What makes a participant do these things??

[KSH]

Eh, I can only guess that people put their hands behind their backs so they won't lean on the handlebars and hold their weight up with their arms... thus engaging their abs and core muscles more. I don't get it though. One lady I know who has been going to spin classes for years... I think it's produced a hunched back with her. Or she just has really bad posture.

As for bringing in your own music... I've done that. I won't lie. A couple of years back I had to go to spin classes to get my rides in, as I didn't have a bike trainer at home. The music that motivates me is music that doesn't motivate anyone else... and thus, I always hate the music that is being played in class.

So, I would go to the back of the room, in the corner and take the class from there with my headphones on. I would try to stay away from being in front or anything like that. I just wanted to ENJOY the class without having some horrible music being blared in my ears.

One instructor finally told me that I couldn't wear them because her manager said no more... because it was a liability... if I couldn't hear what she was saying I might get hurt. OH REALLY? Oddly I can run on a treadmill, with headphones and not get hurt... but somehow I'm going injury myself on a stationary bike? I followed up with her manager and found out it was a lie. Which really ticked me off.

Thank goodness I have a bike trainer now and I don't have to go to spin classes anymore.

[Crankin]

Well, I had a participant come to my aerobics classes with her own music. And she sang out loud to the music while I was try to cue the participants.

[Raindrop]

Hi Cyclingmomma. I just now saw your post and wanted to clarify that I should of added during cool down I regularly have the participants sitting up without their hands on the handlebars. But, during cool-down, the pedaling is much slower and even if there is a pedal spindle break, the person has time to catch themselves.

As far as listening to your own music in class...well, I have to admit that I'm coming from a biased point of view. I spend a lot of time planning the focus of the class, the profile and selecting music to fit that profile, so I do sort of look at it as a personal affront to have someone come in and use their own ipod. Additionally, I use an eclectic choice of music so usually, if you hate one song there's a very good chance that you'll like the others. I also [B]always [B] say at the end of my classes, "if you had any issues with the bike, the music or me, please let me know". I know that not everyone will like all of my playlist and that music is very subjective. However, if you hate the music that I choose, there are other instructors that play other types of music and everyone can vote with their feet.

Luckily, my classes stay full.

[teigyr]

Raindrop, I'd ask where your classes were but I'm mostly content right now. Of course it's summer too so I tend not to do indoor classes.

I don't know why people take a class and then talk through the whole thing. I've always felt sorry for instructors when they say "at this stage you shouldn't be able to carry on a conversation" and people are I always thought there might be pressure from the gym to not alienate people just due to the fact it's a fairly competitive business.

I've run a limited gamut of indoor cycling instructors. Some are cyclists and don't know how to instruct, some are 80's aerobic type people who aren't cyclists, and one just tried to talk about how awesome he was. (This was the one who had people in awe because he could cycle 12 whole miles in an hour!!!)

I do think being a good instructor is a talent and the music and class plan is important. It's funny because I am a music purist and give it all up for the right spin class. Tempo, mood, and all of that matters because hill climbing songs are different than sprint songs and I appreciate the work that goes into the planning. I've even climbed hills in reality and a spin song will come into my head and help me pace myself on the hill.

So I guess I'm saying for those instructors who do a good job and actually DO speak out if someone is disrupting the class, there are those of us who appreciate it. As rude as it is to be talking during a class, it is just as frustrating to those who want to be there and keep hearing about what somebody bought at the mall.

Now, how's about those people who get on the list (there are gyms that require a sign-up list if the classes fill up) so there are people turned away. The sign-up list people only stay 20 minutes or so before they decide they have something better to do and then there is a vacant bike the rest of the class. What the heck is up with that?!

[Raindrop]

Oh...I totally get your frustration with the sign-up list. What I've always done is give away any empty bikes if the signed-up rider doesn't show within five minutes of the class start.

My real frustration comes from the gym management at one facility. After using a perfectly executed sign-up sheet (which took awahile to train the participants), the general manager (who has absolutely nothing to do with the aerobic/cycling program) decides it's no longer needed. This, even though the classes (mornings particularly), are over-filled. The reason he gave? Too much paper. I suggested the use both sides or even one of "them new-fangled white boards). But no....he wouldn't budge.

So now we're back to people throwing towels on several bikes to save them for friends who don't show up.

[tulip]

My instructor is quite straightforward and will tell participants directly (me included) when they are doing something unsafe or wrong. My problem is that my knees tend to be too close together. So he calls me on it. He calls out other people in the class to, among other things, increase resistance to stop bouncing, ride properly with your hands on the bars, decrease resistance to get up to cadence, chin up to breathe properly, drink up, etc. It's his job to teach us what's right. I expect that, and would not like it if he just kept quiet or made general comments to the group. Some people don't know they are doing things wrong, and some just need reminding. He's good at learning people's names, and at the beginning of the class will ask people he doesn't know what their names are. I think people behave better since he knows their names. There's no chitchat, but there is a friendly banter between the instructor and the participants.

Some people show up really early and put their towel on the bike and then go do their core work and come back at the beginning of class. That seems perfectly acceptable to me. It's hard to differentiate between those towels and ones that other people have put up for friends. However, it's reasonable to make it clear that five minutes before class the people waiting get dibs on unoccupied bikes. Put up signs a few weeks before you start this so that everyone knows. It'll only take a few times for things to work themselves out.

[gleeclub]

just wondering how is having your knees too close together bad for you? this is a great way to work your hammys when your quads tend to get tired.

[pulch21]

i realize this thread has died a little, but i'm new here and wanted to add one little thing:
how about the people that still insist on doing pushups on the bike!!!!
pushups... really.
or those that insist on never sitting on the seat. they slam the seat way down and back. it's harder they claim.
GRRR!!!

