nd class you really burn that winter fat;)

[bcipam]

I really like my crazy instructor, he's this old guy who is dried out like a prune.

I don't overdo it on the tension either, just so I can comfortably stand in the pedals.

occurrence this sunday: this guy in front of me let go of this gigantic f@rt. I nearly fell off my bike - no oxygen nearby.......... Since I couldn't go anywhere else....

and I refurbished my bike shoes with SPD cleats just for the winter break to take to spinning. It is really uncomfortable when your sneakered feet start going numb.

Too funny re the fart thing... thank goodness that has never happened to (or come from) me!!!!

I agree with the tension thing... this is an aerobics class not weight training. That's why the heart rate monitor is sooooo important to measure output and effort.

Lastly, definitely should be uses real bike shoes with cleats for obvious reasons. You get can MTB shoes fairly cheap on sale and SPD cleats are $15 a pair. Well worth the investment.

[alpinerabbit]

yep - the shoes were indeed a vast improvement. However, I stepped down once on the floor (nice hardwood) and ouchie, I left a dent.... gotta be careful. only stepping on the towel now that is supplied to go under the bike.

[bcipam]

yep - the shoes were indeed a vast improvement. However, I stepped down once on the floor (nice hardwood) and ouchie, I left a dent.... gotta be careful. only stepping on the towel now that is supplied to go under the bike.

Are you using mountain bike shoes or road shoes? If an MTB shoe, the cleat is reset (and protected by pontoons on either side of the cleat) and therefore it is easier to walk on the floor, safer too. Should never use a road shoe with an exposed cleat on a hardwood floor.

[doc]

Are you using mountain bike shoes or road shoes? If an MTB shoe, the cleat is reset (and protected by pontoons on either side of the cleat) and therefore it is easier to walk on the floor, safer too. Should never use a road shoe with an exposed cleat on a hardwood floor.

Exactly. Make sure you've got a mountain bike shoe. It sounds like you have a road shoe. Never mind the damage to the floor they are super slippery on tile. The recessed cleat of MTB shoes makes for safe and comfortable walking to the locker room...

[alpinerabbit]

Road shoes ;) - all I have.

I knew I had to be careful but I inadvertently stepped down once. I only put them on in the room. too slippery otherwise.

[bcipam]

Road shoes ;) - all I have.

I knew I had to be careful but I inadvertently stepped down once. I only put them on in the room. too slippery otherwise.

Watch for sales especially after Christmas. You can usually pick up a no name MTB shoes for $30 - 40. Well worth the investment. I don't use my bike shoes for spin class and vice versa. Spinning can be hard on a cleat plus my feet get all sweaty. Make sure you have a separate show for your bike and another for spin (I have two sets of spin shoes - so they can dry out between rides, 2 pairs of mountain bike shoes and a set of road shoes - more bike shoes than regular shoes. Sad huh?)

[Irulan]

I have one pair of mtb shoes, wear them for all rides, indoors and out.

[bcipam]

I have one pair of mtb shoes, wear them for all rides, indoors and out.

Your feet probably don't get all wet and sweaty like mine!!! :(

Also I tend to ride through alot of water outsoors so those shoes stay wet and soggy alot. Either way, shoes need to dry out. :)

[Dogmama]

Also tension is a personal thing. My opinion, since I am a cyclist and spin as a supplement to cycling, I try to keep the tension so I am spinning or riding as close to the way I do on the road as possible. That's not to say you won't have alot of tension on the bike to stimulate climbing, but keep in mind, when I hit a steep hill on my bike, I lower my gearing, think of that while spinning.

I also do spinning as an adjunct to road riding. I have an instructor who loves to grind out standing climbs for 5 plus minutes. I'd never do that on my bike. So, I sit & visualize a hill that I'd do a seated climb on. She is cool with whatever people want to do (unlike some spin teachers I've had.)

Also, they say "quarter turn up" - but each bike is different. A quarter turn on one bike could be Mt Everest whilst another bike might be a slight headwind. I use my own judgement.

[bcipam]

I took a class today from an instructor that clearly was neither a cyclist and nor much of a spin instructor. She was out of breathe most of the time. Her class was interesting. She did alot of slow climbing/grinding. I don't recall any spinning at all. This is suppose to be an aerobics class. If I want to do anaerobic exercises I would go lift weights. So I just did my own thing. I got into a good spin, with adequate tension to simulate a slight breeze and only occasionally got out of the saddle. I know what my body needs and I don't have to prove myself to anyone in the class, least of not the instructor.

Bottom line, be sensible about spinning. Some things make sense and to cyclist, some don't. If you don't otherwise ride, then by all means, do the "stand up, sit-down, fight, fight, fight..." moves but always try to stay aerobic.

[Duck on Wheels]

Went to spin class today. First time after doing the "spin intro" class before the holidays. (Yes, my gym here offers spin intro where we learn how to set up the bike and do a 45 min run through the various moves.) Kind of a shock this morning when the instructor opened with "I know this is listed as a 60 minute class, but is it ok if we do 75?" And of course the guy in the Bianci racing gear in front of me is all gung ho (tho he actually left after 60 anyway). But I found out that if I just refrained from watching the clock and concentrated on form, I could hang in there for the full 75, + 10 more warming up before class started. Other things I learned:
1) Keep your heels down and your toe baskets loose (or use cleats, but I won't have those until I get new pedals), otherwise your toes go to sleep.
2) You can do more than you think. Several times I thought "I'd be off the bike 'cross-training' at this point" ... then kept going thanks to music and peer pressure. But I did sit more than most folks. My knees aren't stable enough for long standing climbs or sprints ... yet.
3) Bike gear does help. With stiff-soled shoes, though my toes did go to sleep for a while, I did not get cramps under my feet. My seat also did better with bike shorts. Standing up now and then so circulation could be restored to intimate areas also helped. And circulation kept up better -- or else I was completely numb and didn't notice ;) -- later in the class.
4) I need a new battery on my pulse clock. No sense wearing a clock with no display. Counted my pulse on my own once. Was at 160, which is probably near max for an old lady like me (56). But I was feeling ok, so I figure it does me good to get up there.

