first spin class

[Possegal]

i'm always so impressed with teh music my instructors choose and often wonder - how do they know what songs would work so well. like the songs that have dramatic changes in the beat so you can 'sprint' during the faster part. and some songs are so perfect for climbing. when i try and think myself what i would use if i were teaching a class, i draw a blank. how do you guys figure out a good group of songs to spin to? just curious.

i have one instructor i call the 'zen spinner'. (no offense to the poster above). she's very quiet, i'm grateful for that, but she talks CONSTANTLY through the class. i finally stopped going because i do like to just get lost, close my eyes and pretend i'm out on the road, but the constant quiet chatter telling me to 'be the bike' (ok, not really, but similar stuff) is just too much. luckily there are a number of other instructors that mesh with my likes and needs, so it's all good. and others like the style so good for them, we all have different ideas of the perfect spin class and there's something there for everyone.

[Zeek]

Posse it takes a lot of time and effort to put a great profile together. I find my music from different forums I belong to. I share with other instructors on the forums. I've been researching my music for years so I have quite a collection. I'm glad you've found a mix of instructors who allow you get where you need to be during a spinning training session. It's really important that a club has a variety of different instructors (and not one or two teaching the majority of classes on the schedule) so the participants and members have a choice and can experience different instructors and find the one, two or even three instructors that work best to fit their needs.

[Miranda]

Posse it takes a lot of time and effort to put a great profile together. I find my music from different forums I belong to. I share with other instructors on the forums. I've been researching my music for years so I have quite a collection. I'm glad you've found a mix of instructors who allow you get where you need to be during a spinning training session. It's really important that a club has a variety of different instructors (and not one or two teaching the majority of classes on the schedule) so the participants and members have a choice and can experience different instructors and find the one, two or even three instructors that work best to fit their needs.

Zeek... Can you post what forums you belong to you mentioned about the music? Or also any most helpful sites from your experience to aid in teaching?

I recently got Spinning certified to teach class. Wow, talk about a lot of information in one day. Even though I have never taught any kind of class before, I've already had one of the instructors approach me about taking over one of the classes on the schedule by splitting it with another lady who went thru the certification with me. I wasn't even sure there was such a need for help. Might not be such a bad way to start with having someone to share the spot with for rotation.

Besides trying to really figure out "what we are doing" in practice, we both seperately commented on what to do about music. Hopefully, if they don't throw their water bottles and towels at me, guess I'd survive stagefright! Thanks for any thoughts!

[mimitabby]

While visiting a sick friend the other day we saw on their TV a news story about a guy who went ballistic during spin class because he didn't like the other guy's enthusiastic yelling and grunting. He attacked the guy and gave him a good shiner.
It wasn't my spin class.

[Possegal]

i think that was in NYC and at the gym a co-worker of mine belongs to. he wasn't there at the time though. another co-worker, i have heard, got yelled at in his spin class for being one of those enthusiastic yellers. i've had a class or two with a guy (why does it always seem to be guys?) who whooped and hollered and cheered and mostly, it just made me laugh. but i can see someone complaining about it. getting into a brawl, well that's another story. i thought exercise was a stress reliever? not for this guy i guess.

[Zen]

I heard that one too.

my club is down to just one spin instructor that I like. I thought I'd at least give another one a try but when she played Britney Spears latest debacle I got off the bike and was going to cut out. Then I thought no, I really want to take a spin class so I put my mp3 on and stayed in the class. I doubt anyone but the instructor knew it.

[mimitabby]

that's pretty gross, Zen.
(sigh)

[spokewench]

While visiting a sick friend the other day we saw on their TV a news story about a guy who went ballistic during spin class because he didn't like the other guy's enthusiastic yelling and grunting. He attacked the guy and gave him a good shiner.
It wasn't my spin class.

Maybe the attacker was on steroids? Some of those gym rats sure look like they are on them to me??

[Zeek]

Zeek... Can you post what forums you belong to you mentioned about the music? Or also any most helpful sites from your experience to aid in teaching?