[Zeek]

i realize this thread has died a little, but i'm new here and wanted to add one little thing:
how about the people that still insist on doing pushups on the bike!!!!
pushups... really.
or those that insist on never sitting on the seat. they slam the seat way down and back. it's harder they claim.
GRRR!!!

Better known as Contraindicated Movements. So silly, aren't they?

[eclectic]

Well, I had a participant come to my aerobics classes with her own music. And she sang out loud to the music while I was try to cue the participants.

Now that is WIERD!
did she have headphones on? Didn't she realize just about everyone sings monotone w/ headphones on?

[eclectic]

I have been lurking on the spinning thread for awhile and really thinking about a lot of it. So here are my thoughts FWIW

re: a lot of contraindicated moves like pushups, one arm behind the back etc. I have decided it boils down to teaching philosophy and reasons for spinning.
I am assuming everyone on this site are outside, regular bike riders first, spin class instructors/participants 2nd.

I did some informal research to find out how many participants in the spin class I attend ride regular bikes outside - in a group of 12 there were 3. All others simply go to spin class year round and don't own bikes. They are strictly there for what the workout can do for them and feel good if they think they are getting a "full body" workout. They don't give a rip about proper cycling form or whether any movements are contraindicative to "real" cycling and the classes are geared to them - they are the majority.

One of the more popular instructors is a road rider whom I ride regularly w/. I kind of feel she sold out. She went to some workshops and is now doing all the crazy arm stuff. I don't care if she gets mad at me but I don't do them. I just say "I swam over a mile this morning, I got plenty of upper body workout."
When she does something else I don't agree w/ I just don't do it.

Re people leaving - if it is the same people over and over again I agree that is a problem. However, I have seen a lot of beginners leave after 1/2 hour because of the intensity of the workout, they try to keep up w/ the big dogs and burn out. I try to tell my beginning friends to gear down, sit down, spin slower and do what it takes but try to get through the hour at an easier pace - but we all know what group mentality is like

Re talking during class How loud are they talking? Is it interrupting the instructor? people beside them? If not I say let it go - they are not in school, they are not training for some elite event where they are being paid millions of dollars so if they want to talk they can. If they aren't pedaling hard enough to not talk who really cares.
If they are bothering others then that is an issue and can be asked to talk more quietly or move to the back where others can't hear them.
I am guilty, I have talked in class sometimes and I don't care. Others can still hear and I am not interrupting the instructor. It is not Boot camp, the instructor is not a drill sargent. I am not getting paid to be there, I am paying to be there. I get out of it what I put into it, if my friend and I don't want to work as hard that day that is our problem.

I have taught general adult education art classes for years, I have taught teacher workshops and I teach HS students daily. I have learned that general population adults are not good students and teachers believe it or not are the rudest of all. BUT they are paying for the class, if they don't want to do something I am not going to make them. I introduce it, I help them if needed but I have learned it is not a reflection on me or my class if they don't succeed.

I do think it is up to the instructor to point out and assist w/ good form to help prevent injury. I get upset w/ instructors who just sit on their spin bikes yelling out instructions and never get off to assist the participants w/ seat height, body alignment, foot position etc. I believe they are getting paid to teach, not just to get their own workout in. I have stopped my workout (for which I am paying BTW) more than once to help the person beside me adjust their bike while the instructor stayed on her bike. I realize that stopping, getting off your bike, helping someone can throw off the flow, but I have seen the good instructors be able to multi task and keep everyone else going while they help someone.

Which brings me to MY RANT. I wanted to talk to the programming director to find out what I would need to do to get certified to teach a beginning spin class. I was intercepted by the spin instructor mentioned earlier. She said "I will talk to her but they won't let you do it because I am already on staff and I don't cost them any more money" I am sure she never mentioned it to the director. Me thinks she doesn't want competition.
My feeling (because I have been there) is even our classes touted as "beginner" are much too difficult for a beginner - I see them come, last 20 minutes, leave and never come back. I wanted to start one where there was longer recovery, slower cadences, teach proper form etc. I had a group of followers (OK they were my friends who were really pumped about it. Well nothing has happened and the classes are still puking hard if you do what the instructor tells you to do and beginners don't come back.

I just realized I have quit going to classes taught by that specific instructor and just go to the one taught by another friend from our summer riding group. He teaches much more traditionally and straight forward, fixes the bikes if something is wrong and helps people. He gets an A+ in my book.

[Crankin]

Yes, Eclectic, that woman was wearing headphones when she came to my class. She knew she was singing loud enough for us to hear her. She just stayed in the back of the room and did her own thing. She was slightly off, putting it mildly.
I quit teaching classes because of all of the above stuff. It was worse than the kids at school. At times I have thought about getting spin certified, since it is not a huge time commitment. But, I am not sure who would like my classes. I was always the safe, slower paced instructor with aerobics and my classes were full of people just like me. Not that I couldn't dance really fast in my 30's and 40's, but after just a couple of years and a stress fracture and plantar fascitis, I learned my lesson. My gym does not seem quite as bad as some of the stuff discussed here, but we definitely have the teachers who are riders and the ones who are just spin instructors. I have been going to class pretty regularly since December; the one I can get to on Saturday has awful remixed music just like what I had in the 80s. Her class has gotten better, though. But Thursday i had the cat 2 racer/triathlete for class. What a difference. The time went by so fast and I was doing what cyclists do. Good music, too. At least we have to call and sign up or you don't get in. They give you a card and have to present it to the instructor.
I just don't like the cattiness of the clients; I would have some people tell my boss that I was terrible and someone else from the same class would say I was the best instructor, ever. I am glad that in another month I won't have to go as much.