But now the big question: If all my time in the saddle from now til March is spin classes of 1 to 1.5 hours, will that be enough training for 100 km on March 25?

[VenusdeVelo]

bikeless,
As far as your training, I do think you will find your time on the spinner (assuming you are doing 3-5 classes per week, 45min - 1.5hours each) will get to you your goal of being able to do the 100km. Indoor training is often considered to be more concentrated and efficient than outdoor training (no downhills, you can't stop pedaling etc.) -- Chris Carmichael (Lance's old coach) used to quote that indoor training was as much as a 10% increase over outdoor training. The number's disputed (of course) but something to consider that you are typically getting in an efficient workout.

The issue though which could crop up is without outdoor training or a spinning marathon (many clubs offer this in advance of century training), you are not spending a concerted time in the saddle, the amount of time you will spend when you do the metric century. So let's assume 15mi/hour average, you'll finish your ride in 4-ish hours. Sometimes it's a big surprise to people who have never spent that focused time in the saddle. If you can find some ability to go on say a 40 mile ride outdoors or find a 3-4 hour spinning event, it would provide you with good preparation. All the time you spend seated though will probably help you with this because that's usually the hardest part -- keeping that butt planted for that long! Outdoor riding will feel easier because you just natually have more moving around on the bike and less stress on your errr..."backsides". ;-) (You didn't say if you've ridden this distance before so wear shorts with good padding and use chamois cream for extra comfort!!) The periodic standing and such will all help, as you mentioned to help you shift the pressure.

If you are able to maintain consistent cardio while spinning, your training should be good prep for your ride as well on this front. A word of advice though -- once you get the HRM (pulse clock) fixed, watch your HR throughout the entire spinning session. Staying at 160 (which as you said is likely close to your max - simple method would say your max at age 56 is 164 but we can estimate with better methods) for the majority of your spinning session will burn you out on an endurance ride. It also is not necessarily providing you the most aerobic training benefit during your spinning sessions. For max aerobic benefit, you should maintain your HR in zones 2,3,4 and only train up near your max when you are focusing on some interval trainng (maybe 1-2 times a week thrown in to your spinning sessions). Zones 2,3,4 will be in the ranges of the following example, can change depending on whose training you follow, the example below is based on a max heart rate of 177:
Zone 1 55% 65% 97 115 DISTANCE
2 66% 75% 117 133 ENDURANCE 2
3 76% 80% 135 142 ENDURANCE 3
4 81% 90% 143 159 INTERVAL-HILL-PACE
5 91% 100% 161 177 PEAK

The great thing about spinning classes is you control your heart rate, you can work with adjusting tension and cadence according to where you want your heart rate to be. You don't have as much control outdoors, so it's an optimal training tool. If you can get your hands on Bicycling magazine's issues where they cover training for a century ride, or see if the info is publicly available on their site (I think it's www.bicyclingmagazine.com), this was a good source I think to put things in perspective.

Hope it helps, sorry I am repeating stuff you already know ;-) Best of luck on your training and your ride, I am sure you will have a great time! Keep us posted!

[VW Beetle]

Yeah, a lot of the guys over at Bike Forums were pooh-poohing spin classes, but I find more credible the ones who seem to be serious cyclists and admitted they got WHUPPED in their early spin classes. ;)

It seems to me that with a HRM you inevitably would get back what you put into it, so I can't see how one would NOT improve significantly with spinning (subject to the time-in-the-saddle caveats that VdeV notes)

[bcipam]

I wish more clubs would offer longer spin classes. I'm usually just getting warmed up after an hour. My old club used to have back to back classes so I would stay and do both. Now I usually (if the class is open or not being used) go in 30 minutes before to warm up and then stay another 30 - 60 minutes after class. Got some good tunes on the iPod and I'm good to go!

I do think spin is tough, at least a good class is. But it is different than riding where you also have to contend with gravity and road feel, friction and wind. Both are good cross-training tools for each other. After an injury I was unable to ride on the road but was able to do spin and whent he fractured healed I was able to do a century without much loss in fitness.

[traveller_62]

After reading through this thread again I have to say that I have a much better appreciation for the challenges that spin instructors face in designing their classes.

The diversity of needs and expectations on the part of those of us who take spin classes is pretty amazing! It is fortunate that the nature of the spin bike allows people to adjust a workout to suit their needs.

My hat (and bike helmet) is off to those of you who teach the classes and try to make them interesting and enjoyable!

[Trek420]

my bikeless sibling in WI asks " the big question: If all my time in the saddle from now til March is spin classes of 1 to 1.5 hours, will that be enough training for 100 km on March 25?"

It could be, especially following what Venus de Velo said.

I'd suggest paying attention to diet, on spin days what do you eat before and after. On long rides keeping fed and hydrated is important.