Confusion during my spinning class (sorry; it's kind of long)

[indysteel]

I'm not sure how they're instructed at my gym or even if they're instructed. I go to two different Ys and each instructor is a little different, but I can ususually get a feel for what they mean in the context of the class. Most of the programs are pretty straightforward.

The instructor that the guy from last night replaced more or less did things by percentage of effort/perceived exertion. I purchased a HRM to use for spinning (I've recently lost my chest strap but have a pretty good idea of where I am now), so I usually had that as a guide in her classes. Even with that instruction, there was some correlation between the resistance level she was recommending to what we were simulating in class, e.g, a sprint or climb. I don't remember her ever asking us to full-out sprint during a climb.

Other instructors, as my first post indicated, correlate their resistance almost exclusively to what we're road condition we're simulating with 1-3 being reserved for recovery. I have some instructors that are competitive cyclists and I sometimes tone things down a bit to account for the difference of abilities. Otherwise, I can generally follow what the instructor is doing. That's why my confusion last night was noteworthy--at least to me.

My other complaint with last night's instructor is that he changes things up too much. We'll spend 30 seconds doing one thing, followed by 30 seconds of another, etc., etc. It's had to get in a groove. I like when they mix it up a bit, but not too much. Of course, now I'm afraid to tell him that for fear of another argument.

I feel kind of sorry for the guy because I purposely started the discussion when it was just the two of us in the room. The other instructor walked back in and interjected herself into the conversation a few minutes into it. To be honest, she and I have butted heads a couple of times before, and that's one of the reasons that I ended up feeling rather miffed. She's young and a little immature and, in my opinion, thinks she knows far more about cycling and training than she does. She turned me off early on because, ironically, on several instances, she criticized another instructor in front of the rest of the class. The criticism was not only unwarranted, but also unprofessional.

Sounds kind of drama-filled for spinning, huh? It's usually not like this. Hopefully, next week will go better.