I recently got Spinning certified to teach class. Wow, talk about a lot of information in one day. Even though I have never taught any kind of class before, I've already had one of the instructors approach me about taking over one of the classes on the schedule by splitting it with another lady who went thru the certification with me. I wasn't even sure there was such a need for help. Might not be such a bad way to start with having someone to share the spot with for rotation.

Besides trying to really figure out "what we are doing" in practice, we both seperately commented on what to do about music. Hopefully, if they don't throw their water bottles and towels at me, guess I'd survive stagefright! Thanks for any thoughts!

Miranda please forgive me for not responding sooner--I just happened to see your post now. I find much of my inspiration on a forum that a Master Instructor (MI) from spinning told me about while I was attending a Continuing Education Course (CEC), www.innercycling.com. I've found the site to be incredibly useful and the members there are more than helpful. I also belong to the spinning.com website (their forum isn't very good, IMHO) but they do email monthly profiles and music lists if you are a paying member. THIS forum is ALSO incredibly helpful. Not just the spinning section but read the posts from real road riders to gain more insight about riding a real bike outdoors (I also ride outdoors). Spinning was first conceived by Johnny Goldberg (Johnny G) years ago after many years of training and miles in the saddle. Aside from being on rollers or a trainer, it's the closest thing we have indoors, to riding outdoors. That's important to remember when you teach your class. Keep it real. Don't stray from the principles. If you do, you'll end up like many others who turn spinning into "aerobics on the bike" and that's NOT what it's all about.

Have you taught your first class yet? The stage fright goes away after awhile. Give yourself some time and give your participants time to get to learn your style. I encourage you to get on the sub lists of as many facilities in your area as possible. This will help ease your nerves and will help you become more comfortable and self-confident up in front of a group of riders. Remember: they are there because they WANT to be there. And you can take it from there! Good luck!

[Miranda]

Zeek... thx for the spinning site resource. No, I have not taught my first class yet. Unfortunately have some other stuff come up, gotta be on hold for now. But, I'll be reading and researching in the meantime. That's a good tip about getting on the sub list at other facilities. That would certainly be a training tool for stagefright. In some ways, it might be easier to teach in front of those I didn't know, vs ones that I do.

[Zeek]

Zeek... thx for the spinning site resource. No, I have not taught my first class yet. Unfortunately have some other stuff come up, gotta be on hold for now. But, I'll be reading and researching in the meantime. That's a good tip about getting on the sub list at other facilities. That would certainly be a training tool for stagefright. In some ways, it might be easier to teach in front of those I didn't know, vs ones that I do.

I've done it both ways and I feel that teaching in front of folks you don't know is a little easier. Check back in on your progress as you go!

[Flybye]

Wow THAT was FUN!! I did a spin class last night - my first. I am exhausted today - not sore, just TIRED. Those muscles got used!

How often should I spin just getting started? Should I listen to my body or press on even when I still feel achy and tired? I am training for a century in June and this is part of the training process since our weather stinks.

[Zen]

how do you guys figure out a good group of songs to spin to? just curious.

sometime I suggest music. It takes time to put a class together, time out songs for tempo and figure out what will fit where

we all have different ideas of the perfect spin class and there's something there for everyone.

unfortunately we only have three instructors, once in a while a good sub. We have a girl that teaches Friday nights who really gets on my nerves but if you want a class on Friday night she's it. It's her"all about me" class. I've learned to tune her out, I'd bet some of the others have too.

Possegal, what club do you go to? Just wondering.
I'm at FitnessFirst in Frederick.

[Possegal]

oh cool zencentury - i'm a fitness first gal too. luckily due to location of home and job, i'm able to go to germantown, rockville and flower hill, in search of the right class. but i guess more often i'm in germantown. i have a gym at work too but they don't do very many spin classes and i haven't made it to one there in months!

[mimitabby]

don't get me started on the music. nothing like 30 minutes of rap music.
It wasn't so bad when it was just the instrumental but when the lyrics started up i got mad. Fortunately it was not the instructor's cd (that was when she was so late )
I am not real impressed with any of the music. I realize i am the oddball here musically. I wish I could bring in some good fiddle music or something.